On 11th March 2021, USPG commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. This earthquake registered 9.0 on the Richter Scale, causing widespread damage to Japan’s eastern coast. The earthquake and the tsunami it caused led to the deaths of 15,848 Japanese citizens as well as causing an accident at the nearby Fukushima nuclear power plant. 2,500 people are missing as a result of the earthquake.
10 years later, we gathered to pray for those who lost their lives at that time, and those whose lives changed irreversibly due to the earthquake. Below, you can find a collect written for the anniversary by the House of Bishops of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Anglican Communion in Japan.
Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth,
On its 10th anniversary, we gather to pray for those who have suffered as a result of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, tsunami and subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
Since then, Japan and the world have experienced many further disasters, including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
We pray for all those who are no longer with us, as well as those who still suffer. May your comfort and encouragement be with them all.
Empower and guide us, that we may be used each in our own small ways to help restore – in this world of constant conflict, hatred, and disasters – the beauty of your creation.
We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who walks with all who suffer and are in pain.
Amen.
Above: Image of Minami-Sanriku Memorial Park, dedicated to the victims of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake