10 years on from Japan’s tragedy - 17th March 2021

On 11th March at precisely 2.46pm, a silence descended upon Japan. It marked the precise moment when, 10 years previously, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the country’s northeastern coast.

The quake, one of the strongest on record, and the subsequent tsunami triggered a nuclear meltdown.

Private and public memorial services were held across Japan as the mourners placed floral tributes at family graves. Letters from grieving relatives were solemnly released into the sea.

Tomoi Ogi participated in the commemorations.

Tomoi Ogi: "I don’t know why, but I felt a lot more emotional this morning than I was at each of the past anniversaries. Maybe I’m getting old. I woke up and watched TV, and then I was thinking to myself: 'Oh, it has been really 10 years.' It feels long, but it also feels short."

The death toll in 2011 was 15,899 people. The towering tsunami swept away most of these and, 10 years later, the hunt for the 2,525 missing persists. Last week, the identification of one woman’s remains took place.

The meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant blanketed nearby areas with radiation, rendering some towns off limits. Huge numbers of residents were affected and over 40,000 people remain displaced to this day.

The 2011 catastrophe has shaped Japan's preparations for natural disasters, with many coastal towns strengthening their sea defences. Evacuation routes and plans have been refined and upgraded in a country that regularly experiences disasters ranging from typhoons to earthquakes.

The majority of Japan’s nuclear plants remain out of bounds and discussions of how to fully decontaminate the abandoned Fukushima Daiichi plant continue.