Fukushima mourners 'live with sorrow' on anniversary

STORY: Japan marked the 12-year anniversary of the 2011 Fukushima disaster on Saturday (March 11)... the deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that claimed the lives of over 2,000 people and took thousands of homes rendered uninhabitable by radiation.

In Fukushima, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took part in a minute’s silence to remember those who died.

"The massive earthquake, the great tsunami, and the accident at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station robbed many of the prefecture's citizens of their lives. Even now, I can hardly bear the sense of grief when I think of the feelings of those who lost beloved family members, relatives and friends."

Mourners were seen laying flowers in Hisanohama – a village around 18 miles (30 kilometers) south of the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.

"The grief doesn't change,” says mourner Yuki Kajimi who travelled to Hisanohama from Sendai. “I’ve been constantly living with sorrow ever since that day.”

The Japanese public remains wary of nuclear power after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused explosions and meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station.

There are now just five nuclear power plants operating in the country, down from about 50 before the disaster.