Memorial Ceremony Mourns 3/11 Victims
People in Japan are remembering those who were killed 10 years ago, when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan and triggered a nuclear catastrophe. A national memorial ceremony has been held in Tokyo.
People observed a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m., the exact moment the magnitude-9 quake struck.
The quake generated tsunami over 10 meters high, killing 15,900 people. 2,525 others remain unaccounted for, and 3,775 have since died of related causes.
The government has held a memorial ceremony annually on March 11 starting in 2012. But the event was canceled last year and the number of attendees has been limited this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At the ceremony, family members of victims spoke about their loss and how they are trying to move on. Saito Makoto is from Fukushima prefecture, one of the areas most devastated by the disaster.
"I lost my second son Shota, who was 5 years old at the time, in the tsunami. If he were alive, he would be in his third year of junior high school. I deeply regret that I can't give him any advice on his future. I don't want his death to be a waste. I work at an elementary school. So, I want to share with children what I experienced and teach them how precious life is. I am determined to keep the disaster from fading away in people's memories and pass on the lessons we learned to future generations," Saito said.
Omi Chiharu, who lives in Iwate Prefecture, survived, but the inn she worked at was completely destroyed by the tsunami.
"Thanks to a lot of support and warm words from people not only across Japan but around the world, I was able to get back to normal, little by little. I look forward with hope, even in a difficult situation where everything changed... It's been 10 years since the disaster, yet the sadness we felt will never fade away. But we will protect the town we love with our hands, and move toward the future," Omi said.
This is the first time Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the annual ceremony. The couple has visited the affected areas since the disaster and offered words of encouragement to survivors before Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne in 2019.
At the ceremony, the Emperor said that while he feels reconstruction has been progressing, various problems still remain. He said his heart aches when he turns his thoughts to those who have struggled.
Emperor Naruhito said, "It is a matter of great importance, I believe, that we all keep ourselves united, and everlastingly maintain the will to stand by the afflicted people so that the progress of the reconstruction will steadily bear fruit from now onwards in order to help all of them regain their peaceful daily lives in less than no time without leaving even a single soul behind in this difficult situation. I, together with the Empress, would like to continue to listen to the voices of those in the afflicted regions and stay close to them."
Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said that 2,000 people still reside in temporary housing even though reconstruction is entering its final phases. He stressed the government's commitment to leading reconstruction efforts.
Suga said, "The government will continue to provide seamless support to affected citizens. In areas affected by the nuclear disaster that need mid- to long-term help, the government will advance measures to improve living conditions for people to return home, and bolster the revitalization of industries. We will do our utmost to fully reconstruct and revive Fukushima and complete the reconstruction of the Tohoku region."
He added that Japan's history of natural disasters has created resiliency in its people, and vowed that the country would follow past examples of "courage and hope."