TOKYO (AP) – Japan celebrated the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that affected its northeastern region on Thursday, where the lives of many survivors are still held.
Carrying bouquets of flowers, many walked to the shore or visited graves to pray for relatives and friends swept away by the tsunami. Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were among those who observed a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. (the minute the shock began) at a memorial in Tokyo.
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, was one of the largest recorded and caused a massive tsunami that swept inland, destroying cities and causing landslides at the nuclear power plant. Fukushima Daiichi. More than 18,000 people died, mostly in the tsunami, and about half a million people were displaced.
In addition, the government recognized about 3,700 more, most from Fukushima, who died of disaster-related causes.
Ten years later, more than 40,000 people are still unable to return home to and around Fukushima, where areas close to the destroyed plant are still out of bounds due to radioactive contamination.
“Reconstruction in disaster-stricken areas has advanced significantly, but the recovery of the hearts of survivors is not advancing as much as we would like,” said Makoto Saito, a teacher at a primary school in Minamisoma, a city affected by the triple disaster where he lost his son Shota, 5, in the tsunami.
Saito, representing Fukushima survivors, said in his speech at the ceremony that he fears the memories will fade out of the disaster area and that he pledges to continue telling the lessons of the disaster and his son’s stories.
Naruhito said he “hurts my heart” when he thinks of those who have struggled, drastic changes in their lives, lost their loved ones, jobs and communities. He especially noted the suffering of many Fukushima residents who cannot go back.
“I also consider it important to heal emotional scars and ensure the mental and physical health of those affected, including the elderly and children,” he said. He stressed that it is important for people to accompany them and help rebuild their lives “without leaving a single soul in this difficult situation.”
Reconstruction of roads, train lines and other key infrastructure and housing has been largely completed at a cost of more than 30 trillion yen ($ 280 billion), but much vacant land remains vacant in the northern coastal cities of the prefectures. of Miyagi and Iwate the existing population losses were accelerated by the disaster.
In the town of Otsuchi, Iwate prefecture, where the tsunami destroyed the town hall and killed about 40 employees, families in dark suits gathered on an empty piece of land where the building stood. In Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, dozens of residents prayed in a cenotaph bearing the names of more than 3,000 victims.
No deaths have been confirmed directly from radiation, but Fukushima has lagged behind in recovery efforts, with 2.4% of the land classified as no-go areas near the nuclear power plant. Dismantling molten reactors is an unprecedented challenge, with some doubts after 10 years of work if it can be done at all.
Thursday’s ceremony is the last national commemoration of the 2011 disaster organized by the government. There are two weeks before the start of the Olympic torch race from Fukushima for the late Tokyo Summer Games in July.
Suga has said the Olympics will show Japan’s recovery from the disaster and will be proof of human victory over the coronavirus pandemic. Some disaster survivors, however, say their work is still in its infancy.
“We are now at a stage to complete the reconstruction of the disaster,” Suga said at the memorial ceremony. He acknowledged that some people still have difficulty getting the pandemic to add to their difficulties and pledged to provide support to meet individual needs in rebuilding their environment, livelihoods and businesses.
The rest of the country also marked the day of awareness for disaster prevention. In Kyoto, western Japan, authorities conducted emergency drills.
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