TOKYO (AP) — Mountains of rubble and twisted metal. Death on an unimaginable scale. Grief. Rage. Relief at having survived.
What’s left behind after a natural disaster so powerful that it rends the foundations of a society? What lingers over a decade later, even as the rest of the world moves on?
Similarities between the calamity unfolding this week in Turkey and Syria and the triple disaster that hit northern Japan in 2011 may offer a glimpse of what the region could face in the years ahead. They’re linked by the sheer enormity of the collective psychological trauma, of the loss of life and of the material destruction.
The combined toll of Monday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake rose past 20,000 deaths as authorities announced the discovery of new bodies Thursday. That has already eclipsed the more than 18,400 who died in the disaster in Japan.
That magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m., March 11, 2011. Not long after, cameras along the Japanese coast captured the wall of water that hit the Tohoku region. The quake was one of the biggest on record, and the tsunami it caused washed away cars, homes, office buildings and thousands of people, and caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Huge boats were dropped miles away from the ocean in the towering jumbled debris of what had once been cities, cars toppled on their sides like playthings among the ruined streets and obliterated buildings.
Many wondered if the area would ever return to what it was before.
A big lesson from Japan is that a disaster of this size doesn’t ever really have a conclusion — a lesson Turkey itself knows well from a 1999 earthquake in the country’s northwest that killed some 18,000 people. Despite speeches about rebuilding, the Tohoku quake has left a deep gash in the national consciousness and the landscapes of people’s lives.
The death toll
Deaths directly attributable to the quake in Turkey will level off in coming weeks, but it’s unlikely to be the end.
Japan, for instance, has recognized thousands of other people who died later from stress-related heart attacks, or because of poor living conditions.
And despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent in Japan on reconstruction, some things won’t ever come back — including a sense of place.

Khalil Hamra
FILE - People carry the body of an earthquake victim outside a hospital in Antakya, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in northern Japan provides a glimpse of what Turkey and Syria could face in the years ahead. No two events are alike, but the recent disaster resembles Japan's in the sheer enormity of the psychological trauma, of the loss of life and of the material destruction. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
Before the quake, Tohoku was filled with small cities and villages, surrounded by farms, the ports filled with fleets of fishing boats. It’s one of the wildest, most beautiful coastlines in Japan.
Today, while the wreckage of the quake and tsunami has largely been removed and many roads and buildings rebuilt, there are still large areas of empty space, places where buildings haven’t been erected, farms haven’t been replanted. Businesses have spent years trying to reconstruct decimated customer bases.
Just as workers once did in Japan, an army of rescuers in Turkey and Syria are digging through obliterated buildings, picking through twisted metal, pulverized concrete and exposed wires for survivors.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Feb. 6, 2023:Â A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Turkey and war-torn Syria, killing more than 11,000 people. The death toll is expected to rise.
AP file
Feb. 6, 2023:Â A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Turkey and war-torn Syria, killing more than 11,000 people. The death toll is expected to rise.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
June 22, 2022: In Afghanistan, more than 1,100 people die in magnitude 6.1 earthquake.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Aug. 14, 2021: In Haiti, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake kills more than 2,200 people.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Sept. 28, 2018: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Indonesia, triggering a tsunami and killing more than 4,300 people.
AP file
Sept. 28, 2018: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Indonesia, triggering a tsunami and killing more than 4,300 people.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
April 25, 2015: In Nepal, more than 8,800 people are killed by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
March 11, 2011: A magnitude 9.0 quake off the northeast coast of Japan triggers a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people.
AP file
March 11, 2011: A magnitude 9.0 quake off the northeast coast of Japan triggers a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Jan. 12, 2010: In Haiti, over 100,000 people are killed by a magnitude 7.0 quake. Government estimates put the number at a staggering 316,000 dead.
AP file
Jan. 12, 2010: In Haiti, over 100,000 people are killed by a magnitude 7.0 quake. Government estimates put the number at a staggering 316,000 dead.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
May 12, 2008: A magnitude 7.9 quake strikes eastern Sichuan in China, resulting in over 87,500 deaths.
AP file
May 12, 2008: A magnitude 7.9 quake strikes eastern Sichuan in China, resulting in over 87,500 deaths.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
May 27, 2006: More than 5,700 people die when a magnitude 6.3 quake hits the island of Java, Indonesia.
AP file
May 27, 2006: More than 5,700 people die when a magnitude 6.3 quake hits the island of Java, Indonesia.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Oct. 8, 2005: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake kills over 80,000 people in Pakistan's Kashmir region.
AP file
Oct. 8, 2005: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake kills over 80,000 people in Pakistan's Kashmir region.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
March 28, 2005: A magnitude 8.6 quake in northern Sumatra in Indonesia kills about 1,300 people.
AP file
March 28, 2005: A magnitude 8.6 quake in northern Sumatra in Indonesia kills about 1,300 people.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Dec. 26, 2004: A magnitude 9.1 quake in Indonesia triggers an Indian Ocean tsunami, killing about 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
AP file
Dec. 26, 2004: A magnitude 9.1 quake in Indonesia triggers an Indian Ocean tsunami, killing about 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Dec. 26, 2003: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits southeastern Iran, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.
AP file
Dec. 26, 2003: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits southeastern Iran, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
May 21, 2003: More than 2,200 people are killed in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Algeria.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Jan. 26, 2001: A magnitude 7.6 quake strikes Gujarat in India, killing as many as 20,000 people.
AP file
Jan. 26, 2001: A magnitude 7.6 quake strikes Gujarat in India, killing as many as 20,000 people.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
Aug. 17, 1999: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits Izmit, Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
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Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake near 12,000
AP file
May 30, 1998: Over 4,000 people are killed after a 6.6 magnitude temblor hits Afghanistan's Badakhshan province.
AP file
May 30, 1998: Over 4,000 people are killed after a 6.6 magnitude temblor hits Afghanistan's Badakhshan province.
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
People stand next to the dead bodies of earthquake victims at a hospital in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
People stand next to the dead bodies of earthquake victims at a hospital in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Omar Sanadiki
Rescue teams carry the body of a victim from a destroyed building after a devastating earthquake rocked Syria and Turkey, in the costal town of Jableh, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Omar Sanadiki
Rescue teams carry the body of a victim from a destroyed building after a devastating earthquake rocked Syria and Turkey, in the costal town of Jableh, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Ghaith Alsayed
People walk past collapsed buildings following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed
People walk past collapsed buildings following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Ghaith Alsayed
People walk past collapsed buildings following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed
People walk past collapsed buildings following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Emrah Gurel
A woman reacts as rescue workers carry the body of an earthquake victim in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Thousands who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires and clamored for food and water in the bitter cold, three days after the temblor and series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Emrah Gurel
A woman reacts as rescue workers carry the body of an earthquake victim in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Thousands who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires and clamored for food and water in the bitter cold, three days after the temblor and series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Omar Albam
Jana al-Abdo, 7 years-old, who was pulled from under the rubble after a 50-hour rescue operation caused by an earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey, receives treatment at a hospital run by the Syrian American Medical Society near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey in the north of Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, her parents and siblings all died. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Omar Albam
Jana al-Abdo, 7 years-old, who was pulled from under the rubble after a 50-hour rescue operation caused by an earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey, receives treatment at a hospital run by the Syrian American Medical Society near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey in the north of Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, her parents and siblings all died. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
A body of a person rests on a stretcher as it waits to be collected outside a hospital in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
A body of a person rests on a stretcher as it waits to be collected outside a hospital in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
Two men speak as a damaged mosque is seen in the background, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
Two men speak as a damaged mosque is seen in the background, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
Soldiers are set up a tent, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
Soldiers are set up a tent, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
Soldiers and local residents are set up a tent, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
Soldiers and local residents are set up a tent, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
A destroyed building is seen in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
A destroyed building is seen in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
Children walk between tents, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
Children walk between tents, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
Soldiers and local residents are set up a tent, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
Soldiers and local residents are set up a tent, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
People pray next to a destroyed building, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
People pray next to a destroyed building, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Kamran Jebreili
A mosque is seen after an earthquake, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Kamran Jebreili
A mosque is seen after an earthquake, in Aslanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
People warm around fire as rescuers search in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
People warm around fire as rescuers search in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers and people search in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers and people search in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers carry a dead body from a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers carry a dead body from a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
Bodies, victims of the earthquake, lie on the floor at an indoor stadium, in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
Bodies, victims of the earthquake, lie on the floor at an indoor stadium, in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
A man speaks on his cellphone among bodies, victims of the earthquake, at an indoor stadium, in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
A man speaks on his cellphone among bodies, victims of the earthquake, at an indoor stadium, in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
A man holds a dead body as an excavator removes them from a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
A man holds a dead body as an excavator removes them from a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers and people search as smoke raises from a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers and people search as smoke raises from a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers and people search in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
Rescuers and people search in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Omar Sanadiki
Rescue workers search for survivor on a collapsed building in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Omar Sanadiki
Rescue workers search for survivor on a collapsed building in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Ghaith Alsayed
People walk past collapsed buildings following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed
People walk past collapsed buildings following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Ghaith Alsayed
Collapsed buildings are seen through the windows of a damaged house following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. . (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed
Collapsed buildings are seen through the windows of a damaged house following a devastating earthquake in the town of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The quake that razed thousands of buildings was one of the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade. . (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
Police and rescue team members carry in a plastic bag, the body of Durmus Kilinc after they remove him from a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
Police and rescue team members carry in a plastic bag, the body of Durmus Kilinc after they remove him from a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
The son of Turkish Durmus Kilinc, center, reacts after rescue team members removed the dead body of his father from a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
The son of Turkish Durmus Kilinc, center, reacts after rescue team members removed the dead body of his father from a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
People pray next a bag with the body of Durmus Kilinc after they removed him from a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
People pray next a bag with the body of Durmus Kilinc after they removed him from a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
A sheet of paper rests on the ground among the debris of a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
A sheet of paper rests on the ground among the debris of a destroyed building, in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Survivors struggle to stay warm and fed as earthquake death toll reaches 20,000. Here’s the latest from Turkey and Syria
Francisco Seco
Hatice Korkut, 82, is rescued alive from her destroyed building in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/ Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco
Hatice Korkut, 82, is rescued alive from her destroyed building in Elbistan, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/ Francisco Seco)
What comes next won’t be easy
In Japan, there was initially a palpable pride in the country’s ability to endure disaster. People stood calmly in long orderly lines for food and water. They posted notices on message boards in destroyed towns with descriptions of loved ones in the hopes that rescue workers would find them.
After what locals called the Great East Japan Earthquake, the dead in Tohoku were left by piles of rubble, neatly wrapped in taped-up blankets, waiting to be taken away by workers still combing through the detritus for anyone left alive.
The long haul of rebuilding has challenged this resolve. The work has been uneven and, at times, painfully slow, hampered by government incompetence, petty squabbling and bureaucratic wrangling. Nearly half a million people were displaced in Japan. Tens of thousands still haven’t returned home.

Petros Giannakouris
FILE - Mehmet Nasir Duran, 67, sits on a chair as heavy machines remove debris from a building where five of his family members are trapped in Nurdagi, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. The 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in northern Japan provides a glimpse of what Turkey and Syria could face in the years ahead. No two events are alike, but the recent disaster resembles Japan's in the sheer enormity of the psychological trauma, of the loss of life and of the material destruction. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
The issue has seeped into politics, especially as the debate continues about how to handle the aftermath of catastrophic meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Years later, a fear of radiation permeates, and some areas of northern Japan have placed radiation counters in parks and other public areas. Officials and experts are still undecided how to remove the highly radioactive melted fuel debris in the reactor.
There’s already been criticism that the Turkish government has failed to enforce modern construction codes for years, even as it allowed a real estate boom in earthquake-prone areas, and that it has been slow to respond to the disaster.
Examining the mental toll
The years since 2011 have seen another failure, one officials in Japan have acknowledged: an inability to help those traumatized by what they experienced.
Some 2,500 people are unaccounted for across Tohoku, and people are still searching for their loved ones’ remains. One man got a diving license and has gone on weekly dives for years trying to find evidence of his wife.
People still occasionally unearth victims’ photo albums, clothes and other belongings.

Wally Santana
FILE - A resident wipes tears as she finds no remains of her home on March 14, 2011, in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, three days after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the country's north east coast. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File)
Perhaps the most telling connection, however, is the sharp empathy shared by those who have survived a cataclysmic disaster, and the gratitude at seeing strangers help ease their suffering.
A group of about 30 rescue workers from Turkey were in the hard-hit town of Shichigahama for about six months in 2011 for search and rescue operations.
Shichigahama locals have not forgotten. They have now started a donation campaign for Turkey. One man said this week that he wept as he watched the scenes in Turkey, remembering his town’s ordeal 12 years ago.
“They bravely walked through the debris to help find victims and return their bodies to their families,” Mayor Kaoru Terasawa told reporters of the Turkish aid workers who came to Japan. “We are still so thankful to them, and we want to do something to return the favor and show our gratitude.”
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