The mayor of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, which was devastated by the 2011 tsunami disaster, stressed Monday how resilience and inclusivity are necessary for rebuilding the city as he spoke at the United Nations to mark World Tsunami Awareness Day.

"The inclusive and accessible society to my knowledge is where no one is left behind. We want to be a model city of inclusive society globally," Rikuzentakata Mayor Futoshi Toba said at a high-level event co-sponsored by the tsunami-hit countries of Japan, Chile, Indonesia and the Maldives.

Toba, 53, who lost his wife and many colleagues in the disaster, recalled how a 47-foot wall of water triggered by a major earthquake "completely wiped out" his city, claiming 1,800 lives.