Japan is marking the 13th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that caused the nuclear disaster

Japan on Monday marked the 13th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the northeastern regions of the country and killed more than 22,000 people, leading to the world's worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl crisis in 1986.

While recovery in areas hardest hit by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami has progressed in the following years, life has not yet returned to normal for the approximately 29,000 people still displaced as of February 1, with clean-up efforts At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. It is expected to extend for decades.

The central government stopped hosting memorial services in Tokyo in 2022, and municipalities in affected areas now hold annual events on a smaller scale. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to attend the ceremony hosted by Fukushima Prefecture on Monday.

The “Miracle Pine,” the only tree to survive a coastal forest devastated by the deadly March 2011 tsunami in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. (kyodo)

The latest figures released by the National Police Agency on Friday put the death toll from the disaster at 15,900, while 2,520 people were still missing at the end of February. The vast majority of deaths and missing persons occur in Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate Prefectures.

According to the reconstruction agency, as of December last year, disaster-related deaths, such as illness or suicide caused by stress, amounted to 3,802.

Cleanup efforts in the wake of the nuclear disaster remain controversial, with Tokyo Electric Power Holdings last month beginning a fourth release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

China protested the water release and imposed a comprehensive ban on the import of all seafood products from Japan since the unloading began in August 2023. Russia has also restricted imports of Japanese seafood while Hong Kong and Macau, both semi-autonomous regions of China, have taken similar measures.

A photo taken near the fishing port of Okido in Nami, Fukushima Prefecture shows the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Complex on March 10, 2024, the eve of the 13th anniversary of the powerful earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan. (kyodo)

The Japanese government and Tepco see the disposal of wastewater as a crucial step towards decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which suffered nuclear meltdowns caused by the earthquake and tsunami. The water release is expected to continue for approximately 30 years.

There remains a restricted zone near the nuclear plant itself, and decommissioning work is scheduled to continue until sometime between 2041 and 2051.

While the number of displaced people has declined from its peak of 470,000 as a result of infrastructure redevelopment, seven municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture remain off-limits due to radiation.

People pray on a beach in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that devastated the country's northeast. (For editorial use only) (Kyodo)

Total consultations received by mental health centers established in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures for those affected by the triple disaster reached 17,302 in fiscal year 2021, indicating continued demand for the service although down from 23,914 in fiscal year 2012.

On New Year's Day, an earthquake on the Noto Peninsula registered with the same maximum level of 7 on the Japanese intensity scale as the Northeastern Earthquake. The earthquake in central Japan also marked the first time an evacuation order had been issued due to the potential for a large tsunami since the 2011 earthquake.

Related coverage:

Chinese nuclear plants released tritium above the Fukushima level in 2022

The Japanese agency warns of more earthquakes as tremors continue east of Tokyo

A fifth of nurses at an earthquake-hit area hospital in Japan may resign amid the crisis

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