ome of the stories we are following this hour. people across japan are praying for the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and vowing to pass on their experiences to the next generation. an innovation in adversity gives rise to new chances for business in disaster-affected areas.

it's march 11th, a day that is burned into the consciousness of this country. four years ago, a magnitude 9 earthquake struck off northeastern japan, triggering tsunami that washed away coastal communities. survivors are still struggling to rebuild. and workers at fukushima daiichi are still trying to contain the aftermath of the nuclear accident. people in different places paused today to remember what happened in 2011, and all that was lost. some 1,200 people honored the victims of the disaster at the national memorial ceremony in tokyo. some families of those who died government and business leaders, and foreign ambassadors, observed a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. the exact time the quake struck.

more than 15,000 people died. nearly 2,600 are still listed as missing. representatives of families who lost loved ones spoke at the ceremony. sayaka was 15 years old when the disaster hit. she tried to rescue her mother who was trapped in debris in the dark, dirty water. but she wasn't able to save her. her grandmother and great grandmother also died in the tsunami. >> translator: what i lost in the disaster can never come back. i do not believe that the grief of the survivors will ever disappear. i believe that going forward is the only way to honor the memories of family members who lost their lives.

and i will take positive steps forward to regain what i lost in the disaster. >> prime minister shinzo abe pledged to accelerate reconstruction efforts. and he said he'd rely on the lessons learned for the benefit of japan and the rest of the world. >> translator: in order to make the impact of future disasters as limited as possible, i would like to make a solid pledge here to make unified efforts to utilize the latest knowledge to provide comprehensive disaster prevention measures. >> emperor akihito called on people to continue to show compassion to those affected by the disaster.

>> as part of the ceremony participants took the opportunity to make offerings at an altar. people in the disaster-hit region also offered their prayers to those who died and remembered how life has changed since that day four years ago. ♪ the city of minamisanriku was among the places hit the hardest. nhk world has been following the recovery efforts. she was there today to see how people remembered the disaster.

>> reporter: i'm standing in front of what used to be minamisanriku's disaster center. what you're seeing are the bones of what is left of it. on march 11th, 2011 town officials were here calling on residents to evacuate. they were here using loudspeakers telling everyone till the very last minute. that's when 60 meter high tsunami waves came and swamped the structure. 43 people died right here. now many people have been gathering from across the country to this place today, and other parts of minamisanriku at 2:46 p.m. they prayed and reflected on what happened. we've been seeing even up until now, past 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon, people bringing flowers to the altar that's been created in front of the structure. now, i first came to minamisanriku right after the disaster when this town was still littered with debris.

now, it is a place that is trying to be reborn. here are the changes that i noticed this time around. the remains of the seawall still sit by the bay. crews have been building a higher one, 16 meters in length. you can still see evidence of the tsunami's destructive power if you stand on the hills overlooking minamisanriku. before the disaster the municipal office hospital shopping center factories, even residences, stood in the center of town. under the new plan shops and industrial facilities will be constructed here again. but everything else is being moved to higher ground. new homes are finally springing up. this public housing complex opened last august.

yoshida and his wife moved in after spending three years in temporary housing. their monthly rent is subsidized. there aren't many of these units available, so people have to enter a lottery to get in. >> translator: i'm happy to finally live in a nicer place. >> reporter: maintaining a stable job is crucial for residents to continue living in minamisanriku. but that hasn't been easy. even people working in the town's main industry fishing, are having a hard time. 34-year-old naoa and his family have been in the trade for generations. after the disaster he had to rebuild facilities buy a new boat, and new equipment. other fishermen shouldered similar costs.

takahashi says almost all of his friends have part-time jobs. he's worried people might quit the fishery and leave minamisanriku. >> translator: many fishermen are working at construction sites to make a living. but they strongly wish they could spend all their time at sea. >> reporter: so takahashi and the younger fishermen started what they call blue tourism. fishing tours that include a chance to taste the catch. by working with the town's tourism office they've received more than 1,000 participants from around japan, even some from abroad. this time they welcomed a group from taiwan. takahashi showed them how sea weed is processed. he says face-to-face communication and firsthand experience is the best way to promote the area's marine product.

>> reporter: takahashi says he's come to realize the things he's taken for granted are precious. >> translator: the disaster has brought all kinds of people to this area. and their views have opened my eyes to the reality that this place is truly beautiful. >> reporter: people are trying to rebuild their lives, despite the sorrow of having lost their loved ones. and still, for some others it's been harder to move forward. now all of this is leading to a discussion about what to do of things that were left after the tsunami, including this disaster prevention center. structures are gradually being torn down as reconstruction progresses. some people want to preserve such landmarks, while others

want them removed. people here in minamisanriku are divided over this building. the divisions came to the surface in 2013 when town officials announced plans to tear the building down. one reason is financial. minamisanriku's mayor said it will be difficult to secure funds to preserve it. but in january, officials put things on hold. the governor proposed that a decision be postponed until 2031, 20 years after the disaster. in the mean time he said the prefecture would manage the structure. the town has not yet responded to the prefecture's proposal. but some residents are voicing opposition. 68-year-old mioka chiba is calling for it to be torn down.

her son-in-law who worked for the local government lost his life in the disaster prevention center. chiba can't bring herself to look at the building, because of the horrific memories that come back. >> translator: the place reminds us of great pain so when we heard the news of the demolition plans, we were so relieved it brought tears to our eyes. >> reporter: chiba says any move to postpone the demolition would simply prolong her suffering. >> translator: i can't stand that. there are plenty of people who can't move forward easily. >> reporter: the governor's proposal has caused deep reflection in the town. some people who lost loved ones are speaking out.

this man's father was another public servant who died in the building. it was a long time before he could even drive past it. but recently, he realized his feelings had calmed and was able to look at it objectively. he thinks people's feelings will change as the town recovers and begins to look different. >> translator: the building is a delicate subject and it's difficult for local people to talk about it. honestly, i think the passage of time is a big factor. >> reporter: oikawa has submitted a request to the town council. he asked it to accept the moratorium proposal and postpone the decision until the 20th anniversary of the tsunami.

oikawa is still ambivalent about what should be done. now he says what's important is for town residents to discuss the matter. >> translator: i think the key question is not what to do with the building but what to leave for the future. we should take our time and take a broad view and each of us should talk more openly about what should be done. >> reporter: to preserve or to demolish? we will continue to watch whether the town will accept the prefecture's proposal to keep this structure. many people i've spoken to in the northeast say that the past four years have gone by very quickly. mostly, because they've been so caught up in trying to bring their lives back to normal and then again they also wonder how much longer it will take for their communities to be rebuilt. they're also very worried about the memories fading with the passage of time. enheck conducted a survey in the

hardest-hit prefectures and nearly 80% of respondents say that they feel people are already forgetting about the disaster. those i've talked to say yes, it is important to take time to remember what happened on march 11th, but it's also becoming the only play in which some people are thinking about the northeast and this region. these people are still living in very tough situations. the hardships are hardly over. we will continue to cover the reconstruction process in the time that will come. minori takao, nhk world, minamisanriku. and that wraps up this edition of our special coverage "echoes of 3.11." now to what's happening in the world of business. ron madison has the latest. >> and we get started with the latest economic data out of china. it does suggest growth in

domestic demand and the country is slowing. officials with the national bureau of statistics say industrial output in the first two months of this year rose 6.8% from the same period last year. that's 1.1 percentage point lower than the previous month. it's the weakest growth in six years. the slowdown is attributed to a sluggish real estate market and lower production of steel and glass products. the officials say growth in retail sales waslso the slowest in about nine years. it was up 10.7%. analysts say this is due to lower crude oil prices and a drop in sales at major restaurants. well factory managers in japan bought less equipment in january. the latest figures show machinery orders were down. but not as much as analysts had expected. officials at the cabinet office say companies in january placed orders worth roughly $6.9 billion. that's down 1.7% in yen terms from december. and it's the first decline in three months. orders from manufacturers fell more than 10% with automakers

holding back. nonmanufacturers were a bit more upbeat, though. their purchases rose by 3.7%. the government maintains its overall assessment that machinery orders are moderately picking up. all right let's get a check of the markets now. poor economic data from china and a negative handover from new york dented investor sentiment in asia. china's major trading partner south korea and australia both finished out their sessions lower. investors in seoul also refrained from buying ahead of tomorrow's central bank meeting. but shanghai notched higher after banking shares there rose. jakarta has just finished out its day, down today 0.8%. hong kong closed at a two-month low following disappointing chinese data. the hang seng index finished lower 0.75%. 23,717. selling of casino shares also pressured the markets. here in tokyo japan's nikkei closed up 0.3% 18,723. investors bought stocks on the

dip following better than expected industrial output data. well officials with japan's land ministry gave a progress report on rebuilding in areas that were affected by the tsunami disaster. minister ack heir ra ota pledged to ramp up the effort. >> translator: the coming fiscal year is the last of five years of intensive reconstruction. we will make an effort to accelerate the work. >> ohta met with senior ministry officials. he said improving infrastructure is key to helping evacuees rebuild their livelihoods. officials said they had secured nearly 90% of the land they need to build public housing for survivors. only 20% of the projects have been completed, though. they stress the importance of rebuilding roads and other infrastructure, as well as housing and schools. well the 2011 disaster certainly hit business owners hard in northeastern japan. employees at a boiler making

company in the of kamaishi saw plenty of adversity in the months after but they've been able to turn things around by taking some innovative steps. >> reporter: the head of technology for a boiler manufacturer in kamaishi, iwate prefecture. it's a small company, with about 10 employees. city officials asked him and his colleagues to help progress debris from the disaster. the firm then developed a boiler for generating electricity. the tsunami deposited close to 1 million tons of debris in kamaishi. that's about 55 years worth of household garbage for the city. it was a major obstacle to recovery. nogami developed a way to use the mountains of rubble to fuel his boiler. the resulting water vapor would produce electricity.

>> translator: i focused on using debris as fuel. i really believe it was the disaster that forced me to think outside the box. >> reporter: most of the sunni debris had absorbed large amounts of salt from soaking up sea water. and the salt reacts with the metal walls of the boilers when the debris is burned. this causes corrosion. nogami had his work cut out for him. it took him three years to develop a unit that can handle this kind of damage. and in 2014 his product was ready. conventional boilers take the form of a single tube. nogami decided to divide the unit into three parts. this would allow workers to easily replace any section damaged by corrosion. his boiler can be repaired in half the time it normally takes.

he also redesigned the inside of the boiler so combustion efficiency doesn't decline. >> translator: we found ourselves in an extreme state of having nothing. but that situation was exactly what motivated us. i believe that was the key to our innovation. >> reporter: this new technology is creating a buzz. in indonesia. palm oil producers were looking for a way to get rid of the husk left behind in the production process. indonesia is a major exporter of palm oil. the industry generates about 200 tons of waste a day. and it contains salt just like japanese tsunami rubble so incineration using boilers was impractical. indonesian officials hope his

technology will help the industry dispose of the palm husks. >> translator: this boiler will help solve our country's problem. we hope it's the breakthrough we were looking for. >> reporter: government officials are considering nogami's proposal. the deal if they buy, could be big. the business would be worth about $1.2 billion. >> translator: we can go global by honing our debris related technological skills. maybe looking back we can say the disasters presented us with the way to improve our products. >> reporter: the operators of tsunami affected companies are turning the hardships arising from the disaster into new business opportunities. >> okay. that is going to do it for biz this hour.

it's time now for the world weather with our meteorologist sayaka mori. residents of northern japan are dealing with a late season winter storm. tell us the details, sayaka. >> yes, the strongest march snowstorm in years is hitting many parts of northern japan on march 11th. we have a very strong low pressure system in the north,

and very cold air, as cold as midwinter, blanketing many parts of the country. it dumped as much as 50 centimeters of snowfall over the past 24 hours in fukushima and very strong winds blew over many areas of the country. now i want to take you to southern hokkaido to show you the situation. this is itashi southern part of hokkaido, 124 kilometer per hour winds were reported this morning. many flights have been canceled and numerous highways have been closed because of snow. and a vehicle overturned because of extremely strong winds. meanwhile, i want to show you some pictures coming out of fukushima, then. in fukushima at least 50 vehicles were stranded this morning. and here about 35 centimeters of snow fell over the course of just 24 hours. and snow will continue because a low pressure system will continue to sit here. blowing snow will continue in hokkaido and across the sea of japan side of the country.

very strong winds and high waves, nearly 10 meters likely on top of that additional 80 centimeters of snowfall for the hokuriku region. 50 in hokkaido and 60 for the tohoku region. very blustery conditions, snowy conditions into your thursday. dry weather continues across the korean peninsula. but we have a tropical depression that just formed over the southern -- over the pacific near the marshall islands. and three more tropical systems to talk about across the southern pacific. we have pan, this is tropical cyclone and this one will likely intensify to a category 5 system. it's going to move over the waters but could produce stormy conditions over caledonia, ban u at u as well as fiji as we go into the latter part of this week. two more systems near australia, this is nathan category 2 system at this moment. it's going to take a very unique track because it's going to get close to queensland and then make a u-turn on thursday.

so it is not expected to make a direct hit. however, it's going to produce heavy rainfall destructive winds, as well as very rough sea conditions, especially on your thursday. and across the flip side of australia a tropical cyclone category 1 system will likely intensify and then hit western australia by friday afternoon local time. so a lot of things are happening across the southern hemisphere. and then across europe we have a very low pressure -- a very slow-moving low pressure system across the eastern mediterranean countries. and this one will likely produce thunderstorms and a risk of hail across the south of the balkan peninsula, and this low over turkey will move across this area and help towards the middle east. a low pressure system is moving into the western parts of the scandinavian peninsula and a new storm is moving into the british isles. very blustery conditions especially over the north of the uk. temperatures at 11 degrees in london average temperatures for you in berlin with the high of 9 degrees.

and still quite warm across the east. 13 for the high in kiev with partly sunny skies on wednesday. here's the extended forecast.

and that concludes this edition of "newsline." i'm keikichi hanada. on behalf of our team, thank you for staying with us.

copter crash in argentina that left 7 french people that -- 8 french people dead. among the victims, three sports stars filming a reality show. japan marks the fourth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that sparked the disaster at fukushima. that left close to 19,000 dead or missing. and the iraqi army says it has taken back a town from the islamic state. just outside the militant stronghold of tikrit. those are the headlines. thanks for joining us. france has sent two