At 2:46PM…

Locals across disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture and others observed a moment of silence on March 11.

14 years ago this day, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a following tsunami devastated the area, taking the lives of 15,900 people.

2,520 people remain unaccounted for.

Additionally, 3,808 disaster-related deaths have been caused by evacuations and other factors.  

Local / We’ve been working really hard all this time, so 14 years really flew by. 

Local / I just think that this day cannot be forgotten.

Local / My father was washed away by the tsunami. I wish I had told him to just run away, that he shouldn’t go back. Then he would have been alive. I still regret that. 

Local / I have been living the past 14 years with just one sentence, that I will not forget you. I am sorry for not being able to help you.

Local / I want to tell my father that all the family members are doing good, and I want him to protect us. 

A local in Ofunato, which was recently hit by a bushfire, was visiting his Mother’s grave. 

Local / I thought I wouldn’t be able to visit my mom’s grave , but the evacuation order was lifted yesterday. I feel like it was a gift from my mother.

The lives of the survivors and the bereaved ones continue 14 years on.