This combination of pictures shows local residents walking past damaged cars on a street in a tsunami hit area of Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 (top) and the same area on January 12, 2012 (bottom). March 11, 2012 will mark the first anniversary of the massive tsunami that pummelled Japan, claiming more than 19,000 lives. AFP PHOTO / KIM JAE-HWAN (top) AFP PHOTO / TORU YAMANAKA (bottom)