Northeastern Japan Honors Victims of March 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami

International News | World news Posted on 2026-03-11 12:34:20

Communities across northeastern Japan on Wednesday commemorated the victims of the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, marking the 15th anniversary of one of the country’s deadliest disasters in modern history.

Memorial ceremonies and quiet gatherings were held along the Pacific coastline in the heavily affected prefectures of Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, and Fukushima Prefecture. Residents began arriving early in the morning to offer prayers for those who lost their lives in the catastrophe, which struck on March 11, 2011, leaving 22,230 people dead or missing nationwide, including those who later died from disaster-related causes. It remains the largest natural disaster in postwar Japan.

At Koganji Temple, 75-year-old local resident Takafumi Sasaki stood before the grave of his younger brother, who died at age 58 while serving as a town official during the disaster. With his hands clasped in prayer, Sasaki reflected on the moment that took his brother’s life.

“I wish he had evacuated instead of staying for the meeting,” Sasaki said quietly, before addressing the gravestone: “Everyone is doing well.”

In the Hajikami Suginoshita district of Kesennuma, Kazuo Sato, 72, honored his late mother by raising colorful koinobori, traditional carp-shaped windsocks flown to wish for children’s health and strength. Sato had last raised the decorations in April 2011, when the neighborhood was still covered in tsunami debris.

At the time, he hoped the windsocks would help lift the spirits of residents struggling to rebuild their lives.

“I lost my home and my job, and I fought desperately just to survive,” Sato said. “Only now do I feel ready to raise them again.” Standing beneath the streamers drifting across a clear sky, he wiped away tears.

Further south in Tomioka, where 24 people died during the disaster, a surfer visited the beach to remember a friend who was swept away by the tsunami. The 55-year-old public servant gazed out toward the sea, where traces of winter ice still clung to puddles in a nearby parking area.

“I came here to pay my respects,” he said. “Fifteen years feels both long and short. Tomioka’s recovery is still only halfway.”

NPO News Team | PNA — PR

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