Takeshi Kanno
Humanitarian and Great Leader
Japanese Earthquake
• On March 11th at 2:46 Tokyo time, a 8.9
magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami off
the coast of Japan, causing massive damage to
not only the city, but killing an estimated
thousand civilians1
• The earthquake did not subside until over 100
aftershocks1, many with the same magnitude
of regular earthquakes.
Dire Situation in the Wake of the
Earthquake
• The day following the initial earthquake, 200300 bodies were found along the water line in
Sendai1
• Thousands of homes were destroyed1
• Huge fires were seen raging in a city of 70,000
people1
Takeshi Kanno: Who he is
• Takeshi was 31 years old at the time of the
earthquake
• Worked at Shizugawa Public Hospital as a
doctor
• Studied to be a doctor at Tohoku University
Graduate School
Takeshi Kanno: How did he help?
• After the tsunami alert, he evacuated patients in
his hospital
• He moved patients from their original floors to
the top floors between the short period of time
between the earthquake and the tsunami wave
• Treated patients who didn’t have paperwork at
the time
• Waited until the last of his patients left via
helicopter before he left himself
How this made him a Leader
• He put his people’s needs before his own
• He was not required to be there, but he
worked tirelessly nonetheless for the good of
his people
• Risked his life to save the lives of countless
others.
• Led a great rescue for injured and sick patients
Bibliography
Krista Mahr, “Takeshi Kanno: Doctor.”
[http://www.time.com/time/specials/package
s/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_20663
13,00.html], September 23rd, 2011.