Emperor and Empress Remember 2011 Earthquake Victims

Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko yesterday attended a memorial service in Tokyo to remember the thousands of people who lost their lives in the 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, on the fifth anniversary of the disaster.

A minute’s silence was observed at the moment – 2:46pm – that the earthquake hit in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Tōhoku region.

“Many of the people affected by the disaster are aging, and I worry that some of them may be suffering alone in places where our eyes and attention don’t reach,” the Emperor said during the memorial, which was also attended by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Emperor and Empress bow at the foot of an altar in memorial to those who perished in the disaster

The earthquake was the most powerful one to ever hit Japan, the tsunami it caused was deadly – almost 16,000 were confirmed dead, 6,000 injured and 2,500 remain missing to this day. The disaster has also displaced over 170,000 people, who are still either temporarily or permanently living away from their home.

Filed under Japan
Tagged Anniversary, Emperor Akihito of Japan, Empress Michiko of Japan, Memorial, Natural Disaster, Prime Minister Abe of Japan.

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