Japan earthquake and tsunami anniversary - in pictures

Student volunteers pay their respects for tsunami victims at the site of the Minamisanriku disaster emergency centre headquarters near Ishinomaki Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Fishermen throw flowers and lanterns into the sea as they offer prayers to victims in Ofunato, Iwate prefecture Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

A musician performs as local residents prepare to observe a moment of silence at 3.19 pm at an area damaged by the disaster in Ofunato, Iwate prefecture Photograph: CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERS

Bhuddhist monks form a line on the water's edge to comfort souls of victims killed by tsunami at Arahama in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture Photograph: Kimimasa Mayama/EPA

A woman wearing radioactive protection gear prays inside the exclusion zone of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant Photograph: Sankei via Getty Images

Hiroko Oyama and her granddaughter play with bubbles to mark deaths of 74 children at Okawa elementary school Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

Buddhist monks sing as they walk through tsunami-devastated Yuriage district to participate at a memorial in Natori city Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

A girl lights candles in front of a temporary shopping complex in Kesennuma Photograph: Koji Sasahara/AP

Wakana Kumagai, 7, visits the spot where her house used to stand in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi prefecture Photograph: Toru Hanai/Reuters

Evacuees of Okuma town, dressed in protective suits, offer prayers for victims in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Two men walk past ice sculptures carved to mark the anniversary in Rikuzentakata Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Local residents hang lanterns at a memorial site in Ofunato Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

A mourner throws flowers into the sea in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Setsudo Miura, the priest at Natori's Koan-ji temple, offers prayers for the victims at a makeshift altar in tsunami-devastated Yuriage district Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

Masayuki Horii, left, accompanied by his father, Tadashi, right, and Megumi Kumagai, centre, pray for Masayuki's wife who was killed by the tsunami in Kesennuma Photograph: Koji Sasahara/AP

People visit Hiyoriyama to pray for the victims of last year's earthquake and tsunami Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Buddhist monks offer prayers at the Yuriage junior high school in Yuriage district Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

Children light candles during a memorial service near the site of Heijo palace in Nara Photograph: Kyodo News/AP

Families light paper lanterns in Natori Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

A man watches as his paper lantern floats away into the distance in Natori Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images