Kumamoto Prefecture marked on Thursday the sixth anniversary of a pair of quakes that killed 276 people in the region, with nearly 100 others still living in makeshift homes as reconstruction work continues.
"I believe that all of you who have gone through such a painful and sad experience are still moving forward strongly with your own feelings in your hearts," said Yoshimasa Mochida, 54, who lost his 70-year-old mother, at a ceremony held at the Kumamoto prefectural government office.
He said that he and his family members "pledge to move forward along with Kumamoto's reconstruction."