On 11 March 2024 Japan marked the 13th anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that triggered a nuclear meltdown and left large parts of Fukushima Prefecture uninhabitable. Amid observance of a minute of silence and memorial events, officials pledged continued support for rebuilding. It was on this day at 2.46 PM that the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami ravaged parts of Japan’s north-eastern coast killing about 20,000 people while driving thousands from their homes in the Prefecture of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima. Whole towns were wiped out. The time ~ 2.46 PM ~ when the earthquake struck has become a solemn moment every year since then.

People across Japan stop to observe a minute of silence. In Tokyo’s central Ginza shopping district, people stopped to pray on the sidewalk as a bell rang out, marking the moment. The tsunami, topped 15 meters (50 feet) in some areas, slammed into the nuclear plant, destroying its power supply and fuel cooling systems, causing meltdowns at reactors No.1, 2 and 3. Units 1 and 2 of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, were heavily damaged, creating deep fears of radiation that linger till today. Hydrogen explosions caused massive radiation leaks and contamination in the area. After this meltdown of the nuclear reactors, the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant remained shut with restrictions to public entry.

After considerable corrective measures and obtaining the clearance of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from 24 August 2023. This has caused considerable controversy as China and South Korea expressed concerns over it. Japan’s decision hit business relations with China as Beijing banned the import of fish from Japan suspected to be contaminated with........

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