People in areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant mourned the victims Wednesday, with the nation marking the ninth anniversary of the disaster on the day.
In the wake of an outbreak of the new coronavirus, this year's memorial day was significantly different from those of past years as related ceremonies were canceled across the nation. However, people in the disaster-hit areas were praying for those who lost their lives the same as before.
The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed 15,899 people, and 3,701 others died due to the aggravation of chronic diseases and other reasons while living as evacuees. In addition, 2,529 people remain unaccounted for.
At the Kamaishi Memorial Park in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, which was completed last spring, one bereaved family after another visited from Wednesday morning to lay flowers at a cenotaph.
The memorial facility was built on the site of the disaster management center in the Unosumai district, where more than 160 people are believed to have died after fleeing there for safety. Nameplates for 1,001 residents killed in the disaster have been placed at the cenotaph with the approval of their families.
Initially, these plates were arranged in the standard order of the Japanese kana syllabary, analogous to alphabetical order in English. However, this sometimes resulted in nameplates for different members of the same family being placed apart even though they had lived together, as in the case of grandparents with different surnames in a multigenerational household. There were also cases in which the kana ordering of given names resulted in family members' plates being separated even when they did share a surname. In response to requests from the bereaved families, the Kamaishi city government rearranged the plates early this month, placing those of family members together.
Masaaki Kimura, a 64-year-old resident of the city, was relieved to find the nameplates for his mother, Mitsuko, then 81, and his wife, Takako, then 53, saying, "It's good that they are next to each other."
The house where the three lived was destroyed by the tsunami triggered by the 2011 earthquake. Several days later, the body of his mother, who had trouble walking, was found nearby. His wife, who worked at an elementary school, is still missing.
In his house rebuilt in an inland area, Kimura places his hands together in prayer in front of the photos of his mother and wife and reports daily events to them every day. A memorial monument placed near the facility was inscribed with a message that read, "You run away, too." Kimura is the one who suggested the message.
"Every time I visit the cenotaph, I think we must not waste their sacrifice," he said. "I want to pass on the lessons from the disaster."
Chie Sasaki, a 37-year-old housewife in the city, lost her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. "The mother and daughter are now next to each other, and I can offer my prayers to them like this. Even though nine years have passed, I still remember that time," she said tearfully.
In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, people visited Okawa Elementary School, where 74 students died or disappeared in the disaster, to offer flowers from early Wednesday morning. Some members of the bereaved families were seen speaking to their absent children, who failed to flee and lost their lives.
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