Memorial marks 11th anniv of Fukushima disaster

Eleven years have passed since a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan's northern Pacific coast in 2011, which was followed by a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

It killed more than 15,000 and devastated the northern coastal regions. Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, attended a memorial service in Fukushima Prefecture where they observed a minute of silence at 14:46JST (0546 GMT) when the earthquake stuck.

"Recovery from the nuclear disaster requires long term response," Kishida said, but that the Japanese government will take the lead in supporting the recovery efforts in the area.

While there is still a long way to go towards recovery, Masao Uchibori, Governor of Fukushima, vowed to achieve the reconstruction for the region.