Virus scales back Japan events marking 2011 disaster

Japan yesterday marked the ninth anniversary of the killer tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, but the coronavirus outbreak forced public commemorations to be scaled back.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cancelled the annual public ceremony at the National Theatre, attended by members of the royal family and people from the northeastern region hardest-hit by the 2011 tsunami, earthquake and nuclear accident.

The cancellation was extremely regrettable but "it's time to take every possible measure to prevent the spread of infections in our country," said Abe at a small wreath-laying ceremony at his office in Tokyo.

He offered condolences to those who lost loved ones and renewed his pledge to rebuild the disaster-hit region.

"We should not allow precious lessons from the disaster to fade away," Abe added.

The country fell silent for a minute at 2:46 pm (0546 GMT), the exact time a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the seabed off Miyagi prefecture on March 11, 2011.

Under light drizzle in Tokyo's Hibiya Park, mourners gathered to pray silently in front of an altar strewn with cherry blossom -- most wearing protective masks.

Naoya Matsuoka, a 32-year-old staff member at a financial company, said it was important to defy the coronavirus to pay respect to the 18,500 killed or missing.

"We are now facing all different issues (like the virus) and hear lots of noise about holding events, but the disaster is something we must not forget. So I am here," he said.

The government has urged the public to cancel or postpone major gatherings or unnecessary outings in a drive to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 568 people and been linked to 12 deaths in Japan.