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Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended the Ceremony to Commemorate the First Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake held in Tokyo in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

The Great East Japan Earthquake was an unprecedented catastrophic disaster that inflicted widespread devastation and took the lives of all too many, as well as had an immense impact on the lives of the people. As Japan marks one year since the disaster, the ceremony was held by the Government in memory of the victims.

The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Vice-President of the House of Councillors, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, former Prime Ministers, bereaved family members, and others. Participants offered their heartfelt respects to the people who lost their lives in the massive earthquake disaster.

Following the moment of silence, the Prime Minister said in his address, "One year has passed since the day the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, which claimed so many precious lives in the same fleeting moments and inflicted such extensive damage across wide areas of the nation.
When I think of the regrets of those who lost their lives and the profound grief of the bereaved relatives who have lost beloved family members, I am filled with tremendous sorrow. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to those people. I would also like to express my sincere sympathies to all people who have been affected by the disaster, including the families of those people who still remain unaccounted for."
This was followed by the address of His Majesty the Emperor. Afterwards, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Vice-President of the House of Councillors, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court gave their memorial address. The representative of the bereaved family members then delivered an address, after which the participants offered flowers.