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

    04:20 JST 05 Dec 2011 38.2N 141.8E 50 km M4.4 Miyagi-ken Oki

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

      Gov't draws up guidelines on relief supplies

      The Land and Transport Ministry has drawn up guidelines to ensure the smooth supply of relief goods in the event of disasters.

      Monday, December 05, 2011 11:09 +0900 (JST)
      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111205_11.html
      ____________________________________________
      Yomiuri online

      Symbolic pine tree doomed due to rotten roots

      RIKUZEN-TAKATA, Iwate--A local civic group has discontinued its efforts to preserve a local pine tree that miraculously survived the March 11 tsunami and thus became a symbol of post-disaster reconstruction, it has been learned.
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      http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111204003982.htm
      ___________________________________________
      AJW

      Famed Japanologist Keene gets museum in Kashiwazaki

      KASHIWAZAKI, Niigata Prefecture--Along with permanently moving to Japan, renowned Japanese literature researcher Donald Keene has brought the living room and study of his New York home with him, donating it to a museum here as the centerpiece of an exhibit on his work.

      http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_ja...J201112050006a
      _________________________________________
      Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

      54% oppose consumption tax hike: Mainichi poll

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

      54 percent of public against consumption tax hike

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

      Residents of coastal Iwate town pose for camera as part of poster project

      OTSUCHI, Iwate -- Over 100 people in this tsunami-devastated town gathered to be photographed on Dec. 4 as part of a message poster project.

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

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      Jiji press

      Reconstruction Agency Bill to Pass Japan Parliament

      Tokyo, Dec. 5 (Jiji Press)--A bill to create an agency in charge of the reconstruction of areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is now set to be enacted during the current parliamentary session ending Friday, it was learned Monday.

      http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120500433

      Leaders of Disaster-Hit Miyagi Seek U.S. Investment

      Tokyo, Dec. 5 (Jiji Press)--Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai and Sendai Mayor Emiko Okuyama called on U.S. companies Monday to invest aggressively in the disaster-hit northeastern Japan prefecture.

      http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120500765
      _____________________________________________
      Sankei news

      US & Japan Tsunami drill in Okinawa


      snowfall in Otsuchi town, Iwate pref

      Comment


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

        Video shows tsunami gushing from manhole

        New video footage illustrating the force of Japan's March tsunami shows seawater spewing from a manhole in a coastal area.

        Tuesday, December 06, 2011 10:29 +0900 (JST)
        http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111206_07.html

        UN praises volunteers' role after March disaster

        The United Nations has praised the role of volunteers who supported the affected areas after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan.

        Tuesday, December 06, 2011 13:51 +0900 (JST)
        http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111206_17.html

        Reconstruction agency bill clears lower house

        Japan's House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would create an agency to oversee reconstruction of areas hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

        Tuesday, December 06, 2011 16:01 +0900 (JST)
        http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111206_20.html
        _____________________________________________
        Yomiuri online

        Checking up on the elderly in disaster-hit areas

        With the arrival of winter, residents in areas affected by the March 11 disaster have implemented measures to check on elderly residents living alone in temporary housing units.
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        http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111205005015.htm

        3 parties agree to revise bill on reconstruction agency

        It appears that a bill to create an agency to oversee reconstruction of areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami will be enacted by the end of the current Diet session, as the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito agreed Monday to revise the bill so the envisaged agency will have one cabinet minister and two vice ministers.

        http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111205006225.htm
        _____________________________________________
        AJW

        Christmas flowers overcome March 11 tsunami to bloom

        HIGASHI-MATSUSHIMA, Miyagi Prefecture--In the quake-devastated Tohoku region this holiday season, a hardy, colorful flower that survived the March 11 quake and tsunami will be a special present under many Christmas trees.
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        Cyclamen flowers are in bloom at a plastic greenhouse in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture. (Toshiyuki Takeya)
        http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112060056a
        _____________________________________________
        Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

        Swiss man's solo trek across Japan aims to reassure foreign tourists

        FUKUOKA (Kyodo) -- A former travel agent from Switzerland has embarked on a solo hike across Japan to promote tourism to the country, which has seen a drop in the number of foreign visitors following the March earthquake and tsunami and the ensuing nuclear disaster.

        http://mdn.mainichi.jp/travel/news/2...dm121000c.html

        Department stores in tsunami-hit Sendai see booming year-end sales

        SENDAI -- Department stores in this earthquake- and tsunami-hit city are thriving as a result of booming sales ahead of Christmas and the year-end holiday period.

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

        U.N. adopts resolution commending volunteers in disaster-hit zones

        NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- The U.N. General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution commending volunteers in disaster-hit areas at a meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, which had been launched at Japan's initiative.

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

        Cargo-related accidents jump in quake-hit region due to debris transport

        SENDAI (Kyodo) -- The number of highway accidents caused by objects falling from trucks has jumped more than 3.5 times in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures following the March 11 quake-tsunami disaster due to increased accidents involving trucks carrying rubble related to the disaster, local police said Monday.

        http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm018000c.html

        Noda orders detailed tax hike plan before year-end

        http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm028000c.html

        Number of welfare recipients reaches nearly 2.06 million

        http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm138000c.html
        ____________________________________________
        Jiji press

        Japan to Offer Gold, Silver Coins to Reconstruction Bond Holders

        Tokyo, Dec. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Finance Ministry said Tuesday that it plans to launch a new line of reconstruction government bonds tailored for individuals in March 2012, which will offer gold and silver coins to investors who hold the bonds for three years after purchases.

        http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120600475

        Japan Lower House OKs Bill to Set Up Reconstruction Agency

        Tokyo, Dec. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Representatives approved a modified bill to set up a new government agency for reconstruction after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami by a majority vote at a plenary meeting on Tuesday.

        http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120600559

        Hirano to Become 1st Head of Japan Reconstruction Agency

        Tokyo, Dec. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Tuesday he intends to name postdisaster reconstruction minister Tatsuo Hirano as first head of a new government agency that will manage projects to rebuild areas hit by the March 11 disaster.

        http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120600906
        ___________________________________________
        JMA

        06:04 JST 06 Dec 2011 39.1N 142.9E 20 km M4.4 Sanriku Oki

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        jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/2011...91-060604.html

        10:26 JST 06 Dec 2011 38.0N 141.9E 40 km M4.3 Miyagi-ken Oki

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

          New Delhi exhibition of Japan/India children's art

          An exhibition of paintings by Japanese and Indian children kicked off in New Delhi on Tuesday.

          Wednesday, December 07, 2011 10:44 +0900 (JST)
          http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111207_14.html

          Fisheries trainees to help track floating debris

          Japanese fishery high school students training at sea are to help track millions of tons of debris drifting the Pacific Ocean since the March 11th tsunami.

          Wednesday, December 07, 2011 16:41 +0900 (JST)
          http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111207_21.html

          Composite index up for the 1st time in 4 months

          Wednesday, December 07, 2011 17:59 +0900 (JST)
          http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111207_25.html

          Disaster recovery promotion bill passed

          Japan has enacted a law to promote recovery in regions hit hard by the March disaster.
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          Wednesday, December 07, 2011 18:44 +0900 (JST)
          http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111207_26.html
          ______________________________________________
          Yomiuri online

          Tsunami victims present relocation plan to city

          KESENNUMA, Miyagi--A group of residents in a disaster-stricken district of Kesennuma recently submitted its own relocation plan to the local municipal government, a move that could become a model for other hard-hit areas.
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          http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111206005672.htm
          _______________________________________________
          AJW

          Meiji University sends Christmas cheer to Ofunato

          OFUNATO, Iwate Prefecture--Somewhere, a little girl who lost her home in the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake is smiling, as a 9-meter Christmas tree adorned with festive lights now stands in the devastated city.
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          Workers erect a Christmas tree in the center of a vacant lot in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in the evening on Dec. 5. (Toshiyuki Hayashi)
          http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112070068a
          ___________________________________________
          Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

          'Cosplayers' from abroad visit tsunami-hit Sendai

          SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Costume players from Japan and abroad who won an Internet popularity contest visited Sendai, northeastern Japan, Tuesday to help promote the city's ongoing recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

          http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/201...et155000c.html

          Japanese government backs Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid

          TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's parliament has passed a resolution supporting Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

          http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sport...sp159000c.html

          Diet OKs additional tax measures to rebuild quake-hit region

          TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Diet approved on Wednesday additional tax measures to help reconstruct the areas devastated by the March earthquake and tsunami, including tax breaks for companies, as well as help for people who suffered from the disasters and need to purchase new homes.

          http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm115000c.html

          Spotlight on battledores featuring those who took center stage in 2011

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

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          Jiji press

          Japan Auto Parts Makers Suffer 54 Pct Drop in 1st-Half Profit

          Tokyo, Dec. 7 (Jiji Press)--Japanese listed auto parts makers' combined operating profit in April-September tumbled 54.4 pct from a year before, hit by automakers' production halts after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, an industry group said Wednesday.

          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011120700549

          Japan Enacts Bill on Postdisaster Special Zones

          Tokyo, Dec. 7 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Councillors on Wednesday passed into law a bill to establish special zones for facilitating postdisaster reconstruction through deregulation and tax breaks.

          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120700463

          Japan to Close Diet Session Friday

          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120700709

          Economists Concerned about Consumption Tax Hike Impact

          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120700929

          Japan Needs to Double Consumption Tax to 10 pct: Govt Panel

          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120700965
          _____________________________________________
          Sankei news

          Santa Claus visits Kamaishi city, Iwate pref

          Comment


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

            http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45583975.../#.TuBEQFaGCSo
            Huge Japanese earthquake cracked open the seafloor
            Fissures scar bottom where clam beds once lay, video and photo comparisons show

            By Stephanie Pappas
            OurAmazingPlanet
            updated 12/7/2011 12:08:07 PM ET

            SAN FRANCISCO ? The March 2011 megaquake off the coast of Japan opened up fissures as wide as 6 feet (3 meters) in the seafloor, a new study finds.

            The fissures now scar the seafloor where peaceful clam beds once lay, according to Takeshi Tsuji, a researcher at Kyoto University in Japan.....
            http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011...U_Tsunami.html
            RELEASE : 11-405
            NASA Finds 'Merging Tsunami' Doubled Japan Destruction

            WASHINGTON -- NASA and Ohio State University researchers have discovered the major tsunami generated by the March 2011 Tohoku-Oki quake centered off northeastern Japan was a long-hypothesized "merging tsunami." The tsunami doubled in intensity over rugged ocean ridges, amplifying its destructive power at landfall...
            _____________________________________________

            Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

            i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

            "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

            (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
            Never forget Excalibur.

            Comment


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

              Charity auction in NY for Tohoku artists

              In New York, a charity auction featuring arts and crafts from northeastern Japan was held to support artists in the disaster-hit areas.

              Thursday, December 08, 2011 12:47 +0900 (JST)
              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111208_23.html

              Japan's current account surplus in Oct. down

              ....Imports meanwhile rose 21.3 percent, because of a surge in energy-related imports which compensated for reduced nuclear power generation after the March disaster.

              Thursday, December 08, 2011 15:04 +0900 (JST)
              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111208_24.html

              Campaign to invite S. Korean tourists launched

              Local administrations of disaster-hit areas in northeastern Japan are working to draw more tourists from South Korea.

              Thursday, December 08, 2011 20:11 +0900 (JST)
              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111208_37.html

              Softbank Telecom, KT open data center in S.Korea

              ....After the March 11th disaster, Japanese companies are moving to store their data at more than one location to reduce the risk of losing them.

              Thursday, December 08, 2011 20:49 +0900 (JST)
              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111208_38.html

              Japan, Costa Rica to promote digital TV format

              ....Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla met in Tokyo on Thursday.

              Noda thanked Costa Rica for its help after the March 11 disaster, saying that Japan is determined to increase reconstruction efforts.

              Thursday, December 08, 2011 21:49 +0900 (JST)
              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111208_39.html
              ______________________________________________
              AJW

              Architects focus on March 11 disaster for exhibition

              From an architect's standpoint, the Japanese Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale, to be held in Italy in 2012, will be the one that has a constructive proposal for the future of architecture.
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              A look at the Japanese pavilions and their themes at recent Venice Biennale architecture events. Clockwise from top left: Metabolism 2010; Architecture extending beyond buildings 2008; Otaku 2004; and, Undiscovered Japanese architecture and cities. (Asahi Shimbun)
              http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_ja...J201112080067a

              14.4-meter-high tsunami liable to strike Kamakura at some point

              YOKOHAMA--The historic coastal city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture faces the prospect of being wiped out by tsunami at some point.
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              Tsurugaoka-Hachimangu shrine, foreground center, in Kamakura city, Kanagawa Prefecture, is located about 2 kilometers from the coastline. (Eiji Hori)
              http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112080059
              _____________________________________________
              Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

              Turkish deputy PM meets children in tsunami-hit Japanese town

              SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan on Wednesday met children at a primary school in Japan that was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

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

              Noda vows to make efforts to prevent Japan from facing debt crisis

              http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm019000c.html
              _____________________________________________
              Jiji press

              Disaster-Hit 77 Bank to Receive 20 B. Yen in Public Funds

              Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)--The Financial Services Agency plans to inject 20 billion yen of public funds into 77 Bank <8341> in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, by the end of the month under a revised law to enhance banks' capital bases, informed sources said Thursday.

              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120800418

              Japan to Inject 20 B. Yen into Disaster-Hit 77 Bank

              Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan will inject 20 billion yen of public funds in the form of subordinated loans into 77 Bank <8341> in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture, the Financial Services Agency said Thursday.

              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120800822

              BOJ Tankan Projected to Show Deterioration in Confidence

              Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan's "tankan" quarterly survey for December is expected to show a deterioration in business confidence among large Japanese manufacturers, according to private-sector think tanks.

              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120800874

              (Update) Japan to Inject 20 B. Yen into Disaster-Hit 77 Bank

              Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan will inject 20 billion yen of public funds in the form of subordinated loans into 77 Bank <8341> in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture, the Financial Services Agency said Thursday.

              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120801015
              _____________________________________________
              Sankei news

              removal of JR Senseki line

              ______________________________________________
              JMA

              04:27 JST 08 Dec 2011 38.1N 142.7E 20 km M4.4 Miyagi-ken Oki

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              23:32 JST 08 Dec 2011 38.1N 141.8E 50 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki

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

                Farmers plan Japan's largest hydroponic facility

                Farmers in a coastal area hit by the tsunami in March will build Japan's largest facility for growing vegetables without soil.

                Friday, December 09, 2011 07:50 +0900 (JST)
                http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111209_09.html

                Crown Princess Masako turns 48

                ...In a written statement, the Princess said her heart aches when she thinks about the many lives lost in the March disaster and the deep sorrow of the surviving families.

                Friday, December 09, 2011 11:20 +0900 (JST)
                http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111209_15.html
                _____________________________________________
                Yomiuri online

                A-bomb Dome to be checked for earthquake resistance

                HIROSHIMA--The Hiroshima municipal government will for the first time check the earthquake resistance of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial--also known as the Atomic Bomb Dome--as early as next spring, it has been learned.

                http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111208006387.htm
                _______________________________________________
                AJW

                Last train cars from 3.11 lifted out in Miyagi

                HIGASHI-MATSUSHIMA, Miyagi Prefecture--Nearly nine months after being stranded on the rail in Higashi-Matsushima on the JR Senseki Line that connects Sendai and Ishinomaki stations, train cars were finally removed one by one on Dec. 8.
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                A train car is lifted by crane in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, from the JR Senseki Line on Dec. 8. The car has been stranded on the railway since the Great East Japan Earthquake. (Jun Ueda)
                http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112090040
                ____________________________________________
                Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                Editorial: New reconstruction agency must support recovery efforts by municipalities

                A bill for the establishment of a government agency that would oversee reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami passed the Diet on Dec. 9, signaling the end of one phase in the nation's legislative efforts toward recovery. Many of the government assistance policies that have been laid down leave the coordinating of specific reconstruction plans to individual municipal governments, which now face the challenge of fine-tuning rebuilding efforts on a local level.

                http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/...na002000c.html

                Japan July-Sept. qtr GDP growth downgraded to 5.6&#37;

                TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese economy expanded an annualized real 5.6 percent in the three months through September, the government said Friday, less than a preliminary figure of 6.0 percent growth, as uncertain global prospects and the yen's rise weighed on corporate capital spending.

                http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu140000c.html

                Former sumo wrestler Konishiki visits disaster-hit Miyagi

                TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Former sumo ozeki Konishiki in a Santa Claus costume visited Thursday a nursery in Miyagi Prefecture while on a gift-giving tour to northeastern Japan ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

                http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/201...et148000c.html

                Crown Princess Masako expresses sympathy to disaster victims

                http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm022000c.html
                _____________________________________________
                Jiji press

                Iwate prefectural police shows massive tsunamis
                Ofunato, Rikuzentakata cities
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                Japan Enacts Law to Set Up Reconstruction Agency

                Tokyo, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Councillors on Friday passed into law a bill to set up a new government agency to spearhead projects to rebuild areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

                http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120900541

                Noda Seen Struggling to Form Party Consensus on Tax Hike

                http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120901027

                10 Pct of Temporary Housing Left Vacant in Disaster-Hit Areas

                Tokyo, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)--Nine months after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, nearly 10 pct of completed temporary housing remains vacant.

                http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120901060

                Japan Chooses 39 Programs for Special Budget Quota

                http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120901111
                _____________________________________________
                Sankei news

                dying miracle pine tree


                snowfall in temporary house area

                __________________________________________________ ____________
                JMA

                00:34 JST 09 Dec 2011 40.2N 142.5E 40 km M4.2 Iwate-ken Oki

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                Comment


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

                  Govt decides on tax change proposals

                  Saturday, December 10, 2011 14:43 +0900 (JST)
                  http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111210_18.html

                  Tankan turns negative for 1st time in 6 months

                  Saturday, December 10, 2011 15:44 +0900 (JST)
                  http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111210_21.html
                  ______________________________________________
                  Yomiuri online

                  GDP in July-Sept. quarter downgraded to 5.6&#37; rise

                  http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T111209006810.htm
                  _____________________________________________
                  Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                  Japan's GDP to grow 1.7% in FY 2012: think tanks

                  http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu231000c.html

                  Dec. Tankan forecast to show 1st drop in sentiment in 6 months

                  http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu232000c.html

                  Censure motions to derail Noda's efforts to achieve key policy goals

                  http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm172000c.html

                  Gov't decides on tax change proposals for FY 2012

                  http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm173000c.html

                  British 'rakugo' storyteller cheers up disaster-hit Tohoku

                  OSAKA (Kyodo) -- A British woman has been visiting the Tohoku region to give "rakugo" comic storytelling and balloon art performances for people affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

                  http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/201...fp247000c.html

                  Tsunami-hit Sanriku Railway to revive company, region through new characters

                  MIYAKO, Iwate -- As part of an initiative to reconstruct and revive disaster-stricken Iwate Prefecture, Sanriku Railway Co. is calling for design and name submissions for two new "worker" characters.

                  http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na029000c.html
                  _____________________________________________
                  Jiji press

                  Japan Economy Seen Contracting in Fiscal 2011

                  Tokyo, Dec. 10 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese economy is expected to contract for the first time in two years in fiscal 2011, think tanks said.

                  http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121000254

                  Sendai Airport Privatization Mulled

                  Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Dec. 10 (Jiji Press)--The Miyagi prefectural government is considering privatizing a local airport that was devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, officials said Saturday.

                  http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121000268
                  _____________________________________________
                  Sankei news

                  Okawa school

                  ____________________________________________
                  JMA

                  03:01 JST 10 Dec 2011 38.4N 142.3E 40 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki

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                  jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/201112...91-100301.html

                  15:08 JST 10 Dec 2011 38.6N 141.8E 50 km M4.7 Miyagi-ken Oki

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                  jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/201112...91-101508.html

                  Comment


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

                    Children from Miyagi invited to Kobe festival

                    Children from a city hard-hit by the March 11th disaster have been invited to the Kobe Luminarie festival, featuring the city's annual year-end lighting display.
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                    Sunday, December 11, 2011 04:41 +0900 (JST)
                    http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111211_01.html

                    Disaster survivors face harsh employment situation

                    Sunday marks 9 months since the earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11th. Disaster survivors are facing a harsh employment situation.

                    Sunday, December 11, 2011 10:12 +0900 (JST)
                    http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111211_06.html

                    Memorial flame cheers March 11 survivors

                    People in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, northeast Japan, are coming to a memorial flame on Sunday to pray for quick rebuilding of the area hit hard by the earthquake and tsunami 9 months ago.

                    Sunday, December 11, 2011 16:57 +0900 (JST)
                    http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111211_12.html
                    ___________________________________________
                    AJW

                    From the sky, police record start of tsunami disaster

                    MORIOKA--When Masuo Murayama was hovering over the city of Rikuzentakata in a police rescue helicopter on March 11, he felt that the huge earthquake didn't have that much of an impact after all.
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                    The tsunami poured over the popular Takata Matsubara beaches and then swamped nearby hotels in Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture on March 11. (Iwate prefectural police)
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                    The first wave of the tsunami hit breakwaters in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11. (Iwate prefectural police)
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                    The lone pine tree that survived the tsunami on Takata Matsubara beach in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, is nearing death. (Eiji Hori)
                    http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112110054a

                    Gov't to prevent diversion of reconstruction funds in budget

                    TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government will prevent funds in a new special account earmarked for reconstruction following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, to be newly set up in the fiscal 2012 budget, from being diverted for other uses, government sources said Saturday.

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

                    Psychological care to be provided to orphans in quake-hit areas

                    TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is planning to start providing grief counseling to children early next year in the three northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, the hardest hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami where over 1,500 children are estimated to have lost parents, sources familiar with the move said Saturday.

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

                    Volunteer group gathers kimonos for coming-of-age ceremony in tsunami-hit area

                    ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- A volunteer organization in the Tokyo metropolitan area is offering a helping hand to people in a tsunami-hit district here by collecting unused kimonos to lend to women taking part in next month's coming-of-age ceremony.

                    http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na002000c.html
                    _____________________________________________
                    Sankei news

                    9 months since the earthquake

                    Wakabayashi ward, Sendai city


                    Rikuzentakata city, Iwate pref


                    Minamisanriku town, Miyagi pref

                    _____________________________________________
                    JMA

                    16:06 JST 11 Dec 2011 38.4N 141.9E 60 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki

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

                      Students appeal for aid through drum performances

                      Students from Japan's disaster-hit region played the country's traditional drums in Paris on Sunday to ask for donations for children who were orphaned in the March earthquake and tsunami.

                      Monday, December 12, 2011 05:35 +0900 (JST)
                      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111212_07.html

                      Teachers in disaster area suffering depression

                      A survey has found that one in 3 teachers in the disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture suffers from depression.
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                      Monday, December 12, 2011 08:18 +0900 (JST)
                      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111212_10.html

                      "Kizuna" or "unity" chosen as kanji of the year

                      The Japanese word meaning "unity" or "the bonds between human beings" has been chosen as the term that best symbolizes 2011.

                      Monday, December 12, 2011 17:51 +0900 (JST)
                      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111212_22.html

                      Businesses give record amount for disaster relief

                      Japan's largest business group says its members have donated cash and relief supplies worth nearly 1.3 billion dollars for those affected by the March 11th disaster.

                      Monday, December 12, 2011 19:04 +0900 (JST)
                      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111212_29.html

                      Cabinet approval rate falls to 37&#37;

                      Monday, December 12, 2011 19:13 +0900 (JST)
                      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111212_27.html

                      Govt decides FY2012 budget compilation outline

                      Japan's government has decided to focus on rebuilding areas hit by the March disaster and reviving the farm sector when compiling the fiscal 2012 budget, while striving to curb debt.

                      Monday, December 12, 2011 21:22 +0900 (JST)
                      http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111212_30.html
                      ____________________________________________
                      AJW

                      'Kizuna' selected as 2011's kanji of the year

                      In a disaster-ridden year that brought a nation closer together, the Chinese character "kizuna" (bonds between people) has been selected as the kanji that best reflects the events of 2011, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced Dec. 12.
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                      Seihan Mori, chief priest of Kiyomizudera temple, writes the Chinese character "kizuna," the kanji letter representing the year 2011, in the temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward on Dec. 12. (Kazunori Takahashi)
                      http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_...AJ201112120055

                      Kobe's 'Light of Hope' arrives in Tohoku

                      RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--A memorial flame dubbed the "Light of Hope" arrived in this quake-hit city on Dec. 10.
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                      A new memorial flame is lit in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. (Satoru Ogawa)
                      http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112120010
                      ______________________________________________
                      Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                      Japan extends tax breaks on low-polluting vehicles

                      http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu098000c.html

                      Continued survival of 'miracle pine' in doubt

                      RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The continued survival of an ancient pine tree that withstood the March 11 tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, and has become a symbol for the city's reconstruction is in doubt as its roots have begun to rot due to exposure to saline water.

                      http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm017000c.html

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                      Jiji press

                      INTERVIEW: Skylark to Actively Open Restaurants in Disaster Areas

                      Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--Skylark Co. plans to open new restaurants actively in coastal areas of the northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, which were hit hardest by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, President Makoto Tani has said in a recent interview.

                      http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011121200831

                      Most Schools in Disaster-Hit Areas Back in Original Buildings

                      Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--More than 90 pct of schools in three northeastern Japan prefectures hardest hit by the March earthquake and tsunami have resumed teaching in their original school buildings, a government survey showed Monday.

                      http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121200637

                      Michael Jackson Foundation to Be Established in Japan

                      Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--A charity foundation to continue the legacy of the late singer Michael Jackson, often called King of Pop, will be established in Japan, possibly early next year, to support the well-being of children worldwide, his mother, Katherine Jackson, said Monday.

                      http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121200858

                      Workers at 54 pct of Japan Firms Join Support for Disaster Areas

                      Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--Employees at 54 pct of companies in Japan have taken part in activities to support people and areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a survey showed Monday.

                      http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121200871
                      _____________________________________________
                      Jiji press

                      traditional drums in Paris


                      Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Company, Limited. made a donation of Mazda’s mobile library to disaster area

                      ____________________________________________
                      JMA

                      11:34 JST 12 Dec 2011 38.2N 142.2E 40 km M4.2 Miyagi-ken Oki

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                      Comment


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

                        Over 200 to work at new reconstruction agency

                        The Japanese government will employ more than 200 people for a new agency to oversee the reconstruction of the areas hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

                        Tuesday, December 13, 2011 03:16 +0900 (JST)
                        http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111213_06.html

                        Google uploads street views of quake-hit towns

                        US search giant Google has uploaded street views of disaster-hit Japanese towns onto the Internet.
                        The company says it wants to show the world the scale of damage caused by the March quake and tsunami.
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                        Tuesday, December 13, 2011 14:28 +0900 (JST)
                        http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111213_23.html
                        _____________________________________________
                        Yomiuri online

                        IN THE NEWS / Copter pilot delivers medical supplies

                        It took only eight days after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake for Tsutomu Doi and fellow helicopter pilots to establish an organization to provide people affected by the disaster with medical and other relief supplies by air.

                        http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111212002832.htm

                        Grim job situation continues in Tohoku

                        The number of people receiving unemployment allowances in three Tohoku prefectures increased 60 percent in October from a year earlier, reflecting the grim job market caused by the March 11 disaster.

                        http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111212004444.htm

                        Proactive survivors lead grave rebuilding efforts

                        Many survivors of the March 11 disaster wish to have their ancestral graves rebuilt, as the graves and temple grounds that held them were severely damaged by the tsunami.
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                        _____________________________________________
                        AJW

                        Artist plans to sketch 100 celebrities for charity

                        Renowned New York-based artist Naoto Nakagawa is putting his talent to good use, seeking to draw 100 portraits of celebrities that he will auction off to help survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

                        http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112130031n

                        Schoolchildren creating diorama of tsunami-hit city

                        NATORI, Miyagi Prefecture--As Norihiko Kuwayama, a local doctor specializing in psychosomatic medicine, leads some students back to Yuriage Elementary School here for the first time since the March 11 disaster, he is helping their recovery.

                        http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112130060n

                        Volunteers now in short supply in disaster areas

                        KAMAISHI, Iwate Prefecture--The number of volunteers in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami fell from a peak of 54,000 a week in May to 7,000 a week in November, the Japan National Council of Social Welfare said.
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                        Volunteers clear the debris of a demolished house in Kamaishi's Hakozaki district in Iwate Prefecture. Toshiaki Muranaka, a 53-year-old volunteer from Nonoichi, Ishikawa Prefecture, said, "Outdoor work gets more difficult as it gets colder. But I am happy when disaster-stricken people become enlivened seeing us work." (Shingo Kuzutani)
                        http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112130087n
                        ______________________________________________
                        Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                        Residents build memorial bell for quake, tsunami victims in Kamaishi

                        KAMAISHI, Iwate -- A large bronze bell commemorating victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and symbolizing hope for reconstruction will be installed at the central train station here, project organizers have disclosed.

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

                        Over 100 quake, tsunami-hit schools used substitute facilities in Oct.: survey

                        More than 100 public schools in areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami were holding classes at other schools or facilities as of Oct. 1, a government survey has found.

                        http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...na010000c.html
                        __________________________________________
                        Jiji press

                        Google Starts to Show Disaster Area Images on Street View

                        Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)--U.S. Internet search giant Google Inc. on Tuesday launched a free service to show images of northeastern Japan areas hit hard by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami on its Street View online map.

                        http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011121300624

                        Santa Claus Arrives in Japan to Cheer Up Children after March Disasters

                        Narita, Chiba Pref., Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)--A Santa Claus from Finland arrived at Narita International Airport Tuesday to cheer up children affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

                        http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121300444
                        ____________________________________________
                        Sankei news

                        Santa Claus Arrives in Japan

                        ___________________________________________
                        JMA

                        09:57 JST 13 Dec 2011 37.9N 143.5E 10 km M4.9 Sanriku Oki

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                        Comment


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

                          Hiroshima dome to be checked for damage

                          Hiroshima City has begun assessing damage from aging at the landmark Atomic Bomb Dome.

                          Wednesday, December 14, 2011 14:34 +0900 (JST)
                          http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111214_19.html
                          ____________________________________________
                          Yomiuri online

                          Support for Noda Cabinet falls to 42&#37;, disapproval rises to 44% / Respondents cite lack of leadership behind disapproval

                          http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111213005425.htm

                          Builders reinforce ground to prevent quake damage

                          Thoughts of the long-anticipated Tokai Earthquake hitting Aichi Prefecture have worried a company employee, 40, who is having a two-story wooden house built there. Ground liquefaction in a major earthquake can cause a house to tilt--or worse.

                          http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111213004714.htm

                          Tohoku volunteers face hard winter

                          Volunteers helping March 11 survivors are finding it hard to continue their activities due to the onset of severe winter weather in the Tohoku region.

                          http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111213004067.htm
                          _____________________________________________
                          AJW

                          Devastated Tohoku settlements recreated in miniature

                          Miniature models of communities devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami went on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo on Dec. 13.

                          http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112140078a

                          Monument planned to replace 'miracle' pine tree

                          The so-called miracle pine tree, the only one to remain standing among tens of thousands on a beach inundated by the March 11 tsunami, will no longer be a symbol of restoration efforts in the once scenic Takata-Matsubara forest of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture.
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                          The lone surviving pine tree in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, is now dying. (Atsushi Yamanishi)
                          http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112140010

                          BASEBALL / 'Iron men' prove their mettle with Tohoku visit

                          Perseverance is a trait common to baseball’s two reigning “iron men,” and that quality is something they hoped to inspire in the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami when they recently visited the disaster-affected area and held baseball clinics for kids.

                          http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112140102a

                          Google releases panoramic images of scars from March 11

                          Internet search engine operator Google Inc. released images on Dec. 13 that give detailed views of landscapes in areas hard hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
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                          Google's Street View service shows an image from the Yuriage district of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, photographed before the March 11 disaster at approximately the same location as the other image. (Provided by Google Inc.)
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                          Google's Street View shows a landscape from the Yuriage district of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, after the March 11 disaster. (Provided by Google Inc.)
                          http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112140008
                          ______________________________________________
                          Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                          Santa Claus visits Japan to jolly Tohoku kids

                          NARITA (Kyodo) -- Santa Claus arrived in Japan from Finland on Tuesday to lift the spirits of children in the northeastern region hit by the March earthquake and tsunami.

                          http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/201...et130000c.html

                          Google releases photos of disaster-hit northeastern Japan

                          TOKYO (Kyodo) -- U.S. Internet search engine giant Google Inc. on Tuesday released online photos of northeastern and eastern Japan devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, allowing viewers to compare photos of the region from before and after the disaster.

                          http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/201...et137000c.html

                          Japan's government endorses Tokyo 2020 bid

                          TOKYO (AP) -- The national government of Japan has officially backed Tokyo's bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

                          http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sport...sp124000c.html

                          500 stone monuments for March tsunami to be built along Pacific coast

                          KAMAISHI (Kyodo) -- A stone monument in remembrance of the March 11 tsunami has been unveiled on a beach in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, the first of 500 such monuments planned to be built in the Pacific coastal areas of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.

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

                          Tokyo cram school boss launches classes for students in tsunami-hit Miyagi

                          The manager of a Tokyo cram school has launched classes in his tsunami-hit hometown of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, for students struggling to find places to study for entrance exams in the wake of the disaster.

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

                          Lone pine tree that survived tsunami dies, but grafted twigs from it growing well

                          RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate -- The only pine tree from a forest on a coast here to survive the March 11 tsunami has died, but four new saplings grafted from twigs taken from it are growing well.

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

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                          Jiji press

                          New Toyota Firm to Buy More Parts in Tohoku

                          Sendai, Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)--Toyota Motor East Japan Inc., to be created through a merger of three Toyota Motor Corp. <7203> group firms, intends to increase parts procurement in the Tohoku northeastern Japan region, the company's president-to-be said Wednesday.

                          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011121401023

                          Ratio of Nonregular Workers Rises to 34.4 Pct in Japan

                          Tokyo, Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)--Nonregular workers accounted for 34.4 pct of the total workforce in Japan as of June 1 this year, up 3.5 percentage points from five years ago, a labor ministry survey on part-timers revealed Wednesday.

                          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121400863

                          Company Produces Offsprings of Tsunami-Hit Miraculous Pine Tree

                          Tokyo, Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)--Sumitomo Forestry Co. <1911> said Wednesday that it has successfully produced offsprings of the "miraculous lone pine tree" that survived the March 11 tsunami in the Tohoku northeastern Japan region.

                          http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121500045
                          __________________________________________________ ___
                          JMA

                          02:49 JST 14 Dec 2011 38.3N 142.2E 40 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki


                          jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/2011...91-140249.html

                          Comment


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

                            Tankan shows 1st negative sentiment in 6 months

                            Thursday, December 15, 2011 11:56 +0900 (JST)
                            http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111215_17.html

                            World's biggest breakwater to be rebuilt off Iwate

                            Japan's infrastructure ministry plans to rebuild the world's largest breakwater off Iwate Prefecture with a stronger structure to minimize tsunami damage.

                            Thursday, December 15, 2011 17:25 +0900 (JST)
                            http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111215_24.html

                            Iwate post office begins accepting New Year cards

                            Post offices across Japan have begun accepting New Year greeting cards, which are held for delivery until New Year's Day.

                            Thursday, December 15, 2011 18:53 +0900 (JST)
                            http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111215_28.html
                            ______________________________________________
                            Yomiuri online

                            Bank in classic building to close doors

                            MORIOKA--The Bank of Iwate's Nakanohashi main building, built over 100 years ago and the nation's only remaining active bank designated as an important cultural asset, will close in June, it has been learned.

                            http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111214004591.htm

                            Light shows go on, bring ray of hope

                            They might not be shining for as long as usual, but winter illumination events across the nation are going ahead--albeit with a host of energy-saving techniques in place--to bring a ray of hope and inspiration to people at the end of a year unlike any other.

                            http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111214004663.htm
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                            AJW

                            Disaster-hit children convey messages to the world

                            One child sent words of encouragement to his father overseas. A girl lamented about canceled school activities. And another child told his grandfather, who died in the March 11 tsunami, not to drink too much sake in heaven.

                            http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112150073a
                            http://www.cofesta.jp/2011/kodomo/

                            Iwate calendar a reminder of happier times

                            MORIOKA--A local printer has put out a calendar featuring scenic photos of Iwate Prefecture taken shortly before the March 11 disaster, hoping the images will help local residents rebuild their lives.

                            http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...J201112150058a

                            'Miracle' tsunami tree to live on through seedlings

                            While the inspirational “miracle” pine tree of Rikuzentakata cannot be saved, its legacy will live on due to the efforts of concerned foresters.
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                            Seedlings of the Takata-Matsubara "miracle" pine tree are cultivated by Sumitomo Forestry Co. (Satoru Ogawa)
                            http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112150015
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                            Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                            'Miracle pine' seedlings growing in pods

                            TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Small seedlings of the so-called "miracle pine" tree that survived the March tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, are growing in pods at a forestry company institute and will be planted in the city at a future date.

                            http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm065000c.html

                            Police arrest biker gang members for mass rampage held day after quake

                            NODA, Chiba -- Police have arrested 52 motorcycle gang members for allegedly organizing a mass rampage here only a day after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, police said.

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

                            Tokyo Area New Condo Supply Up 31.0 Pct in Nov.

                            Tokyo, Dec. 15 (Jiji Press)--The number of new condominiums put up for sale in the greater Tokyo area in November rose 31 pct from a year before to 4,820 units, the first increase in two months, the Real Estate Economic Institute said Thursday.

                            http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011121500705

                            Japan to Place Seismometers off Aomori, Boso Urgently

                            Tokyo, Dec. 15 (Jiji Press)--A government panel proposed Thursday to allocate funds to install seismometers and tsunami recorders on the seabed off Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan, and the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, in fiscal 2012, which begins in April.

                            http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121500890
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                            Sankei news

                            reconstruction memorial postbox at Rikuzentakata city, Iwate pref

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                            JMA

                            11:49 JST 15 Dec 2011 38.0N 143.2E 10 km M5.3 Sanriku Oki

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

                              Japanese firms to increase new hires

                              A new wave of jobs for Japanese university and high school graduates is emerging thanks in part to reconstruction from the March earthquake and tsunami.

                              Friday, December 16, 2011 07:41 +0900 (JST)
                              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111216_07.html

                              Govt orders revised tsunami projections

                              Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission has asked power companies to come up with new measures protecting nuclear plants from large tsunami.
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                              Friday, December 16, 2011 18:16 +0900 (JST)
                              http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111216_26.html
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                              Yomiuri online

                              Worker shortage in Tohoku / More jobs than job seekers as people seek long-term positions

                              Areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake are facing a widening gap between the number of job seekers and available positions, even though positions related to reconstruction have been increasing.

                              http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111215004625.htm
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                              AJW

                              Tohoku companies upbeat on local economy, for now

                              For the first time in 20 years, more companies in the quake-hit Tohoku region reported a "strong" local economy than those that said conditions were "weak," according to the Sendai Branch of the Bank of Japan.

                              http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112160008
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                              Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                              Cabinet agrees to revitalize Japan with FY 2012 budget

                              TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda agreed Friday on guidelines for compiling an initial fiscal 2012 budget focusing on "Japan revitalization" following the March earthquake and tsunami and amid an uncertain global economic outlook.

                              http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/natio...dm028000c.html
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                              Jiji press

                              Japan to Limit FY 2012 Bond Issue Amount to 44 T. Yen

                              Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--The cabinet of Prime Minster Yoshihiko Noda adopted at a meeting Friday its basic policy for compiling the fiscal 2012 budget calling for limiting the amount of new government bond issues to around 44 trillion yen.

                              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121600137

                              Noda Cabinet Support Drops to 32 Pct: Jiji Poll

                              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121600524

                              (Update) Noda Cabinet Support Drops to 32 Pct: Jiji Poll

                              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121600483

                              Job-Securing Rate for High School Grads at 58.6 Pct

                              Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--The job-securing rate for Japanese high school students graduating next spring stood at 58.6 pct as of the end of October, up 1.5 percentage points from a year before, an education ministry survey revealed Friday.

                              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121600598

                              Narita Users Seen to Rise during Winter Holidays

                              Narita, Chiba Pref., Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--The number of users of Narita International Airport near Tokyo during the coming year-end and New Year holiday period is expected to grow 1.4 pct from a year before to 1,167,400, the first rise in two years, its operator said Friday.

                              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121600730

                              Chinese Visitors to Japan Up for 1st Time since March Disaster

                              Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--The number of visitors to Japan from mainland China grew 35.0 pct in November from a year before, the first increase since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Friday.

                              http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011121600836
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                              Sankei news

                              memorial service for damaged photographs at Minato ward, Tokyo

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                              JMA

                              14:27 JST 16 Dec 2011 38.5N 142.3E 20 km M4.2 Miyagi-ken Oki

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                              jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/2011...91-161427.html

                              18:46 JST 16 Dec 2011 39.1N 142.2E 50 km M4.0 Iwate-ken Oki

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                              jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/2011...91-161846.html

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

                                Yomiuri online

                                Govt urged to OK ready-made baby formula

                                Mothers and other groups are calling on the central government to permit sales of ready-made baby formula, for its safety as well as its convenience during times of emergency.

                                http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111216004713.htm
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                                AJW

                                Chinese return to Miyagi to honor man who saved their lives

                                DALIAN, China--To honor the memory of the man who is credited with saving their lives during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, four Chinese trainees who worked at a seafood processing plant in Miyagi Prefecture have decided to return to the factory, they said Dec. 16.

                                http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201112170004
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                                Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

                                Northwest U.S. may be seeing 1st debris from Japan tsunami

                                LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) -- Seven black buoys have been found on the northern shores of Washington state in the past two weeks and a local scientist believes they could be the first debris to arrive in the United States from the tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11.

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

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                                Sankei news

                                pine tree
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                                Candle-Night in temporary house, Sendai city


                                temporary shops at Otsuchi town, Iawate pref

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                                JMA

                                12:22 JST 17 Dec 2011 38.7N 142.3E 40 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki

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                                jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/2011...91-171222.html

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