It's two years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami slammed into Japan, killing nearly 19,000 people.
The magnitude-nine earthquake triggered a tsunami which sent waves up to 40-metres high crashing into Japan's northeast coast.
More than a million homes were damaged or destroyed.
Among the affected infra-structure was the Fukushima nuclear plant, which overheated resulting in the worst nuclear crisis in a quarter of a century.
David Crisante reports
Japan has marked the second anniversary of the magnitude-nine earthquake, that sparked a deadly tsunami and caused the worst nuclear accident in a generation.
Officially the disaster killed 15,881 people.
Those are the bodies that were recovered.
Another 2,668 others remain unaccounted for.
The government hosted a national ceremony in Tokyo where officials joined the nation in a moment of silence.
Meri Joyce is the international co-ordinator of the Japan-based NGO, Peace Boat.
She still vividly recalls the moment the earthquake struck.
She was in a sixth floor Tokyo office.
"We of course noticed the building really sinking a lot, much more and in a different way than usual and started to watch on the news and try and see what was happening. And this is when the images of the tsunami and of course the nuclear disaster started coming through. But at that time in Tokyo of course the whole city was pretty much shut down - the trains weren't running, the phones couldn't be used and so it was quite a difficult situation even to just get information and find out what was happening."
In what was to become the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, suffered meltdowns and explosions.
Japan's Prime Minister at the time, (mr) Naoto Kan, addressed the nation -- urging citizens to help one another and to conserve energy -- following the shutdown of nuclear reactors right across the quake zone.
(with translation) "This earthquake and tsunami and also the situation concerning the nuclear power stations are perhaps the worst hardship that we've experienced after World War Two. Whether we as Japanese people can overcome these hardships -- that is dependent on each of us as Japanese citizens."
Shun Ikeda heads the Japan Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra and is also Vice President of the Australia Japan Society.
He says Japan has often been vulnerable to shifts in tectonic plates and as a result, tsunamis are unfortunately ingrained in Japan's history.
But Mr Ikeda told SBS in 2011 - the scale of the disaster took many by surprise.
"I am shocked and still have not recovered from the horrible scenes on TV and so on. But for the generosity and sympathy and kindness of the Australian people, we are very much appreciative."
There were no reported Australian casualties, despite there being an estimated 11,000 Australian residents in Japan.
Wayne Swan was acting Prime Minister at the time and said Australia would do as much as it could to help.
Australia sent a team of 72 search and rescue personnel, while the Australian Red Cross sent people to help with the provision of food, water and psychological counselling.
"So the task ahead of the Japanese people and I believe the global community in the hours, days, weeks ahead cannot be underestimated. At times like these we are not just Australians or Japanese or citizens of any one country, we are citizens of the world, we all need to band together because that's what friends do in times of need."
On the eve of the two year anniversary of the disaster, thousands of demonstrators in Tokyo protested against the return of nuclear power.
Prior to the Fukushima disaster, nuclear energy supplied nearly 30 percent of Japan's electricity needs.
Afterwards, all but two of 50 plants were shut down.
But Japan's pro-nuclear Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, reportedly wants to restart off-line reactors, as he pushes policies aimed at reviving a long-stagnant economy.
Meri Joyce from Peace Boat says surveys show most Japanese are opposed to nuclear power.
"The government which has just come in after the general election last December is talking about its plans to restart, although there is still a very strong movement from the public against this. Public opinion polls are showing close to 80 percent of people are still thinking Japan should be going down a non-nuclear path."
The Japanese government says the Fukushima plant is now stable and no longer releasing radioactive materials.
It also says food products from the region are checked for radioactive contamination before being sent to markets.
