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

[makoto]

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

Yomiuri online

Ministry survey finds key sewage lines not quake resistant

Less than 30 percent of the major sewage lines in 44 prefectures throughout the nation that connect evacuation centers to sewage facilities are earthquake resistant, a ministry survey has found.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120215006040.htm

Sendai wants special zone for farming

SENDAI--The Sendai municipal government Wednesday filed an application with the Reconstruction Agency for the creation of a special reconstruction zone to promote farming and agriculture.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120215005683.htm
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AJW

PHOTO/ Gunma's hanging dolls recognized by Guinness World Records

SHINTO, Gunma Prefecture--A display of 7,045 handmade dolls in a shop here has been certified by the Guinness World Records as the world?s largest.

A visitor checks out a doll at the Chikyuya store in Shinto village, Gunma Prefecture. (Azusa Ushio)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202160023
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Disaster-hit Ishinomaki manga museum launches display in local shops

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- How could a manga museum that was heavily damaged in the March 2011 tsunami help restore liveliness to this city while awaiting reconstruction? By transforming the city's shops into a showcase for manga art, officials say.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/02/20120216p2a00m0na014000c.html

Video relay service helping hard of hearing in disaster-hit areas

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A Sendai-based company is offering a remote video relay service free of charge for people with hearing problems in areas hit by last year's massive earthquake and tsunami, employing the expertise it has developed in a business venture largely unknown in Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/02/20120216p2g00m0fe069000c.html

Kirin Brewery's quake-hit Sendai plant resumes production of all items

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Kirin Brewery Co. said Wednesday it has resumed bottled beer production at its plant in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, which was severely damaged by last March's earthquake and tsunami, meaning all items are now back in production at the plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0bu099000c.html

Yamaha Motors posts 47% rise in group net profit in 2011

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Yamaha Motor Co. said Wednesday its group net profit climbed 47.3 percent in the year ended December from the year before to 26.96 billion yen due to sales increase, cost reduction efforts and a reversal of accrual for product liabilities.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0bu101000c.html

Japan crown prince hopes for strengthening anti-disaster measures

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito expressed hope Thursday for taking lessons from the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami to strengthen anti-disaster measures in Japan and the rest of the world.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm151000c.html
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JMA

14:09 JST 16 Feb 2012 38.5N 142.1E 40 km M4.4 Miyagi-ken Oki



http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120216141332384-161409.html

 

[makoto]

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

2011 household spending lowest in decade

Japan's household spending slumped to a record low last year, due largely to the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

Friday, February 17, 2012 17:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120217_35.html

March tsunami traveled at 25km/h in Sendai

Japanese scientists say the tsunami triggered by the March 11th earthquake last year was traveling as fast as an elite-level marathon runner when it hit the Sendai Plain in northeastern Japan.

Friday, February 17, 2012 19:24 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120217_38.html

Taiwan businesses welcome young quake survivors

A group of young Japanese survivors of last year's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan is visiting Taiwan at the invitation of a local business group.

Friday, February 17, 2012 20:04 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120217_39.html

March 2011 disaster digital archives in the making

Almost a year on from the catastrophic earthquake that hit northeastern Japan, a wide range of organizations is building digital archives to preserve memories of the events of March 11th for future generations.

Friday, February 17, 2012 21:09 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120217_40.html
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo,AP)

Japan-China trade hits record high in 2011

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan-China trade in 2011 expanded 14.3 percent from the previous year to a record high $344.91 billion, reflecting a rise in imports from China of smartphones, food, auto parts and other products, the Japan External Trade Organization said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0bu129000c.html

New condo supply in Tokyo area surges 32.6% in Jan.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of new condominiums put on sale in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures in January surged 32.6 percent from a year earlier to 1,819 units, marking the third straight month of increase, a research agency said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0bu132000c.html

Rebuilding in quake areas estimated to create 7.3 tril. yen effects

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Reconstruction work after the earthquake and tsunami disaster of last March 11 is expected to generate economic effects totaling 7.3 trillion yen in fiscal 2011 and 2012, the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0bu146000c.html

Japan economy 'picking up,' gov't retains monthly assessment

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government on Thursday maintained its basic assessment that the Japanese economy is "picking up," while upgrading its evaluations of private consumption and public spending.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0bu147000c.html

U.S. children make drawings to cheer Japanese kids in quake-hit areas

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- Nineteen fifth-grade students from a public elementary school gathered Thursday to create works of art for elementary school students in the earthquake-hit areas of Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0dm003000c.html

Kyoto encourages residents to make emergency exits out of dead-end streets

KYOTO -- As part of measures to better prepare Japan's ancient capital for a potential disaster while preserving the cityscape, the municipal government here will encourage residents to put emergency escape openings in fences on dead-end roads, officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2a00m0na005000c.html
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Jiji com

Japan High School Student Job-Securing Rate Improves

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--The job-securing rate for Japanese high school students graduating this spring stood at 80.4 pct as of the end of December, up 2.5 percentage points from a year before, the education ministry said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021700763

Japan Household Spending Falls 1.7 Pct in 2011

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japan's monthly household spending dropped 1.7 pct in 2011 from the previous year in price-adjusted terms due primarily to the March disaster, government data showed Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021700968
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Sankei news

557 still missing in Ishinomaki city

 

[makoto]

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

AJW

AKB48 draws a crowd at Beijing goodwill concert

BEIJING--Six members of pop idol group AKB48 performed in Beijing on Feb. 17, part of the "Vibrant Japan" campaign to mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/china/AJ201202180037
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

AKB48 members take stage in Beijing to thank China for quake support

BEIJING (Kyodo) -- Six members of Japanese all-girl pop group AKB48 took the stage in Beijing on Friday in a mini concert, expressing gratitude for support provided by Chinese people following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/02/20120218p2g00m0sp047000c.html

Household spending down 1.7% in 2011, lowest since 2000

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's average monthly household spending in 2011 fell 1.7 percent in real terms to 247,219 yen, the lowest since 2000 when comparable data became available, the government said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2g00m0bu038000c.html

Number of foreign visitors to Japan down in Jan. for 11th month

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of foreign visitors to Japan in January fell 4.1 percent from a year earlier to 685,000, declining for the 11th straight month since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, an estimate by the Japan National Tourism Organization showed Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2g00m0dm007000c.html


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JMA

16:07 JST 18 Feb 2012 38.7N 141.7E 60 km M4.2 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120218161155391-181607.html

 

[makoto]

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

Tsunami debris to drift back from US West Coast

A US research institute says some of the debris created by a massive tsunami that hit Japan last March will likely wash ashore on Hawaii after drifting close to the US West Coast.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 14:55 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120219_14.html
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Yomiuri online

Iwate salmon haul at record low in 2011

Iwate Prefecture's salmon catch, normally Honshu's largest, fell sharply in fiscal 2011, and is almost sure to be the worst ever since salmon farming began in 1984, due mainly to damage to fixed salmon nets by the tsunami March last year, according to sources.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120218003489.htm
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo,AP)

Man seeks posthumous name for unborn daughter killed in tsunami

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate -- A man who lost his pregnant wife to the tsunami in March last year is considering acquiring a posthumous name for his unborn daughter.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/19/20120219p2a00m0na004000c.html
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JMA

06:44 JST 19 Feb 2012 38.0N 141.9E 50 km M4.4 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120219064912391-190644.html

 

[makoto]

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

Yomiuri online

Machine tools sent to disaster-hit factories / Business owners thrilled at donations from around the country; many were on brink of closing

Factory operators in areas struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake have been thrilled to receive hundreds of machine tools that had been sitting idle at small factories across the country.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120219003256.htm

Disaster victims wish Emperor well

March 11 victims who were visited by the Emperor after the disaster have spoken of their relief at hearing that his heart operation Saturday went smoothly and urged him not to strain himself during his recovery.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120219003289.htm
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AJW

INTERVIEW/ Ken Watanabe: If Hayabusa probe can do the impossible, so can Japan

Critically acclaimed actor Ken Watanabe is a man of his word, not forgetting the evacuees he visited in the Tohoku region following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Actor Ken Watanabe (Yoshiyuki Suzuki)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/movies/AJ201202200030

Nephew of Hiroshima A-bomb girl sings for disaster victims

At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, a bronze statue of a girl who holds a large paper crane up to the sky is one of the poignant symbols, along with the nearby A-Bomb Dome.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202200001
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Sankei news

panorama photo

Tsuriishi Shrine
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0220ishinomaki/

Search for Okawa school children missing in tsunami

 

[makoto]

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

Chinese delegation to visit disaster-hit Tohoku

A Chinese business delegation is to visit northeastern Japan to buy local products to help the region recover from last year's disaster.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 13:08 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_16.html

Special coins to commemorate disaster

Japan's government plans to issue commemorative coins to individual investors who buy a certain amount of bonds to help recovery from last year's March 11th disaster.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 13:56 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_18.html
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AJW

Father who survived tsunami wants to take 'step forward'

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--"I want to cry, it’s just that I don't know how best to cry. Tears just don't come naturally to me."

Yukihisa Ojima strolls on a vacant lot in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, where his house once stood. (Naoko Kawamura)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202210052
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Tourism agency chief wants Japanese to become more traveler friendly

Hiroshi Mizohata, commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA), called on the Japanese people on Feb. 21 to be more receptive to foreign tourists and revitalize the domestic economy along the way in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear crisis.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/travel/archive/news/2012/20120221p2a00m0na013000c.html

China ready to promote cooperation with disaster-hit Japanese firms

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A senior Chinese trade official on Tuesday expressed hope of strengthening cooperation with Japanese companies hit hard by the powerful earthquake last March, as the two countries commemorate this year the 40th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0bu107000c.html

Ratio of nonregular workers to labor force at record 35.2% in 2011

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The percentage of nonregular workers to the labor force in 2011 hit a record high at an average 35.2 percent in Japan excluding three prefectures severely affected by the March earthquake and tsunami, up 0.8 point from 2010, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said Monday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0bu110000c.html

Jan. department store sales down 1.1% on year

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Department store sales in Japan fell 1.1 percent in January from a year earlier on a same-store basis for the first decline in two months, due to heavy snowfall as well as cold weather conditions that dampened private consumption especially from the middle of the reporting month, an industry body said Monday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0bu114000c.html

Paper imports hit record high in 2011 on decline in domestic production

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Paper imports increased 24.4 percent in 2011 from the previous year to a record 1.74 million tons, amid a decline in domestic production following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in damage to some domestic plants, the Japan Paper Association said Monday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0bu116000c.html

Japan to issue commemorative coins in support of reconstruction efforts

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will issue 1,000-yen and 10,000-yen commemorative coins in fiscal 2015 to investors holding bonds being sold next month to support efforts to rebuild areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the government said Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm076000c.html

Greater jolts may hit capital in future Tokyo Bay quake: gov't study

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A future earthquake in the northern part of Tokyo Bay could register the maximum 7 on the Japanese intensity scale in the capital, stronger than the previously assumed upper 6, a recent study by an education ministry project team showed Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm158000c.html
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Jiji press

Japan to Launch Campaign of Gratitude for Foreign Tourists

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Tourism Agency said Tuesday it will launch a campaign to express the nation's gratitude for foreign tourists who visit Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami last March.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022100788

Japan to Reward Buyers of Reconstruction Bonds with Memorial Coins

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government decided on Tuesday to cast coins in fiscal 2015 that will be given to individuals who buy bonds issued to raise funds for reconstruction from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022101122

Japan to Create 3-D Tsunami Software with Fastest Supercomputer

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Fujitsu Ltd. <6702> and Tohoku University said Tuesday that they will jointly develop software that will forecast detailed tsunami damage through three-dimensional images.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022101137
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Sankei news

Memorial Coins

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JMA

04:16 JST 21 Feb 2012 38.8N 142.4E 40 km M4.1 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120221042132391-210416.html

 

[makoto]

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

S.Korea to open tourism office in quake-hit Sendai

South Korea will open an office in northeastern Japan to help revive tourism in the region after last year's earthquake and tsunami.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 06:06 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_05.html

Int'l conference on natural disasters planned

Japan will host a ministerial level meeting on natural disasters in July to share lessons from the great earthquake and tsunami last year.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 06:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_07.html
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Yomiuri online

Study: Tokyo quake could register 7

A major earthquake a government panel presumes could occur centered under northern Tokyo Bay could register 7--the strongest on the Japanese seismic intensity scale--in central Tokyo, a ministry study has found.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120221005585.htm
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AJW

Tokyo could be hit with stronger earthquake than thought

Studies by a project team of the science and technology ministry indicate that the Tokyo area could be hit by an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale, instead of an upper 6 as previously believed, sources said.

Firefighters transfer a woman, playing the role of an injured person, during an earthquake drill in Tachikawa, Tokyo, on Jan. 22, 2011. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201202220001

Tohoku fishing industry determined to defeat tsunami

After Kaneo Miura built a new fishing vessel, he proudly displayed colorful "tairyo-bata"--the flags indicating a successful haul from the sea--on the boat near a fish market in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202220054
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Dragon-shaped snow sculpture designed to encourage disaster-hit regions wins contest

YOKOTE, Akita -- A dragon-shaped snow sculpture carved by members of a high school baseball team for their counterparts in nuclear disaster-hit regions has won the grand prize in a contest here.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/02/20120222p2a00m0na003000c.html

Fujitsu, Tohoku Univ. launch research on tsunami simulation system

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Fujitsu Ltd. and Tohoku University said Tuesday they have launched joint research to develop a three-dimensional tsunami simulation system by utilizing the world's fastest "K" supercomputer.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0fp013000c.html
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Jiji press

Japan to Give Overseas Aid Linked to Disaster Area Products

Tokyo, Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--Japan will provide aid to developing countries as funds to procure industrial products made in areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022200182

Budget Proposals Surge in 3 Most Disaster-Affected Japan Prefs

Tokyo, Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--Budget proposals for fiscal 2012 starting in April of three northeastern Japan prefectures hardest hit by last year's disaster surged to record levels above one trillion yen, according to data compiled by Jiji Press Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022200733

Foreign Residents Decrease 14.3 Pct in 3 Disaster-Hit Prefs

Tokyo, Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--The number of registered foreign residents at the end of 2011 in the three northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, hardest hit by the March disaster, plunged 14.3 pct from a year before to 28,828, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022201016
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Sankei news

altitude sign in Himeji city, Hyogo pref

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JMA

07:43 JST 22 Feb 2012 37.8N 142.6E 10 km M4.3 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120222074710391-220743.html

10:55 JST 22 Feb 2012 39.1N 142.5E 30 km M4.2 Iwate-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120222110011391-221055.html

17:28 JST 22 Feb 2012 40.1N 142.2E 60 km M4.0 Iwate-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120222173215391-221728.html

 

[makoto]

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

Transport ministry to develop tsunami lifeboat

Japan's transport ministry will develop lifeboats that allow evacuees to live at sea for several days after a tsunami.

Thursday, February 23, 2012 09:56 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_12.html

Foreign registrants in Japan down for third year

The number of foreigners registered in Japan has dropped for the third straight year.

Thursday, February 23, 2012 09:56 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_13.html

NHK wins British TV journalism award

NHK has won a journalism award from Britain's leading television forum for its coverage of last year's earthquake and tsunami.

Thursday, February 23, 2012 12:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_17.html
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Yomiuri online

Miyagi base eyed for volunteers

Private universities in the Tokyo area plan to jointly set up a base for student volunteers in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, to help restoration work in areas hit hard by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120222005778.htm
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AJW

Hope fades for lone pine tree survivor of tsunami
*REUTERS

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture -- Very little was left standing in the city of Rikuzentakata after a huge tsunami tore through nearly a year ago. Even the centuries-old pine forest by the sea that had long been a symbol of the city was obliterated.

The lone surviving pine tree in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, is now dying. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202230026

Only half of Tohoku rebuilding budget used

Only about half of the budgeted 6.7 trillion yen ($83.7 billion) has been used to rebuild areas devastated by last year’s disasters, as labor shortages, unfinished paperwork and persistent confusion have bogged down the process.

No work has been done to repair Arahama Junior High School in Watari, Miyagi Prefecture. (Masaru Komiyaji)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202230039

Photos capture disaster area from children’s angles

Yumi Goto wanted children in areas hit hard by the March 11 disaster to record the devastation and reconstruction from their own perspectives, because they are the future.

Rui Ogawa’s photo of railway tracks of JR Yamada Line

Reina Tamada’s photo of satchels damaged by the tsunami
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202230001
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

1 mil. tofu packs made from Paraguay soy beans sent to disaster victims

RIO DE JANEIRO (Kyodo) -- A total of 1 million packets of tofu made from Paraguayan soy beans have been delivered to those affected by the March disaster in Japan, people involved in the project said Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2g00m0dm022000c.html

At least 4.37 million chickens died from lack of feed after quake shut ports

After the Great East Japan Earthquake damaged and closed ports, at least 4.37 million chickens being raised in Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures died, leading to a shortage of eggs in eastern Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2a00m0na011000c.html
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Jiji press

Japan Ad Spending Down for 4th Straight Year in 2011

Tokyo, Feb. 23 (Jiji Press)--Ad spending in Japan in 2011 fell 2.3 pct from the previous year to 5,709.6 billion yen, down for the fourth straight year, Dentsu Inc. <4324> said Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022300886

Condo Supply in Disaster-Hit Tohoku Drops 33.1 Pct in 2011

Tokyo, Feb. 23 (Jiji Press)--The number of new condominiums put up for sale in 2011 sank 33.1 pct from the previous year to 967 units in the Tohoku northeastern Japan region hit by the March earthquake and tsunami, a private think tank said Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022300837
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Sankei news

panorama photo

pine tree like a dragon in Kesennuma city, Miyagi pref
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0223matsu/

tsunami lifeboat

 

[makoto]

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

Shanghai event marks Japan-China ties

....On display at the venue are photos showing how much Japan's northeast has recovered from last year's earthquake and tsunami as well as panels promoting various tourist spots.

Friday, February 24, 2012 06:26 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_02.html

A moment of silence on March 11th

The government will call on the people of Japan to observe a moment of silence on March 11th, the anniversary of last year's massive earthquake and tsunami.

Friday, February 24, 2012 13:24 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_19.html

Domestic output of Japan's carmakers up 19%

Japan's major carmakers are catching up on lost production caused by local and overseas disasters. January figures show a rise in domestic output by nearly 19 percent from a year earlier.

Friday, February 24, 2012 17:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_31.html

Guitars made from tsunami-felled tree

Guitars made of wood from a pine tree felled by the tsunami last March will feature in a musical depicting people striving to rebuild from the disaster.

Friday, February 24, 2012 20:00 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_35.html
______________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Foreign residents decrease by 55,000

The Justice Ministry has reported that the preliminary number of registered foreign residents in Japan was 2,078,480 as of the end of 2011, down 55,671 from the previous year.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120223006804.htm

Teams to fight delinquency / Ministry to send former teachers, police to disaster-hit areas

The education ministry plans to dispatch about 50 former teachers and former police officers to three prefectures devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake to help prevent an increase of juvenile delinquency there.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120223004375.htm
___________________________________________________________
AJW

REMEMBERING 3/11: Oscar-nominated documentary finds hope amid devastation of March 11

Japan?s cherry blossoms were never more poignant than last spring, when stunning canopies of pink and white spread across the Tohoku coast just weeks after the March 11 tsunami had claimed thousands of lives.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lcgRr5WzMfI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
British documentary maker Lucy Walker (Provided by Lucy Walker)

Cherry blossoms bloom against a backdrop of destruction (Provided by Lucy Walker)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202240057
___________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Bereaved boy questions meaning of life after March 11 disasters

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Yuji Hamada, 15, was born on March 11. His birthday was always a day of celebration, on which he typically shared a cake with his family. But after the major earthquake and tsunami last year, he now wonders if he should be happy or not. "It's a day that appears to be both happy and bad, perhaps," he said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/02/20120224p2g00m0fe081000c.html

Japan's condo supply rises 2.2.% in 2011

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The supply of condominiums in Japan in 2011 rose 2.2 percent from the previous year to 86,582 units, posting gains for two years in a row, a private research agency said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0bu134000c.html

Advertising spending falls 2.3% in 2011, down for 4th year

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Total advertising spending in Japan declined 2.3 percent in 2011 from the year before to 5.71 trillion yen, marking the fourth straight year of decline, Dentsu Inc. said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0bu135000c.html

Panel calls for steps in Tokyo Bay against biggest tsunami in 1,000 yrs

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- A land ministry panel agreed Thursday on basic policies calling for infrastructure measures in the Tokyo area to address a huge tsunami expected every 1,000 years or so, in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan last March, panel officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm013000c.html

Last evacuation facility in 3 disaster-hit prefectures closes

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm021000c.html
_____________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Fair Opens in Shanghai

Shanghai, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--A fair organized to express Japan's gratitude for Chinese support in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year opened in Shanghai on Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400864
______________________________________________________________
JMA

04:28 JST 24 Feb 2012 39.0N 142.3E 60 km M4.7 Iwate-ken Oki



http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120224043118391-240428.html

 

[makoto]

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

Director reflects on 3/11 disaster documentary

The British director of a documentary film depicting the aftermath of last year's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan says she wants people around the world to learn about the realities of disaster survivors.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 22:11 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120225_18.html
______________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Docomo to launch disaster voice message service

NTT Docomo Inc. has announced it will begin offering a disaster voice message service from March 1, a service that will allow voice messages to be sent via its mobile phones' Internet network in the event of a disaster.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120224005493.htm
___________________________________________________________
AJW

Rice from salt-damaged paddies made into 'sake of rebuilding'

They said the salt left by the March 11 tsunami had left his paddies barren, but Kazuyoshi Otomo, a 67-year-old farmer in Sendai's Wakabayashi Ward, refused to believe them.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202250001

Indonesia's answer to AKB48 sings at quake memorial event

JAKARTA--Members of JKT48, Indonesia's answer to the all-girl idol group AKB48, performed two of the Japanese ensemble's songs at an event held here Feb. 24.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202250024

Masterpiece to be loaned to Sendai museum

The "Red and White Plum Blossoms" folding screen, a masterpiece by the renowned artist Ogata Korin (1658-1716), will shortly be displayed in the quake-hit Tohoku region for a limited run.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202250045
_____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japanese automakers expand domestic output by 18.8% in Jan.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The combined domestic vehicle production of Japan's eight major automakers in January increased 18.8 percent from a year earlier to 798,968 units for the fourth straight month of rise, as the revival of subsidies for the purchase of eco-friendly cars stimulated domestic demand, according to their data released Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0bu037000c.html

Noda asks public to offer silent prayers for March 11 victims

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Friday called on the public to offer silent prayers at 2:46 p.m. on March 11 for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan at that time last year.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0dm001000c.html

Disaster victim with cancer not given qualification for care until three days after death

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- At a temporary housing unit here on Feb. 10, a baby boy turned his head and looked around the room. "He looks just like his grandfather," said the baby's grandmother, 57-year-old Nobuko Kimura. In the corner of the room over a shelf was a portrait of the child's grandfather, Fumiyuki, who passed away at the age of 61 after a battle with lung cancer.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2a00m0na008000c.html
______________________________________________________________
JMA

00:59 JST 25 Feb 2012 38.3N 142.4E 20 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120225010432391-250059.html

 

[makoto]

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

Volunteers trim cherry trees in quake-hit city

Volunteers have trimmed cherry trees in the northeastern city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. The city was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami last March.

Sunday, February 26, 2012 15:02 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_14.html
___________________________________________________________
Sankei news

broken beakwater in Kamaishi port, Iwate pref

 

[makoto]

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

Town to build evacuation platforms for tsunami

A town in central Japan says it will build evacuation platforms over municipal roads to protect residents from tsunami after a major earthquake.

Monday, February 27, 2012 11:47 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120227_12.html
_______________________________________________________
AJW

Agency plans to forecast ground motions that shake high-rises

The Meteorological Agency plans to forecast long-period earthquake ground motions, which maintain much of their momentum and can violently shake high-rises far from the temblor’s epicenter.

High-rise buildings in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku district (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201202270001

14 jets issued emergency landing declarations after March 11 quake

The Great East Japan Earthquake created chaos in the skies, forcing 86 passenger jets to find new destinations and 14 to issue emergency landing declarations, transport ministry officials said.

Chubu Airport had the most diverted landings on March 11, 2011, as five of the 14 passenger jets that issued emergency declarations ended up landing there. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201202270038
______________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Many hospitals in quake-hit areas ill-equipped to meet patients' needs

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Seventeen of 45 major hospitals in coastal areas of the three prefectures hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami are still being forced to curtail the range of their services compared with predisaster levels because they remain understaffed, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2g00m0dm034000c.html

Massive force applies to Kamaishi breakwater in March disaster

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The tsunami of March 11, 2011, hit the breakwater at the bay entrance of Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, with two-and-a-half times the force of one caused by a massive earthquake in 1896, a study by a government-affiliated research institution showed Monday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2g00m0dm036000c.html

FM radio station in tsunami-hit Miyagi town faces possible closure

ONAGAWA, Miyagi -- Onagawa Saigai FM, a radio station established as a vital source of information after the huge tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake devastated this town, is in danger of shutting down.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na004000c.html

Father of city employee lost to tsunami still wants answers from mayor

MINAMISANRIKU, Miyagi -- The father of an employee of this city who disappeared in the March 11 tsunami held a funeral for his son on Feb. 26, while continuing to doubt whether the mayor made the right choices when the city was struck by the disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na006000c.html
_____________________________________________________________
Sankei news

police box car at Kamaishi city, Iwate pref

Unosumai school reopens in Kamaishi city, Iwate pref

______________________________________________________________
JMA

20:32 JST 27 Feb 2012 39.9N 142.1E 50 km M4.0 Iwate-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120227203620391-272032.html

 

[makoto]

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

AJW

Tsunami-hit school to leave testimonies of pupils’ survival

An elementary school engulfed by the tsunami from the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake is recording the memories of pupils whose lives were narrowly saved by the decision of their principal and others to get them to higher ground.

Togura Elementary School is swallowed up by the tsunami on March 11. (Provided by Ichiro Abe)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202280005

REMEMBERING 3/11: Images of the lost loom large in survivors' lives

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--Fujio Sato lost his wife, grandson and granddaughter in the Great East Japan Earthquake, but sleeps with their photographs every night.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202280038
____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Disaster-hit kids' photos express affection for hometowns

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A book has been published featuring photographs taken by children in areas hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, expressive of their feelings for their families, lost homes, schools and separated friends.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/02/20120228p2g00m0et090000c.html

Adult quake victims volunteer for younger peers

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Mayumi Baba, 36, took part as a volunteer in a meeting for children who lost parents in the March 11 disasters at an auditorium in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture in September.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/02/20120228p2g00m0fe092000c.html

Gov't quake panel cut tsunami warning in report prior to March 11

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The science ministry's earthquake research panel omitted a warning that massive tsunami could hit northeastern Japan "at any moment" from a report prior to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, having earlier planned to include it, a ministry document showed Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm005000c.html

Village residents grateful to ex-mayor for huge breakwater that prevented tsunami damage

FUDAI, Iwate -- A village here was spared tsunami damage in last year's Great East Japan Earthquake thanks to a high-rise breakwater introduced by a former mayor, local residents believe.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2a00m0na006000c.html
__________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Uniqlo to Invest 300 M. Yen to Support Quake-Hit Areas

Tokyo, Feb. 28 (Jiji Press)--Casual wear chain store Uniqlo Co. said Tuesday it will invest a total of 300 million yen in five nongovernmental organizations that help victims of last year's disaster rebuild their lives.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022800677

Job Mobility in Japan Hits Record Low in 1st Half of 2011

Tokyo, Feb. 28 (Jiji Press)--The total number of people who found and lost jobs in Japan fell by 240,000 from a year earlier to 7.25 million in January-June 2011, hitting the lowest level since 2004 when comparable data became available, a labor ministry survey showed Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022801005
_____________________________________________________________
JMA

01:30 JST 28 Feb 2012 38.5N 141.8E 50 km M4.5 Miyagi-ken Oki



http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120228013400384-280130.html

23:14 JST 28 Feb 2012 38.3N 142.0E 60 km M4.1 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120228231906391-282314.html

 

[makoto]

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

Yomiuri online

REVITALIZING JAPAN -- Creative use of land / Akita shares key to success with N. European city

Many areas struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake have felt the impact of the graying society, decline in birthrate and drop in population significantly longer than the rest of the country.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120228005147.htm
________________________________________________________
AJW

Commemorative coins pay tribute to tales of endurance

The Finance Ministry is offering commemorative coins bearing iconic images of endurance from the Great East Japan Earthquake to encourage holders of government bonds to hang on to their investments for the long haul.

The lone pine tree in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, left, the No. 58 Daishin Maru, center, and a map of east Japan were chosen as motifs for a set of commemorative coins to be awarded to holders of government reconstruction bonds. (Provided by the Finance Ministry)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202290052

Fast Retailing to invest in reconstruction efforts

Fast Retailing Co., operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing chain, said it will invest 300 million yen ($3.7 million) in economic recovery efforts in disaster-stricken areas of Japan.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202290034

Photo exhibitions offer glimpses of March 11 disaster

If a picture paints a thousand words, the powerful images in three photo exhibitions of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake at various venues must be worth more than a million words.

A crying Eriko Kumagai sings the school song at the graduation ceremony on March 28, 2011, at Shizugawa Elementary School in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture. (The Asahi Shimbun/Shogo Koshida)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202290003
__________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Uniqlo to help civic groups in quake-hit regions

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing store chain said Tuesday it will give financial help to five nongovernmental organizations support rebuilding of regions devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2g00m0bu138000c.html

Industrial output up 2.0% in Jan. on strong demand for cars, cameras

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 2.0 percent in January from the previous month for the second straight monthly rise, buoyed by strong demand for automobiles and cameras, the government said Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2g00m0bu150000c.html

Japan's vehicle output up 18.6% in Jan.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's vehicle output in January rose 18.6 percent from a year earlier to 837,197 units, up for the fourth straight month, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2g00m0bu162000c.html

Tsunami may override outer breakwater in big quake at major ports: gov't

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tsunami waves may override the outermost breakwaters at eight or more of the 19 major ports on the Pacific from eastern to southwestern Japan if a worst-case tsunami is created by a large earthquake, the transport ministry's simulation results showed Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2g00m0dm037000c.html

Japan tsunami debris spreading across Pacific

HONOLULU (AP) -- Lumber, boats and other debris ripped from Japanese coastal towns by tsunamis last year have spread across some 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) of the northern Pacific, where they could wash ashore on the U.S. west coast as early as a year from now.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2g00m0dm052000c.html

Koga resigns as head of war-bereaved group over quake deaths

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Makoto Koga stepped down Tuesday as chairman of the Japan War-Bereaved Association after heading it for a decade, to take responsibility over two quake-related deaths last year at a Tokyo facility run by the group, association sources said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2g00m0dm104000c.html

Track-and-field members from Sendai school will not get exemption to compete

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/29/20120229p2a00m0na007000c.html
_______________________________________________________
Jiji press

Tsunami Likely to Sweep over Breakwaters at 8 Japanese Ports

Tokyo, Feb. 29 (Jiji Press)--Breakwaters at eight ports in Japan are likely to be overwhelmed if they are hit by the highest likely tsunami after a giant earthquake, simulation data released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism showed Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022900753
______________________________________________________
JMA

20:31 JST 29 Feb 2012 39.6N 143.6E 10 km M5.1 Sanriku Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120229203623391-292031.html

 

[makoto]

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

Gergiev conducts for 3/11 victims in Tokyo

A special concert dedicated to the victims of the March 11th quake and tsunami disaster was held in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Thursday, March 01, 2012 08:59 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120301_01.html

Japan's capital spending rises 1st in 3 quarters

Japanese corporate capital spending in the October-December period posted the first year-on-year increase in 3 quarters, largely due to recovery efforts in the quake-hit region.

Thursday, March 01, 2012 15:09 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120301_28.html
_________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

REVITALIZING JAPAN -- Creative use of land / Tokyo lags in attracting foreign companies

The following is the second installment in the "Creative use of land" section of a series of articles examining ways to restore Japan's vitality. This part of the series will explore how to utilize land in the face of problems common to all parts of the country. This article looks at what should be done toward creating a community with a unique character.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120229006769.htm

Lawyer returns to disaster-hit prefecture

RIKUZEN-TAKATA, Iwate--A young lawyer who spent about a year as a legal apprentice in Iwate Prefecture will be stationed at a legal office scheduled to open on Monday in Rikuzen-Takata, a city in the prefecture devastated by last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120229005548.htm

Diet OK's bill to reduce salaries / Government employee wage cuts to free 580 bil. yen for reconstruction

The House of Councillors on Wednesday passed a bill into law to cut national government employees' salaries by an average of 7.8 percent over two years from fiscal 2012.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120229006344.htm
_______________________________________________________
AJW

Levee reconstruction in Tohoku falls behind schedule

Reconstruction work this fiscal year is expected to start on only 18 kilometers of the 190 km of levees destroyed by last year’s tsunami in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, according to an Asahi Shimbun survey.

Signs show the heights of planned levees in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. (Yasushi Sato)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203010062

Hand-carved statues to be given to bereaved parents

SENDAI--Hundreds of hand-carved Buddhist statues are to be presented to parents who lost children in the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203010036
___________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Capital spending by Japan firms grows as reconstruction work proceeds

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Capital spending by Japanese firms grew 7.6 percent in the final quarter of 2011 from a year earlier, reflecting accelerated work by some industries to rebuild their facilities and equipment damaged by the March earthquake and tsunami, the government said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/01/20120301p2g00m0bu142000c.html

Law enacted to cut national civil servants' pay by average of 7.8%

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A special law to cut the salaries of national civil servants by an average of 7.8 percent cleared parliament on Wednesday, enabling the government to secure around 290 billion yen annually to fund reconstruction projects following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/01/20120301p2g00m0dm021000c.html

Over 90% of Tokyoites concern over disaster in metropolitan area

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- More than half of Tokyoites strongly worry that a massive disaster involving an earthquake and tsunami will hit the capital, a survey by the Tokyo police showed Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/01/20120301p2g00m0dm104000c.html


______________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Disaster-Linked Bankruptcies Total 628

Tokyo, March 1 (Jiji Press)--The number of corporate bankruptcies related to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan totaled 628 as of the end of February, industry data showed Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012030100981

Japan to Sell More Reconstruction Lottery Tickets

Tokyo, March 1 (Jiji Press)--Japan will put more postdisaster reconstruction "Green Jumbo" public lottery tickets on sale on the back of brisk demand.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030100191

Contact with Family Members Deterred Rush Home after Quake: Survey

Tokyo, March 1 (Jiji Press)--People who were able to contact family members soon after the earthquake on March 11 last year resisted the urge to rush home, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department survey revealed Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030100681

Graduating Students Vow to Face Up to Disaster Consequences

Kesennuma, Miyagi Pref., March 1 (Jiji Press)--High school students in the tsunami-hit port city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, pledged Thursday not to ignore the consequences of the disaster as they bid farewell to their disrupted school life.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030100926

Disaster area
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5nO6inSyeUI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
___________________________________________________________
Sankei news

soon 1 year

the change of the seasons

 

[makoto]

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

Nara torch ceremony heralds arrival of spring

An annual torch ceremony has begun at Todaiji Temple in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara, signaling the arrival of spring.

....One visitor said he prayed for everyone's happiness, especially in light of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in the country's northeast last year.
Friday, March 02, 2012 04:40 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120302_01.html

Digital cherry blossoms bloom in New York City

Giant images of cherry blossoms were shown on video screens in Times Square, New York City, on Thursday to launch Japan Week.

Friday, March 02, 2012 12:20 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120302_12.html
_________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

REVITALIZING JAPAN--Creative use of land / Megaregion including east eyed to sustain Tokyo's growth

The following is the third installment in the "Creative use of land" section of a series of articles examining ways to restore Japan's vitality. This part of the series will explore how to utilize land in the face of problems common to all parts of the country. This article looks at what could be done to sustain the growth of the capital.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120301007301.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / 20% of disaster-hit businesses still closed

Of about 27,000 commercial and industrial businesses in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, more than 20 percent have not resumed operations, according to a recent Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120301006659.htm
___________________________________________________________
AJW

REMEMBERING 3/11: Graduating seniors honor fallen classmates

Graduating high school seniors in disaster-hit northeastern Japan closed a chapter on their school days on a bittersweet note, remembering classmates who died on March 11, 2011, and thinking about the futures of their damaged hometowns.

Seniors from Takata High School carry photos of classmates who died on 3/11 at their graduation ceremony in Ofunato on March 1. (Toshiyuki Hayashi)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203020040
_________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan jobless rate up to 4.6% in Jan., gov't sees positive

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent in January from a downwardly revised 4.5 percent in December, the government said Friday, framing the result not as a negative but a sign of economic recovery, with the data pointing to already employed people seeking higher-paid positions.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/02/20120302p2g00m0bu136000c.html

Japan's new auto sales jump 29.5% in Feb.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's new vehicle sales including minivehicles in February jumped 29.5 percent from a year earlier to 519,626 units for the fifth straight monthly rise due to the revival of subsidies for the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles, industry bodies said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/02/20120302p2g00m0bu141000c.html

Support groups struggle to get info on evacuees: survey

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- More than 47 percent of groups supporting evacuees who left their home prefectures after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami had difficulties offering assistance because authorities in the new areas housing the evacuees were reluctant to provide their personal information, a Kyodo News survey showed Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/02/20120302p2g00m0dm021000c.html

Tsunami could have flooded areas along Tokyo Bay at high tide: officials

Had the March 11 tsunami struck at high tide, it likely would have overcome tidal barriers in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, the Mainichi has learned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/02/20120302p2a00m0na011000c.html

Mass media under scrutiny on 1st anniversary of 3/11 disasters

Domestic and foreign mass media are under close scrutiny as Japan prepares to mark the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and subsequent crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/02/20120302p2a00m0na013000c.html
_____________________________________________________________
Jiji press

March 11 Quake Insurance Benefits Top 1.2 T. Yen

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)--Earthquake insurance benefit payments covering damage caused by the March 11 disaster totaled 1,216.7 billion yen as of Thursday, the General Insurance Association of Japan said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012030201025

Steps Taken on 29 Disaster-Linked Human Rights Abuses

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)--Legal affairs bureaus in Japan recognized and took remedial action against 29 suspected human rights abuse cases related to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the Ministry of Justice said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030200451

59 Tsunami-Hit Municipalities to Receive 305-B.-Yen Grants

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)--Japan will distribute 305,320 million yen in special grants to 59 municipalities in northeastern and eastern Japan to finance postdisaster reconstruction projects, the Reconstruction Agency said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030200572

Japan to Support Volunteer Activities in Disaster-Hit Rural Areas

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)--The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will start a project to encourage people living in urban areas to take part in volunteer work to rebuild rural communities in places devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030200804

Over 180,000 Corporate Workers Join Disaster Volunteer Activities

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)--Over 180,000 corporate employees in Japan have taken part in volunteer activities to support people and areas affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a survey by the Japan Business Federation showed Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030201022

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[makoto]

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

Japan proposes sharing women's disaster experience

Japan will submit a draft resolution to the United Nations next week calling for greater recognition of women's roles and challenges in the event of major disasters.

Saturday, March 03, 2012 09:09 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120303_09.html

Miyagi governor: Rebuilding grants insufficient

The governor of Miyagi, one of Japan's prefectures hard hit by last year's disaster, has expressed anger at the government's decision to offer somewhat over half the requested grant to the prefecture.

Saturday, March 03, 2012 11:25 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120303_13.html
______________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Editorial: Lawmakers, local govt workers must accept cuts in pay

A special temporary law to reduce the salaries of central government employees has come into being at long last, thanks to the enactment of a lawmaker-sponsored bill based on an agreement between the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120302004441.htm

Govt to pay 250 billion yen in first round of relief cash

The government announced on Friday it will pay out 250.9 billion yen in the first round of subsidies to be given to seven prefectures and 59 municipalities hard-hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120302005868.htm

Seaweed farm in Iwate's blue sea

Ropes used for growing seaweed stretch through clear waters near the Omoe Peninsula, the easternmost point of Honshu, in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture. Yoshinori Yamazaki, a 64-year-old fisherman, thought about giving up fishing as he lost everything in the March 11 tsunami.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20120303dy01.htm
__________________________________________________________
AJW

Port town gives friendly 'sayonara' to Hiroshima ship

Residents of a port town in quake-ravaged Miyagi Prefecture on March 2 bid a fond farewell and heartfelt thanks to the people of Hiroshima, who played a big part in recovery efforts from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eMRT-JtM5AI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Dream no Umi leaves Kesennuma Port on March 2. (Shogo Koshida)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203030003

REMEMBERING 3/11: Bereaved mother: 'I could not stand their smiling faces'

Shinichi Endo busies himself every day with woodcarving projects to help him deal with the loss of his three children who were killed in the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami last year.

Hina dolls are on display at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Eighty-four children and teachers at the school were killed in the March 11 disaster. (Masaru Komiyaji)

Shinichi Endo, whose three children were killed in the tsunami, works with pine in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture. (Minako Yoshimoto)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203030035
_________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Editorial: Lessons learned 1 year after March 2011 disasters

Ryoichi Abe, 51, a fisherman from Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, was operating off the Ojika Peninsula when a massive tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake hit his neighborhood on March 11, 2011.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/editorial/news/20120303p2a00m0na005000c.html

Tsunami high water mark signs to be set up in disaster-hit areas

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- In an attempt to mitigate damage in future disasters, signs showing the height of killer tsunami waves following last March's powerful earthquake will be set up in three northeastern prefectures hard-hit by the catastrophe, the prefectures and the transport ministry said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/03/20120303p2g00m0dm007000c.html

1,331 deaths related to March 2011 disaster recognized in 5 prefectures

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- The number of deaths officially recognized as related to the March 2011 disaster, such as those resulting from the stresses of living in evacuation shelters, totaled 1,331 in five prefectures, exceeding the 921 recorded in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995, a Kyodo News survey found Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/03/20120303p2g00m0dm015000c.html
___________________________________________________________
Jiji press

INTERVIEW: "Double Loan" Relief Body to Be Catalyst for Reconstruction

Tokyo, March 3 (Jiji Press)--Before the launch on Monday of a state-backed body to prevent firms from suffering additional loans due to the March 2011 disaster, the body's head, Norito Ikeda, pledged in a recent interview to play the role of a catalyst for reconstruction.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030200988

INTERVIEW: Crisis Management Should Be Handled by Top Officials: Japanese Expert

Tokyo, March 3 (Jiji Press)--Crisis management should be dealt with by a small group of top officials and any final decision should be made by the prime minister, former senior Japanese security official Atsuyuki Sassa said.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030200880

Few See Progress in Postdisaster Reconstruction: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, March 3 (Jiji Press)--A recent Jiji Press opinion poll shows that 81.2 pct of respondents see little or no progress in postdisaster reconstruction and work to end Japan's nuclear crisis.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030300229
____________________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Seawall at Taro area, Miyako city
226 persons still missing or died
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0302tarou/

Okawa school in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi Pref

______________________________________________________________
JMA

22:26 JST 03 Mar 2012 38.9N 141.9E 50 km M4.0 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120303223012391-032226.html

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[makoto]

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

Japanese, Thai prime ministers to issue statement

The prime ministers of Japan and Thailand will meet this week in Tokyo and issue a joint statement on strengthening cooperation in disaster preparedness following last year's natural disasters in the 2 countries.

Sunday, March 04, 2012 09:55 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120304_08.html

Ministry: 8 Japanese ports vulnerable to tsunami

Japan's Land Ministry says tsunami will overwhelm breakwaters at 8 out of 19 major ports on the Pacific coast if a massive earthquake occurs offshore.

Sunday, March 04, 2012 23:34 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120304_16.html
__________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / Quake-hit govts frustrated over funds

Following the Reconstruction Agency's announcement Friday of subsidies to be allocated to municipalities affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, local governments whose project applications were excluded have expressed anger and frustration.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120303003897.htm

Poll: Public not satisfied with quake rebuilding

A total of 72 percent of respondents said they could see little or no progress in reconstruction efforts for areas hit by last year's Great East Japan Earthquake, according to a recent survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun ahead of the first anniversary of the March 11 disaster.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120303003717.htm
___________________________________________________
AJW

REMEMBERING 3/11: Sobbing woman amid tsunami destruction makes a fresh start

About a year after appearing in an iconic photo of the devastation from the March 11 quake and tsunami, Akane Ito is pursuing her childhood dream of opening a pet grooming business.

Akane Ito sobs amid the destruction in the Yuriage district of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 13, 2011, in an Asahi Shimbun photo that was carried by many foreign newspapers. (Toshiyuki Tsunenari)

Ryo Abe and his sister, Kaho, take a break after the roads were swamped in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 15, 2011. (Takaharu Yagi)

Ryo Abe, 11, and his 8-year-old sister, Kaho, head to an elementary school on Feb. 22 in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, different from the one they attended before the March 11 disaster. They said they quickly made new friends, but Kaho still wants to see her friends at their former school. (Takaharu Yagi)

Yasuhito Yamaya comforts his wife, Rumi, on March 18, 2011, after the tsunami swept away their apartment building in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. (Yasuhiro Sugimoto)

Yasuhito Yamaya, 32, and his wife, Rumi, 32, chat near temporary housing for evacuees in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on Feb. 26. Yamaya works in a project to restore port facilities. Rumi said she still cannot overcome her fear of the sea. (Yasuhiro Sugimoto)

Reiko Obata is rescued by firefighters from the wreckage in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 12, 2011. (Noboru Tomura)

Reiko Obata, 59, poses in front of her home with her dog, Musashi, in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, on Feb. 18. Obata and her grandchildren spent a sleepless night on the second floor of her home after the Great East Japan Earthquake before they were finally rescued. (Satoru Ogawa)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203040005
_________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Environmental award winner uses forest resources to bring cheer to disaster victims

When the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami hit in March last year, Toyoshi Sasaki, 54, a resident of Japan's Tohoku region, hurried to help at an evacuation shelter. When he found people there shivering from the cold with no heating he used his connections with a manufacturer to send wood-pellet fuel and stoves.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/04/20120304p2a00m0na004000c.html

20% of those living in tsunami-damaged homes suffer from insomnia

ISHINOMAKI, Japan (Kyodo) -- Twenty percent of households in Ishinomaki and the neighboring town of Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, that continue to live in homes damaged in the March 2011 tsunami have members complaining of insomnia and other psychiatric problems, a survey showed Saturday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/04/20120304p2a00m0na007000c.html
______________________________________________________
Jiji press

INTERVIEW: Disaster Requires Clear Responsibility Assignment: Japan's Murayama

Tokyo, March 4 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama stressed that it is important for the government to make clear where responsibility lies in the time of a crisis like the one that hit Japan nearly a year ago.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030300318
_____________________________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Kamaishi quay wall
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0304kamaishi/

soon 1 year

Ishinomaki city

Kesennuma city

stone monument of Tsunami, Kesennuma city

Minamisanriku town

Minamisanriku town

Japan National Route 45, Rikuzentakata city

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[makoto]

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

Iranians pray for Japanese quake victims

Iranians have prayed for the reconstruction of northeastern Japan. The area was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami almost a year ago.

Monday, March 05, 2012 08:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120305_11.html

Tsunami evacuation tower completed in Shizuoka

A Japanese city along the Pacific coast has built an evacuation tower to protect people from tsunami.

Monday, March 05, 2012 16:22 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120305_21.html

Cyndi Lauper meets children in disaster zone

US singer Cyndi Lauper has brought smiles to Japanese children who survived last year's earthquake and tsunami.
we love!
Monday, March 05, 2012 17:32 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120305_24.html
________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Editorial: Talks on revising Constitution should focus on emergencies

The ruling and opposition parties should take this opportunity to resume discussion on what shape the nation should take.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120304004012.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / Fishermen shifting to incorporation

"Please punch your time card when you leave the office," Kazuhiko Endo told 11 relatively young fishermen belonging to a fishery cooperative in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on Feb. 23.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120304004408.htm
______________________________________________________________
AJW

Tohoku dancers travel overseas to thank the world

LOS ANGELES--Offering thanks through traditional Japanese dance, Koichi Fukuchi traveled here to acknowledge the support the Tohoku region received from around the world over the past year.

Wakumizu Kagura Hozon-kai from Tono, Iwate Prefecture, presents a dance in Los Angeles on March 2. (The Asahi Shimbun)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203050006

REMEMBERING 3/11: Woman lost mother, gave birth on fateful day

MIYAKO, Iwate Prefecture--To Etsuko Shimosawa, her baby Sakura, born 30 minutes before the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, may be the reincarnation of her late mother she first met only three months before the disaster.

Etsuko Shimosawa lifts Sakura in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, on Feb. 17, as her husband, Hiroki, looks on. (Shingo Kuzutani)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203050003

Memorial services held in disaster areas

Memorial services were held across the devastated Tohoku region on March 4 to mark last year's disaster that claimed some 20,000 lives.

Participants at a memorial service held in the Ishinomaki city government’s Kitakami Sogo branch office on March 4. (Shogo Koshida)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203050054

REMEMBERING 3/11: Reluctantly, graduates leaving tsunami-hit hometown

KAMAISHI, Iwate Prefecture--Shoko Kobayashi graduated from high school, determined to make good on her promise to her father who was killed by the tsunami from the Great East Japan Earthquake a year ago.

Shoko Kobayashi, left, and Eriko Ikuta, second from left, join classmates for a photograph before graduation in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on March 1. (Naoko Kawamura)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203050063
________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Pictures capture Japan's heartbreak after tsunami

(AP) -- It has been nearly one year since a monstrous earthquake triggered a tsunami that roared across Japan's coast on March 11, 2011, transforming once-pristine and thriving towns into waterlogged wastelands and sparking the world's worst nuclear crisis in a quarter-century.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120305p2g00m0fe101000c.html

500 mourn March disaster victims at Ishinomaki school

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Around 500 people on Sunday mourned 74 students and 10 teachers at an elementary school in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, who were killed in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, ahead of the first anniversary of the disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/05/20120305p2g00m0dm022000c.html

Cabinet approval falls below 30% for 1st time: Mainichi poll

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/05/20120305p2g00m0dm023000c.html

Japan launches quake reconstruction bonds with special coins

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan launched special government bonds Monday aimed at raising funds for reconstruction from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, saying it will present buyers with commemorative coins three years later bearing the image of a "miracle pine" that has come to symbolize hopes for recovery.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/05/20120305p2g00m0dm070000c.html
_____________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Biz Sentiment Improves for 3rd Month

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)--Business sentiment in Japan improved for the third straight month in February due to robust demand related to reconstruction after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, a Teikoku Databank Ltd. survey showed Monday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012030500629

One Year On: German Tsunami Survivors Aim to Repay Japanese Locals

Berlin, March 5 (Jiji Press)--Juergen Spielberg, 73, a former lawyer from Duesseldorf, and his family are boosting friendship with Japanese citizens who helped them survive the devastating tsunami March 11 last year and return to Germany.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030500354

INTERVIEW: Japan Should Clarify Chain of Command in Emergencies

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government should clarify its chain of command for emergencies to ensure swift decision-making, Nobuo Ishihara, a former senior bureaucrat, said in a recent interview.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030500557

Tokyo Police Eye Closer Ties with Local People to Tackle Disasters

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)--The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is looking to closer ties with local people and the use of the Internet and robots in a review of its action plan for tackling large-scale disasters, officials said Monday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030500829

Mori Building Unveils Quake-Control Equipment

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)--Mori Building Co. unveiled to the press on Monday quake-control equipment for its 54-story Mori Tower headquarters.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030500856
____________________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Kamaishi quay wall
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0305kamaishi04/

weather news
new Tsunami radar
http://weathernews.com/ japanese

_______________________________________________________________
JMA

15:24 JST 05 Mar 2012 40.2N 142.5E 40 km M5.0 Iwate-ken Oki

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120305152954391-051524.html

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[makoto]

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

UNESCO tea ceremony marks March 11th disaster

The former master of a Japanese traditional tea family has conducted a tea ceremony at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, to commemorate the first anniversary of Japan's March 11th triple disaster.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012 10:53 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120306_12.html

UN holds March 11th memorial concert

The United Nations in New York has hosted a memorial concert to pay tribute to victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last March 11th.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012 12:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120306_16.html
_______________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Editorial: Close the gap between govt and disaster-hit areas

All supplementary budgets related to reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake have passed the Diet, and systems are ready to provide reconstruction subsidies and to designate special zones to expedite the rebuilding of disaster-hit areas. The Reconstruction Agency, which is supposed to serve as the government's control tower, was inaugurated on Feb. 10.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120305004338.htm

REVITALIZING JAPAN--Creative use of land / Hokkaido puts snow, remoteness to good use

The following is the seventh installment in the "Creative use of land" section of a series of articles examining ways to restore Japan's vitality. This article looks at how Hokkaido is putting its so-called disadvantages to good use.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120305005737.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / Tohoku's transportation woes / Depopulation, slow rebuilding are mutually reinforcing problems

"I can't live if a bus doesn't come," Katsumi Niinuma, 79, muttered in a temporary housing unit built on the grounds of Ofunato Middle School in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120305005601.htm
_______________________________________________________
AJW

Miyagi teen paints flower field of hope at disposal site

Sixteen-year-old Mizuki Kanda thinks about the loss of her grandfather, her friends and seniors at her high school--as she paints a field of colorful flowers on walls surrounding a rubble disposal site in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.

Mizuki Kanda, left, while her family watches, paints a field of flowers on walls around a rubble disposal site in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture. (Shinichi Iizuka)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203060004

Photo exhibition on 3/11 disaster opens in Bangkok

BANGKOK--A photo exhibition on the destruction and misery caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake nearly a year ago opened here on March 5.

A crew member of a Thai broadcasting station shoots the photo exhibition on the Great East Japan Earthquake in Bangkok on March 5. (Takeshi Fujitani)

A woman looks at a photo in the “Great East Japan Earthquake Exhibition” in the Central World shopping mall in Bangkok on March 5. (Takeshi Fujitani)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203060014

Despite JR denials, Shinkansen deaths expected in quake

Despite safeguards put in by Japan Railways, more than 100 passengers are expected to be killed in derailments of Shinkansen bullet trains if a major earthquake strikes Tokyo, Osaka or Aichi prefectures, according to the Central Disaster Management Council.

A train runs on elevated tracks for the Tohoku Shinkansen Line in Sendai on March 3. (The Asahi Shimbun)

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203060001

Party for baby whose birth saved father from tsunami
*REUTERS

MINAMI-SANRIKU, Miyagi Prefecture -- Searching through piles of bodies after the March 11 tsunami, Kenji Sato was struck by the thought -- he could easily have been one of them, had it not been for his son born earlier that day.

Tsunami hits town of Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture on March 11, 2011. (Provided by Isao Takahashi)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203060073

PHOTO/ Cyndi Lauper serenades students in Ishinomaki

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--American singer Cyndi Lauper brought smiles to children in this tsunami-hit city on March 5.

Cyndi Lauper poses for a photo with pupils at Okaido Elementary School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 5. (Masaru Komiyaji)

Cyndi Lauper is greeted by pupils at Okaido Elementary School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 5. (Masaru Komiyaji)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203060017

REMEMBERING 3/11: Victims' relatives seek accountability for deaths

The four steeplejacks from Hiroshima knew all about the dangers of working at great heights.

Yasunori Asajima points to a photo in Hiroshima on Feb. 28. “Most of these floorboards dropped to the ground,” he said. (Atsushi Matsukawa)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203060050

ESSAY/ Robert J. Benson: 'Why are you here?' A volunteer in Tohoku shares the journey of his heart

“Why are you here?” It was a reasonable question, but it still took me by surprise. Only days earlier, I was working in my law office in Los Angeles. Yet here I was, on a cold January day, sharing tea with a fisherman on the floor of his temporary home in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. Not far away, we could see the harbor that had risen with terrifying force on March 11, 2011, destroying his house, his boat and his livelihood.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/AJ201203060077
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

UNICEF photo exhibition on March 11 disaster opens in New York

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- A photo exhibition on last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit northeastern Japan opened Monday in New York, featuring works depicting damage and affected children by news photographers and freelancers based in Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/03/20120306p2g00m0et130000c.html

Tohoku artists give performance at U.N. headquarters

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- A group of traditional artists from Japan, mostly from the quake-hit Tohoku region in the country's northeast, performed Monday in New York in a show of solidarity with disaster victims around the world.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/03/20120306p2g00m0et131000c.html

Cherry trees planted as tsunami caution for future generations

RIKUZENTAKATA (Kyodo) -- Residents of the tsunami-ravaged coastal city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture have launched a project to plant cherry trees marking the points where waves reached on March 11 last year to warn future generations about a repeat of the catastrophe.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120306p2g00m0fe094000c.html

Soccer: Miyagi among 5 venues proposed for Women's U-20 World Cup, Fukushima misses cut

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japan Football Association has proposed using Miyagi Stadium as one of five venues to host the Women's Under-20 World Cup this summer, JFA vice president Kozo Tashima said Monday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sports/archive/news/2012/03/06/20120306p2g00m0sp127000c.html

UN says 2011 disasters were costliest ever

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The economic cost of disasters in 2011 was the highest in history -- with a pricetag of at least $380 billion, mainly due to earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, a U.N. envoy said Monday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/06/20120306p2g00m0dm025000c.html

Tsunami-hit region still suffering fall in population, revenue

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Total population and tax revenue have plummeted in the tsunami-hit coastal area in northeastern Japan over the past year since the March 2011 catastrophe, raising concerns that the municipalities' reconstruction efforts may be hindered by their weak finances.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/06/20120306p2g00m0dm078000c.html

JR East to relocate section of Joban Line hit hard by tsunami

SENDAI -- East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will shift a section of the Joban Line hit hard by the March 2011 tsunami inland, a company official said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/06/20120306p2a00m0na002000c.html

15 tsunami-hit schools to move to high ground, 38 staying put: Mainichi survey

Among 86 public elementary and junior-high schools in three prefectures hit hardest by the March 2011 tsunami, only 15 will be moved to higher ground, a Mainichi survey has found.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/06/20120306p2a00m0na011000c.html


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Jiji press

Weathernews Starts Radar Tsunami Monitoring

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Weathernews Inc. <4825> has launched a radar system to monitor tsunami in the event of major earthquake, company officials said.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012030600418

Major Japan Firms See 27 Pct Profit Growth for FY 2012

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)--Recurring profits at 353 major companies outside the financial sector are expected to grow 27.0 pct in fiscal 2012, leading Japanese brokerage house Nomura Securities Co. said Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012030600811

INTERVIEW: Sendai Mayor Urges Govt to Pay Heed to Disaster Areas in Tax Hike

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., March 6 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government should give proper consideration to areas affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year in implementing proposed consumption tax hikes, Sendai Mayor Emiko Okuyama has said.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030500754

Sleep Disorders Major Problem among Displaced Disaster Victims

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)--Sleep disorders are a major health problem among March 11 disaster victims who have lost their livelihoods or ties with their communities, a health ministry survey revealed Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030600987

70 Pct of Missing in March 11 Disaster Aged 60 or Over

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)--About 70 pct of people still unaccounted for in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year were aged 60 or over, police data showed Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030601029

Disaster Area
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YdpkH1DcGp4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> japanese
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Sankei news

panorama photo

Okawa school
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0305ookawa01/