Tuesday marked one year since the death of a 3-year-old girl in central Japan from acute heatstroke after she was left inside a school bus.

People visited Kawasaki Kindergarten in Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to remember the victim.

Kawamoto China died on September 5 last year after being trapped inside the bus for about five hours in the kindergarten's parking lot.

Stands for flowers, drinks and other offerings were set up at the lot and in front of the kindergarten building on Tuesday.

A woman accompanying her daughter said it was heartbreaking for her as the victim was close to her daughter's age. She said she told the victim in her mind that she has never forgotten about her.

Another woman said she used to go to the kindergarten as a child. She added that if she had been a parent of the victim, she would have lost the will to live.

The former head of the kindergarten, who was driving the bus that day, and three others were referred to prosecutors over the death in December last year.