A Love Story From The Japanese Tsunami: Yasuo Takamatsu Has Been Diving For 10 Years Looking For His Wife's Body

JAKARTA - There is a story left behind from the Japanese tsunami ten years ago. About Yasuo Takamatsu, whose wife has been missing since the tide rolled over Onagawa. Since then Yasuo has been diving in search of his wife, Yuko.

The man 64 years earlier was not a licensed diver. In order to find Yuko he pursues a diving license.

Yasuo has been doing weekly solo dives for the past seven years. "I always thought he might be nearby," Yasuo was quoted as saying by The Sun, Saturday, March 13.

So far this dive, Yasuo has found a lot of objects. He got albums, clothes, and various other artifacts. But none of them belong to his wife.

As well as solo dives, Yasuo also frequently joins the authorities on monthly search agendas. Indeed, Japanese authorities are still routinely searching for the bodies of victims.

There are still 2,500 bodies recorded. Yasuo said the city's scars have mostly healed.

But the restoration of people's hearts will take time. More than 800 of the 10 thousand inhabitants of Onagawa died in the tsunami disaster.

A total of 569 bodies were found in the following days and months. Yuko himself is one of a third of Onagawa's residents who are thought to have died because his body has not been found.

"I feel we are not doing all we can for him," said Yasuo.

Yasuo tells about his wife's last message. On the day of the disaster Yuko asked Yasuo, was he okay? Yuko also said that he wanted to go home from his work at the bank.

"I'm sure he still wants to go home," said Yasuo, noting that he would continue to look for Yuko as long as "his body moved."

The tsunami was triggered by the most powerful earthquake ever to hit Japan. The earthquake was also the most shaking in the world since 1900.

After the earthquake struck, waves as high as 133 feet rolled over Japan's northeastern coast. The waves even hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

Waves traveling at a speed of 700 kilometers per hour hit land up to 10 kilometers wide. The earthquake caused $ 360 billion worth of damage, making it the most expensive disaster in world history.