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

makoto · Dec 1, 2011

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

Compilation of 4th extra budget ordered

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has instructed the finance minister to draft a fourth extra budget for fiscal 2011 to finance debt relief measures for survivors of the March 11th disaster and others in need of help.

Thursday, December 01, 2011 17:41 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111201_27.html
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Yomiuri online

Residents, local govts at loggerheads over seawall plans

Residents of tsunami-hit areas along the Sanriku coast in the Tohoku region that boasted scenic views before the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake have raised objections about prefectural governments' plans to construct seawalls in local areas.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111130005954.htm
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AJW

Asahi Shimbun disaster photos win award

A series of Asahi Shimbun photos capturing the horror and despair in the Tohoku disaster areas one month after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake received a top prize in the Tokyo Press Photographers Association Award 2011.

Asahi Shimbun photos titled "Moment to pray--one month after the earthquake" won the project category award in the Tokyo Press Photographers Association Award 2011. (The Asahi Shimbun)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201112010065

Top chefs work to give new life to Tohoku cuisine

OTSUCHI, Iwate Prefecture--Well-known Japanese chefs are donning their aprons for a charity kitchen caravan program to create a little local culinary magic in the disaster-stricken areas in the Tohoku region.

Some of Japan's top chefs serve salmon dishes they prepared in a kitchen car to residents in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture. (Masakazu Higashino)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112010080a
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Tokyo to use cherry blossom for 2020 Olympic bid

TOKYO (AP) -- Tokyo will use Japan's most celebrated flower -- the cherry blossom -- in its bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sports/news/20111201p2g00m0sp130000c.html

Toyota chief vows to keep production in disaster-hit Tohoku, Thailand

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda pledged Wednesday that the automaker will keep manufacturing in Japan's Tohoku region and Thailand even after its operations in both areas were affected significantly by devastating natural disasters this year.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2g00m0bu113000c.html

Gov't targets average economic growth of 3% through FY2020

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government's national strategy council approved Wednesday an outline of the nation's basic strategy for revitalization, featuring the target of realizing an average 3 percent expansion of the economy from fiscal 2011 to 2020.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2g00m0bu115000c.html

Noda calls for discussions with main opposition LDP on sales tax hike

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2g00m0dm016000c.html

Japan, Macedonia agree to boost tourism, study, business exchanges

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his visiting Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski agreed Wednesday to boost their countries' tourism, study and business exchanges, Japanese officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2g00m0dm018000c.html

Astronaut speaks of Japan's disaster recovery seen from space

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa who recently returned from the International Space Station spoke Wednesday night of his observation from space of ongoing reconstruction efforts in the disaster-hit northeastern Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2g00m0dm020000c.html

Quake area expressways become toll-free from Thursday

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Highways in northeastern Japan hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami were made toll-free from Thursday to help the region's recovery.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2g00m0dm021000c.html

Mainichi Newspapers wins 5 distinguished photography awards

Koichiro Tezuka's awarded photograph "3.11 Ootsunami shurai no shunkan." (Mainichi)
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/01/20111201p2a00m0na011000c.html
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Jiji press

Japan Disaster-Linked Bankruptcies Total 470 at End-Nov.

Tokyo, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)--The number of corporate bankruptcies related to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan totaled 470 as of the end of November, up 43 from a month before, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. said Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011120100903

Toyota's U.S. Auto Sales Rise for 1st Time in 7 Months

New York, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)--Toyota Motor Corp. <7203> saw its U.S. automobile sales rise 6.7 pct from a year earlier to 137,960 units in November, the first gain in seven months, industry data showed on Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2011120200125

Noda Orders 4th Extra Budget

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120100500

Japan Not to Give Estimated Height in Initial Tsunami Alert

Tokyo, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Meteorological Agency agreed at a panel meeting Thursday to end the practice of announcing an estimated wave height in an initial tsunami alert in order not to delay evacuation.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120100816

Quake, Tsunami Measuring Equipment to Be Installed in Japan Trench

Tokyo, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)--Submarine equipment to measure earthquakes and tsunami will be installed at 154 sites along the Japan Trench in the northwestern Pacific off the eastern part of Japan by fiscal 2014, it was learned Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120101050
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Sankei news

photography awards

3/11 14:26 in the Diet Building

"Dear Mom, I hope you're alive. How are you?"

Her parents and younger sister were swept away by the tsunami after the earthquake on March 11 and still haven't been found

Mommy has become a star, grandmother tells Manami
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110707005877.htm yomiuri online

makoto · Dec 2, 2011

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

US auto sales up 13.9% in Nov.

....Toyota's sales rose for the first time in 7 months. The automaker sold about 138,000 units, an increase of 6.7 percent. This was mainly due to the introduction of new models after the sales slump in the wake of the March 11 disaster.

Friday, December 02, 2011 11:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111202_16.html
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Yomiuri online

4th extra budget for FY11 to exceed 2 tril. yen

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday instructed Finance Minister Jun Azumi to compile a fourth supplementary budget for fiscal 2011 worth more than 2 trillion yen.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111201006891.htm
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AJW

Omotesando sparkles with hope for recovery in Tohoku

With the Christmas and New Year's holiday season approaching, the nighttime streets of Omotesando are illuminated with the warm glow of hundreds of thousands of holiday light bulbs, this year with a nod to quake-damaged Sendai.

Holiday lights line the streets in the Omotesando district of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. (Minako Yoshimoto)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201112020067
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

New vehicle sales in 2011 to remain below 5 mil. units for 3rd yr

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/02/20111202p2g00m0bu114000c.html

Business spending in Japan down 9.8% in July-Sept. qtr

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Capital spending by Japanese firms fell 9.8 percent in the three months through September from a year earlier for the second straight quarterly decline, affected by the March earthquake and tsunami among other factors, government data showed Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/02/20111202p2g00m0bu115000c.html

Japan to form 4th extra budget, mulling quake relief, TPP

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda instructed Finance Minister Jun Azumi on Thursday to compile a fourth extra budget for fiscal 2011 worth around 2.5 trillion yen ($32.18 billion) to finance relief programs for those suffering from the March earthquake and tsunami, government officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/02/20111202p2g00m0dm021000c.html

Noda vows to map out details of sales tax hike by year-end

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/02/20111202p2g00m0dm029000c.html

Meteorological Agency to announce more detailed information on tsunami

The Meteorological Agency is preparing to promptly announce more detailed information on offshore tsunami it observes as well as its forecasts of such waves if powerful earthquakes occur, officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/02/20111202p2a00m0na006000c.html

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Jiji press

Japan to Sell Reconstruction Bonds for Retail Investors

Tokyo, Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Finance Ministry said Friday it will start selling bonds to retail investors Monday to raise funds for postdisaster reconstruction.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120200471

Japan Travelers in Winter Holidays Seen Up 1.5 Pct

Tokyo, Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)--The number of people in Japan who plan to make overnight or longer trips during the year-end and New Year holiday period is expected to rise 1.5 pct from a year before to 30,084,000, up for the second straight year, leading travel agency JTB Corp. said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120200818

Ozawa Supporters to Launch Campaign against Consumption Tax Hike

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120200811

Japan July-Sept. GDP Seen to Be Revised Down Mildly

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120200985
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Sankei news

kobe-luminarie

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JMA

09:50 JST 02 Dec 2011 38.2N 141.8E 50 km M4.7 Miyagi-ken Oki

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111202095407391-020950.html

16:39 JST 02 Dec 2011 39.1N 142.4E 20 km M4.2 Iwate-ken Oki

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111202164314391-021639.html

makoto · Dec 3, 2011

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

Yomiuri online

Tsunami moved giant rock 470 meters to Iwate field

MIYAKO, Iwate--A giant rock called Tsunami-ishi (tsunami rock) sits in a field in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, illustrating the power of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, which moved the rock 470 meters.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111202005461.htm

Cool for school

Wearing thick jackets and gloves, primary school girls in Shichigahamamachi, Miyagi Prefecture, walk to school in chilly weather Friday morning. Thirty-one out of 368 students at Matsugahama Primary School in the town still live in temporary housing or places other than their homes. Temperatures in eastern Japan dropped to their lowest level so far this winter, with readings of minus 4.5 C in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, minus 2 C in Onagawacho, Miyagi Prefecture, and 4.2 C in Tokyo.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20111203dy01.htm
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AJW

Finance Ministry to issue reconstruction bonds for individual investors

The Finance Ministry will begin issuing reconstruction bonds for individual investors on Dec. 5 that can be purchased over the counter or on websites of banks and securities companies.

Purchasers of the government's reconstruction bonds for individual investors will receive this letter of appreciation by Jun Azumi, the finance minister. (Takashi Fukuyama)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112030047

Bulbs illuminate Sendai street in prayer for recovery

SENDAI--An annual "Pageant of Starlight" event kicked off in this northeastern city on Dec. 2, using about 460,000 light bulbs to illuminate trees along a main street.

Dogs in Santa Claus costumes add to the lively air of the "Pageant of Starlight" illumination event along the Jozenji Street in Sendai's Aoba Ward on Dec. 2. (Toshiyuki Takeya)

Tourists enjoy the fantastic illuminations of the "Pageant of Starlight" event along the Jozenji Street in Sendai's Aoba Ward on Dec. 2. (Masaru Komiyaji)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201112030001

Kobe illumination send 'Lights of Hope' to Tohoku

KOBE--The annual Kobe Luminarie event began Dec. 1 to mourn the thousands of people killed in the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe and surrounding areas, with disaster victims on the other side of Japan not forgotten.

A boy expresses his delight when the lights were lit en masse. (Takuya Isayama)

The theme of this year is 'Lights of Hope.' (Takuya Isayama)

Visitors view a monument. (Takuya Isayama)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201112030001
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

2% economic growth to warrant sales tax hike, DPJ panel chief

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/03/20111203p2g00m0bu014000c.html

Panasonic group regains top lithium battery market share in July-Sept.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/03/20111203p2g00m0bu019000c.html

No. of Japanese who feel friendly to U.S. rise to record high 82%

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of Japanese people who feel friendly toward the United States rose to an all-time high of 82.0 percent in a survey this year conducted by the Japanese government, up 2.1 percentage points from last year, the Cabinet Office said Saturday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/03/20111203p2g00m0dm070000c.html

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Jiji press

Most Tsunami-Hit Areas to Have Revival Plans by Year-End

Tokyo, Dec. 3 (Jiji Press)--About 84 pct of coastal municipalities devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami have already drawn up reconstruction programs or plan to finish compilation of such programs by the end of this year, a Jiji Press survey showed Saturday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120300205

Record 82 Pct of Japanese Feel Close to U.S.

Tokyo, Dec. 3 (Jiji Press)--An annual Cabinet Office survey revealed Saturday that the proportion of Japanese people who feel close to the United States rose 2.1 percentage points from previous year to 82.0 pct, hitting the highest level since the statistics started in 1978.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120300244

makoto · Dec 3, 2011

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

13:16 JST 03 Dec 2011 38.9N 142.0E 50 km M4.3 Miyagi-ken Oki

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111203132034391-031316.html

makoto · Dec 4, 2011

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

Record number of Japanese feel friendly to US

A new survey shows 82 percent of Japanese feel compatible with Americans. The figure is the highest since the first such survey was held in 1978.

Sunday, December 04, 2011 02:10 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111203_19.html

Donald Keene memorial hall to be build in Niigata

A memorial hall dedicated to American author Donald Keene will be established in Kashiwazaki city in Niigata prefecture in 2013.

Sunday, December 04, 2011 02:10 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111203_26.html

Relief supplies given in Kesennuma

The authorities in Kesennuma City, northeastern Japan, have given out winter clothes and other household goods to people affected by the March disaster who are living outside public shelters.

Sunday, December 04, 2011 15:01 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111204_14.html

Tohoku reconstruction bonds to be issued

The Japanese government will begin selling special bonds on Monday to raise funds to rebuild areas hit by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th.

Sunday, December 04, 2011 23:11 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20111204_17.html
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Yomiuri online

'Operation Tomodachi' continues to help

YOKOHAMA--Families of U.S. Navy personnel stationed in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, are continuing to provide humanitarian assistance to survivors of the March 11 disaster even though the U.S. military's Operation Tomodachi officially ended in May.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111203002904.htm

ANALYSIS / Insurance plan may boost Japan's profile

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111203003351.htm
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AJW

Nonprofit group hands out education vouchers to children in disaster-stricken areas

A nonprofit organization based in Hyogo Prefecture is distributing education vouchers worth 250,000 yen ($3,220) each to 150 children whose lives were disrupted by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201112040096c

German couple won't forget kindness as quake survivors

Despite being caught up in the March 11 quake and nearly drowning in the ensuing tsunami, a vacationing elderly German couple hopes to return to Japan someday and repay the kindness shown to them by their rescuers and fellow survivors.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201112040014a
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Man makes key holders from quake rubble to help March 11 victims

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate -- A man here has come up with the unique idea of making key rings from rubble piled up after the devastating March 11 disaster, in an attempt to help the victims and remind people of the tragedy.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/04/20111204p2a00m0na001000c.html
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Jiji press

Tohoku Shinkansen Cerebrates 1st Anniversary of Full Opening

Aomori, Dec. 4 (Jiji Press)--Sunday marked the first anniversary of the full opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train line connecting Tokyo and Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of Japan's Honshu main island.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011120400091
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Sankei news

photo taking in Ostsuchi town, Iwate

makoto · Dec 5, 2011

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111205042332391-050420.html

makoto · Dec 5, 2011

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
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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.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111204003982.htm
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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_japan/fun_spots/AJ201112050006a
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

54% oppose consumption tax hike: Mainichi poll

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/05/20111205p2g00m0dm010000c.html

54 percent of public against consumption tax hike

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/05/20111205p2a00m0na016000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/05/20111205p2a00m0na003000c.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
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Sankei news

US & Japan Tsunami drill in Okinawa

snowfall in Otsuchi town, Iwate pref

makoto · Dec 6, 2011

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
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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.

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
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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.

Cyclamen flowers are in bloom at a plastic greenhouse in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture. (Toshiyuki Takeya)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112060056a
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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/20111206p2g00m0dm121000c.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/business/archive/news/2011/12/06/20111206p2a00m0na017000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/06/20111206p2g00m0dm016000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/06/20111206p2g00m0dm018000c.html

Noda orders detailed tax hike plan before year-end

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/06/20111206p2g00m0dm028000c.html

Number of welfare recipients reaches nearly 2.06 million

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/06/20111206p2g00m0dm138000c.html
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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
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JMA

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111206060903391-060604.html

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111206103124391-061026.html

makoto · Dec 7, 2011

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.

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.

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.

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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112070068a
___________________________________________
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/20111207p2g00m0et155000c.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/sports/archive/news/2011/12/07/20111207p2g00m0sp159000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/07/20111207p2g00m0dm115000c.html

Spotlight on battledores featuring those who took center stage in 2011

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/07/20111207p2a00m0na009000c.html

___________________________________________
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

Emily · Dec 8, 2011

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

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45583975/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.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/dec/HQ_11-405_AGU_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...

makoto · Dec 8, 2011

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.

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_japan/culture/AJ201112080067a

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.

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/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/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/national/archive/news/2011/12/08/20111208p2g00m0dm008000c.html

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

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/08/20111208p2g00m0dm019000c.html
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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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111208043141391-080427.html

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111208233641391-082332.html

makoto · Dec 9, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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
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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.

snowfall in temporary house area

______________________________________________________________
JMA

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111209003811391-090034.html

makoto · Dec 10, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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% 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/business/archive/news/2011/12/10/20111209p2g00m0bu231000c.html

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

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/10/20111209p2g00m0bu232000c.html

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

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/10/20111209p2g00m0dm172000c.html

Gov't decides on tax change proposals for FY 2012

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2011/12/10/20111209p2g00m0dm173000c.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/20111209p2g00m0fp247000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/10/20111209p2a00m0na029000c.html
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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
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Sankei news

Okawa school

____________________________________________
JMA

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/20111210030508391-100301.html

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/20111210151203391-101508.html

makoto · Dec 11, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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.

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.

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)

The first wave of the tsunami hit breakwaters in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11. (Iwate prefectural police)

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/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201112110054a

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/national/archive/news/2011/12/11/20111211p2g00m0dm008000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/11/20111211p2g00m0dm009000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/11/20111211p2a00m0na002000c.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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111211161252391-111606.html

makoto · Dec 12, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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.

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%

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.

A new memorial flame is lit in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. (Satoru Ogawa)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201112120010
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan extends tax breaks on low-polluting vehicles

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2011/12/12/20111212p2g00m0bu098000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/12/20111212p2g00m0dm017000c.html

__________________________________________
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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111212113807391-121134.html

makoto · Dec 13, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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.

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.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111212003900.htm
_____________________________________________
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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112130031n

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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112130060n

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.

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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112130087n
______________________________________________
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/national/archive/news/2011/12/13/20111213p2a00m0na005000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/13/20111213p2a00m0na010000c.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
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Sankei news

Santa Claus Arrives in Japan

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JMA

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111213100126391-130957.html

makoto · Dec 14, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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
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Yomiuri online

Support for Noda Cabinet falls to 42%, 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
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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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112140078a

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.

The lone surviving pine tree in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, is now dying. (Atsushi Yamanishi)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112140102a

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.

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.)

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/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201112140008
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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/20111214p2g00m0et130000c.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/20111214p2g00m0et137000c.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/sports/archive/news/2011/12/14/20111214p2g00m0sp124000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/14/20111214p2g00m0dm016000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/14/20111214p2a00m0na002000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/14/20111214p2a00m0na008000c.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
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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/2/20111214025325391-140249.html

makoto · Dec 15, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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
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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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112150073a
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/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201112150058a

'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.

Seedlings of the Takata-Matsubara "miracle" pine tree are cultivated by Sumitomo Forestry Co. (Satoru Ogawa)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/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/national/archive/news/2011/12/15/20111215p2g00m0dm065000c.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/national/archive/news/2011/12/15/20111215p2a00m0na003000c.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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111215115445391-151149.html

makoto · Dec 16, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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.

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/0311disaster/recovery/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/national/archive/news/2011/12/16/20111216p2g00m0dm028000c.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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111216143230391-161427.html

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111216185037391-161846.html

makoto · Dec 17, 2011

Re: Japan - Major Earthquake Magnitude 9.0 on Mar 11, Many thousands dead & 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/0311disaster/life_and_death/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/national/archive/news/2011/12/17/20111217p2g00m0dm005000c.html

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Sankei news

pine tree
<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/w8ZadIUMsL0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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

jma http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20111217122606391-171222.html

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

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