Japan still mourns 2011 tsunami victims during 2019 Rugby World Cup

The 2019 Rugby World Cup has been hugely significant for Japan and not just for sport.

The country suffered a devastating tsunami in 2011 and locals in the Tōhoku region say the tournament has given them a chance to show their resilience, despite many of them still looking for family members eight years on.

Takemi Wada's home town, Rikuzentakata, is unrecognisable and what she saw on the day the tsunami struck still haunts her.

"No sound, no sign of living creatures, just the light of the stars. It was so shocking," she said.

The chances of survival in Rikuzentakata were slim and Wada's elderly parents were among the 2000 who died in the tsunami.

"My father was 80 and my mother was 75… I still remember that day."

Wada was out of town as a translator for former All Black Pita Alatini.

A phone call to her sick mother that morning would be the last time she spoke to her.

"If I knew that that was the last conversation with my mum... I keep thinking why wasn't I kind or patient."

Her hometown has changed dramatically. Everything is brand new, the roads, a shopping centre and soon a baseball stadium.

The houses are being rebuilt on the hills, as large, protective seawalls block out its once-famous sea views.

There are still physical reminders of just how devastating the tsunami was with an abandoned local elementary school still standing. Next to it is what locals call a miracle pine.

It is now a place of remembrance and prayer for Wada, whose mother's body was never found.

"Some of my heart wants to believe she is alive."

Or, she says, at least resting in peace.

Newshub.