Hideaki Akaiwa

Who is Hideaki Akaiwa?

Hideaki Akaiwa is recognized as a hero for his actions in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Akaiwa was at work when the tsunami struck at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, and rushed home to find his neighborhood flooded with up to 10 feet of water. Akaiwa retrieved a wetsuit, waded his way through the debris and underwater hazards, and reached his house, from which he rescued his wife of two decades on March 12, the following day.

With his mother still unaccounted for, Akaiwa repeatedly searched for her at City Hall and nearby evacuation centers. He waded through neck-deep water, searching the neighborhood where she had last been seen. Finally, on March 15, he found her on the second floor of a flooded house where she had been waiting for help for four days.

After rescuing his wife and mother he continued to look for more survivors a week after the massive earthquake and tsunami hit Ishinomaki, for which he was a subject of national press attention and was profiled at the popular website "Badass of the Week" on March 18, 2011.