Japan mourns tsunami victims

One year after north-east Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami, Japanese citizens have held ceremonies to remember the dead. NBC's Ian Williams travelled to one of the worst-hit towns to see how life is gradually returning to normal.

A group from Otsuchi town in Iwate Prefecture, the worst hit by the disaster, perform a Tiger Dance at the Japanese Embassy in London. The Fukokai Society lost many of its members, including its chairman and many of its props were destroyed.

The Japanese Ambassador to the UK, Keiichi Hayashi, invoked the words of Winston Churchill to describe how his country will "never give in" in the face of the monumental rebuilding effort one year after the tsunami hit.

Japan's Prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda and Emperor Akihito have spoken of the terrible events of a year ago and promised to emerge from the crisis even stronger.

Japan held a minute's silence for the thousands of people killed exactly one year ago today in a devastating earthquake and the resulting Tsunami.

The main memorial service was in Tokyo and was attended by Japan's Emperor Akihito and prime minister Yoshihiko Noda. But dozens of communities hit by the terrifying tsunami also stopped to remember the dead and missing.

The quake that measured 9 on the Richter scale struck at 05.46 British time and 14.46 local time on March 11th 2011. Half an hour later the 75 foot Tsunami ripped through coastal towns and villages leaving a trail of death and destruction.

Japan marked the anniversary of the deadly earthquake and tsunami with one minute of silence across the country.

Bells sounded and prayers were said for the thousands of lives lost

Anti-nuclear protesters gathered outside the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in the country's capital on Sunday, as it marks the first anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Protestors claim that TEPCO's negligence was responsible for the leakage of radiation from the plant that led to the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.