Hands clasped together in prayer, Kyoko Sato wipes away a tear for her best friend – one of 74 pupils at Okawa Elementary School killed by the tsunami.
The 12-year-old trembles as she stands before a shrine by the crumpled building where she has just placed a symbolic stick of incense.
This is her weekly pilgrimage for her pal Airi, who was 11 when she was washed away by the tidal wave.
Japan tsunami one year on: The human tragedy that could last for generations
“We shared everything and grew up together,” Kyoko tells me, gesturing towards the school as though it still contains Airi.
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