Non-returning playmates

Matsuyama Japan, 2011 earthquake. An unimaginable tragedy, leaving death and destruction behind for those who survived. Everything leveled to the ground, taking lives and possessions with it in a blink of an eye. While volunteering to help clean the area, I passed this heap of fabrics with the least damaged stuffed animals gathered on one side, in vain waiting for their young owners to come back and play with them. Sense of Place semifinalist, National Geographic Photo Contest 2011.