After 14 Years, Natsuse Yamane's Remains Found; Family Finally Laid to Rest
After a 14-year and 7-month search, the remains of Natsuse Yamane, a six-year-old girl swept away by the 2011 tsunami, have been found. The family received the tragic news on September 30, 2023, and finally laid her to rest on October 16, 2023.
Natsuse was at home with her grandmother when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck on March 11, 2011, triggering a devastating tsunami. Her grandmother survived, but Natsuse was swept away. The family searched tirelessly for her in the days and months that followed, hoping against hope that she might have survived.
In February 2023, a construction worker volunteering to clean local coastlines discovered Natsuse's remains in Minami-Sanriku. Mitochondrial DNA analysis later confirmed that the remains belonged to Natsuse. The family received the heartbreaking news on September 30, 2023, and finally laid her to rest on October 16, 2023. On that day, Natsuse's mother, Chiyumi Yamane, held a small urn containing her daughter's partial remains and expressed her gratitude for her return.
Natsuse's family had celebrated her birthday every year, offering her favorite cream-filled cake at their Buddhist altar, even after she was swept away. Now, they can finally find some closure. The remains were found in the mountains near Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, a stark reminder of the tsunami's far-reaching devastation.
