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Naoji Takeuchi was an elderly man who was swept away by the tsunami in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake while trying to evacuate. His body was found two days later near his home.

He was identified in late November 2021 through mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Case[]

During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Naoji, his wife Masa, and his son attempted to evacuate the tsunami as it struck Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, where they resided. The son managed to pull Masa onto the second floor of the house as it was engulfed, but Naoji was swept away. Masa would later be rescued but was unable to find her husband.

Two days after the disaster, on 13 March, his body was discovered close to his home. Due to a combination of the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent fires, the body was severely damaged and conventional DNA identification could not be conducted. There were also no personal belongings on the body, further hindering the process.

In 2021, mitochondrial DNA testing was conducted on the decedent and the body was identified on 26 November as Naoji Takeuchi after ensuring there were no missing persons among his family that resided in the town and that he was the only missing member of his family found in the area, therefore confirming his identity.

Takeuchi was laid to rest on 2 December by his wife and son in his family's ancestral grave. The grave had previously contained clothes he wore in his lifetime.

Sources[]

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