Ritual of a bath denied to Japanese survivors

RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan - Of all the day-to-day hardships suffered by survivors of Japan's tsunami, the simple everyday ritual of a bath - so important in the nation's culture - is the thing many say they miss the most.

In a country where bathing is an elaborate and highly prized daily pleasure, the people of the washed-away city of Rikuzentakata now can only rinse their faces in cold water.

Life for many is now lived in a school hall, with the only water coming from a small military tanker parked outside the entrance.