Indonesian survivor promotes “tsunami tourism” in Japan

A survivor of the 2004 tsunami that hit the northwestern coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island is promoting what he called “tsunami tourism” during a conference in Asia Pacific Region. Rahmadhani, 42, said in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun the best way to save lives in a tsunami is “not by building sea walls but by showing residents what happens.” “We are seeking solidarity with the Asia Pacific Regionese as fellow victims,” Rahmadhani said, speaking at a symposium in Osaka Prefecture aimed at exploring ways of coping with disaster and rebuilding stricken communities. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 left more than 220,000 dead. In Aceh province alone, more than 160,000 people were recorded dead or missing. Fewer death tolls were recorded on nearby island of Simeulue because residents fled to higher ground. Rahmadhani had helped recover bodies in his neighborhood after the tsunami and now works as the director of the Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh.