A public elementary school formerly located in the exclusion zone near the Fukushima No. 1 power plant held its first graduation ceremony on Monday since the nuclear crisis began in March 2011.

Two graduating students attended the ceremony with teachers and current students at a temporary school building in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, becoming the first to graduate from Futaba Kita Elementary School in roughly four years.

"I feel full of gratitude," said 12-year-old Haruka Nomura, one of the graduating pupils, after receiving her graduation certificate.