Six-year-old Natsuse Yamaneh, who went missing in the devastating earthquake of 2011 and the subsequent tsunami in Japan, was found 14 years later with her remains and returned to her family. This was reported by The Straits Times.
According to reports, police officially handed over Natsuse's skeletal remains to her parents in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on October 16, 2025.
The girl's mother, Chiyumi Yamane, hugged the bowl of bones and said tearfully, "Thank you for coming home, my daughter." These words became a painful but light breath for the family that had been waiting for their daughter for years.
Natsuse was at home with her grandmother during the tragic earthquake. The sudden storm dragged them into the water current. Although her grandmother miraculously survived, there was no news of the little girl. For several months, his family searched for him, even not losing hope that he might have survived. However, after six months, they were forced to admit that their daughter was not alive.
After that, every year in June - Natsuse's birthday - the family commemorated him by making his favorite cream cakes.
In February 2023, on the coast of Iwate Prefecture, about 100 kilometers from Minami-Sanrikou, a man found a fragment of a jawbone while cleaning the beach. Later, through mitochondrial DNA analysis, it was determined that these bones belonged specifically to Natsuse.
"For us, this is not just a bone - this is the rediscovery of a lost piece in our family. Time seemed to be moving again," said Chiyumi Yamane, the girl's mother.
Having heard the history of Natsuse, the Japanese perceive this event as a symbol of patience and hope. After 14 years of waiting, many were deeply moved when the girl's final destination was found in the family's embrace.
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