Japan marks the 10th anniversary of the triple disaster that killed more than 18,000

Japan marks the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in the northeastern region, where many people have survived.

People, carrying some bouquets, drifted off the tsunami to relatives and friends who had gone to the coast. Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are about to observe a moment of silence at a memorial service on Thursday.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011, was one of the largest temples on record and triggered a massive tsunami that swept far-flung areas, destroyed towns and slowed down the Fukushima Jaiichi nuclear plant She has given birth. The triple disaster killed more than 18,000 people and displaced nearly half a million people.

Also read: How the nuclear plant crisis occurred in Japan

Ten years later, more than 40,000 people are still unable to return home, most of them from Fukushima, where areas near the debris are still off-limits due to radioactive contamination.

Roads, train lines and other major infrastructure and housing are mostly completed at a cost of more than 30 trillion yen ($ 280 billion), but land remains vacant in coastal cities in the north in Miyagi and Iwate Prefecture, where existing population losses Was accelerated by the disaster.

Fukushima has lagged behind in recovery efforts due to the effects of radiation, with 2.4% of prefectural land still being a no-go zone near the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Decommissioning of its molten reactors is an unprecedented challenge, with some questioning after 10 years of work whether it can be done at all.

Thursday’s ceremony will be the last national memorial for the 2011 disaster organized by the government. This comes just two weeks before the delayed Tokyo Summer Games in July, with the Olympic torch race starting in Fukushima.

Mr. Suga said the Olympics would demonstrate Japan’s recovery from the disaster and would be a proof of human victory against the coronovirus epidemic, but some disaster survivors say their recovery is still half-done.