The Ikkatsu Project: Exploring The Impact Of The Japanese Tsunami On

On March 11, 2011 a massive earthquake off the coast of Japan created a giant tidal wave that had a devastating effect on that country's coastline. Boats, cars, homes and countless tons of other debris were washed away in an instant. Now, months later, much of that debris is washing up on the shores of North America, which has prompted a group of three kayakers to launch an expedition to survey the shores of the Olympic Peninsula and document the junk that is arriving there.

The team consists of Ken Campbell, Jason Goldstein and Steve Weileman, each of whom have extensive experience paddling throughout the Pacific Northwest and the world. They've named their adventure the Ikkatsu Project and over the past few months they've spent time exploring the remote coastline of Washington state to examine the debris that has been washing up with alarming regularity there.

You can read about more about Ikkatsu, which means "United as One" in Japanese, on the expedition website, where you'll also find trip reports, gear lists and more details on the scope of the project. Sadly, it seems they are finding plenty of items to document from the Tsunami and the impact on the environment there probably won't be fully known for some time.

Interesting project in a beautiful part of the world. I'm both fascinated by the forces of nature that have brought this debris to the shores of North America and saddened by what those same forces did to the Japanese people and how they could now impact these pristine environments.



Ikkatsu Project - Phase 1 from Steve Weileman on Vimeo.