Japan Marks Third Anniversary Of Quake-Tsunami Disaster Tuesday March 11,2014

Japan today Tuesday March 11,2014 marks the third anniversary of the quake-tsunami disaster which swept away 18,000 victims, destroyed coastal communities, and sparked a nuclear emergency that forced a re-think on atomic power.

Remembrance ceremonies will be held in towns and cities around the disaster zone and in the capital Tokyo, where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are to lead tributes to those who lost their lives

Many local governments will switch on a tsunami alarm siren at 2:46 pm (0546 GMT), marking the exact moment a 9.0-magnitude undersea quake hit.

People pray for tsunami victims at the seashore in Arahama district in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture on March 11, 2014, the third anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster