In Japan, the emotional weight of memorializing victims of the 2011 East Japan Earthquake is captured through the experiences of bereaved families at a memorial facility in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture. The facility, 'Forest of Remembrance,' features a 20-meter stone monument engraved with the names of 1,272 local victims who perished in the disaster. For families like that of Keiko Iwama, who lost her father to the tsunami, confronting the engraved names brings back vivid memories, stirring deep emotions, and eliciting tears. These names serve not only as reminders of lost loved ones but also as a means of processing grief.

Despite the importance of naming victims, there are deaths that remain unrecorded. The article highlights that more than 22,000 individuals lost their lives during the disaster, each with a name and a story that needs to be acknowledged. Iwama, who also works as a guide in the disaster area, emphasizes the necessity of recognizing these individuals rather than allowing their loss to be reduced to mere statistics. A poignant tension exists between the desire to honor these lives and the belief that naming them risks turning their memories into spectacle.

The article further reflects on the broader context of how societies memorialize tragedy and the varying perspectives on visibility and remembrance. Some advocates argue that inscriptions provide a form of confirmation and reliance for the bereaved families, while others express concern about commodifying grief and suffering. As Japan continues to commemorate the tragedy, it grapples with balancing remembrance with sensitivity toward the personal losses endured by families in the wake of the disaster.