Two years ago today, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered 100-feet-high tsunami waves, which caused the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Japan is honoring the victims of the disaster, which killed 19,000 people and displaced 300,000 more.

The day was marked with ceremonies in Japan. During the ceremony in Tokyo, the Emperor of Japan said, "I pray that the peaceful lives of those affected can resume as soon as possible." The Prime Minister of Japan followed that with, "We cannot turn away from the harsh reality of the affected areas. The Great East Japan Earthquake still is an ongoing event."

Many Japanese citizens displaced by the disaster are frustrated with the lack of progress on reconstruction.

 

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of Fukushima here.

Reach Executive Producer Cara Palmer here; follow her here.