Japan Marks 3rd Anniversary of Devastating Earthquake | WPN World People News

Japan is marking the third anniversary of the earthquake-tsunami disaster that killed over 18,000 people and caused the world's worst nuclear crisis in decades.

Ceremonies to mourn the victims were held across Japan Tuesday. Many observed a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. local time, exactly three years after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit.

Yuzo Uehara traveled from an area south of Tokyo to the town of Minamisanrikucho in northern Japan, where much of the town remains destroyed and deserted.

"It feels as if time passed quickly, and at the same time slowly. If you say three years - children would have grown. But as you can see, there's nothing here. That's the reality now," said Uehara.

The undersea quake triggered a killer tsunami that swallowed coastal communities. It also battered the Fukushima nuclear plant, which suffered three meltdowns and still spews radiation into the atmosphere.

Despite billions of dollars in government pledges, efforts to rebuild the disaster-hit region have been slow. More than 270,000 people are still without a permanent home, many remaining in cramped temporary housing units.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said this week he is determined to accelerate recovery efforts, but acknowledged Tokyo is only "halfway" done in this regard. Engineers say it will take at least four decades to dismantle the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

There is also frustration with Abe's plan to restart nuclear reactors that were closed for safety checks in response to the crisis. Thousands rallied in Tokyo Sunday to demand an end to nuclear power.

The government says nuclear power is a crucial source of energy for the resource-starved nation, which has recently had to rely on costly fuel imports.

Source: Voice of America