Fourteen years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, the partial remains of 6-year-old Natsuse Yamane, who had been missing since the disaster, have been identified, authorities announced on Thursday.
Natsuse, from Yamada in Iwate Prefecture, was swept away by the tsunami on March 11, 2011. Her remains were discovered over 100 kilometers away in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, in February 2023 by construction workers volunteering to clean the coastline. The remains were found among other collected items and reported to the police.
Forensic analysis conducted in collaboration with Tohoku University and other institutions involved mitochondrial DNA testing and protein analysis from the surface of the teeth. The results confirmed her identity on September 24, 2025.
Natsuse had been at home with her grandmother when the tsunami struck. Though they initially attempted to flee, they turned back in fear as floodwaters neared their door. Natsuse was swept away, while her grandmother survived.
Her parents had been searching for her for over 14 years. Her mother, Chiyumi Yamane, 49, received her daughter’s nursery school diploma shortly after the disaster. At a 2024 memorial service, she laid flowers for her daughter, who would have turned 20 that year. “She’s still 6 years old in my heart,” she said.
“We are deeply grateful to the volunteers, those who discovered her remains, and the investigators,” the family said in a statement released by police. “We had given up hope. We are so happy to have her back.”
A former nursery teacher remembered Natsuse as a joyful child who loved dancing, playing with blocks, and eating inarizushi. “Every time I saw her photo, I hoped she’d be found. I want to say, ‘Welcome home, Nacchan,’” she said.
According to the National Police Agency, 2,519 people remain missing from the 2011 disaster. Natsuse is the first person identified since 2023, offering a rare moment of closure in one of Japan’s most painful national tragedies.
Source: Japan News
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
