Many Japanese were among the thousands of runners who crossed the 118th Boston Marathon finish line amid tightened security Monday, a year after the bombings that killed three and left more than 260 injured.
"Since last year, the whole city has grown stronger, determined not to be knocked down by terrorism," said 45-year-old Masayoshi Ichihara, who currently lives in Mexico. "I am from Hiroshima, where survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings managed to grow up stronger, so I feel the experiences are similar."
Meanwhile, Yoshitaka Naruse, a friend of Ichihara's who is originally from Nagoya, said Bostonians showed they have the inner strength to "come back stronger, whatever happens." Naruse, 50, came from Michigan, where he lives now, to participate in the world's oldest marathon.