Remains of girl, 6, missing since 2011 Japan tsunami, identified after 14 years

Human remains found in Japan’s northeast prefecture have been identified by police on Oct. 9 as those of a six-year-old girl who went missing in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, reported The Asahi Shimbun.

The identification brings long-awaited closure to the family of Natsuse Yamane, who was swept away when the massive tsunami struck her hometown in Iwate Prefecture on Mar. 11, 2011.

Remains identified

According to the police, a construction company volunteer discovered jawbone fragments and several teeth in February 2023 while sorting debris collected during a beach clean-up in another prefecture that was about a 100km south of Iwate.

The worker told police that he had found pieces of human bone mixed in with the garbage he collected, according to NHK World Japan.

Subsequent testing confirmed the remains belonged to a child between the ages of five and nine.

DNA analysis showed a maternal link to Yamane’s mother, while protein analysis of the teeth determined the remains were female.

With assistance from Tohoku University, investigators formally identified the remains as Yamane’s.

Family are grateful

The girl’s family, who had waited 14 years for answers, said in a statement according to Kyodo News:

“We had long given up (on finding her remains), so when we were notified, it took us by surprise. We are very grateful."

They also added that they were grateful to the volunteers who found the remains during their clean-up efforts and the police for not giving up on their investigations.

Police said the girl’s remains will be returned to her parents in the coming days.

People still missing from tsunami

The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 left a devastating toll, claiming around 15,900 lives and leaving more than 2,500 people still missing nationwide, according to the Japan National Police Agency.

Authorities in Miyagi said the last confirmed identification of a tsunami victim occurred in March 2021, and that six sets of remains from the disaster still remain unidentified in the prefecture.

Top images via Kyodo News/Instagram, 22Ajinkun/X