(CNN) -- Futoshi Toba's wife was killed by last year's tsunami but as a father of two and mayor of Rikuzentakata in Japan's Iwate Prefecture he has little time to grieve. Toba's daily routine starts by driving his two sons -- 13-year-old Taiga and 11-year-old Kanato -- to their elementary and junior high schools; two structures that were not affected by the tsunami and the reason they were not victims of the disaster. Fortunately for Toba the route doesn't take him past his old house where his wife perished. He says he doesn't like to see it and be reminded of his loss.
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Mayor of city in Iwate prefecture lost wife in 2011 tsunami
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Personal struggle to raise his sons and rebuild the city of Rikuzentakata
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Hopes that residents of city will stay, although 1,000 have left
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