For the past decade, local governments in northeastern Japan have been striving to preserve sites memorializing the destruction left by the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami to remind future generations of the importance of disaster preparedness.

But as the 10th anniversary of the disaster approaches on March 11, officials say maintaining the sites has become an increasing struggle amid public apathy and drops in both donations and paying visitors.

And with the decline in ticket sales particularly precipitous last year amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, some experts say it is time for the central government to step in.