NATORI, Miyagi Prefecture--Survivors of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated this city are looking for pieces of their past in a local school gymnasium.
NATORI, Miyagi Prefecture--Survivors of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated this city are looking for pieces of their past in a local school gymnasium.
Row upon row of boxes containing items pulled from the wreckage of the disaster cover the gym floor at Yuriage Elementary School.
The articles, ranging from photos and books to drums and volleyballs, were retrieved by the Self-Defense Forces and firefighters.
Volunteers cleaned, sorted and placed the items in boxes.
Kazuko Oba, 73, a Yuriage district resident, said she was grateful to find her husband's spirit tablet and photos of her son's wedding.
"I couldn't find anything in my search where our home used to stand before the tsunami," Oba said. "I am happy."
As of April 15, the city's death toll stood at 873 and about 1,000 people remain missing.