Japan: three months after the quake

Japan: three months after the quake

Japan continues to deal with the enormous task of cleaning up and moving forward three months after the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast coast. Local authorities are still dealing with the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and now the rainy season, which could increase the risk of disease as workers clear away the debris, is approaching. Collected here are images from this past weekend marking the three-month point, as well then-and-now images of the destruction shot by Kyodo News via the Associated Press. -- Lloyd Young (29 photos total)

Vehicles drive through the tsunami-hit area, three months and two days after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on June 13, 2011 in Natori, Miyagi, Japan. Japanese government has been struggling to deal in the aftermath of the disaster and the problems affecting the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Authorities are preparing for an increased risk of viral and infectious disease as delays in the clearing the debris combine with the arrival of Japan's humid, rainy season. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)

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Kaisei Kubota and his grandmother Yae pray for victims in an area devastated by a tsunami in Miyako, Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Saturday June 11. Kaisei's father, a voluntary firefighter manning a water gate of a coastal levee, was killed after being swept away by a tsunami on March 11. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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A man walks through the debris as the Japanese national flag flies on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Debris is scattered on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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A resident, evacuated from Namie town, right, undergoes a screening test for possible nuclear radiation after a brief visit to her home in the 20-kilometer exclusion zone around Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station, in Minami Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Saturday, June 11, 2011. Minami Soma was among the worst-affected when a tsunami that followed a magnitude-9 earthquake knocked out power at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, sending three reactors into meltdown and causing radiation to leak ever since. About 80 percent of the city is within a 30-kilometer restriction zone around the plant, while 4,100 households lived in a full evacuation zone set up by the government within 20 kilometers of the plant. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg) #

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A broken picture frame is left in the tsunami-hit Arahama area, three months and two days after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on June 13, 2011 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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People sit on the ground amongst the debris on June 11, 2011 in Minamisanriku, Miyagi, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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The remaining destroyed buildings stand in the tsunami-hit area on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan attends the Lower House special committee on reconstruction from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Tokyo June 14, 2011. Japan's cabinet approved a draft law to help Tokyo Electric Power pay billions of dollars in compensation to its radiation refugees, kicking off lawmaker wrangling that may take weeks to decide the fate of Asia's largest utility. However, Kan's track record in winning lawmaker approval for his post-quake policies suggest a bitter parliamentary battle will ensue. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) #

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Debris is scattered, three months and two days after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on June 13, 2011 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Anti-nuclear demonstrators shout slogans during a march in Tokyo, Saturday, June 11, 2011. The protesters held mass demonstrations against the use of nuclear power, as Japan marked the three-month anniversary of the powerful earthquake and tsunami that killed tens of thousands and triggered one of the world's worst nuclear disasters. (Koji Sasahara/Associated Press) #

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A local fisherman clear debris on June 11, 2011 in Minamisanriku, Miyagi, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Heavy machinery is used to clear the debris, three months and two days after the Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake And Tsunami on June 13, 2011 in Natori, Miyagi, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Miyuki Saito, 47, who lost her mother and older brother in the earthquake and tsunami, digs to collect plants from what remains of her parents' garden, three months and two days after the disaster, on June 13, 2011 in Natori, Miyagi, Japan. ( #

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Children pick up donated stationery during an event organized by volunteers on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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A construction worker works on temporary houses for evacuees who suffered from March 11th earthquake and tsunami, on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Sakiko Yamaguchi (left), 47, takes shelter with her son Maya Yamaguchi, at the back of her car in a parking area at Ando Elementary School used as an evacuation center on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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A man looks at the remaining frame of the destroyed Minamisanriku City Hall Disaster Prevention Center on June 11, 2011 in Minamisanriku, Miyagi, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) #

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Residents, evacuated from the 20-kilometer exclusion zone around Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station, including Nao Yoshida, center, lit candles during an event marking three months since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in Minami Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Saturday, June 11, 2011. Minami Soma was among the worst-affected when a tsunami that followed a magnitude-9 earthquake knocked out power at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, sending three reactors into meltdown and causing radiation to leak ever since. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg) #

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In this combo of two photos, a ship swept away by tsunami sits amid debris-covered residential area March 12, 2011, left, while the ship stays in the same position in the area getting cleaned up June 3, 2011 in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Japan marks three month since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami Saturday, June 11. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, a sea coast is filled with destroyed houses and debris at Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, northeastern Japan, on March 12, 2011, one day after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the area, top, and the same area, bottom, with the houses and debris cleared as photographed on June 3. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, a shinto torii, or gateway, leading to Kozuchi shrine stands among the debris in Otsuchi, Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, on March 14, 2011, days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the area, top, and the same area, bottom, with the debris almost cleared as photographed on June 3. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, damaged cars are submerged in flooded residential area with other debris swept away by tsunami March 12, 2011, left, while a car goes by a cleared street in the same area June 3, 2011 in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, damaged houses stand amid debris swept away by tsunami March 23, 2011, top, while those debris are almost cleared in the same area June 3, 2011 in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, a ship swept away by tsunami lies among other debris March 12, 2011, left, while a man on a bicycle pedals past a pedestrian on the same road June 4, 2011 in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, a sightseeing boat sits on a building in Otsuchi, Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, on April 6, 2011, after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the area, top, and the same area, bottom, with the boat gone as photographed on June 3. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, tsunami survivors walk with plastic containers and kettles to carry drinking water through a street blocked by a fallen tank and other debris March 14, 2011, top, and only one damaged house, center, stands along the same street June 3, 2011 in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, destroyed houses and debris fill a parking lot of a shopping center in Otsuchi, Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, on March 13, 2011, two days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the area, top, and the same area, bottom, with the houses and debris cleared as photographed on June 3. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) #

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In this combo of two photos, tsunami waves surge over a residential area March 11, 2011, top, and power shovels are in reconstruction work in the same area June 3, 2011 in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Japan marks three month since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami Saturday, June 11