Japan marked the sixth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11 with prayers and the tolling of bells at 2:46 p.m., the moment the temblor struck.
A ceremony was held in Tokyo to pay tribute to the 18,446 people listed as killed or missing in the magnitude-9.0 quake and tsunami it generated.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other government officials, as well as Prince Fumihito and his wife Princes Kiko, were among those who attended the ceremony at the National Theater in the capital’s Chiyoda Ward.
In his address, Abe pledged to further accelerate rebuilding efforts. The prince expressed his regrets for those who are unable to return to their former homes due to high radiation levels in Fukushima Prefecture.
The nuclear disaster was triggered when tsunami engulfed the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, leading to a triple meltdown.
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