The tsunami that swept in from the Pacific Ocean following the massive magnintude 9 underwater earthquake that struck some 70 kilometres off the northeastern coast of the Japanese island of Honshu left a vast corridor of devastation in its wake, all but flattening countless communities. Rikuzentakata, Kamaishi, Ofunato, Kesennuma, Otsuchi, Yamada - many of these once vibrant communities were razed to the ground by the vast wall of water.
I witnessed the aftermath of the disaster in the days following the tsunami and documented the destruction wrought upon the unsuspecting residents of the affected communities. One year on, I have returned to see how things have changed, how people have come to terms with their loss and how a country is working to rebuild a shattered region. Though much of the rubble has gone, large tracts of land remain barren wastelands.