Mourners lay flowers along the coast and at grave sites in memory of loved ones lost to the worst natural disaster in the country's living memory.
A minute's silence was observed at 2.46pm local time, the moment the 9.0 magnitude quake – one of the strongest ever recorded – struck off the northeastern coast on 11 March, 2011.
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© {{ scope.credits }}Most victims were killed in a powerful tsunami that swept far inland, washing away towns and crippling the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Nearly half a million others were displaced when the meltdown at Fukushima blanketed surrounding areas with radiation.
A decade later, some 40,000 people are still unable to return to their contaminated homes.
At a ceremony in Tokyo, Emperor Naruhito said the "unforgettable memory of the tragedy" remained with the people of Japan.
The memorial was held before a smaller audience than in others years amid a health state of emergency because of Covid.
