Students, volunteering to help clean the Shizukawa river from Kanto region, gather to their pay respects to tsunami victims at the site of the Minamisanriku Disaster Emergency Center headquarters now seen as a symbol of the tsunami, destroyed during last year's tsunami on March 11, 2012 near Ishinomaki, Japan. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images)

Classmates (L) Yasuka Shirota, 34 and Mika Oba, 34, both from Yamagata, touched by the destruction of the tsunami, both repeatedly drive 2.5 hours every weekend to do volunteer work and to pay their respects at a shrine set up at the site of the Minamisanriku Disaster Emergency Center headquarterson, destroyed during last year's tsunami March 11, 2012 near Ishinomaki, Japan. On the one year anniversary, the areas most affected by last year's March 11, 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that left 15,848 dead and 3,305 missing according to Japan's National Police Agency, continue to struggle. Thousands of people still remain without homes living in temporary dwellings. The Japanese government faces an uphill battle with the need to dispose of rubble as it works to rebuild economies and livelihoods. Across the country people are taking part in ceremonies to pay respects to the people who lost their lives. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images)

Two men walk past an ice scultpture carved for the anniversary of last year's deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Setsuko Kinno, 72 and son Yoshinori Kinno, 41 revist the site of her house on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. Mrs. Kinno lost her husband Tooru when the house was swept away by the tsunami. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Keiko Takeda, husband Yoshihiro and two son's Seiya and Shunma place flowers at the gravesite of her parents, Tetsji and Hiroko and uncle Hiroo and aunt Moto at the Jodoji Temple on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Takahiro Shito, 47, and his wife Sayomi Shito, 46, pray with their children Tomoka, 14, and Kenya 16, and their great uncle Akinori Takahashi, 76, as they pay respects to their daughter Chisato,12, buried in a nearby cemetery, victim of the Okowa Elementary School tragedy, who was killed during last year's tsunami on March 11, 2012 near Ishinomaki, Japan. Teachers at the school weren't trained for tsunami evacuation and didn't to lead the children up the snow covered mountain behind the school after the tsunami warning was sounded. Out of 108 students at the school, 74 died and four remain missing; 10 of the school's 13 teachers were also killed. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images)

Keiko Suzuki, 40 prays at the site of her uncle's home on March 11, 2012 in Rikuzentakata, Japan. Her uncle Kazuyoshi Sugawara was killed when his home was swept away by the tsunami last year. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Families release a paper lantern into the sky in commemoration of the victims of last year's earthquake and tsunami, on March 11, 2012 in Natori, Japan. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images)