Japan marks third anniversary of tsunami

Japan today 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 in Japan’s worst peace-time disaster.

Many local governments will switch on a tsunami siren at 2.46pm (5.46am GMT), marking the exact moment a 9.0-magnitude undersea quake hit.