PHOTOS, LOST AND FOUND

　　The photos that have been lost to the devastating disaster in Japan last March, are slowly finding their way home, thanks to a devoted team of workers, who assisted in sorting through more than 350-thousand pictures, belonging to the quake victims.

　　The recovery efforts are still ongoing since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit Japan last march. Meanwhile, some volunteers are helping to restore thousands of photos lost during the disaster and trying to bring them back to their owners.

　　The photos were collected by fire fighters, rescue workers and citizens while they searched through the rubble.Satoko Kinno, one of the paper conservators said, she knows how much one photo can mean to its owner.

　　"I've really started to realize the depth and meaning that each and every photo has to it, and as such I want to do what I can to return as many photos as possible."

　　The photos are first conserved in the fridge in order to stop bacteria and mold from growing. Then they get scrubbed and cleaned of the mud, dirt and oil left by the massive wave.

　　Once the photos are cleaned and packed into photo albums, they are taken around to temporary housing complexes in the area in the hopes of finding their owners. It can be an emotional reunion when tsunami evacuees find their photos, which can be the only thing that is left after the disaster.

　　Yochiko Jindai: "I got one photo blown up, and I was so thankful for that. I put it in a little frame, and it brought tears to my eyes."

　　Thousands more photos are still waiting to be processed and found. It could be a long process but the seven-member photo conservation group will continue till the last photo is restored and returned to its owner.

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