A bereaved father who lost his two children and both parents in the March 11 disaster refuses to give up hope and is trying to console the souls of those who perished.
A bereaved father who lost his two children and both parents in the March 11 disaster refuses to give up hope and is trying to console the souls of those who perished.
Takayuki Ueno, 38, has erected an illuminated message for disaster victims in front of his home in the tsunami-hit Haramachi district of Minami-Soma in Fukushima Prefecture. Part of the message reads: "Thank you. We will make our home a place where everyone can smile together."
Ueno said he wanted to convey a message that would reassure those who died that "we will not leave you alone. We will hang on here until our hometown gets back on its feet."
His 63-year-old father, Kikuzo, and 3-year-old son, Kotaro, are still listed as missing.
Most of the houses in the area were swept away in the tsunami spawned by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which destroyed the first floor of Ueno's house.
Even now, he searches for victims' bodies on a nearby beach several times a week.
"Since thousands are still missing, not just my own family members, I hope I can return as many bodies as possible to their families," Ueno said.