In 2013, two nearly identical beams of a sacred Shinto gate landed on the Oregon coast after having been tragically washed away in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. After traveling 5,000 miles across the Pacific, incredibly, these two crossbeams, known as kasagi, landed within 120 miles of each other less than one month apart. Virtually unidentifiable, they could have been abandoned, forgotten, and lost forever.
Instead, the quest to return the two battered pieces of wood has brought people together from across the globe as a message of support for the people of Japan. What unfolds is the story of what connects us as humans: life, loss, perseverance, and hope.
10-Year Anniversary
In May of 2026, a delegation from Portland Japanese Garden returned to the northern Japanese city of Hachinohe to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the return of torii gate beams at Itsukushima Shrine. As part of the ceremony, Yukito Sasamori, a student at Sanjo Junior High School and Honoka Nishimura, a student at Hachinohe Kodai Junior High School delivered heartwarming speeches, which we are honored to share here.