クルキだべ！さんの おぼえた日記 - 2013年3月11日(月)

Japan marks March 11th disaster anniversary ( NHK WORLD News )

People in Japan are observing the second year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeastern part of the country on March 11th, 2011.

Groups are gathering to mourn the victims of the disaster throughout the devastated region on Monday.

In a former coastal community in Miyagi Prefecture, people braved snow to visit a cenotaph built on a beach to offer prayers. The tsunami washed away houses and killed nearly 200 local residents.

A 31-year-old woman who lost her father says she hopes those who died or remain missing are resting in peace. She says she hopes the day will come soon when the survivors will able to smile again.

Tsunami waves triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake inundated coastal areas from northeastern Japan to the Kanto region.

At least 20,851 people died or remain missing. The figure includes the confirmed number of dead, 15,881, those who are missing, 2,668, and 2,303 others who subsequently died.

The government sponsored a memorial in Tokyo for those who died in the disaster. Participants observed a moment of silence at 2:46 PM -- the exact moment the earthquake struck.

Figures show about 315,000 people were still living in temporary housing at the end of February.

There are plans to eventually build 23,000 public housing units in 8 prefectures for those who are unable to rebuild their homes. But only 84 units were completed as of last month.

Work to decontaminate buildings that were affected by radiation from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has also been delayed. Local municipalities have only managed to remove radiation from 19.7 percent of about 179,000 households.

Figures also show a significant population decline in the hardest hit areas of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.

Central and local governments are promising to speed up the reconstruction work and provide the affected communities with blueprints for future projects.