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+

Govt. draws up new guidelines for tsunami shelters

The Japanese government has drawn up new guidelines for buildings used as emergency tsunami shelters.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 02:10 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120307_02.html

March 11th mega quake triggered 80 other quakes

A Japanese seismologist says the March 11th earthquake triggered about 80 separate quakes, one of them as far as 1,300 kilometers away from the original quake's epicenter.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 16:46 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120307_30.html

Quake epicenter to be shallower than estimated

A government team of earthquake experts says an expected powerful earthquake in northern Tokyo Bay would have an epicenter shallower than earlier estimated.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 19:13 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120307_33.html

Japan, Thailand to cooperate on disasters

The prime ministers of Japan and Thailand have agreed to cooperate closely on disaster management and post-disaster reconstruction, based on Japan's March 11th disaster and Thailand's floods last year.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 20:12 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120307_39.html

Asian nations to take part in disaster exercises

Japan and other Asian nations will take part in natural disaster preparedness exercises as part of an annual joint military drill between the United States and the Philippines.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 21:01 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120307_36.html
_________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Govt to send finance experts to disaster-hit municipalities

The government has announced it will send consultants and experts on the private finance initiative (PFI) method to municipalities hard-hit by the March 11 disaster starting in fiscal 2012, to promote rebuilding using private-sector funds and offer managerial expertise.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120306005323.htm

REVITALIZING JAPAN -- Creative use of land / Coordination needed to create hub ports

The following is the eighth installment in the "Creative use of land" section of a series of articles examining ways to restore Japan's vitality. This article looks at problems concerning the nation's commercial ports.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120306006145.htm
____________________________________________________________
AJW

Japan Red Cross says whole year wasted in post-tsunami rebuilding
*REUTERS

The Japanese Red Cross said on March 7 an entire year has been lost in rebuilding tsunami-ravaged areas of the country because the central government and local authorities had failed to agree on a "master plan".

A severely damaged 1.5 kilometer section of the Joban expressway in Ibaraki Prefecture in March 2011 (Photo by East Nippon Expressway Co.)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/AJ201203070071

INSIGHT/ Japan missed tsunami wake-up call for change
*REUTERS

Three months after Japan's March 11 triple disaster, a long-time expert on the country arrived in Tokyo to research a book he intended to entitle "Rebirth of a Nation."

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203070010

Miyagi museum to display tsunami-swept items

KESENNUMA, Miyagi Prefecture--It's not the Rias Ark Museum of Art's usual pieces, but the barrels that have swollen due to heat, stuffed animals and dolls covered with mud and downed traffic lights will make a powerful impact on museum-goers.

Objects that were washed away by the March 11 tsunami but were later collected by the staff of the Rias Ark Museum of Art (Shogo Koshida)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203070008

REMEMBERING 3/11: Boy's photos allow him to return to happier times

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--The weather had warmed up a bit on March 1, but Tetsuya Tadano decides to remain comfortably seated at a “kotatsu” (foot warmer table) covered by a quilt.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203070059
_________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Tsunami-affected foreign women struggle to land caregiver job

KESENNUMA (Kyodo) -- Determined to rebuild their lives after the devastation brought by the earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan last March 11, 24 foreign women in disaster-ravaged coastal areas are working hard to overcome language barriers and land jobs as caregivers in communities that face a severe shortage of such workers.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120307p2g00m0fe087000c.html

About 40% of tsunami survivors in Iwate, Miyagi suffer sleep disorders

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Many survivors of the March 2011 tsunami in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures are suffering from various health problems, with about four in every 10 suspected of having sleep disorders and many showing symptoms of anxiety and depression, a health ministry research team said in a survey report on Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2g00m0dm046000c.html

Over 70% of farmers in quake-hit area still feel negative effects: poll

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- More than 71 percent of farming households responding to a survey in the three prefectures most severely stricken by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami feel their business is still being affected by the quake and consequent nuclear crisis, the Development Bank of Japan poll showed Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2g00m0dm049000c.html

Plans to move tsunami-hit homes to safer ground still far from reach

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Despite the government's efforts to promote mass relocation of homes damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami to inland areas or higher ground, none of the affected municipalities had drawn up the necessary plans as of Wednesday, according to a Kyodo News tally.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2g00m0dm096000c.html

Panel revises upward intensity of anticipated Tokyo Bay quake

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A government project team said Wednesday a magnitude 7 earthquake with its epicenter in northern Tokyo Bay would register the maximum 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale on the eastern coast of Tokyo, higher than an earlier estimated level of upper 6.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2g00m0dm108000c.html

Miyagi governor to visit Japan's neighbors this year to promote tourism

Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai said March 7 that he will visit Taiwan, South Korea and China this year to help revitalize the local tourism industry, which has been seriously affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear crisis.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2g00m0dm164000c.html

Evacuees from March 11 disasters losing hope of going home

Of those who have evacuated from areas hit hard by the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis, an increasing number are considering settling down in locations away from their hometowns, a Mainichi survey has found.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2a00m0na016000c.html

56 percent of quake, tsunami victims in 3 hardest-hit prefectures aged 65 or over

A total of 56.1 percent of the people in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures who died in the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami last year were aged 65 or over, National Police Agency (NPA) figures have shown.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/07/20120307p2a00m0na019000c.html


__________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Some SDF Troops Face High PTSD Risk after Disaster Missions

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--Some Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel were at high risk of suffering posttraumatic stress disorder after working in areas ravaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, it was revealed Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030700461

Eco-Friendly Landslide Prevention Method Attracts Disaster-Hit Municipalities

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--To prevent secondary disasters, municipalities across Japan, particularly those in regions hit by the massive earthquake last March, is giving keen attention to a novel slope-stabilizing method that is both eco- and budget-friendly.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030700272

INTERVIEW: Iwate Gov. Tasso Calls for Realistic Tsunami Drills

Morioka, Iwate Pref., March 7 (Jiji Press)--More practical and realistic evacuation drills are needed in areas that may be hit by tsunami, Takuya Tasso, governor of the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030700573

Tokyo May Be Hit by Highest-Intesity Quake on Japan Scale

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--Central Tokyo could be hit by a powerful earthquake measuring the highest on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, against the previously estimated maximum of upper 6, a Japanese research team said Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030700698

Half of Japanese See March 11 Memories Fading: Survey

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--A Dentsu Inc. <4324> survey showed Wednesday that 50.2 pct of Japanese people think that the memories of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year are fading and the lessons learned from the disaster have not been adequately used to better prepare for a future disaster.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030701016
_______________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Okawa school
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0306ookawa02/

a bus on Ogatsu community center, Miyagi pref
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0307bus/
_________________________________________________________
AFP

a lone pine tree
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rvg4AtAqUK4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> English or Japanese
___________________________________________________________
JMA

14:34 JST 07 Mar 2012 39.2N 142.4E 30 km M4.1 Iwate-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120307143834391-071434.html

 

[makoto]

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

SDF members suffer stress after disaster relief

A survey has found that many Self-Defense Force members engaged in rescue operations after the March 11th disaster suffered psychological stress that could lead to mental disorders.

Thursday, March 08, 2012 09:56 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120308_11.html

Highway traffic banned in future Tokyo quake

Traffic on 52 major roads in and around Tokyo will be restricted to emergency vehicles in the event of a major earthquake hitting the capital.

Thursday, March 08, 2012 12:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120308_16.html

Crown Prince meets Thai PM on behalf of Emperor

.....The Crown Prince expressed his gratitude for donations and support extended by the Thai royal family and government in the wake of the March 11th disaster.

Thursday, March 08, 2012 16:05 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120308_23.html

March disaster forces 645 firms out of business

The number of corporate failures has reached nearly 650 since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

Thursday, March 08, 2012 17:34 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120308_25.html

Over 10,000 tremors shook Japan after March quake

Japan's Meteorological Agency says more than 10,000 noticeable tremors have shaken the country since last year's major earthquake.

Thursday, March 08, 2012 20:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120308_33.html

Donald Keene granted Japanese citizenship

Prominent Japanese literature scholar Donald Keene has been granted Japanese nationality.

Thursday, March 08, 2012 20:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120308_32.html
____________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Disaster claimed 1,046 minors

A total of 1,046 people aged 19 or younger died or went missing in the three prefectures hit hardest by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and nearly two-thirds of the victims were aged 60 or older, according to the National Police Agency.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120307006207.htm
______________________________________________________________
AJW

Japan, Thailand to cooperate on disaster response measures

Tokyo and Bangkok have agreed to work closely on responding to natural disasters as part of efforts to encourage Japanese companies to return to Thailand.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201203080071

REMEMBERING 3/11: Photos capture disaster zones now and then

A fishing vessel washed ashore by the tsunami, a train car lifted from its tracks by a wall of waves and a dimly lit gym packed with evacuees are some of the images forever etched in memory after the devastation wrought by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami last year.

Above left: The No. 18 Kyotoku Maru remains effectively intact in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 3, a year after it was washed ashore by the tsunami. It has yet to be decided whether to scrap or preserve the 50-meter-long, 10-meter-wide fishing vessel. (Eiji Hori); right: The area around the No. 18 Kyotoku Maru is covered with water, with plumes of smoke rising due to fires, on March 12, 2011. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Top: Laughter from students taking a PE class echoes in the gym of Utatsu Junior High School in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on Feb. 28. (Shogo Koshida); bottom: The gym, which served as an evacuation shelter, is dimly lit due to a power outage on March 14, 2011. A graduation ceremony was originally scheduled to be held there March 12. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Top: A street has been cleared of rubble in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture. (Toshiyuki Hayashi); bottom: Damaged firetrucks block the same debris-covered street on March 13, 2011. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Top: A fallen train car has been removed from the tracks of the JR Ishinomaki Line in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture. The repairing of headstones in a cemetery and the clearing of damaged houses are nearly complete. (Minako Yoshimoto); bottom: A train car remains on its side on March 26, 2011, 15 days after being left there from the tsunami. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Top: A lot for rubble collection has been set up in a residential area in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, for damaged and destroyed houses. (Toshiyuki Hayashi); bottom: The devastated area is blanketed by snow on March 16, 2011. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Scientists upgrade risk of massive earthquake shocks hitting Tokyo

A magnitude-7 class earthquake in Tokyo Bay could cause much stronger shocks than previously thought, according to the science ministry.

Participants in an evacuation drill line up at JR Shinagawa Station in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Sept. 1, 2011. (Hiroki Endo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203080074

As lone pine withers, thoughts turn to how to replace it

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--For nearly a year, the “miracle pine” has stood as an imperfect symbol of hope amid the devastation wrought by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203080085
____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan bankruptcies rise for 1st time in 3 months in Feb.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan in February increased 5.1 percent from a year earlier to 1,038 for the first rise in three months, a credit research agency said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0bu149000c.html

Japan bank lending rises 0.8% in Feb., up for 5th straight month

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The average daily balance of Japanese bank lending grew 0.8 percent in February from a year earlier to 395.27 trillion yen for the fifth straight monthly increase, with steady demand for business funds seen in areas hit by the massive earthquake in March last year, the Bank of Japan said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0bu151000c.html

Feb. economy watcher survey shows brighter outlook for Japan economy

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Business confidence among people with jobs sensitive to economic conditions in Japan improved last month as the sharp appreciation of the yen subsided, while a leading index signaled strong expansion in the near future for the first time in nearly five years, the government said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0bu169000c.html

EU voices sympathies before 1st anniversary of Japan's disaster

BRUSSELS (Kyodo) -- The European Union on Wednesday issued a statement before the first anniversary of Japan's March 11, 2011, disaster, expressing its "deepest sympathies" for those touched by it.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0in060000c.html

Donations for tsunami survivors top 500 bil. yen

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Monetary and other donations for survivors of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami have surpassed 500 billion yen, and around 1 million volunteers are believed to have contributed to relief activities so far in the three most devastated prefectures, a Kyodo News tally showed Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0dm043000c.html

Japan, Thailand agree to cooperate on disaster management

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan and Thailand agreed Wednesday to cooperate closely on disaster management to ensure their economies become more resilient and interdependent.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0dm046000c.html

Lower house to pass FY 2012 budget amid protest from opposition camp

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The lower house of the Japanese parliament will approve a 90.33 trillion yen ($1.1 trillion) draft budget for fiscal 2012 on Thursday, but opposition parties will protest the move, making it harder for the government to have the Diet enact the bill before the new fiscal year starts April 1.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0dm107000c.html

Traffic to be banned on 52 roads in event of major Tokyo quake

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's National Police Agency on Thursday unveiled a plan to ban road traffic on a total of 52 expressway and conventional highway routes in the event of a major earthquake with a magnitude of around 7 striking the country's capital and its vicinity.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0dm108000c.html

Scholar Keene granted Japanese nationality

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prominent Japanese literature scholar Donald Keene has been granted Japanese nationality, according to the government gazette issued Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2g00m0dm109000c.html

Population in 3 disaster-hit prefectures drops by more than 80,000

The population in the three prefectures worst-hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami has dropped by more than 80,000 since the March 2011 disasters, according to a government estimate.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/08/20120308p2a00m0na014000c.html


______________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan's Oct.-Dec. Real GDP Down Revised 0.2 Pct

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030800119

Japan Draws Up Extensive Traffic Control Plan for Tokyo Quakes

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police on Thursday released an extensive traffic control plan that will affect drivers in as many as 11 prefectures in case that a strong inland earthquake hits Tokyo.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030800275

Japan Police Eye 10,000-Strong Initial Disaster Response Units

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan's National Police Agency decided Thursday to immediately dispatch over 10,000 policemen to areas hit by a massive natural disaster.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030800143

Donald Keene Obtains Japanese Citizenship

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)-- Donald Keene, a leading scholar of Japanese literature, has obtained Japanese citizenship, the Justice Ministry said in a state gazette Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030800561

INTERVIEW: Japan Reconstruction Agency to Act for Disaster Areas

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan's new Reconstruction Agency will act as "a proxy" for municipalities in areas hit hard by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in March last year, Reconstruction Minister Tatsuo Hirano said.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030800860

One Year On: Recovery Work Still Continues at Disaster-Hit Factories

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)--Almost a year after the monster earthquake and tsunami struck the Tohoku northeastern Japan region on March 11, 2011, work is still under way to restore damaged factories and other facilities there.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030800973

(Update) Donald Keene Obtains Japanese Citizenship

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)--Donald Keene, a leading scholar of Japanese literature, has obtained Japanese citizenship, the Justice Ministry said in a state gazette Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030801043
____________________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Kesennuma city
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0308kesennuma01/
_____________________________________________________________
AFP

Scientists survey seabed fractured by Japan quake
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nGt0m8PlexQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> English
____________________________________________________________
JMA

12:23 JST 08 Mar 2012 38.5N 141.8E 50 km M4.7 Miyagi-ken Oki

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/20120308122743384-081223.html

 

[makoto]

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

US pupils send video message to disaster-hit Iwate

Elementary school students in the US state of New Jersey have made a video message to encourage children in a town in northeastern Japan hit hard by last year's tsunami.

Friday, March 09, 2012 07:45 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_07.html Thank you

Berlin photo exhibition on Japan's disaster

A photo exhibition has begun in Berlin that depicts last year's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, as well as people recovering from the disasters.

Friday, March 09, 2012 08:06 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_09.html

Event held in Rome to encourage Japan's recovery

Music students from L'Aquila, Italy, have performed songs to encourage Japan's recovery at an event in Rome held ahead of the anniversary of the March 11th disaster.

Friday, March 09, 2012 09:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_08.html

UN chief pledges to support Japan reconstruction

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the United Nations will continue to support the reconstruction efforts for the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

Friday, March 09, 2012 12:17 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_19.html

Tokyo Fire Department unveils new quake simulator

The Tokyo Fire Department demonstrated its new earthquake simulator on Friday. It invited the media to its disaster prevention center in central Tokyo to try the machine.

Friday, March 09, 2012 19:44 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_34.html

Clinton sends message for disaster anniversary

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a video message for Japan on Friday, two days before the first anniversary of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Friday, March 09, 2012 20:18 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_40.html

Emperor to attend March 11 memorial

Emperor Akihito plans to attend a memorial service on Sunday for March 11th disaster victims, one week after leaving hospital where he underwent a heart operation.

Friday, March 09, 2012 20:18 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120309_38.html
____________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Editorial: Govt, private sectors must create jobs in disaster areas

Rehabilitation of companies damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake has been grossly delayed. To reconstruct regions devastated by last year's disaster, it is imperative to restore industries and secure job opportunities there.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120308005421.htm

Job recovery slow in Tohoku / Residents fearful as unemployment benefits expire

Nearly one year since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the unemployment situation in the Tohoku region is still dire, particularly in the severely hit Pacific coastal area, where about 65,000 people are still looking for jobs, according to the labor ministry.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T120308005751.htm

GDP revised to 0.7% annual drop

The nation's economy shrank 0.7 percent in the October-December quarter on an annualized basis, revised upward from the initially estimated 2.3 percent drop, the government said Thursday.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T120308006582.htm

Police to ban cars on 52 routes during major quake

The National Police Agency said Thursday it would ban the passage of regular vehicles on 52 expressway routes and other roads extending a total of 1,770 kilometers if a major earthquake directly hits the greater Tokyo area.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120308006607.htm

Keene becomes Japanese citizen

Donald Keene, a prominent scholar of Japanese literature and culture, has been granted Japanese citizenship, the Justice Ministry announced in a government gazette issued Thursday.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120308006608.htm

Tokyo Bay quake map predicts strong shaking

Parts of the Tokyo metropolitan area could be shaken to the maximum level of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the event of a major quake with its focus under northern Tokyo Bay, according to a new map by a science ministry research team.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120308006605.htm

After quake, SDF face high trauma risk

Some Self-Defense Forces personnel dispatched to areas hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake have a high risk of suffering from trauma or depression, according to a survey conducted by the Defense Ministry.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120308006603.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / Aging complicates relocation

"Even though it's small, I want to live in my 'real home' as soon as possible. Until relocation sites are decided, we can't move forward," a participant said at a recent meeting on relocation in disaster-hit areas.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120308006606.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / No. of tsunami buildings rises

An increasing number of local governments have designated "tsunami evacuation" buildings and other structures to serve as temporary shelters from tsunami for residents living in coastal municipalities.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120308005972.htm
___________________________________________________________
AJW

REMEMBERING 3/11: A year later, heroic little paper clings to life

Reporter Hiroyuki Yokoi has had a lot to write about the past 12 months: He saw his town washed away by the March 11 tsunami, his family briefly fled into his boss’s office and--in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake that claimed his town--he found a fiancee. But thinking back on the stories of the past year, he says it was Valentine’s Day at a local cake shop last month that he found most moving.

The Ishinomaki Hibi Shinbun newsroom just before deadline (Louis Templado)

A handwritten copy of the Ishinomaki Hibi Shinbun extra edition posted at the Ishinomaki city hall on March 18. The banner head reads: "Helping one another to overcome." (Takaharu Yagi)

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203090001

REMEMBERING 3/11: Children to hold concert using donated instruments

HANAMAKI, Iwate Prefecture--A children’s orchestra formed after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and equipped with musical instruments donated from around Asia will hold its first concert on the one-year anniversary of the disaster.

Members of the Venus Junior Orchestra receive instructions from Shinichi Minami in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, on March 7. (Hiroshi Tataki)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203090011

Donald Keene acquires Japanese citizenship

Donald Keene, a famed U.S.-born scholar of Japanese literature, acquired Japanese citizenship on March 8 and urged his new homeland not to forget about disaster victims in the Tohoku region.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/people/AJ201203090029 welcome to Japan!
______________________________________________________
ANN

Reconstruction Journey by Fixed Point camera
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tKRImKQ0Yhk#t=25s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Japanese
_______________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japanese town haunted by loss a year after tsunami

MINAMISANRIKU, Japan (AP) -- The squat 71-year-old fisherman turns his ruddy, weathered face toward the top of the hillside cemetery. With a heavy heart, he climbs steadily past row after row of tall tombstones, a bucket of water in each hand.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120309p2g00m0fe098000c.html

FamilyMart to use 'citizens funds' to help disaster-hit firms

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Convenience store chain FamilyMart Co. plans to use so-called "citizens funds" to financially support food producers hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, company sources said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0bu132000c.html

Japan's money supply grows 2.9% in February

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's key money supply index continued to rise in February, gaining 2.9 percent from a year earlier, signaling the continuing trend of companies and individuals keeping cash on hand, the Bank of Japan said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0bu138000c.html

Nikkei briefly tops 10,000 for 1st time in 7 months

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Nikkei index briefly topped the 10,000 line Friday for the first time in seven months as Tokyo stocks surged in heavy trading as sentiment was buoyed amid an easing of concern over the Greek debt crisis and its impact on the global financial system.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0bu141000c.html

Thai premier visits quake-hit city in Miyagi Pref. to encourage victims

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Visiting Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra traveled to the city of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, on Thursday to encourage local people affected by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm022000c.html

Japan vows to be active in foreign development aid

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan said Friday it remains committed to actively providing foreign development aid, although the country is still struggling to rebuild itself from last year's catastrophic earthquake.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm025000c.html

Emperor likely to attend memorial service on 1st quake anniv.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Emperor Akihito is likely to attend a government-sponsored memorial service in Tokyo on Sunday to commemorate victims of last March's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, Imperial Household Agency officials said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm029000c.html

Japan emperor undergoes checkup ahead of quake memorial ceremony

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Emperor Akihito, who is recuperating from heart surgery, underwent a checkup Friday before deciding whether to attend a ceremony Sunday in tribute to the victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami, Imperial Household Agency sources said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm162000c.html

Recovered remains of around 480 persons unidentified

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The bodies or remains of 15,786 people have been recovered in the March disaster-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures as of Feb. 29, of which 478 remain unidentified, according to National Police Agency data made available Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm030000c.html

GSDF calls for care of members' stress from quake rescue operations

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Ground Self-Defense Force on Thursday emphasized the need to deal more carefully with its officers' stress from their rescue operations following the earthquake and tsunami disaster last March.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm082000c.html

Number of suicides jumped shortly after March quake in 2011

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of suicides rose sharply in May last year, a police survey showed Friday, and the government suspects that economic hardship in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake was responsible for the spike.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm085000c.html

Police, coast guard launch 3-day search for missing in Iwate Pref.

MORIOKA (Kyodo) -- Police and coast guard on Friday launched a three-day intensive search for people who remain missing in Iwate Prefecture after last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2g00m0dm161000c.html

Signboard built amid ruins in disaster-stricken Ishinomaki becomes symbol of hope

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- "Hang in there, Ishinomaki!"

Amid remnants of houses, shops, and memories in the city of Ishinomaki, destroyed by the magnitude-9 earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, triggering a series of massive tsunami on March 11, 2011, a signboard was built to give hope to people in the desire that one day their nightmare would end.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2a00m0na009000c.html

Scholar Donald Keene speaks of 3.11 disasters as he celebrates obtaining Japanese nationality

Prominent Japanologist Donald Keene celebrated his newly obtained Japanese nationality as he also spoke critically about Japanese society a year after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, during a press conference in Tokyo on March 8.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/09/20120309p2a00m0na012000c.html


_________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Thanks South Koreans for Prompt Relief Aid in March 2011 Disaster

Seoul, March 9 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese embassy in Seoul expressed through newspaper advertisements Japan's gratitude for the South Korean people's "warm" support in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030900145

Suicides in Japan Unusually Soar Last May

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)--The number of people who committed suicide in Japan unusually soared in May last year, a government analytical report showed Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030900490

Memorial Ceremonies to Be Held Sunday for March 11 Victims

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)--Memorial ceremonies will be held in Japan on Sunday for those who died as a result of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami of March 11 last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030900887

INTERVIEW: Int'l Red Cross Meeting to Be Held in Tokyo in May

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)--The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies plans to hold a conference in Tokyo in May to discuss health measures that should be taken after a nuclear disaster, the federation's president, Tadateru Konoe, has said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030900945

U.S. Pledges to Continue Supporting Japan

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)--The U.S. embassy here issued a statement Friday demonstrating the country's resolve to continue supporting Japan ahead of the first anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030901032

Japan's Emperor to Attend March 11 Memorial Ceremony

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese Imperial Household Agency said Friday that Emperor Akihito will participate in a government-sponsored memorial ceremony on Sunday for those who died in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030901064

Clinton Hopes for Deeper U.S.-Japan Ties A Year after Disaster

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)--U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her hope for even stronger ties between the United States and Japan in a video message unveiled on Friday ahead of the one-year anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030901090

Obama Inspired by Japan's Fortitude to Overcome Disaster

Washington, March 9 (Jiji Press)--U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday praised the Japanese people's "extraordinary fortitude" toward reconstruction after the devastating earthquake and subsequent monster tsunami hit the nation's northeastern region a year ago.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031000070

Noda Vows to "Build New Japan" after March 11 Disaster

Washington, March 9 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed determination to "build a new Japan," in a contribution to The Washington Post ahead of the first anniversary Sunday of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031000222
_________________________________________________________
AFP

Aerials of the moment the tsunami hit Japan
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NXqzO5g_juw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> English

'Years' for Japan communities to rebuild: Red Cross
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eb2HMLTDNuM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> English
_________________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Kesennuma city
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0308kesennuma02/

Miyako city, Iwate pref

rice field in Watari town, Miyagi pref

broken bridge of Ofunato railway in Rikuzentakata city

photo by Naoya Hatakeyama, his mother died by Tsunami
http://www.takaishiigallery.com/en/artists/naoya-hatakeyama/index.html
http://www.artnet.com/artists/naoya-hatakeyama/
___________________________________________________________
JMA

01:41 JST 09 Mar 2012 38.7N 142.5E 40 km M4.4 Miyagi-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120309014504391-090141.html

 

[makoto]

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

Gov't panel cautions for tremors, tsunami

A panel of seismologists says caution continues to be needed for tremors and tsunami in areas near the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred in March of last year.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 05:50 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_05.html

Concert held in Paris for March 11 victims

A special Mass and concert have been held in Paris to mourn for those who died in last March's earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 09:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_07.html

Children given glass buoys to remember hometown

An elementary school in disaster-hit northeast Japan has handed out old glass fishing buoys to school children as a memento of their hometown.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 09:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_06.html

UN resolution on protection of women in disasters

A UN commission has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for protection of women in the event of major disasters.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 12:04 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_11.html

Operation Tomodachi commander retires

The US military commander in the Asia-Pacific region has retired.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 14:53 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_14.html

Exhibition of paintings by Thai tsunami orphans

Thai children who lost their parents in the Indian Ocean tsunami 8 years ago have drawn pictures to encourage survivors of last year's earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 21:50 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_20.html

Sightseeing bus resting on roof removed

A sightseeing bus that was transported by last year's tsunami to the top of a two-story building in Miyagi Prefecture has been removed.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 21:50 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_17.html

Most Japanese have positive image of SDF

A government poll shows that 92 percent of respondents had a positive image of the Self-Defense Forces.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 21:50 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120310_21.html
____________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Facilities' quake resistance not up to snuff

The Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Council in 2006 predicted a magnitude-7.3 earthquake could hit the metropolitan area. It estimated that the quake would mainly jolt the eastern part of Tokyo and would register an upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120309006320.htm

Preparations necessary for level 7 quake in Tokyo Bay area

Old buildings must be reinforced and other antiseismic measures taken as soon as possible, after a science ministry research team said that tremors from a major predicted earthquake with its epicenter in northern Tokyo Bay are likely to be a level seven on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, greater than previously predicted.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120309006889.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / Doctor shortage raises concerns in Tohoku / Patients in desperate need of diverse medical treatment

"Your neutral fat level is a bit high. You should start walking when spring arrives," Dr. Minoru Kawashima recently advised a woman in her 60s. He also asked her if she was suffering from hay fever when he examined her at a hospital in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, which is still recovering from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120309006422.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / 231 strong aftershocks recorded after March 11

As of Wednesday, 231 aftershocks measuring 4 or higher on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 had occurred since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120309005978.htm

Record high for youth suicide / Suicide rates among students increased nearly 11% last year

The number of students who committed suicide last year in the country hit a record figure of 1,029, up 101 cases or 10.9 percent from the previous year, the National Police Agency said Friday.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120309006954.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / A symbol of survival


http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20120310dy01.htm
__________________________________________________________
AJW

EDITORIAL: Reconstruction efforts should focus more on livelihoods

A year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, it behooves us to reflect on measures to rebuild devastated areas in the Tohoku region.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201203100037

INTERVIEW/ Takashi Murakami: 3/11 brings Japan's subculture into perspective

After the Great East Japan Earthquake last March, the artist Takashi Murakami has been involved in various efforts to assist the victims of the quake and tsunami.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201203100024

Toyota to increase production of Aqua compacts in Tohoku

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to bolster production of the Aqua compact hybrid vehicle, assembled only in the quake-hit Tohoku region, by up to 20 percent from May.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/business/AJ201203100057

Uniqlo opens temporary outlets in disaster-hit cities

Instead of comfort food, major casual retailer Uniqlo Co. is bringing "comfort clothing" to disaster-hit Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, and Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, with the opening of temporary stores on March 9.

<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dCd0u5ubQx8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Shoppers walk into a newly opened Uniqlo shop in Kesennuma on March 9. (Shiro Nishihata)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203100007

REMEMBERING 3/11: 260,000 survivors remain in temporary housing

One year after the March 11 quake and tsunami, about 260,000 people in the stricken Tohoku region are still living in temporary housing, and the urgency is growing to secure them permanent places to call home.

Makeshift housing units built in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, are part of a total of 52,000 units constructed for survivors of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami last year. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203100011
_____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Editorial: Prep for big Tokyo quake pressing issue on 1st anniversary of 3/11

In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, concerns have been growing over the possibility of another major earthquake striking Japan's capital. Experts point out that the forces exerted on the Earth's crust have changed, making it easier for an earthquake to occur. Preparation for a major temblor in the capital, Japan's political and economic nerve center, demands urgent attention.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/editorial/news/20120310p2a00m0na002000c.html

Tornado survivor to bring 'Stars of Hope' to Japan's tsunami victims

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- For the past week, Matt Deighton has been consumed with his dream of giving 14 wooden stars made by American disaster survivors as a gift to the Japanese victims of the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120310p2g00m0fe033000c.html

Many in metropolitan area still reeling from liquefaction damage

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nearly a year after the March 11, 2011, massive earthquake struck Japan, many residents in the Tokyo metropolitan area are still reeling from liquefaction damage that was caused to their homes, roads, gas pipes and sewage systems.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120310p2g00m0fe034000c.html

March 11 disaster causes 644 corporate bankruptcies in 40 prefectures

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A total of 644 companies have gone bankrupt in 40 of Japan's 47 prefectures in connection with last March's massive earthquake and tsunami, testifying to much wider effects of the disaster than those of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995, a credit research agency said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0bu053000c.html

Toyota unit to transfer Ractis output to Shizuoka from Iwate

NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- A unit of Toyota Motor Corp. will transfer the production of Toyota's Ractis subcompact car from Iwate Prefecture to Shizuoka Prefecture to respond to a production increase in the Aqua compact hybrid, Kanto Auto Works Ltd. President Tetsuo Hattori said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0bu054000c.html

Toyota to increase 'Aqua' hybrid production in disaster-hit Iwate Pref.

Facing an order backlog, Toyota Motor Corp. is set to boost domestic production of its popular Aqua hybrid car at a plant in disaster-hit Iwate Prefecture, the president of a Toyota production subsidiary said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2a00m0na007000c.html

Major Tokyo train services to stop at 2:46 p.m. Sunday in drill

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Major private railway companies servicing the greater Tokyo area will briefly halt their trains Sunday afternoon as part of disaster drills on the first anniversary of March 11 quake-tsunami disaster last year, companies said Saturday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm001000c.html

Japan embassy puts newspaper ad to thank France for disaster aid

PARIS (Kyodo) -- The Japanese Embassy in France has reiterated Japan's gratitude for a disaster aid received from France by putting an ad in a Saturday edition of the French daily Le Monde on the eve of the first anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm004000c.html

Noda vows to build 'new Japan' in newspaper ad

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda pledged to overcome various challenges stemming from last year's catastrophe and build "a new Japan" in an ad in a Friday online edition of the Washington Post on the eve of the first anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm005000c.html

U.S. reaffirms friendship ahead of Japan's March 2011 quake anniv.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reaffirmed "deep and lasting friendship" with Japan in a video message released Friday, two days before the first anniversary of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm009000c.html

Obama praises Japan's resilience, fortitude on quake anniv.

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday issued a statement on the first anniversary of the March 11 devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan, praising the Japanese people's fortitude and resilience.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm010000c.html

Emperor to attend ceremony Sunday to commemorate disaster victims

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Emperor Akihito, who is recuperating from heart surgery, will attend a ceremony Sunday in Tokyo commemorating the victims of last March's earthquake and tsunami, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm011000c.html

Japan to mark 1st anniversary of quake, tsunami that killed thousands

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will mark on Sunday the first anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeastern shores, left about 19,000 people dead or missing, and triggered the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2g00m0dm042000c.html

Japan tourism making recovery 1 year after disaster, but return of S. Korean visitors slow

The number of foreign visitors to Japan is making a sound recovery as the country prepares to mark the first anniversary of the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that triggered the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. However, while Japan welcomes a steady influx of tourists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the number of visitors from South Korea, which accounts for a major share of Japan's tourism market, has yet to show a marked recovery.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2a00m0na004000c.html

Aung San Suu Kyi gives message of hope to Japan's disaster orphans

Myanmar's pro-democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi has given a message of hope to children orphaned by the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, as Japan prepares to mark the first anniversary of the disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2a00m0na011000c.html

90 percent of those missing in 3/11 disasters registered as dead

Of the 3,151 people still missing in the three prefectures worst hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, local authorities have accepted obituary notices for 2,860 -- or just over 90 percent of the total -- the Mainichi learned on March 9.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/10/20120310p2a00m0na013000c.html


_________________________________________________________
Jiji press

INTERVIEW: Miyagi Gov. Urges Better Homes, Jobs for Disaster Victims

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., March 10 (Jiji Press)--Yoshihiro Murai, governor of Miyagi Prefecture, has underscored the need to put priority on providing residential safety and jobs to victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012030901012

Japanese Disaster Victims to Thank Taiwan in Commercial

Taipei, March 10 (Jiji Press)--A television commercial featuring survivors of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan will be broadcast through major networks in Taiwan to show their gratitude to assistance from the people of the island.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031000292

Over 90 Pct of Japanese Have Good Impression of SDF: Poll

Tokyo, March 10 (Jiji Press)--Over 90 pct of Japanese people have a favorable impression of the Self-Defense Forces, apparently reflecting a positive evaluation of SDF relief activities after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a Cabinet Office survey revealed Saturday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031000293

Japan Disaster Memorial Events Held in U.S. Cities

New York/Los Angeles, March 10 (Jiji Press)--Memorial events to mark the first anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan were held in the United States Saturday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031100116
______________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

Matsubara park's steam locomotive in Minamisanriku town, Miyagi pref
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0310sl/

a bus removes from roof in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi pref

prayer

Ishinomaki city, Miyagi pref

une messe à Notre-Dame de Paris

Otsuchi town, Iwate pref

"light for Repose of souls" Tokyo sky tree in Sumida ward, Tokyo

Minato ward, Tokyo

___________________________________________________________
JMA

10:33 JST 10 Mar 2012 38.3N 141.9E 50 km M4.1 Miyagi-ken Oki

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120310104049391-101033.html

 

[makoto]

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

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +
1st anniversary of March 11　http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=446277&postcount=75

March 11 memories and mixed feelings

Sunday, March 11th marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. Public opinion remains varied as the nation looks back upon the unexpected events of the past year.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 01:42 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_h78.html

Japan marks 1st anniversary of March 11 disaster

Sunday marks the first anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.
However, local communities are still working hard to recover from the disaster. Many displaced people are having a hard time finding work and getting back on their feet.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 05:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_02.html

One year after disaster

About 300 relief volunteers gathered at the beach and prayed for victims of the tsunami in Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, at sunrise just before 6 AM on Sunday.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 10:30 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_09.html

Australian PM offers condolences

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who was the first foreign leader to visit areas affected by last March's disaster, has extended her condolences to the victims and their families.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 10:34 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_10.html

Visitors pray in front of miracle lone pine

Many people are visiting the sole pine tree that survived the tsunami in the coastal city of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on Sunday.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 11:58 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_12.html

Memorial service held in NY for quake victims

A memorial service has been held at a church in New York for the victims of last March's disaster in Japan.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 13:10 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_13.html

Emperor delivers message on disaster anniversary

Emperor Akihito has called on people to have sympathy for the sufferers of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and to continue to work to improve the situation in affected areas.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 16:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_16.html

Prayers offered at memorial ceremony

The government has held a ceremony to remember the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan a year ago.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 18:25 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_19.html

Foreign media cover disaster anniversary

Foreign media have covered the first anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan a year ago.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 18:25 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_18.html

Chinese TV reports on disaster anniversary

China's state-run Central Television has aired reports on the anniversary of the March 11th disaster.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 19:10 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_22.html

Civic groups hold memorial service in Tokyo

About 45,000 people have attended a memorial service for the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan one year ago.

Sunday, March 11, 2012 23:09 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120311_25.html
___________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

MARCH 11--ONE YEAR ON / Frustrated with slow recovery / Leaders in quake-hit prefectures see little or moderate progress

Most leaders of Fukushima Prefecture municipalities affected by the March 11 disaster and ensuing nuclear crisis believe reconstruction has been too slow, but local government leaders in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures are more positive about progress in the recovery from the disaster, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310003226.htm

MARCH 11--ONE YEAR ON / Fishery community battles back

"Let's start a profitable business on our own. Otherwise, this fisheries community is destined to vanish!"

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310004302.htm

MARCH 11--ONE YEAR ON / 20,000 households in disaster-hit areas may face relocation

Of 37 municipalities in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures surveyed by The Yomiuri Shimbun, 29 city, town and village governments are planning to relocate inland or to higher ground, or are considering it.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310003217.htm

MARCH 11--ONE YEAR ON / City shifts to higher ground, goes high-tech / Tsunami-hit Higashi-Matsushima relocates, plans to set up online medical, welfare services for residents

Regions devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami have started developing new towns to recover from the damage. On March 2, the central government decided on the first allocation of restoration subsidies for projects such as the collective relocation of residents to protect them from future disasters.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310002577.htm

ONE YEAR AFTER THE DISASTER / Recovery continues, step by step / Graduation ceremony held in tsunami-damaged school; bus removed from building

From graduation ceremonies to the removal of a bus that had been stranded on top of a two-story building by the March 11 tsunami, many people in disaster-hit areas spent Saturday at events that marked another step toward regaining a sense of normalcy ahead of Sunday's first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310004464.htm

MARCH 11--ONE YEAR ON / Many mementos awaiting their owners

The owners of at least 2.2 million mementos recovered from debris in areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake have still not been identified, according to municipal governments in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310003447.htm

MARCH 11--ONE YEAR ON / Memorial Mass, concert held in Paris

PARIS--A memorial Mass for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and a concert by Japanese students were held at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Friday, ahead of the one year anniversary of the disaster.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120310003889.htm
______________________________________________________
AJW

Tokyo towers lit up to honor tsunami, bombing victims

Two eye-catching Tokyo illumination events were being held March 10-11 to commemorate a pair of devastating events in Japan's history--one that took place just a year ago and the other that occurred 67 years ago.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203110030

Japan marks one year since quake, tsunami disaster
*THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Japan on March 11 was remembering the massive earthquake and tsunami on that struck the nation one year ago, killing just over 19,000 people and unleashing the world's worst nuclear crisis in a quarter century.

Close to Rikuzen-takata, Iwate Prefecture, still traces of the tsunami and signs of nature's progress: migrating geese feeding in a muddy field by abandoned, crushed trailer (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun/Louis Templado)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203110021

REMEMBERING 3/11: Disaster survivors feel spirits of loved ones calling out to them

Kanon Kumagai was pushing herself to the limit in a long-distance race at a school event last November when she "felt" her parents and older sister--who all perished in last year's disaster--egging her on.

Kanon Kumagai now lives with her grandmother as the home where she lived with her parents and older sister was swept away by last year's tsunami. (Naoko Kawamura)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203110019

REMEMBERING 3/11: Photographer on mission to convey disaster zone to the world

Atop the rubble was a stuffed animal, its head long gone--a teddy bear perhaps? A child must have held it in a loving embrace until the final moment.

A stuffed animal placed at the spot where Ueda's mother is believed to have been swept away by the March 11, 2011, tsunami. (Satoshi Ueda)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203110012

Business leaders concerned about declining population in Tohoku

Business owners in quake-hit areas of Tohoku are haunted by concerns about the long-term viability of their communities, despite the positive effects of the billions of yen being pumped into post-quake reconstruction.

Work continues in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, to remove buildings damaged by last year's quake and tsunami. (The Asahi Shimbun)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203110053

Residents of tsunami-hit Tohoku city recall those lost on 3/11

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--Naoya Okamoto, who saw his high school washed away in the tsunami spawned by last year's Great East Japan Earthquake, returned here on March 11 to help him forget the past.

Mourners in black head to the ceremony past the ruins of the town in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 11. (Louis Templado)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203110056

Japan observes a moment of silence for quake, tsunami victims

Through silence and prayers, people across Japan on March 11 remembered the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation one year ago, killing just over 19,000 people and unleashing the world's worst nuclear crisis in a quarter century.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201203110041

Japan observes moment of silence for disaster victims

Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended a memorial ceremony in Tokyo on March 11, as people across Japan remembered the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck one year ago, killing more than 19,000 people.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203110051

Survey: Evacuees struggling with torn families, employment

Nearly one-third of people who evacuated after the Tohoku disaster struck a year ago have seen their families torn apart, while about 40 percent lost their jobs, businesses or income, according to an Asahi Shimbun survey.

Only the foundations of homes remain in the Arahama district of Wakabayashi Ward in Sendai on March 10. (Takaharu Yagi)

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201203110044

3/11 FOR FOREIGNERS(1): Monkey Majik members trade guitars for shovels to help out

When push came to shove, members of the Sendai-based rock band Monkey Majik put down their guitars and backed up the messages of love they sing about with action.

Brothers Maynard Plant, left, and Blaise Plant of Monkey Majik give their account of the March 11 earthquake and the emotional year that followed at a Sendai studio on Feb. 14. (Hiroshi Matsubara)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203110005

French comic writer calls on artists to draw for post-quake Japan

When the Great East Japan Earthquake hit northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, French comic book writer Jean David Morvan felt a big tremor in the fashionable Kichijoji district of Musashino in Tokyo.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201203110007

a bus removes
<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uCpOBpWApoI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
_______________________________________________________________
ANN

1st anniversary of March 11
<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0H7XZqU8fhM#t=22s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zqMehLLGGPU#t=8s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Japanese
__________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Editorial: Japan must lead in NPO revolution

We have reached the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami -- let us pray once again for the souls of those who lost their lives to the disaster, and for the recovery of the devastated Tohoku region and Japan as a nation.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/editorial/news/20120311p2a00m0na004000c.html

Tohoku sees signs of growth in auto industry after quake

TOME (Kyodo) -- To Matsushita Toso, a small auto surface treatment company in Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, the shiny black metal parts hanging at its newly introduced line are a sign of the Japanese auto industry's growth and recovery from the March 11, 2011 earthquake.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/03/20120311p2g00m0fe008000c.html

Soccer: FIFA sends message of condolence to mark March 11 tragedy

LONDON (Kyodo) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Saturday he has sent a letter of condolence to the Japan Football Association to mark the first anniversary of the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sports/archive/news/2012/03/11/20120311p2g00m0sp037000c.html

Miyagi, Iwate governors thank China for post-quake assistance

BEIJING (Kyodo) -- The governors of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures have expressed gratitude to China for the assistance it provided to the northeastern Japan prefectures following last year's massive earthquake and tsunami in messages posted on the websites of Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/11/20120311p2g00m0dm019000c.html

Japan marks 1 year from quake-tsunami disaster, nuclear crisis

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Japan marked the one-year anniversary Sunday of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeastern region, left around 19,000 people dead or missing, and triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/11/20120311p2g00m0dm022000c.html

Temple makes religious statues from fallen trees in disaster-stricken city

NAGANO -- A Buddhist temple here has made several wooden "Jizo," or guardian Buddhist deity statues, out of fallen trees from disaster-stricken Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, planning to send some to the city in hopes of a fast recovery.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/11/20120311p2a00m0na002000c.html

British, Australian leaders praise Japan on anniversary of disaster

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The leaders of Britain and Australia offered words of praise and encouragement to Japan as the country marked Sunday the one-year anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan last March 11.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/11/20120311p2g00m0dm024000c.html

Noda vows to achieve speedy reconstruction of disaster-hit areas

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda vowed Sunday, at a government-hosted ceremony to commemorate the first anniversary of the catastrophe, to continue making every effort to achieve speedy reconstruction of areas ravaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/11/20120311p2g00m0dm036000c.html
______________________________________________________
Jiji press

Australia Offers Condolences to Japan Disaster Victims

Sydney, March 11 (Jiji Press)--Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard offered her condolences on Sunday to the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeastern Japan coast one year ago.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031100074

With Prayers, Japan Marks Anniversary of Quake, Tsunami

Tokyo, March 11 (Jiji Press)--With silent prayers and renewed determination for reconstruction, Japan marked the first anniversary Sunday of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left about 19,000 people dead or missing and set off the nation's worst-ever nuclear crisis.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031100087

Ukrainians Mourn Japan Disaster Victims on 1st Anniversary

Kiev, March 11 (Jiji Press)--Ukrainians on Sunday mourned the victims of a huge earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan exactly a year ago.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031100281

Grief, Resilience Mark Disaster Anniversary in Tohoku

Rikuzentakata, Iwate Pref., March 11 (Jiji Press)--Marking a day that has been seared in its collective memory, Japan paused Sunday to remember those who were killed by a gigantic earthquake and tsunami one year ago.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012031200008
_________________________________________________________
AFP

Tsunami survivor struggles to rebuild her life
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q5ztvUZQTi0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> English
__________________________________________________________
Sankei news

panorama photo

disaster prevention building in Minamisanriku town, Miyagi pref
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/panorama/data/2012/0310bousai/

a grandmother searches a missing granddaughter every day in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi pref

15 Feb 2012

civic gymnasium in Rikuzentakata city, Miyagi pref

24 Feb 2012

bus stop in Otsuchi town, Iwate pref

10 Feb 2012

1st anniversary of March 11

Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya city, Hyogo pref

JRA Nakayama Race Course in Funabashi city, Chiba pref

tsunami disaster drill in Miyako city, Iwate pref

Naniwa ward, Osaka

rice field in Yamamoto town, Miyagi pref

Kesennuma city

Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa pref

JRA Nakayama Race Course in Funabashi city, Chiba pref

Taro area, Miyako city, Iwate pref

Arahama beach, Wakabayashi ward, Sendai city

Yuriage area
Natori city, Miyagi pref

disaster prevention building in Minamisanriku town, Miyagi pref

JR Joban line in Yamamoto town, Miyagi pref

memorial ceremony

 

[Emily]

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

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2017702530_toshiko09.html?prmid=head_more

Originally published Friday, March 9, 2012 at 5:32 AM

Seattle musicians blow 'Winds for Hope' to tsunami-struck Japan

Renowned jazz composer Toshiko Akiyoshi and other prominent musicians will play a March 11, 2012, Benaroya Hall concert to raise money to replace schools' musical instruments lost in the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. Joining the "Winds for Hope" effort: Ko-Ichiro Yamamoto, Eric Miyashiro, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lew Tabackin and the Washington Wind Ensemble.

By Paul de Barros

Seattle Times jazz critic...

 

[sharon sanders]

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

A profound sorrow is felt for all of the persons affected by the disaster one year ago.

Japan?s emperor leads nation?s mourning as Tokyo comes to a halt in memory of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear victims

Emperor Akihito today led Japan in mourning as Tokyo came to a halt in memory of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster victims.

more..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...e-tsunami-earthquake-and-nuclear-victims.html