Japan's recovery, two years later
In this Feb. 22, 2013, photograph, a temple gate stands in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, an area that was devastated by the 2011 disaster.
Japan's progress of rebuilding from the tsunami that thundered over coastal sea walls, sweeping entire communities away, is mainly measured in barren foundations and empty spaces. Clearing of forests on higher ground due to be leveled to make space for relocating survivors has barely begun.
Some 110,000 people living around the nuclear plant were evacuated after the massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami knocked out the plant's power and cooling systems, causing meltdowns in three reactors and spewing radiation into the surrounding air, soil and water.