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The skeletal remains of the woman were found on a beach in northeastern Japan, which was devastated by the giant wave.
The remains of a woman who disappeared in Japan’s devastating tsunami in 2011 were found and identified, police said on Friday, days before the 10th anniversary of the disaster.
“The skeletal remains, including a skull, were found on February 17 on a beach in the northeast region of Miyagi, a local police spokesman told the AFP news agency.
DNA and dental forensics this week revealed that it was Natsuko Okuyama, a 61-year-old woman from Higashimatsushima who disappeared when the black water wave washed ashore on March 11, 2011, he said.
The confirmed death toll in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear collapse stood at 15,899 in December 2020, according to Japan’s national police agency.
But more than 2,500 are officially considered missing ten years after the disaster.
That has left many families in limbo, feeling unable to fully process the loss of loved ones whose bodies have never been recovered.
Local media cited Okuyama’s son thanking the person who found the remains.
“I am very happy that they found my mother as the 10th anniversary is approaching,” the Kyodo news agency said.
“This will allow me to sort my emotions and move on.”
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