2,814 still missing 18 months after March 11 disaster

No offense to the families and people affected by the massive tsunami but at this point the search is pretty much pointless.

You're right, but many Japanese would do anything to find remains.

Without trying to be ghoulish what would you be looking for after 18 moinths? Particularly if the body had been in the sea. Would there be anything but the bones remaining? Any experts out there know the answer?

They should be concentrating more on those living in the shelters, especially if they're dying due to the conditions there.

No offense to the families and people affected by the massive tsunami but at this point the search is pretty much pointless.

You've obviously never lost anyone in a disaster or accident.

Having at least something to bury or cremate means a lot.

Disaster area are now cleaned up but people can't go back and build houses at same places. New residence area are hardly found at higher elevation and there are not many enough flat places for new town. Many victims give up hometown and leave for another places to find new jobs. Elderly people don't get out and rather like to stay there. This is today's Tohoku. Reconstruction is a long way.

Not to be mean, but there is no way that these people will every be found. If they are alive today, they would have shown up a very long time ago. If they can`t be found, they are either alive and in hiding or dead as a dried up log floating on the ocean. I pray that the families of these people can soon come to the reality that their will never be found and that they can become comforted in other ways other than hoping for something that will never arrive.

I wish for all families to find closure, so that they can then begin to live again. The disaster is still very much a clear and present ongoing danger, Dai-ichi full proof of that, in that sense they'll be no clousre during many of these people's lifetimes.

So all these people searched, and nothing was found. Time to give this effort up and get back to helping the living.

You've obviously never lost anyone in a disaster or accident.

Having at least something to bury or cremate means a lot.

Probie, I guess I could agree to that. But obviously you don't don't anything about me. It would be nice if you don't make comments on things you don't know.

There is a mass of flotsam heading towards the USA in the pacific ocean that is located 800 off the western shores. It is approximately the size of Texas and around seventy feet deep. It comprises of things washed out to sea as the waves recoded, including school buses, houses boats, jetties ect. There will most probably be some poor unfortunates among the arrivals and I hope they will be returned to their families as soon as possible. Warmest regards to the people of Japan from Sydney Australia. Dan