A painting is seen at an area damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture March 8, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters. – Reuters Photo

People pray at a makeshift altar for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami at a devastated area in Natori, Miyagi prefecture March 8, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters. – Reuters Photo

A woman looks for her photographs at a collection centre for items which were found in the rubble of an area devastated by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture March 9, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of last March 11 earthquake and tsunami. More than 250,000 photographs and personal belongings are displayed at the centre for owners to recover. – Reuters Photo

Police officers search for bodies in an area damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture March 9, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters. – Reuters Photo

A man walks at an area damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture March 8, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters. – Reuters Photo

In this photo taken Thursday, March 1, 2012, volunteers have a lunch during a break in Minamisanriku, nearly a year after the March 11 tsunami hit the northeastern Japanese town. One year on, the pain of unthinkable loss still runs deep in the town of Minamisanriku. The March 11 tsunami took away loved ones. As Minamisanriku plans to rebuild, moving its remaining population up into the surrounding hillsides, one thing is clear: It will never return to the cozy seaside town it once was. – AP Photo

In this photo taken Thursday, March 1, 2012, tourists admire the sunrise while dipping in a hot spa at a seaside hotel in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. One year on, the pain of unthinkable loss still runs deep in the town of Minamisanriku, once-picturesque fishing town famous for its salmon, seaweed and octopus. – AP Photo

In this photo taken Friday, March 2, 2012, clothes are hung to dry outside temporary houses in Minamisanriku, nearly a year after the March 11 tsunami hit the northeastern Japanese town. Some 2,174 temporary housing units have been built in and around Minamisanriku, a fishing town in northeastern Japan that sustained some of the heaviest damage from the March 11 tsunami. The town's ambitious reconstruction plan calls for rebuilding residential areas in surrounding hills, a difficult project that is estimated to tak

In this photo taken Thursday, March 1, 2012, a family walks along a temporary shopping center in Minamisanriku, nearly a year after the March 11 tsunami hit the northeastern Japanese town. In late February, Minamisanriku opened a temporary shopping area of 30 stores and eateries, providing a space for some local businesses to earn money and an opportunity for local residents to gather and socialize. However, no permanent structures have been built yet as the town plans to carry out an ambitious reconstruction plan