Three million people who lived in communities affected by the tsunami now want to return and reconstruct their homes.
Residents of Otsuchi, a fishing village in Iwate prefecture destroyed by the tsunami, hope to rebuild their town so they can fish again.
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Of its 15 000 citizens, 500 are now dead while 1000 remain missing.
The town had a 6-metre high sea wall - not high enough to protect it from the tsunami.
Masaaki Tobai, the town's deputy mayor, said clearing the debris from Otsuchi could take up to three years, while rebuilding could take over 10 years.
"People are determined, they want to live here," he said.
The northeast coast has seen nine major tsunamis in the past 400 years.
A month since the tsunami struck, 150 000 people are still living in shelters, and more than 200 000 people are without running water.
