Read more: Irish community in worst hit area of Japan ‘safe and well’ - SEE VIDEOS

With horrifying images of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan still fresh in the memory, the nation and the world are still in shock as the terrifying scale of the tragedy becomes apparent.

And with last nights troubling explosions at a Japanese nuclear plant the disaster is clearly still unfolding. Now the prospect of a nuclear meltdown and radiation pollution have become terrifyingly real.

Japan, one of the most ancient and enduring cultures in the world, is still reeling in the disaster's aftermath.

Irish citizens in Japan have called off their annual Saint Patrick's Day celebrations across the nation as a mark of solidarity with the grieving people of Japan.

Read more: Irish community in worst hit area of Japan ‘safe and well’ - SEE VIDEOS