Sato Shigehisa was the vice principal of Minato-Daini Elementary School of Ishinomaki, which was situated next to the river and sea. During the disaster, he guided the children and local residents to evacuate to higher grounds. When his school later became a temporary evacuation centre, he was responsible for its overall management. Before the disaster, Minato-Daini Elementary School, like every other elementary school, had evacuation drills for disasters. However, just when they were thinking of ways to safely evacuate people with physical disabilities, the disaster occurred. Shigehisa Sato retired from the elementary school in March 2012. He became a staff member of his current organization in July 2013, and is now a storyteller, sharing his experiences with foreign visitors.
