The 3.11 Memorial Community Center is located inside Arai Station. It’s a great place to learn about how the March 2011 disaster impacted life in Sendai’s coastal suburbs. On the first floor is a community space housing a wooden topographic map, books, and slideshows that give a clear overview of the damage. The second floor houses a permanent exhibition of photos and a timeline chronicling the March 2011 disasters and the progress of the recovery. There is a full explanation of the exhibition in English and a docent on hand to answer questions (in Japanese only). A rooftop garden offers visitors a perch from which to observe the neighborhood’s recovery taking shape.