A Day Of Remembrance
People who lost loved ones 10 years ago in the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan offered their prayers --- close to home.
Many chose to return to the ocean on Thursday for a quiet moment of reflection.
One woman said, "We Japanese lost friends because of the disaster. Also, so many people are still missing. I think we should never forget them."
The city of Ishinomaki saw the highest number of deaths in the country --- losing 3,971 people.
A man said, "The tears started flowing when I came to this hill and remembered how I fled here while being chased by the tsunami. The homes and schools that I've been used to seeing since childhood are no more. It's sad, but I have to accept it."
One man in Fukushima Prefecture lost his grandparents.
When the waves started coming, he couldn't get close to the house that they shared.
And afterwards, nuclear radiation caused by the triple meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi made it impossible to search for them.
"My grandparents died, but I was saved. They were irreplaceable, and I am thankful that they gave me this life," he said.
Even a decade later, the effects of the nuclear disaster keep residents from their homes. Tens of thousands of people have not returned to the prefecture --- and several districts are still designated as no-go areas.