14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Lanterns are lit at the former Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeast. A total of 74 students, and 10 teachers and officials of the school died or went missing when it was engulfed by the tsunami.

Japan: Colorful Balloons Released to Mark 14th Anniversary of 2011 Earthquake

Japan marked 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on Tuesday, March 11. At former Arahama Elementary School in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, whose building was damaged in the natural disaster, the commemoration event "HOPE FOR project" was held where people released colorful balloons after observing a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m., the time of the 2011 earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the disaster.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the disaster.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the disaster.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Flowers are seen placed in front of the former Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on March 9, 2025, ahead of the 14th anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeast. A total of 74 students and 10 teachers and officials from the school died or went missing when it was engulfed by the tsunami.

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

14th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Photo taken on March 9, 2025, shows a monument listing the names of the victims of the massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Kesennuma in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Miyagi two days ahead of the 14th anniversary of the disaster.

Frederic Mitterrand Dies Aged 76

Frederic Mitterrand Dies Aged 76

File photo dated July 11, 2011 of Frederic Mitterrand and Liza Minnelli. - The nephew of former president François Mitterrand was a figure of television, cinema, and literature, and served in government under Nicolas Sarkozy. He died on March 21, at the age of 76. Photo by Patrick Davy/ABACAPRESS.COM

Japanese food fair in Brussels

Japanese food fair in Brussels

The Mission of Japan to the European Union sponsors a food fair at a hotel in Brussels on March 11, 2024, to promote Japanese food, especially that made in the country's northeastern region, in the European market, on the 13th anniversary of the March 2011 nuclear crisis at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Event organizers served Japanese food to local journalists, food importers and restaurant operators. The event came as China continues to impose a total ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to the discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the sea.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers offer silent prayers before carrying out a search around a fishing port in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers offer silent prayers before carrying out a search of the coastline of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Police officers search the coastline of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, for clues about the fate of people who went missing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the disaster.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

13th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the deadly tsunami in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, is pictured in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11, 2024, the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

"Daruma" doll market in Fukushima town

"Daruma" doll market in Fukushima town

A gigantic red "daruma" doll, a popular talisman of good luck, is displayed during a New Year daruma market in the northeastern Japan town of Futaba -- which co-hosts the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant -- on Jan. 6, 2024. The market was held for the second time in Futaba since an evacuation order was partially lifted in August 2022 about 11 and a half years after the March 2011 nuclear crisis.

"Daruma" doll market in Fukushima town

"Daruma" doll market in Fukushima town

A gigantic red "daruma" doll, a popular talisman of good luck, is displayed during a New Year daruma market in the northeastern Japan town of Futaba -- which co-hosts the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant -- on Jan. 6, 2024. The market was held for the second time in Futaba since an evacuation order was partially lifted in August 2022 about 11 and a half years after the March 2011 nuclear crisis.

"Daruma" doll market in Fukushima town

"Daruma" doll market in Fukushima town

People buy red "daruma" dolls, a popular talisman of good luck, during a New Year daruma market in the northeastern Japan town of Futaba -- which co-hosts the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant -- on Jan. 6, 2024. The market was held for the second time in Futaba since an evacuation order was partially lifted in August 2022 about 11 and a half years after the March 2011 nuclear crisis.

Japan to start ocean discharge of Fukushima nuke wastewater Thursday

STORY: Japan to start ocean discharge of Fukushima nuke wastewater Thursday DATELINE: Aug. 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant 2. various of people opposing 3. various of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and local fishermen STORYLINE: The Japanese government announced Tuesday it has decided to start releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on Thursday. The decision was made amid strong opposition from neighboring and Pacific island countries, as well as local fishermen over the irreversible impacts on the marine environment and public health. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, hit by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, suffered core meltdowns that released radiation. In April 2021, the Japanese government announced its controversial plan to release nuclear-contaminated water from the facilit

Japanese rally against ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater

STORY: Japanese rally against ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater DATELINE: Aug. 19, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:52 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1 various of the rally 2 various of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant STORYLINE: As the Japanese government approaches a decision on the specific date for the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, hundreds of Japanese gathered in central Tokyo on Friday to rally against the discharge plan. Despite scorching temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, people from various parts of Japan braved the heat to gather in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence, urging the government to uphold its promise of "no disposal without the understanding of relevant parties." Hit by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, r

Fireworks for tsunami victims

Fireworks for tsunami victims

Fireworks light up the night sky above Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture, on Aug. 11, 2023, to commemorate the victims of the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster that devastated the northeastern Japan city.

Fireworks for tsunami victims

Fireworks for tsunami victims

Fireworks light up the night sky above Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture, on Aug. 11, 2023, to commemorate the victims of the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster that devastated the northeastern Japan city.

Fireworks for tsunami victims

Fireworks for tsunami victims

Fireworks light up the night sky above Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture, on Aug. 11, 2023, to commemorate the victims of the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster that devastated the northeastern Japan city.

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(230317) -- JIANCHUAN, March 17, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Duan Sixing checks at the construction site of his woodcarving museum in Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 11, 2023. Jianchuan County, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has a long history in woodcarving dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The carving skills gradually developed from one-layer relief to even seven-layer hollowing relief, and are now applied to making architecture parts, wooden furniture, wall paintings and tourism souvenirs. A high-standard "Four Screens", a representative displaying form of the craft, requires high-level carving skills and costs several months to create. In 2011, Jianchuan woodcarving was listed as one of China's national-level intangible cultural heritages. Duan Sixing, born in a woodcarving family in Jianchuan County, was deeply edified since childhood by his father and grandfather who were all

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(230317) -- JIANCHUAN, March 17, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Duan Sixing (L) makes a woodcarving work at his studio in Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 11, 2023. Jianchuan County, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has a long history in woodcarving dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The carving skills gradually developed from one-layer relief to even seven-layer hollowing relief, and are now applied to making architecture parts, wooden furniture, wall paintings and tourism souvenirs. A high-standard "Four Screens", a representative displaying form of the craft, requires high-level carving skills and costs several months to create. In 2011, Jianchuan woodcarving was listed as one of China's national-level intangible cultural heritages. Duan Sixing, born in a woodcarving family in Jianchuan County, was deeply edified since childhood by his father and grandfather who were all excellent carp

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(230317) -- JIANCHUAN, March 17, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Duan Sixing checks at the construction site of his woodcarving museum in Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 11, 2023. Jianchuan County, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has a long history in woodcarving dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The carving skills gradually developed from one-layer relief to even seven-layer hollowing relief, and are now applied to making architecture parts, wooden furniture, wall paintings and tourism souvenirs. A high-standard "Four Screens", a representative displaying form of the craft, requires high-level carving skills and costs several months to create. In 2011, Jianchuan woodcarving was listed as one of China's national-level intangible cultural heritages. Duan Sixing, born in a woodcarving family in Jianchuan County, was deeply edified since childhood by his father and grandfather who were all

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 6, 2023 shows abandoned houses in Futabacho, Futabagun of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Toshimitsu Konno, head of Fukushima prefecture's Soma Futaba Fisheries Cooperative Association, gives an interview in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, March 8, 2023. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 8, 2023 shows freshly caught fish at a fish market in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Fishing boats are pictured approaching the shore in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, March 8, 2023. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 8, 2023 shows a fish market in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 8, 2023 shows a fish market in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 6, 2023 shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Futabacho, Futabagun of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(FOCUS)JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230313) -- FUKUSHIMA, March 13, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Fishermen wait for fishing boats on a bank in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, March 8, 2023. Struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan's northeast on March 11, 2011, the power plant suffered core meltdowns, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Twelve years after the 2011 accident traumatized Fukushima's fishing industry, local fishermen are still struggling for recovery. As Japan pushes ahead with dumping tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, local residents, especially those in the fishing industry, believe their livelihoods would again be devastated. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

12th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

12th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

A man looks up at the monument to the "Miracle Pine," the only tree that survived in a coastal forest flattened by the 2011 deadly tsunami in the Iwate Prefecture city of Rikuzentakata, northeastern Japan, on March 11, 2023, the 12th anniversary of the disaster.

JAPAN-TOKYO-PROTEST-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

JAPAN-TOKYO-PROTEST-NUCLEAR-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER

(230312) -- TOKYO, March 12, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A sign that reads "do not dump contaminated wastewater into the sea" is pictured during a protest near the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in Tokyo, Japan, March 11, 2023. Saturday marks the 12th year after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan, which is also known in the country as the Great East Japan Earthquake. On March 11, 2011, an ensuing tsunami also led to core meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant operated by TEPCO, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident. The Japanese government said in January that starting in this spring or summer, over 1 million tons of radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant will be released into the Pacific. In front of the TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, a large number of people gathered early Saturday to express their strong opposition to the discharge plan by holding various banners and signs, or handing out leaflets. TO GO WITH "Feature: 12 years after Fukushima quake, Ja

12th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

12th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

A child touches a cenotaph that inscribes the names of more than 3,700 people who were killed in the 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster at the Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Memorial Park in the Miyagi Prefecture city of Ishinomaki, northeastern Japan, on March 11, 2023.