Japan marks 3rd anniversary of tsunami disaster, prime minister vows to boost reconstruction
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Japan is marking the third anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that left nearly 19,000 people dead or missing, turned coastal communities into wasteland and triggered a nuclear crisis.
In Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Emperor Akihito will speak at a memorial service Tuesday to mourn for the victims, marking the moment the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck.
Japan has struggled to rebuild tsunami-hit communities and to clean up radiation from the meltdowns of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Reconstruction plans are finally taking shape, but shortages of skilled workers and materials are delaying the work.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}About 270,000 people are unable to return home, many of them from Fukushima, due to radioactive contamination.