Japan commemorates 3 months since quake-tsunami disaster

SENDAI (Kyodo) - Events to commemorate the passing of three months since the deadly earthquake and tsunami took place Saturday in disaster-hit areas of northeastern Japan, where more than 15,400 people have been confirmed dead and more than 8,000 remain missing.
In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, survivors and volunteers gathered at an elementary school to help put up more than 2,000 colorful carp banners donated from across Japan to try to cheer up children.
While carp streamers are normally raised around Children's Day, a Japanese national holiday on May 5, Takashi Hino, the 55-year-old assistant principal of the school, proposed flying them on the three-month anniversary as well, with volunteers spreading the word, resulting in numerous donations arriving in the space of a month.
The cloth banners were flown in a total of three locations by school teachers, students' parents, Self-Defense Forces members and others.
''I'm glad that many people are encouraging us,'' Mana Ikutame, 8, a third grader, said.
Meanwhile, a memorial service was held in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture for three firefighters who lost their lives in the disaster -- one at home and two who rushed to a local fire station after the quake, taking on the task of gathering information and ending up unable to escape tsunami waves.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan visited the city in the afternoon and observed a silent prayer at 2:46 p.m., the time that the earthquake occurred, during a commemoration ceremony.
In the town of Yamada, also in Iwate Prefecture, Mayor Kiichi Numazaki said to residents through the emergency address system, ''Let's continue moving forward as one in restoration and toward reconstruction.''
The March 11 quake occurred off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan, triggering massive tsunami waves that ravaged vast areas of the region.