Small clusters of survivors, bundled up against a chilly wind, gathered along Japan’s northeast coast Wednesday to remember the nearly 19,000 lives lost in the March 11, 2011, tsunami. Four years later, the region is still struggling to recover.
A Japanese survivor of the earthquake and tsunami rides his bicycle through the leveled city of Minamisanriku, Japan on March 15, 2011. The tsunami that ripped across Japan’s coastline last year and killed around 19,000 ravaged this fishing town, sweeping away nearly every business and every job, and burying bodies beneath the splintered wood of shattered homes. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
Associated Press photographer Eugene Hoshiko returned to the devastated town of Rikuzentakata last week for the first time since the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
He found a vast emptiness. With the mind-boggling sea of debris cleared away, a massive public works project was underway to raise the low-lying, tsunami-flattened area by several meters (yards) before rebuilding on it. The rumble of passing dump trucks and long conveyor belts bringing in load after load of soil pierced the silence. On higher nearby ground, displaced residents waited in temporary housing.
A look at the devastation and the recovery:
By The Numbers
15,891 people confirmed dead, 6,152 injured and 2,584 still unaccounted for.
Some 229,000 people, about half as many as initially, remain evacuated from their homes. About 90,000 live in temporary housing. Of the total, more than half come from areas affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant meltdowns.
About one-fifth of the 29,000 government housing units planned for completion by March 2016 are finished.
Refugees, including 53 who were saved from a retirement home during the tsunami, take shelter inside a school gym in the leveled city of Kesennuma, northeastern Japan on Thursday, March 17, 2011. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
What’s Next?
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday pledged funding for a second five-year reconstruction period to start in April 2016. He didn’t give a specific amount, but Japanese media speculation put it at 6 trillion yen ($50 billion), less than a quarter of the current package. He said the government plans to compile a plan by the summer. Abe also vowed to expedite housing construction.
Two women walk past debris in an area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan on Thursday, April 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
The Emperor’s Words
At a solemn ceremony in Tokyo on Wednesday, Emperor Akihito said he still recalls the “unforgettable, horrifying” footage of the tsunami on television four years ago, and that he shares the pain of those still without prospect of returning home because of the radiation in Fukushima.
“Many of the people who were affected by the disasters are still living under a difficult environment today,” he said. “I’m especially concerned about the health of the people who are getting older every year. It is important for all Japanese to put their hearts together and stay close by them for support.”
Click on any image to launch the Japan’s Tsunami Recovery gallery.
A woman lights a candle in prayer to mourn for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
People mourn for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami during a special memorial event in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Still struggling to recover, the tsunami-hit region of northeastern Japan marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster Wednesday with simultaneous moments of silence along the coast. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A woman lights a candle in prayer to mourn for victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami during a special memorial event in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
New Suzuki vehicles, destroyed by tsunami waters from the March 11 massive earthquake, are piled on the Suzuki company lot, in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, Japan on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
The lone pine tree that miraculously survived the deadly 2011 tsunami among 70,000 trees along the coastline, stands in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan on Thursday, March 5, 2015. The tree, which was badly damaged from seawater after surviving the tsunami, was cut down in 2012 and treated for decay after which it was preserved using artificial materials. It was later placed back where it was found to stand as a symbol of hope and survival. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A Japanese funeral parlor worker fills a mass grave for victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Yamamoto, northeastern Japan on March 26, 2011. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
Women join their hands in prayer to mourn for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Still struggling to recover, the tsunami-hit region of northeastern Japan marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster Wednesday, with simultaneous moments of silence along the coast. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
People observe a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. during a special memorial event in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Still struggling to recover, the tsunami-hit region of northeastern Japan marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster Wednesday with simultaneous moments of silence along the coast. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Workers in protective suits and masks wait to enter the emergency operation center at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station in Okuma, Japan on Nov. 12, 2011. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
The lone pine tree that miraculously survived the deadly 2011 tsunami among 70,000 trees along the coastline, stands in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan on March 4, 2015. The tree, which was badly damaged from seawater after surviving the tsunami, was cut down in 2012 and treated for decay after which it was preserved using artificial materials. It was later placed back where it was found to stand as a symbol of hope and survival. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A girl joins her hands in prayer with her mother to mourn for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami during a special memorial event in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Still struggling to recover, the tsunami-hit region of northeastern Japan marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster Wednesday with simultaneous moments of silence along the coast. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japanese vehicles pass through the ruins of the leveled city of Minamisanriku, Japan. Last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami destroyed more than half the buildings in this once-scenic, blue-collar fishing town, knocked out power and water, and left residents wondering if their community could ever rebuild on March 15, 2011. The disaster left around 19,000 people dead. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder
In this Sunday, March 13, 2011, a ship washed away by tsunami sits amid debris in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, after Japan’s biggest recorded earthquake hit its northeastern coast Friday. Japan marks two years since the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster on Monday, March 11. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
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AP Images is the world’s largest collection of historical andcontemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP's iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional imagebuyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visit apimages.com to learn more.
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