Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & missing - March 27+

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & missing - March 27+

Native Americans mourn victims of March disaster

Native Americans dressed in traditional costumes have mourned the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit eastern Japan on March 11th.......

Monday, August 15, 2011 05:47 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_05.html

Japan's economy shrinks for 3rd straight quarter

The Japanese economy shrank 0.3 percent in the April to June quarter, reflecting the continuing economic impact of the March 11th natural disaster.......

Monday, August 15, 2011 09:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_12.html

Japan's GDP shrinks for 3rd quarter in a row

The Japanese economy shrank 0.3 percent in the April to June period, reflecting the continuing economic impact of the March 11th disaster.......

Monday, August 15, 2011 10:15 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_13.html

People from disaster areas attend ceremony

People from regions hit by the March 11th disaster also attended the ceremony in Tokyo commemorating the end of World War Two.....

Monday, August 15, 2011 17:20 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_18.html

Obon events held in tsunami-hit towns

People from tsunami-hit areas in Iwate Prefecture are observing the Buddhist Bon festival with events for the victims of the March 11th disaster. Japan's Bon period in mid-August is traditionally when the souls of the departed are honored....

Monday, August 15, 2011 22:21 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_28.html

80m-long fissure found in seabed off Sanriku

A Japanese research vessel has confirmed a new 80-meter long fissure beneath the sea at the focus of the massive earthquake that hit northeastern Japan on March 11th......

Monday, August 15, 2011 22:21 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_29.html


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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Economy shrinks by annual 1.3% in April-June qtr. on quake impact

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's economy shrank at an annualized rate of 1.3 percent in the three months through June amid the effects of the March earthquake and tsunami, which significantly slowed the nation's production and exports, the government said Monday.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu001000c.html

Residents in tsunami-hit city band together to float lanterns

NATORI, Miyagi -- Residents in this tsunami-devastated city banded together to hold a river lantern-floating event on Aug. 13 after it faced likely cancellation......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na015000c.html


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Jiji press

Japan Misses Temporary Housing Target by over 5,000 Units

Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--The amount of temporary housing constructed for people in areas devastated by the March 11 disaster totaled 47,303 units as of Monday, falling 5,055 units short of the central government's target, the land ministry said......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081500589

Biden to Visit Disaster-Hit Sendai on Aug. 23

Washington, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--Vice President Joe Biden will visit on Aug. 23 the northeastern Japan city of Sendai, which was hit hard by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the White House said Monday.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081600107
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Sankei news

crack at a depth of 5350 m, Sanriku offshore
below: in 2006

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & missing - March 27+

Listed firms report decline in 2nd quarter profits

Major Japanese firms have reported a double-digit decline in profits in the April to June quarter due to the effects of the March 11th disaster.....

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 04:43 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_01.html

Govt to help quake survivors get licenses

Ministries and agencies that oversee occupational licenses have been asked to be flexible in helping survivors of the March disaster......

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 04:43 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_03.html

Biden to visit disaster-hit Sendai

The US Vice President will visit one of the disaster-hit areas in northeastern Japan next week......

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 09:02 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_06.html

Buddhist Bon rituals observed in disaster sites

Traditional Buddhist Bon rituals to honor the spirits of ancestors and deceased family members have taken place in areas devastated in the March 11 disaster......

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 15:01 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_18.html

96% of cash in safes found after 3/11 returned

Japanese police say 96 percent of the cash found in safes in 3 northeastern prefectures after the March 11th disaster has been returned to its owners......

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 15:37 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_19.html
______________________________________
Yomiuri online

GDP shrinks annual 1.3% in 2nd qtr / Economy seen expanding in next quarter

The nation's economy shrank 1.3 percent on an annualized basis in the second quarter of the year compared to the January-March quarter, as the disruption in the supply of key parts led to a decline in exports and private consumption remained sluggish in the wake of the March 11 disaster, the government said Monday......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T110815004945.htm

Photos a worry for disaster volunteers / Exhibition space lacking, battle against time to reunite goods with owners, kin

Dressed in funeral attire, a woman at a temple in Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture, opened the photo albums on display one after another, studiously looking at the images of family gatherings and children's school sports festivals....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110815004170.htm

Aquafarm, breakwater being built with debris

MIYAKO, Iwate--Debris from the March 11 tsunami is being used to construct an abalone farm and a breakwater off Taro Port in the Taro district of Miyako......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110815003937.htm

Cracks found in seabed off Sanriku coast

New cracks on the seabed, believed to have been created by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, have been found off the Sanriku coastline of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures by a deep-sea submersible.....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110815004956.htm
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Asahi com

Rival comes to aid of quake-hit sake brewery

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture -- Suisen Shuzo Co. had scheduled a ceremony to celebrate the shipping of its 2010 sake vintage for mid-afternoon on March 11.....

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108150140.html

THE POWER OF PICTURE BOOKS: Picture books bring smiles to children in disaster areas

In late June, in the Omoto neighborhood of Iwaizumi, a town in disaster-stricken Iwate Prefecture, 29 children poured out of a municipal day-care center to surround a small white truck that had just arrived......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108150129.html

95 billion yen in donations yet to reach disaster victims

Billions of yen in relief donations have yet to make their way to survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake.....

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108150119.html

School kids get firsthand look at quake-ravaged areas

This summer, tours of the areas stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake are bringing students from other prefectures to observe first-hand the damage done by the quake and tsunami......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108150115.html
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Biden to visit quake-hit Sendai on Aug. 23: White House

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will visit disaster-hit Sendai on Aug. 23 during his stay in Japan next week, the White House said Monday.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm002000c.html

Self-described doctor admits practicing medicine without license

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- A man who allegedly provided health care services without a license in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture after the area was hit by the March earthquake and tsunami told Kyodo News on Monday that he is not qualified as a doctor in Japan......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm013000c.html

Disaster reconstruction 'golden opportunity' to conquer deflation: finance minister

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda may face serious criticism after remarking that reconstruction needs in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake will serve as an opportunity to bail Japan out of deflation.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na004000c.html

Police track down owners of money in safes recovered from disaster area

Most of the money from safes found in tsunami wreckage and delivered to police has been returned to its owners, police say......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na005000c.html

Fissure discovered in sea floor near source of March 11 earthquake

A fissure thought to have been created by the March 11 earthquake or its aftershocks has been discovered in the deep sea floor off the eastern coast of Japan.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na008000c.html


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Jiji press

Japan Students from Disaster Areas to Visit Russian Far East

Tokyo, Aug. 16 (Jiji Press)--A group of 33 junior high and high school students from the disaster-hit prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi, northeastern Japan, will leave Narita airport Thursday to spend a week in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081600604

42 Pct Did Not Escape Soon after March 11 Quake: Govt Survey

Tokyo, Aug. 16 (Jiji Press)--A total of 42 pct of people in the three northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima did not escape immediately after the devastating March 11 earthquake, a central government survey showed Tuesday.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081600817
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Sankei news

Matsushima town, Miyagi pref


"Ganbaro Iwate"
Hanamaki city, Iwate pref


Shobudahama beach at Shichigahama town, Miyagi pref

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & missing - March 27+

12:05 JST 17 Aug 2011 38.4N 142.2E 40 km M5.2 Miyagi-ken Oki









jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/3/2011...91-171205.html

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & missing - March 27+

Biden leaves for Asia tour

.....After travelling to China and Mongolia, Biden will visit Japan for 3 days from Monday next week. He is to meet Prime Minister Naoto Kan and will also visit Sendai City to observe reconstruction efforts from the March disaster.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011 14:27 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/17_21.html
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Yomiuri online

5,700 safes recovered from disaster-hit areas

A total of 5,700 safes were recovered or brought to police in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in the period between the March 11 disaster and July 10. The accumulated money contained in the safes totals more than 2.37 billion yen, according to the National Police Agency......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110816005138.htm

Government eyes raising income, corporate taxes

The government is working on plans to raise income and corporate taxes beginning in fiscal 2012 to finance reconstruction from the March 11 earthquake-tsunami disaster, sources have disclosed.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110816005547.htm
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Asahi com

Financial ripples from quake still hit businesses outside Tohoku

The future was looking bright for the president of coffee shop chain Benugo Japan. After taking over the post last October, he managed to pay off the struggling company's debts and put sales on the right track........

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108160280.html

Strong yen, sinking global economy forecast gloomy recovery

The economy is expected to return to a growth track in the July-September period, but the yen's sharp appreciation, a slowdown of the global economy and spreading radioactive contamination are casting a shadow over signs of recovery......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108160357.html

Japan's tsunami-hit towns fight to sustain folk arts
*REUTERS

OFUNATO -- The Urahama district of this northeastern Japanese coastal city had for centuries marked religious ceremonies, and mourned their dead, with a dynamic sword dance by masked men, accompanied by drums and flutes......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108160286.html

Huge crowds turns up for Lake Suwako Fireworks Festival

SUWA, Nagano Prefecture--Some 500,000 revelers packed the shore around Lake Suwako here on Aug. 15 for one of Japan's biggest annual fireworks extravaganzas.....

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108160274.html

Scientists get images of cracks on seabed caused by March 11 quake

Large cracks believed to have been caused by the seismic force of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake have been confirmed in photographs and video footage of the seabed......
<iframe width="250" height="172" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3A3_i6bXomI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108160290.html

Mountains of debris stand in the way of quake reconstruction

The tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake left 22 million tons of debris and rubble scattered across three prefectures in the Tohoku region.....

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108160301.html
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Over 40&#37; of people did not flee to safety upon March 11 disaster

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Four out of every 10 people did not escape but looked for family members or returned home immediately after the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami hit the northeastern Japan region on March 11, a government survey showed.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm006000c.html

Biden to meet with Kan on Aug. 23: White House

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Aug. 23 during his three-day visit to Japan from next Monday, the White House said Tuesday........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm040000c.html

Over 1,500 workers' compensation claims filed in 3 quake-hit areas

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Over 1,500 applications for workers' compensation have been filed as of Wednesday over people who died or went missing at work during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the three worst-hit prefectures, according to a tally by a local labor bureau.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm041000c.html

Vacationers return home from disaster-stricken hometowns

The rush of vacationers returning home after spending the Obon summer holidays in disaster-hit areas in northeastern Japan and other hometowns across Japan peaked Aug. 16.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na008000c.html

Residents in disaster-hit area have to travel long distance to vote in local elections

OTSUCHI, Iwate -- Many residents in this tsunami-hit town taking shelter at temporary housing far away from downtown will be forced to travel a long distance to polling stations near their destroyed homes to cast their ballots in the upcoming local elections........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na011000c.html
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Jiji press

Grand Coalition Not Totally Impossible: LDP Ishihara

Tokyo, Aug. 17 (Jiji Press)--The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party may agree to form a grand coalition with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan if the DPJ's next leader vows to dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election, an LDP executive suggested Wednesday.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081700308

Disaster-Hit Miyagi Pref. Maps Out Reconstruction Plan

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Aug. 17 (Jiji Press)--The northeastern Japan prefecture of Miyagi on Wednesday compiled a final draft of its program to help promote recovery from damage inflicted by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081700554

German Survivor of Tsunami Raising Funds for Japanese Orphans

Berlin, Aug. 17 (Jiji Press)--Former lawyer Juergen Spielberg of Duesseldorf and his family nearly lost their lives in the monster tsunami unleashed by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on March 11.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081700580


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Sankei news

after salt damage, Miyagi pref

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Dollar briefly down to 76.41 yen

......The greenback temporarily dropped to 76.41 yen, which is near the record low of 76.25 yen set several days after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami hit eastern Japan.....

Thursday, August 18, 2011 02:26 +0900 (JST)http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_02.html

Disaster-hit students practice kendo in Russia

Members of kendo sword-fighting clubs from Japan's disaster-stricken northeast are visiting Russia to train with local practitioners......

Thursday, August 18, 2011 09:08 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_08.html

Japan posts trade surplus in July

Japan's trade balance in July posted a surplus for a second consecutive month as automobile exports rebounded.....

Thursday, August 18, 2011 11:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_15.html

Japan's women's soccer team receives award

....Prime Minister Naoto Kan said they made the extraordinary achievement through perseverance, and that their performance inspired Japanese struggling to rebuild after the March 11th disaster......

Thursday, August 18, 2011 21:33 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_24.html

Foreign travelers to Japan in July down 36 %

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in July was down 36 percent from the same month last year, marking the 5th month of decline following the March 11th disaster.....

Thursday, August 18, 2011 21:41 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_27.html

Foreign students to promote tourism in Japan

The Japanese tourism industry is seeking help from foreign students in Japan in a bid to encourage foreign visitors to the country amid sluggish business in the wake of the disaster and nuclear accident in March......

Thursday, August 18, 2011 21:41 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_26.html
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Yomiuri online

40% of tsunami survivors didn't evacuate quickly

More than 40 percent of survivors of the tsunami caused by the March 11 earthquake did not evacuate immediately after the quake as they searched for family members or went home, a central governmental report on the disaster has revealed.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110817006318.htm

Death compensation claims rising / Disaster-hit prefectural governments facing 1,500 work-related payouts

More than 1,500 claims for work-related death compensation have been filed by people who lost relatives in the March 11 disaster in the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate, according to the Miyagi prefectural government labor department......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110817007258.htm

Association calls for liquefaction relief for homeowners

The Japanese Geotechnical Society has compiled recommendations calling on the government to implement measures to deal with liquefaction that damages single-family homes, in line with regulations applying to larger structures.......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108170255.html

Seismologist calls for review of Japan's quake approach

The president of the Seismological Society of Japan says his profession was partly to blame for the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant because of misleading forecasts of quake risks......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108170256.html
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan's exports keep falling in July, but with signs of recovery

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese exports continued to fall in July in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami, but there were some signs of recovery, with the balance of trade marking a surplus for the second straight month amid an upturn in industrial output, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu002000c.html

Japan's department store sales edge down 0.1% in July

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's department store sales in July edged down 0.1 percent from a year earlier on a same-store basis to 600.7 billion yen, after a rise in the previous month, an industry body said Thursday......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu076000c.html

Disaster-hit children visit Moscow at Russia's invitation

MOSCOW (Kyodo) -- A total of 28 members of kendo swordsmanship clubs at a junior high school and a university in disaster-hit Iwate Prefecture paid a courtesy visit to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm005000c.html

Tsunami-hit schools open after short summer vacation

OFUNATO (Kyodo) -- Students of a high school in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, that was destroyed by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami pledged to do their best at a ceremony Wednesday at the start of a new term following a shortened summer vacation........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm010000c.html

Japan women's soccer team awarded special honor

.....Their victory came as Japan struggles to recover from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated its northeastern region and triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm075000c.html

Scholarship fund for child quake victims almost empty

The government's scholarship fund for children hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake is almost empty, with more children than expected applying for the 11.3 billion yen fund, it has been learned......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na012000c.html
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Jiji press

Visitors to Japan Fall 36.1 Pct in July

Tokyo, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--The number of people visiting Japan in July fell 36.1 pct from a year before to 561,700, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Thursday.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081800763

Japan's Noda Vows to Pursue Fiscal Reconstruction

Chiba, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda reiterated his determination Thursday to work hard on the country's fiscal reconstruction in the wake of debt woes in Europe and the United States.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081800852

Japan Honors Female Footballers

Tokyo, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government presented the People's Honor Award to the national women's soccer team Thursday for its historic World Cup victory last month....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081800881
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Sankei news

Ogastsu town, Ishinomaki city, Miyagi pref
after 3 months

fake doctor' car at Ishinomaki city, Miyagi pref


local elections at Otsuchi town, Iwate

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Tohoku governors visit Taiwan to promote tourism

Two prefectural governors from the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan have visited Taiwan in a bid to increase tourism......

Friday, August 19, 2011 14:18 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/19_19.html
____________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Consumer sales soar in Tohoku / Disaster-hit region sees heightened summer demand for products

Consumer spending in the Tohoku region is surging amid demand for replacement daily goods, clothing and electric appliances lost or destroyed in the March 11 disaster.....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T110818005580.htm

Miyagi Pref. decides on reconstruction plan

SENDAI--The Miyagi prefectural government has decided on a final draft of the prefecture's disaster reconstruction plan for the 10 years following the Great East Japan Earthquake.....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110818005096.htm

Rebuilding efforts held up by subsidy oversight

Many local governments in cities and towns hit hard by the March 11 disaster are finding it difficult to demolish public facilities damaged by the tsunami due to regulations on the government's subsidies for demolishing and rebuilding such facilities......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110818006034.htm
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

'Fake doctor' held for allegedly duping people in quake-hit area

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- A 42-year-old man was arrested Friday for allegedly pretending he was a licensed doctor in an area hit by the March earthquake and tsunami, police said.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm009000c.html

Japan's recovery of foreign tourists after disaster slowing

The number of foreign tourists to Japan totaled 561,700 in July, down 36.1 percent from a year earlier, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced Aug. 18.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...et006000c.html

Trust banks propose land trust system to speed up rebuilding of public facilities

Commercial banks are proposing that local governments use the land trust system to speed up the restoration of government offices, public schools and hospitals destroyed by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na017000c.html

Hotel offers photo negatives to those who lost wedding pictures in tsunami

SENDAI -- A hotel here has started handing the negatives of wedding photos taken at the hotel to couples who lost their photos in the tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na019000c.html
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Jiji press

Japan Adopts Science Plan Focused on Postdisaster Rebuilding

Tokyo, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government on Friday adopted a new five-year basic science and technology program focusing on investment to promote the reconstruction of areas ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081900238

Disaster-Hit Japanese Students Arrive in Russia for Holiday

Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--A group of 33 junior high and high school students from disaster-hit northeastern Japan arrived in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East late Thursday to spend a one-week holiday at the invitation of the Russian government.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081900380

Japan Steps Up Surveillance of Land Transactions in Disaster Areas

Tokyo, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese land ministry unveiled plans Friday to give local governments in disaster-damaged northeastern areas more detailed information about land transactions in their areas, in an effort to prevent unfair trades.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081900817

Japan to Start Debt Restructuring Support for Disaster Victims

Tokyo, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)--An independent panel of experts will begin on Monday to accept applications for debt restructuring from victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which devastated northeastern Japan........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011081900848
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Sankei news

Fukushima pref decided to close the shelter of Koriyama


Fake doctor was arrested

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Quake-hit students enjoy holiday in Vladivostok

Japanese students from areas hit hard by the March 11th disaster have arrived in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, where they're spending part of their summer vacation.....

Saturday, August 20, 2011 08:51 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/19_31.html

Dollar hits record low of 75.95 yen

....The previous all-time low of 76.25 yen was set on March 17th, days after the earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.......

Saturday, August 20, 2011 10:05 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20_11.html
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Yomiuri online

Police have no patience for fake doc

SENDAI--A 42-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of impersonating a doctor at a volunteer center in disaster-hit Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, police said.....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110819005437.htm

Automobile tax revenue to drop 11 bil. yen in disaster-hit prefectures

Automobile tax revenue for the current fiscal year in disaster-hit Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures is expected to decrease by about 11 billion yen, dealing a blow to local governments' reconstruction efforts.....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110819004544.htm
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Asahi com

Store's new glass ad display shows 4 changing images

A new glass advertisement display developed by Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co. can show four images, depending on which side of the panel people are watching and the time of day.....

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108190352.html

Celebrities' orphan fund gains major support

An orphan's fund for children who lost their parents in the Great East Japan Earthquake, established by eight heavyweights such as architect Tadao Ando and conductor Seiji Ozawa, is gathering increasing public support.....

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108190349.html

Fate of the Chokaimaru unclear

The Chokaimaru fishing boat towers over what remains of the houses of Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, a surreal testament to the awesome power of the March 11 tsunami.......
<iframe width="250" height="170" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-RRBovbR298?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108190368.html
___________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan crude steel output falls for 5th straight month in July

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Crude steel production in July dropped 1.2 percent from a year earlier to 9.11 million tons, the fifth straight month of decline, as output by auto and consumer electronics makers had yet to recover to levels prior to the March earthquake and tsunami, an industry body said Friday........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu042000c.html

Dollar sinks to record low against Japanese yen in N.Y.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu051000c.html

Japan to work on new initiatives to attract foreign tourists

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japan Tourism Agency on Friday launched a new consultative body to study how to attract more foreign tourists, who have been reluctant to visit Japan in the wake of the March 11 disaster and subsequent nuclear crisis, it said........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm006000c.html

Man nabbed for posing as quake survivor to set up fake bank account

A man who abused a system for survivors of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami to create a bank account under a false name has been arrested, law enforcers said.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na002000c.html

Tokyo man arrested for abusing gov't program for quake victims to stay at hotel for free

Police arrested a 35-year-old man on Aug. 19 suspected of masquerading as a victim of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake to exploit a government aid program that allowed him to stay at a Tokyo hotel for a month for free..........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na003000c.html


____________________________________________
Jiji press

Soaring Yen Threatens Japanese Corporate Earnings Recovery

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)--The yen's rise to a postwar high against the dollar deals a huge blow to Japanese corporate earnings that have been on a recovery track from the devastation by the March 11 earthquake.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011082000256
_________________________________________
Sankei news

日本震災人道援助顕彰茶会
the honoring tea party for humanitarian aid to earthquake disaster in Japan
Taipei, Taiwan

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Summer HS baseball tournament ends in Koshien

This summer's national high school baseball tournament has been won by a team from western Tokyo.....

.....the students representing the prefectures of Aomori, Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima showed good fighting spirit, and offered encouragement to the survivors of the March 11th disaster.

Sunday, August 21, 2011 08:58 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20_21.html

Ancient imperial palace illuminated by candles

10,000 candles have lit the grounds of the 8th-century imperial palace in the ancient capital of Nara.....

Sunday, August 21, 2011 08:58 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/21_04.html

Disaster-hit areas promote tourism

In a bid to revive tourism in areas hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, Japanese municipalities are taking part in a travel fair in Thailand........

Sunday, August 21, 2011 11:15 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/21_07.html

Japan-China trade deficit expands after disaster

Japan's trade deficit with China grew more than 4 times in the first half of this year from the level a year earlier......

Sunday, August 21, 2011 12:54 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/21_11.html
___________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Sanriku national park planned / With trails totaling 350 km, govt hopes to revitalize disaster-hit area

Six national, quasi-national and prefectural natural parks in the disaster-hit Tohoku region will be reorganized into a single national park with trails totaling 350 kilometers in length, according to government sources......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110820002505.htm

Kan too preoccupied to stem yen's relentless rise

Even as the yen charged to a fresh postwar record high Friday and piled more pressure on the Japanese economy, the silence from outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his close aides was deafening.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110820002816.htm
______________________________________________
Asahi com

Quake-resistant buildings a must-have after March 11

As a real-life demonstration, the Great East Japan Earthquake provided the best selling point for buildings with base isolation structures that reduce shaking during major ground tremors........

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108200156.html
_________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Debates on salary cut bill to be postponed

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government has decided not to hold debates on a bill to cut the salaries of national public officials to raise funds for reconstruction following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami during the current parliamentary session through the end of this month, government sources said Saturday.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm002000c.html

GSDF halts 'celebratory' red bean rice rations amid disaster relief operations

The Ground and Air Self-Defense Forces have decided to stop including red bean rice in their rations after personnel in disaster-hit northeastern Japan said they could not eat the dish -- traditionally served on celebratory occasions -- in front of earthquake and tsunami survivors.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na005000c.html
____________________________________________
Jiji press

Japanese, Chinese Experts Discuss Ways to Improve Ties

......Renho, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, expressed her country's gratitude for Chinese support extended following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082100107
_____________________________________________

Tsunami footage in Onagawa, Miyagi
3/11 PM 15:20
<iframe width="300" height="198" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DccVdzmP43U?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

07:58 JST 21 Aug 2011 38.6N 141.9E 50 km M4.7 Miyagi-ken Oki







jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/2011...91-210758.html

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Traces of old tsunamis discovered in Tohoku

A Japanese professor has discovered traces of old tsunamis in the area of the March disaster. He suspects major earthquakes rocked the region every 1,000 years, based on his findings.......

Monday, August 22, 2011 06:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/21_23.html

Eyes on Monday markets after Yen hits record high

...The dollar briefly hit a record low of 75.95 yen on the New York foreign exchange market, breaking the previous record 76.25 yen set on March 17th after the March 11th disaster in northeastern Japan.....

Monday, August 22, 2011 06:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_03.html

Ozawa makes full come back in Saito Kinen's opera

.....He started the concert with Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air on the G String" to commemorate the dead in the disaster of March 11th.......

Monday, August 22, 2011 06:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_01.html

Biden to arrive in Japan on Monday

US Vice President Joe Biden will arrive in Japan on Monday for a 3-day visit........

Monday, August 22, 2011 06:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_04.html

Neighbor calls helped escape from tsunami

A survey showed many people who had evacuated immediately after the March 11th earthquake, left because of the actions of their families or neighbors.......

Monday, August 22, 2011 06:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_05.html
__________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Local elections struggle in disaster-hit areas / Authorities trying to find residents; some candidates limit campaign activities in consideration of victims

Elections to choose the heads of local governments and members of local assemblies are scheduled to be held from later this month through Sept. 11 in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, after being postponed due to the Great East Japan Earthquake......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110821002882.htm

Ministry strives to up local voter turnout

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry is striving to increase voter turnout at local assembly and other elections in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures--polls that have been delayed for months due to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110821002596.htm

Iwate sake brewer making comeback

Down but not out.

The only sake brewery in Otsuchicho, Iwate Prefecture, irreparably damaged in the March 11 disaster, has been reinvented by its owner as a liqueur maker, a business that requires less capital and equipment......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110821002565.htm

3rd extra budget to join fight against yen surge

Alarmed by the yen's surge to a postwar record high of 75.95 yen against the dollar in New York on Friday, the government might include measures to counteract the strong yen in the third supplementary budget for this fiscal year, it has been learned......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110821002966.htm
_______________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Psychologists to be sent to disaster-hit municipalities

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A fund engaged in labor accident compensation for public servants said Sunday it will send clinical psychologists to the disaster-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima this week to provide counseling to local officials suffering stress from dealing with the aftermath of the March natural catastrophes.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm002000c.html

70 percent oppose Kan Cabinet's handling of disaster: Mainichi poll

Some 70 percent of respondents to a Mainichi poll have given the thumbs-down to the Cabinet's handling of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, and the ensuing nuclear disaster.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na007000c.html

Fresh saury catch buoys tsunami-hit port in Iwate

OFUNATO, Iwate -- Ocean-fresh saury were landed at Ofunato port in Iwate Prefecture on Aug. 22, heralding the start of the autumn delicacy season and re-energizing this port city devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami..........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na009000c.html

Ishinomaki education board destroyed interview memos with tsunami survivors

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- The Ishinomaki City Board of Education in Miyagi Prefecture has destroyed about 30 memos detailing interviews with teachers and children at Okawa Elementary School who survived the tsunami triggered by the March 11 mega-quake, the Mainichi learned Aug. 21.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na015000c.html

Shell fishing in tsunami-devastated area may resume earlier than expected

NATORI, Miyagi -- The rubble left behind in Natori's Yuriage district by tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake had convinced many in the industry that local shellfish had been wiped out, but nearly six months after the disaster, the local port is getting ready to resume harvesting ark shells......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na016000c.html

Signs of 6 massive tsunami over past 6,000 years found in disaster-hit city

SENDAI -- Evidence of at least six massive tsunami having occurred over the past 6,000 years has been found on the coast of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture -- an area pounded by the devastating March 11 tsunami this year.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na021000c.html
___________________________________________
Jiji press

Nippon Paper Starts Trial Recycling of Quake Debris

Tokyo, Aug. 22 (Jiji Press)--Nippon Paper Group Inc. <3893> said Monday it has started accepting on a trial basis wood and other recyclable debris from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami for use as fuel for a biomass boiler in a power generation system.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011082200484

Applications for Disaster Victims' Debt Relief Start in Japan

Tokyo, Aug. 22 (Jiji Press)--An independent panel of experts began Monday to accept applications for debt restructuring from individuals hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082200143

(Update) Applications for Disaster Victims' Debt Relief Start in Japan

Tokyo, Aug. 22 (Jiji Press)--An independent panel of experts began Monday to accept applications for debt restructuring from individuals hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082200302

Quake-Hit Areas May Face Shortage of TV Tuners

Tokyo, Aug. 22 (Jiji Press)--The northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, may face a shortage of television tuners before their postponed shift to digital terrestrial television broadcasting next March......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082200713
___________________________________________
Sankei news

sauries


Traces of old tsunamis

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

DPJ chief race to delay decision on tax hike

As Japan's ruling Democratic Party prepares to select a new president, the government is putting off decisions on a tax increase for rebuilding the areas hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.....

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 09:16 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/23_12.html

Kan thanks Biden for US disaster relief

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has thanked visiting US Vice President Joe Biden for his country's emergency support in areas hit by the March 11th disaster.......

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 13:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/23_24.html

Biden visits disaster-hit northeastern Japan

US Vice President Joe Biden has visited disaster-hit northeastern Japan to pledge his country's continued support for the region's recovery........

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 19:45 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/23_35.html
____________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Rule changes for public housing buyers

The government will likely take special measures to permit the sale of public houses to be built by disaster-hit local governments to disaster survivors wishing to buy them within five years from the construction date, it was learned Monday......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110822005087.htm
__________________________________________
Asahi com

With Japan relying on exports, yen will remain strong

The yen will remain strong against the dollar as long as Japan remains an export juggernaught, economists said after the currency hit a postwar high against the U.S. currency on Aug. 19........

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108220318.html

Shichigahama beach, Miyagi pref
<iframe width="300" height="198" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wp0-eanEmGA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
_____________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan's corporate debt issues recovering from March disaster

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The issuance of corporate bonds is recovering in Japan as bond market turbulence in the aftermath of the March earthquake and tsunami has subsided and companies activated their fund procurement activities on a recovery in production......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu048000c.html

Gov't eyes contingency funds to ease negative impact from rising yen

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu049000c.html

Ex-Thai leader Thaksin arrives in Japan for visit to quake-hit area

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now a fugitive after being ousted in a 2006 military coup in Thailand, arrived in Japan with the aim of assisting in the reconstruction of the northeastern region following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm005000c.html

White paper calls for education support for disaster-hit children

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The education ministry outlined measures needed to help children suffering in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami disaster in its annual white paper released Tuesday........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm006000c.html

180 queries received about debt waiver program in disaster-hit areas

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Some 180 inquiries were received on Monday as applications opened for a new debt waiver program for people affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, a debt mediator said.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm007000c.html

Kan, Biden to push forward U.S. forces' realignment deal

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Naoto Kan and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden agreed Tuesday to move ahead with a bilateral accord on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and to cement the countries' alliance further in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm012000c.html


_________________________________________
Jiji press

U.S. to Replace Naval Ship Used in "Tomodachi" Relief Mission

Washington, Aug. 22 (Jiji Press)--The U.S. Navy has announced it will replace an amphibious assault ship that participated in the "Operation Tomodachi" relief mission in disaster-stricken Japan.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082300171

BOJ to Closely Watch Impact of Strong Yen: Shirakawa

Tokyo, Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan will closely watch the impact of the strong yen on the country's economy and act appropriately, Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said Tuesday.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082300598

Japan Quake Insurance Contracts Surge after March Disaster

Tokyo, Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--The number of new earthquake insurance contracts signed in Japan in April and May surged following the March 11 quake and tsunami, with particularly high growth registered in the hard-hit northeastern prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate, a nonlife insurance industry group said Tuesday.......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082300694

Biden Vows Continued U.S. Aid for Disaster-Hit Japan

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--Visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday that his country will continue supporting northeastern Japan areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082300826
________________________________________
Sankei news

feel of autumn at Minamisanriku town, Miyagi pref


local elections begins, former town mayor died by tsunami
in front of Otsuchi town office, Iwate pref


clean up containers at Shichigahama beach, Miyagi pref

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

More Japanese buy quake insurance program

The number of new earthquake insurance contracts in Japan increased by 6.8 percent during the March-to-May period compared to the same period last year. Japan was hit by a major earthquake in March.......

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 08:53 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_01.html

Moody's cuts Japan's debt rating

....The agency says it made the downgrade because the effects of the March disaster and resulting power shortages are slowing Japan's economic growth.....

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 10:22 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_18.html

Moody's: Japan should rebuild finances

.....Byrne said the fact the prime minister changes so frequently is hampering the government from rebuilding its finances. He also cited power shortages caused by the March 11th disaster and the subsequent accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station as a reason for delayed economic recovery.....

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 18:41 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_30.html

US Vice President winds up 3-day trip to Japan

US Vice President Joe Biden has left Japan, winding up his first visit to the country since assuming office.....

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 19:40 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_33.html
_________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Terrifying moments before tsunami revealed

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi--As the tsunami waters rose around him, one boy desperately stayed afloat by clinging to his evacuation helmet. A refrigerator with no door floated past so he climbed inside, and survived by staying in his "lifeboat" until the danger eventually passed.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110823005568.htm

Biden: U.S.-Japan ties strong

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has stressed that the United States will continue seeking a strong alliance with Japan....

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110823005931.htm
_____________________________________________
Asahi com

Nippon Paper Group helping on quake debris disposal

Nippon Paper Group Inc., one of the world's leading paper and pulp industry companies, is doing its bit to help clean up the mess caused by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108230420.html

Ex-Thai leader says Japan trip personal mission
*THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fugitive former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra defended his controversial visit to disaster-stricken Japan on Tuesday, saying he wants to support the country that helped his own people recover from a massive tsunami in 2004......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108230491.html

Don't count U.S., Japan out, Biden tells the world
*REUTERS

SENDAI -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Japan's quake-hit northeast on Aug. 23 and said the country would recover from the disaster just as the United States would overcome its debt crisis, warning doubters not to count the two countries out........

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108230482.html

Musician plans rock festival in disaster-hit hometown

SENDAI--A rock musician in his spare time, Daisuke Suzuki wanted to deliver some hope to an evacuee who wanted to see a live concert again......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108230465.html

Quake-hit folk performing arts try for comeback

In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, Chikara Furumizu could have been excused this year if the troupe he leads didn't do the traditional Obon dance to pray for the souls of the dead......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108230458.html
___________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Renesas eyes returning chip shipments to pre-quake level in mid-Sept.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Renesas Electronics Corp. will recover its semiconductor shipments at its main factory in Ibaraki Prefecture to the level prior to the March 11 disaster by mid-September, moving up the initial goal of doing so by a half-month earlier, company officials said Tuesday.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu056000c.html

Moody's cuts Japan debt rating for 1st time in 9 yrs

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu062000c.html

Astronaut Furukawa chats from space with pupils from quake-hit areas

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, now aboard the International Space Station, chatted on Tuesday via videoconference with six pupils from the three prefectures most severely stricken by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm010000c.html

No disaster-affected livestock farmers apply for gov't aid

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- No livestock farmers in the four prefectures worst hit by the March disaster have applied for a government aid program to help them resume operating, apparently because the qualification terms make it impossible, local authorities said Tuesday......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm013000c.html

Ex-Thai PM defends contentious trip to Japan

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm015000c.html

Biden lauds Japan's resolve in tsunami zone visit

SENDAI, Japan (AP) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday praised the resolve of the Japanese people in their efforts to recover from the tsunami and reaffirmed the two countries' alliance as vital for regional peace and prosperity.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm016000c.html


___________________________________________
Jiji press

Honda to Boost Output at Ohio Plant

Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 24 (Jiji Press)--Honda Motor Co. <7267> plans to boost output at an auto assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio, to make up for production lost following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, officials said Tuesday........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011082400702

Japan July Corporate Service Prices Down 0.5 Pct

Tokyo, Aug. 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's corporate service prices dropped 0.5 pct from a year before in July, down for the 34th straight month, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082400431

Japan Extends Support to Merged Municipalities

Tokyo, Aug. 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's parliament on Wednesday enacted legislation to allow 72 merged municipalities hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami to issue special bonds for five more years.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082400503

80 Pct of Japan School Buildings Quake-Resistant

Tokyo, Aug. 24 (Jiji Press)--Some 80.3 pct of Japan's public elementary and junior high school buildings, including gyms, were quake-resistant as of April 1, up 7.0 percentage points from a year before and topping 80 pct for the first time, a ministry survey showed Wednesday.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082400828

Japan Fiscal Reforms Impeded by March Disaster: Moody's Official

Tokyo, Aug. 24 (Jiji Press)--The March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent nuclear crisis have hobbled Japan's fiscal consolidation efforts, leading to a downgrade of its sovereign rating, a senior Moody's Investors Service official suggested Wednesday.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082400932
___________________________________________
Sankei news

okawa school
8/23

Kesennuma port, Miyagi pref

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

150 Buddhist priests remember March 11th victims

About 150 Buddhist priests from various sects have joined in a memorial service in Tokyo for people killed in the March earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan......

Thursday, August 25, 2011 20:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/25_33.html
______________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Moody's cuts Japan's debt rating for 1st time in 9 years

Moody's Investors Service Inc. said Wednesday it had lowered the credit rating of Japanese government bonds one notch--from Aa2 to Aa3--for the first time since May 2002.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T110824006489.htm

No solid plans yet for 'liquefied soil'/ Low demand, high cost obstacles for moving or recycling tons of dirt

URAYASU, Chiba--More than five months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, little progress has been made in removing or recycling a massive amount of so-called liquefied soil temporarily stored at a park and elsewhere in Urayasu.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110824005022.htm

Massive Sanriku tsunami 'hit 6 times in 6,000 years'

Sediment indicating massive tsunami of 10 or more meters in height have hit the Sanriku coast six times during the past 6,000 years has been found in strata of a cliff in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110824005299.htm
______________________________________________
Asahi com

Moody's cuts Japan rating, blames politics
*REUTERS

Moody's Investors Service cut its rating on Japan's government debt by one notch to Aa3 on Aug. 24, blaming a build-up of debt since the 2009 global recession and revolving-door political leadership that has hampered effective economic strategies.......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108240328.html
___________________________________________
Mainichi jp(kyodo, AP)

Higher durable-goods orders ease economic worries

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu024000c.html

80&#37; of public schools complete quake strengthening work

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The education ministry said Wednesday 80.3 percent of Japan's 116,000 public school buildings completed earthquake strengthening work as of April 1, up 7.0 percentage points from a year before for the sharpest rise since 2002......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm045000c.html

Biden stresses U.S. engagement in Asia, touts alliance with Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the United States will continue engaging in Asia and the Pacific region as a stabilizing force and its alliance with Japan will become more important than ever.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm047000c.html
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Jiji press

Disaster-Delayed Iwate Governor Race Kicks Off

Morioka, Iwate Pref., Aug. 25 (Jiji Press)--The official campaign for a gubernatorial election in Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, kicked off Thursday, after it was postponed for five months in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082500337

Ex-Thai Prem. Thaksin Visits Disaster Areas in Japan

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Aug. 25 (Jiji Press)--Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Thursday he was shocked when he visited disaster areas in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan.....

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082500950
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Sankei news

gubernatorial election in Iwate prefecture begins
voters

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Kan says he will resign

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has officially announced that he will resign......

Friday, August 26, 2011 13:44 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/26_22.html

Kan calls for tax and social security reform

Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he hopes the governing and opposition camps will work together on the key tasks of tax and social security reform.....

Friday, August 26, 2011 19:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/26_32.html
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Asahi com

DPJ cool to tax hikes as leadership race heats up

The ruling party's leadership election is only days away, but the issue that had defined the squabble ending Naoto Kan's reign as prime minister has taken a back seat......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108250255.html
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan consumer prices rise slightly in July

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu049000c.html

Ex-Thai PM Thaksin expresses readiness to help rebuilding efforts

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on a weeklong visit to Japan through Sunday, visited areas hit by the March earthquake and tsunami on Thursday and expressed his readiness to help rebuilding efforts under way in northeastern Japan.....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm003000c.html

Gov't to complete renovation of disaster-hit levees in 5 yrs

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government is aiming to complete the renovation of all levees destroyed or damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami within five years, according to the land ministry's infrastructure restoration schedule obtained by Kyodo News on Thursday.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm007000c.html

FY2014 goal for restoring most tsunami-hit farmland in Iwate, Miyagi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Farmland swamped by the massive tsunami in March will be restored for cropping by 46 percent during the year from next April and 95 percent in fiscal 2014 in the hardest-hit prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi, a farm ministry estimate showed Friday......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm008000c.html


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Jiji press

37 Pct of Tsunami-Hit Farmland to Be Restored by FY 2012: Japan Govt

Tokyo, Aug. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese agriculture ministry said Friday that 37 pct of salt-harmed farmland in tsunami-hit northeastern areas will be restored by fiscal 2012 ending in March 2013........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082600314

Japan Vows to Rebuild Tsunami-Torn Embankments in 5 Yrs

Tokyo, Aug. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government on Friday set a target of completing the reconstruction of tsunami-damaged sea embankments in northeastern Japan in about five years......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082600655

Japan May Face Trouble in Budget Talks under New Govt

Tokyo, Aug. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan may face trouble in drawing up the third supplementary budget for fiscal 2011 and the fiscal 2012 regular budget under a new administration succeeding the government of outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who quit as head of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan on Friday......

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082700048
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Sankei news

shelter at Yamada town, Iwate pref


preparation for winter
Temporary house at Rikuzentakata city, Iwate pref

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead &amp; missing - March 27+

Traffic signals on the blink / Roads in disaster-hit region dangerous as 90&#37; of lights not working

Navigating the roads in the disaster-hit Tohoku region is a precarious undertaking, as nearly 90 percent of traffic lights are still out of commission.......

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110826005187.htm

Kan slammed in exit reviews / Post-disaster performance criticized even by DPJ lawmakers

Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers from areas badly damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami on Friday criticized the performance of Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government after the disaster, with one saying the ruling party had lost the confidence of residents in stricken areas.........

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110826006071.htm
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Asahi com

Bathhouse scrubs up to soothe tsunami-hit city
*REUTERS

KAMAISHI-- Since reopening just three and a half weeks after the March 11 tsunami, the Tsuru no Yu bathhouse in northeast Japan's Kamaishi city has been doing a brisk business, belying the general decline of once-popular public baths throughout the country. .......

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108260307.html

Government to complete farm desalination in three years

Coastal farmland damaged by the March 11 tsunami will be restored within three years, according to a road map endorsed by the government's reconstruction headquarters on Aug. 26........

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201108260298.html

Hiroshima pref supports oyster farming at Kesennuma city, Miyagi
<iframe width="250" height="170" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RJt0lh6MUOI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Gov't aims to restore farmland in 3 years, dikes in 5 years

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government aims to restore within three years farmland swamped by the massive tsunami in March and rebuild dikes within five years, according to a reconstruction road map drawn up by the government on Friday........

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm008000c.html

60% of survey respondents say gov't info on disasters least reliable

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nearly 60 percent of respondents to a survey about the credibility of information issued after a disaster said the government and ministries are the least reliable information source, the university professor who conducted the survey said Friday.......

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm009000c.html


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Jiji press

DPJ Leadership Candidates Differ on Reconstruction Tax Hike

Tokyo, Aug. 27 (Jiji Press)--The five candidates for the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's leadership election expressed varying stances on a proposed tax hike to finance postdisaster reconstruction measures in a joint press conference Saturday........

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011082700398
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Sankei news

Martina Hingis visits disaster area

Tennis school at Sendai city, Miyagi pref