Nearly four months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, poignant scenes such as one of a 4-year-old boy embracing a framed picture of his deceased father touched hearts at a memorial service for victims on July 3 in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture.
Nearly four months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, poignant scenes such as one of a 4-year-old boy embracing a framed picture of his deceased father touched hearts at a memorial service for victims on July 3 in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture.
The young boy tearfully called for his father in the picture, with his face contorting in sorrow. His family tomb is located within a no-entry zone because of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, making it impossible for his family to even place his father's ashes in a tomb.
The July 3 service was held for hundreds of disaster-stricken Minami-Soma residents who lost their lives in the March 11 quake and a devastating tsunami triggered by the temblor. About 1,000 people attended.
Nearly 600 people were killed and 86 are still missing in the city as a result of the catastrophe.
The service was postponed because the search for bodies has been hindered by the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.