Minutes before the tsunami that wrecked hundreds of miles of Japanese coastline hit land on March 11, an untold number of people flipped open their mobile phones and turned on their video cameras to record history in the making. New videos continue to pop up on Youtube and other sites.

On August 11, five months after the disaster, Youtube user cohite1006 posted an 11-minute, 27-second video entitled, “TSUNAMI and an earthquake and run away people.” The images were taken from within Fukushima Prefecture.

This video stands out amongst others because of the lax attitude of those behind the camera in the moments before the tsunami struck land. Their tone suggested that they were treating this evacuation as yet another disaster drill, their giggles revealing that perhaps they were enjoying the time off work.

“This is the real thing,” the camera holder’s companion scoffed sarcastically near the beginning of the video.

“Check out that guy down there, walkin’ along as if nothing is happening,” laughed the camera holder. “He must want to die!”

Their demeanor began to change when the tsunami waves jumped concrete banks six minutes into the video. Their voices grew tenser with each moment as the waves whipped cars around, threatened to topple boats, and swept through the industrial complex in front of them.

“Oh my God, is this for real?”

“It’s swallowing everything!”

“That’s the ocean right there.”

The tsunami warning sirens start to wail nine minutes into the video, seconds before a giant wave envelops a two-story building on the waterfront.

Comments on the video show that the changing tone of the men behind the camera has had a deep, lasting effect on viewers. Uploader cohite1006 wrote, “I don’t mind if people are just watching this out of mere curiosity. On the contrary, pass it along so that these images do not die. I want tens of thousands of people inside and outside of Japan to know what things were like in the disaster zone.”

Source: Youtube cohite1006

TSUNAMI and an earthquake and run away people