Japan marks disaster's 1st anniversary

Two-year-old Kakeru Ishikawa prays with his aunt Nobuko Arakawa March 10, 2012, at the gravesite of five of his relatives all killed when their home was swept away by the tsunami, in Rikuzentakata, Japan.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck offshore on March 11, 2011 at 2:46 p.m. local time, triggering a tsunami wave of up to ten meters in height, which engulfed large parts of north-eastern Japan and damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing the worst nuclear crisis in decades. The number of dead and missing numbered more than 25,000 people.

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the disaster, the affected areas have been inundated with families, friends and relatives. The limited number of hotels in the area are full to capacity with world media and people from across the country arriving to take part in ceremonies paying tribute to the many people who lost their lives.

Flowers are seen placed in the mud on March 10, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan.

People hang colorful paper cranes designed as prayers for the reposed of the souls of victims of the March 11 earthquake/tsunami disaster, in Minamisanriku, Miyagi prefecture on March 10, 2012.

A Japanese flag is flown in the area damaged by the 2011 tsunami in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday, March 10, 2012.

People gather in front of a tomb to pray for their late friend, commemorating the first anniversary of his death, in Minamisanriku, Miyagi prefecture, on March 10, 2012.

Flowers are offered at a broken grave at Otsuchi town, Iwate prefecture on March 10, 2012.

Members of the Takata boys baseball club practice at the Takata Elementary School field on March 10, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. The school's field was damaged by the tsunami, and the club was only able to begin training again in May of last year.

A bus is removed from the roof of a building in Ogatsu district in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on March 10, 2012.

Wrecked vehicles are seen piled up in Shishiori district in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture on March 9, 2012.

A damaged house is neglected at the Shishiori district in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture on March 9, 2012.

A carpenter walks on a beam as he builds a temporary house in a tsunami-hit area in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday, March 10, 2012, a day before the March 11 tsunami anniversary.

A boy walks past a shelf containing radiation counters at a supermarket in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, March 10, 2012. Many Japanese people continue to worry about radiation from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant which was crippled by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

With a banner reading "Big catch," fishermen launch a fishing boat, one of 10 brand-new boats presented by a U.S. charity group, at Hikado Port in the tsunami-devastated city of Kesennuma, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday, March 10, 2012.

The Virginia Beach, Va.-based humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International delivered the new boats built in Maine, as part of their program to help multiple fishing communities. An estimated 5,000 boats were lost in the tsunami, according to OBI.

Boys and girls gather to perform a traditional dance during a launching ceremony held by Operation Blessing International and multinational software company SAP, at Hikado port in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture on March 10, 2012. SAP and OBI presented 10 new fishing boats to fishermen whose livelihoods were ruined in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

A student holds a card behind her back before presenting it to a graduate at the first graduation ceremony held at Shizukawa Junior High School since last year's earthquake and tsunami which ravaged the town of Minamisanriku, March 10, 2012 in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Mihaya Sato, 15, from Minamisanriku cries on the shoulder of her friend after the first graduation ceremony since last year's earthquake and tsunami which ravaged the North East coast, including the town of Minamisanriku where the Shizukawa Junior High School is located, March 10, 2012.

Students applaud their fellow schoolmates during the graduation ceremony at Shizukawa Junior High School, March 10, 2012 in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Students attend the first graduation ceremony held at Shizukawa Junior High School since last year's earthquake and tsunami which ravaged the town of Minamisanriku, in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Mihaya Sato, 15, from Minamisanriku, smiles as she is handed flowers following the first graduation ceremony since last year's earthquake and tsunami which ravaged the town where the Shizukawa Junior High School is located, March 10, 2012 in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

A student looks at a portrait of his classmate killed after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, during his class' graduation ceremony held at Aoba Junior High School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, Saturday, March 10, 2012. 12 students of the school were killed by the disaster, Kyodo News said.

Messages reading (from left) "Recovery," "Go forward" and "Power" are illuminated among other bamboo lanterns lit in memory of victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami, at Jifukuji Temple in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday March 10, 2012.

People look at candle-lit letters that read "Prayer 3.11," in memory of victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, Saturday evening, March 10, 2012.

The candles were lit with a flame carried from the "Light of Hope" memorial in Kobe, Japan, where more than 6,400 people were killed in the 1995 earthquake.

People walk through lanterns, praying for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, Saturday, March 10, 2012.

People light candles in bamboo holders in memory of earthquake and tsunami victims, at Jifukuji Temple in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday evening, March 10, 2012, a day before the anniversary of the disaster that killed more than 19,000 people.

People release paper lanterns to the sea in memory of victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, Saturday evening, March 10, 2012.

A paper lantern carrying a message reading, "Father, thank you for protecting me," is released in the sea as people gather in memory of victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday evening, March 10, 2012.

An elderly woman cries as she prays for victims in front of a memorial at the Okawa elementary school as part of the March 11 disaster first year anniversary in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on March 11, 2012.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda bows his head during the memorial service for the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, in Tokyo March 11, 2012.

A mother of tsunami victim Eriko Okuda from Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, who was killed by the tsunami, receives a chrysanthemum to offer at an altar during a memorial service for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake, in Tokyo on March 11, 2012.

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko pay their respects before an altar during a memorial service for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake, in Tokyo on March 11, 2012.

With a help of her mother, a girl offers a flower at an alter during an official memorial service in Rikuzentakata city, Iwate prefecture on March 11, 2012.

People take part in a silent prayer at 2.46pm the time the tsunami struck during the Rikuzentakata City memorial ceremony on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. More than 3,000 people attended the service and placed single Kiku flowers for the victims.

Keiko Suzuki, 40 prays at the site of her uncle's home on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. Her uncle Kazuyoshi Sugawara was killed when his home was swept away by the tsunami last year.

People visit the place where their homes were standing before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, during the first year anniversary of the disaster in Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture on March 11, 2012.

Keiko Takeda, her husband Yoshihiro, and two sons Seiya and Shunma, place flowers at the gravesite of her parents, Tetsji and Hiroko and Uncle Hiroo and Aunt Moto at the Jodoji Temple on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. On the one-year anniversary, the areas most affected by last year's earthquake and subsequent tsunami that left 15,848 dead and 3,305 missing (according to Japan's National Police Agency) continue to struggle. Thousands of people still remain without homes and are living in temporary dwellings.

A woman rings a temple bell for victimes of the March 11 disaster as part of the first year anniversary in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on March 11, 2012.

A young girl prays during a ceremony for tsunami victims at the Koshoji Temple on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. Of the temple's 500 parishioners, 302 were killed by the tsunami.

A group of volunteers from Tokyo take photographs of the single pine tree left standing after the March 11th tsunami, which swept away an entire forest in the city of Rikuzentakata on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. The tree's miraculous survival is seen by the community as a symbol of hope and want to preserve it as a living monument.

A family prays for victims in front of a memorial at the Okawa elementary school during the first year anniversary of the disaster in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on March 11, 2012.

Hiroko Oyama, 58, and her granddaughter play with bubbles as they pray for victims of the 74 elementary school children at the Okawa elementary school as part of the March 11 disaster's first year anniversary in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on March 11, 2012.

An ice sculptor works to complete a unicorn piece for the anniversary of last year's deadly earthquake and tsunami in the early morning hours of March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan.

People look at candles at a park in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 11, 2012. Some 3,000 candles with messages writen mainly by children lit the park to commemorate the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

People start a demonstration denouncing nuclear power plants in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 11, 2012. Some 16,000 people took part in the rally to mark the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

People carry banners as they march on the street during a demonstration denouncing nuclear power plants in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 11, 2012. Some 16,000 people took part in the rally to mark the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

A girl waits her turn to release a lantern into the waters of Tokyo Bay to mark the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami which devastated northeast Japan, in Tokyo, Sunday, March 11, 2012.

A woman lights candles during an event decorated with ice sculptures in memory of the last year's earthquake and tsunami victims in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Sunday, March 11, 2012.