Heads bowed at 2:46 p.m. on March 11 around Japan as people paused for a moment of silence to remember the thousands who died in the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami six years ago.
Prayers were offered at the exact moment the magnitude-9.0 earthquake shook a wide swathe of northeastern Japan and generated a massive tsunami that swept away many residents.
A total of 15,893 people perished directly in the disasters, while another 3,523 subsequently died from difficulties arising from their evacuation after the quake and tsunami.
A total of 2,553 individuals are still listed as missing.
The slow pace of rebuilding and other factors have forced about 123,000 people to remain living as evacuees.
The triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant forced thousands of Fukushima residents to flee the high levels of radiation, and about 56,000 still remain under evacuation orders issued by the central government.
In Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, about 500 people gathered for an event to remember those who lost their lives in the tsunami that devastated the city.
The Taro district was one of the hardest hit, and those who gathered at a coastal levee held hands while looking out to sea.
A 76-year-old man who lost his home and now lives in nearby government-funded housing said, "I suffered from tsunami damage in the Meiji and Showa eras as well as six years ago. Even if another tsunami should hit, I will definitely flee once more."
About 700 TEPCO executives and employees gathered at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant to observe a moment of silence.
"A long path still awaits decommissioning, but we want to fulfill our responsibility after accumulating a wide range of experience," said Naomi Hirose, TEPCO president.
Yoshiyuki Ishizaki, head of the utility's Fukushima Revitalization Headquarters, said, "The big question that everyone now has is, 'Can TEPCO really be trusted?' We must combine our efforts in order to become a trusted presence."
While many of the memorial events were centered around the 2:46 p.m. remembrance, some communities held events into the night.
In Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, about 1,100 lanterns containing the names of all local victims of the disaster were released in the Kasshigawa river, which flows through the central part of the city.
The event was planned by a local Buddhist organization to help the families of those still listed as missing to obtain closure.
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