People in disaster-stricken northeastern Japan were greeted with a spectacular glowing orange sunrise on New Year’s Day, a sign many in the Tohoku region hoped would herald the arrival of better times in 2012.
People in disaster-stricken northeastern Japan were greeted with a spectacular glowing orange sunrise on New Year’s Day, a sign many in the Tohoku region hoped would herald the arrival of better times in 2012.
In Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, a crowd of people waited for the sun to rise behind the "miracle" pine tree, the only one of tens of thousands of pine trees near the beach in Takata Matsubara that was left standing after the powerful March 11 tsunami.
A 53-year-old man in the crowd expressed hope that he can move forward in 2012.
"Takata Matsubara was a favorite walking spot for me," said the man, whose home near the pine grove was washed away by the tsunami. "I hope the new year will provide us with some direction in our lives."
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, meanwhile, people did not have a clear view of the year's first sunrise due to thick clouds.
In Japan, the first sunrise of the year has special meaning as it is thought to be a time to “refresh” the spirit and to look ahead with a positive attitude.