Japan's recovery, two years later Pictures Japan's recovery, two years later In Japan, March 11 marks the second anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami which devastated the northeastern Pacific coast of the country in 2011. In this Feb. 22, 2013, photograph, a temple gate stands in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, an area that was devastated by the 2011 disaster. Japan's progress of rebuilding from the tsunami that thundered over coastal sea walls, sweeping entire communities away, is mainly measured in barren foundations and empty spaces. Clearing of forests on higher ground due to be leveled to make space for relocating survivors has barely begun. Credit: AP/Junji Kurokawa