It’s been 13 years since an explosive earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of many families, through a nuclear meltdown, in the regions of Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate, respectively.
To commemorate and pay respect to the lost souls, the entire community of these 3 affected districts organized a ceremony, whereby some threw flowers into water bodies, prayed on hilltops, even in sidewalks, depending on the area and place, the incident occurred.
On Monday, March 11, 2024, a large crowd gathered at the respective areas, clad in black with an aura of nostalgia and sadness, having a minute’s silence and letting paper lanterns loose in the air, as Japan funeral customs would have it.
Moving down memory lane, the deadly disaster occurred around 2:46pm, after which a team of uniformed police officers embarked on a search spree, checking for survivors in the up-turned gravels and debris.
Towns like Ishomaki, and other areas around Fukushima were not left out when the natural disaster took place; currently, most affected families have not been able to return to their original habitats due to the inability to rebuild the torn-down structures, since 2011.
This year’s memorial event has reminded victims of the terrible incident and has triggered a frantic call for mass renovation, amidst the contaminated water leaks and radiation, running through what the people used to call homes.
According to concrete findings conducted by Ghbuzznews, most of the law and enforcement bodies have vowed to do what they can to fish out the remains of victims who were not found, and give them befitting burials, so that their souls will be appeased, per Japan standards.
See below photos of the 13th anniversary turn-outs :
