I have a passion for Japanese culture
What really happened on March 11? How have the lives of the victims changed since the tragedy? What are their futures? NHK is to broadcast a “NHK Special” documentary series on NHK General TV for nine days beginning on March 3 to mark the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. It will use the extensive footage and stories it has gathered since the disaster in the search for answers and to look toward a more optimistic future. The lineup is as follows: ◆3rd March (Sat) “FUKUSHIMA - Witnesses to a Nuclear Disaster” The interim report into the Fukushima nuclear disaster by a government-commissioned panel spared neither Tokyo Electric Power Company nor the Japanese government from blame. The program will investigate the causes of the accident and the failures that contributed to the worst nuclear accident in 25 years through the accounts of government officials, TEPCO workers and local residents. ◆4th March (Sun) “The Great East Japan Earthquake – A Chronicle “ This program will use footage taken on March 11 from across Japan to analyze the triggers of the huge earthquake and the powerful tsunami that followed. It will also examine what might have been done to reduce the number of lives that were lost. ◆5th March (Mon) “Minamisoma - Living on the frontline of a nuclear disaster” Southern side of the community of Minamisoma lies within the 20-km evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, but the government has decided that residents of other parts of the town can return to their homes. As residents ask themselves whether they should leave or stay, the program examines the wavering emotions of people living on the frontline of the disaster. ◆6th March (Tue) “The 38 minutes - Testament of a Mega-Tsunami” An NHK reporter based in Kamaishi filmed the tsunami as it engulfed the seaside town over a period of 38 minutes. The program follows the 174 survivors captured in that footage, gathering witnesses’ accounts of moments that decided life and death as well as their subsequent experiences, making it an unparalleled account of the mega-tsunami. ◆7th March (Wed) “Winter in Otsuchi – Life on the Edge” The town of Otsuchi lost 1,400 of its residents in the disaster. Those whose homes were destroyed are enduring the bitter winter of Iwate in modest temporary housing. Life is tough. Many are taken ill and others suffer from depression, with some losing all hope for the future. Through the activities of volunteers, the program records the new crisis that threatens Otsuchi. ◆8th March (Thurs) Program on Nuclear Crisis (Title to be confirmed) ◆9th March (Fri) “ Never Give Up - Revival of Kesennuma’s High Street” The high street in the seaside town of Kesennuma, which was devastated by the powerful tsunami, is still partly under water where the land subsided. Reconstruction seemed a forlorn hope, but determined local residents have rallied. The program follows the struggles of local shopkeepers in the run-up to the day they reopened their shops in a temporary housing area. ◆10th March (Sat) “Battle of a Beleaguered City Hall – Minamisanriku’s long road to recovery” Reconstruction is a difficult business; finding the right place for a relocated community, creating employment, helping the elderly and rehabilitating children who have been traumatized. The program follows the disaster-stricken area for a year and considers the challenges facing the town of Miamisanriku. ◆11th March (Sun) “Live Broadcast From Tohoku - On the Night of that very Day” Just hours after the devastation of the afternoon of March 11, the stars shone in the sky, recall survivors of the earthquake. By sharing the victims’ experiences at the same locations they stood on that very day, the program aims to convey their thoughts and emotions, connecting them with viewers throughout Japan.
Onlookers get a panoramic view of the city of Tokyo from the first observatory deck during a media preview of the Tokyo Sky Tree tower this week. Some Japanese lawmakers have proposed constructing a "backup city" that could take on the capital's functions in the event of a catastrophe.
It sounds like a story ripped from the parody-filled pages of The Onion, but some Japanese lawmakers really do want to build a "backup city" that would take over the functions of Tokyo, including tourism, in the event of a catastrophe.
The idea was floated last month at a Tokyo luncheon, with a follow-up in The Telegraph last week. "The idea of being able to have a backup, a spare battery for the functions of the nation ... isn't this really a good idea?" Hajime Ishii, a parliamentarian representing the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, was quoted as saying.
Support for creating an urban Plan B has grown in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in March and led to the Fukushima nuclear crisis. "Preparations are already under way at various levels at various levels to find ways of mitigating possible far-reaching consequences of a much-expected earthquake striking Tokyo," the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan said.
The lawmakers' plan calls for building an urban center known as IRTBBC (Integrated Resort, Tourism, Business and Backup City) or NEMIC (National Emergency Management International City) on the 1,236-acre site currently occupied by Osaka International Airport at Itami. Today, Itami is used only as a secondary hub for domestic flights, operating in the shadow of the newer Kansai airport.
The new city would take on all the functions of the capital city in the event of an emergency. It would boast office complexes, resort facilities, parks and even casinos. The city's centerpiece would be a tower that would rank among the tallest in the world, coming in at just over 650 meters (2,133 feet). It'd be built to house 50,000 residents and accommodate a workday population of around 200,000 people from the Osaka region, The Telegraph reported.
If the plan goes forward, it would rank among history's most ambitious backup plans. The backers haven't calculated the cost of building the city. For now, Ishii and his fellow lawmakers — including the Democratic Party's Banri Kaieda, Shizuka Kamei of the People's New Party and Ichiro Aisawa of the Liberal Democrats — are merely seeking 14 million yen ($180,000) for a feasibility study.
So far, the reaction has been mixed: Osaka's governor, Toru Hashimoto, has been quoted as saying that his region is willing to accept the capital backup role, while Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has voiced opposition. And he may not be the only one: It just seems to me that most emergency-management officials, if not most politicians, would prefer to fortify what they have rather than building a whole new complex someplace else.
Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding me to your Google+ circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.
| Current Tokyo Radiation Levels |
| Current Tokyo Tap Water Information |
| Click here for Train Information |
| Click here for Electricity Information |
| Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Information |
| Resources |
| Japan Meteorological Agency: Check Weather If you experience an Earthquake check here for information. Also check Tsunami information and warnings.
Google Crisis Response. Useful source for updates and information. Also has Google Person Finder which is useful if you’re trying to locate someone. For people in Japan, please check to see if your family is looking for you and you have not been able to establish contact. List of Embassies, Consulates and International Organizations in Japan if you need assistance from your country’s consulate mission or embassy. Aftershocks can happen at anytime after an earthquake. Sometimes weeks to months later. Aftershocks can sometimes be bigger than the original so please be cautious during this period and be prepared. Have at least 3 days water in your home, and food and blankets. |
| Japan Earthquake Emergency Appeal |
|
Sendai, Japan From JHELP We urgently need metal gasoline cans and people who can come onsite to help. There is no food at all. Please help us get the word out. Japan Earthquake Emergency Information I. Emergency Help If you need help in any way from anywhere in Japan please call or email for assistance. Local volunteers are on site throughout Japan to help. Telephone Services are very bad so numbers will work sporadically, but for emergency assistance please call 0570 000 911 or 090 3080 6711 or 090 7170 4769 or 022 261 1111 extention 4874 or 4876 or to www.jhelp.com or team@jhelp.com from throughout Japan. If you are able to help in providing a place to stay or other assistance please contact team@jhelp.com II. Volunteers Those able to help on site in Sendai, Japan or assist locally are asked to send name, telephone, and age to team@jhelp.com III. Emergency Supplies Supplies urgently needed on site are: 20 Liter Metal Gasoline Cans, Bottled Water, Canned and instant food, sleeping bags, electric water pots, coffee, tea, cream, powdered milk, tents, rice Supplies can be sent to: The Japan Emergency Team IV. Assistance Support can be made to Postal Furikae 00160 7 162438 Nihon Kinkyu Enjotai The Japan Emergency Team 0570 000 911 |
Still wearing blue emergency overalls, Hideki Matsuzaki, the outspoken mayor of Urayasu, a seaside city near Tokyo, is still steering his community’s battle with the mammoth March 11 earthquake and ensuing damage. More than a month after the disaster, residents in this town, the location of the Tokyo Disneyland theme park, are trying to come to grips with the vivid scars across the city, including warped roads, popped-up manholes and tilted houses caused by soil liquefaction. What it was like when the earthquake struck on March 11? Was your home also damaged? My house lost electricity, gas, water and plumbing – what I would call a quadruple whammy. My wife and daughter were out in Tokyo so they couldn’t immediately get back home. When I arrived at my house, all the dishes in the kitchen were destroyed so it took until past 3 a.m. to pick up the broken pieces. Then my wife finally came home. What was the biggest challenge you faced? I’d say it was the destruction of our lifelines caused by the bigger-than-expected liquefaction. We’ve done emergency repairs for now, but a full recovery of the sewage system will take more than three years. We’re like a primitive society not to be able to use the bathroom in this day and age. (As of Wednesday, nearly 300 households do not have functioning plumbing.) Urayasu has long been known for soft grounds since it sits 75% on reclaimed land. Why did it take so long to restore water? We knew our city was vulnerable to natural disasters. The name of our city, Urayasu (Ura means border between the waterfront and shore), is already telling. It’s a city that prays for the coastlines to remain tranquil. That is why we had put so much energy into disaster prevention measures. The weak grounds and some extent of liquefaction were within our expectations. But our preparations were based on a magnitude-7.5 earthquake (not magnitude-9.0). We don’t know why a quake with an epicenter in northeastern Japan had wrought so much damage to our city. This is all completely unexpected. How do you feel about the government’s response? Has this affected the long delays in restoring the lifelines? Both the national and prefectural governments have dragged their feet. We have been hit with rolling blackouts three times despite the fact that our area was affected by the disaster. They don’t see or feel our pain, but I guess in that sense I had a free hand without having to be bullied (by the government). Are you concerned that the popularity of the city will decline? I think land prices will fall over the next one or two years. But our condominiums were undamaged despite such a widespread liquefaction. If you think about it, it’s actually a “buy.” And this doesn’t change the fact that we are close to central Tokyo. We’re going to do our utmost to restore our city and make it stronger.
By Kana Inagaki
Please join us......
We will have an event to raise money for the relief effort in Japan following the devastating Earthquake and Tsunami.
-This event will be an art show and sale where donated work from Houston area artists will be sold and 100% percent of the profits will go to the relief efforts.
The show will be at Winter St. Studios, located at 2101 Winter St., Houston, TX, 77007. The show will be on 4-2-11 and last from 3-10 pm.
I've attached a flier for the Japanese Earthquake Charity Art Exhibition.
If you could post this to your friends and help spread the word, that would be great.
(download)
As Japan struggles to help to more than 360,000 people displaced by Japan’s strongest-ever earthquake, individuals and relief organizations alike are donating money to support efforts.
As Japan struggles to help to more than 360,000 people displaced by Japan’s strongest-ever earthquake, individuals and relief organizations alike are donating money to support efforts.
Also stepping up are an array of Japanese and international celebrities, from baseball star Ichiro Suzuki to Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood. Local and global corporations have also pitched in: Most have offered fixed sums, but some, like the Japanese arm of Groupon, previously hit by a New Year’s meal deal scandal, have been matching donations made by site users. As of March 14, Groupon had collected more than 180 million yen, or $22.6 million.
Local social-networking-service provider Gree is offering a similar donation system, matching the amount of money paid by a user to buy a Gree “volunteer avatar.” So far, more than 885,000 people have purchased the avatar, with the donation exceeding 174 million yen.
Twitter posts by Japanese celebrities with thousands of followers, such as singer Ayumi Hamasaki and entrepreneur Takafumi Horie of Livedoor, helped get messages out in the immediate aftermath of the quake, when phone services were disrupted. Ms. Hamasaki has more than 455,000 followers, and more than 643,000 people follow Mr. Horie. Elsewhere, Japanese actor Yusuke Iseya has been sending rice to the devastated zones through his company, Rebirth Project, since last Tuesday.
Here’s a tally of some of the notable donations to have been made public, though many more millions are likely to have been donated anonymously. Missed someone? Please let Japan Real Time know in the comments.
(Some companies have also donated supplies in addition to cash. Those donations are not noted in the list below. The donations are also listed in the original currency in which they were made.)
Individuals
AKB48: 500 million yen ($6.2 million)
Namie Amuro, Japanese pop singer: 50 million yen
Bae Yong-jon, Korean actor: 1 billion won ($889,000)
Sandra Bullock: $1 million
Chen Guangbiao, Jiangsu Huangpu Renewable Resources CEO: 13 million yen
Choi Ji Woo, South Korean actress: 200 million won
Yu Darvish, baseball player with the Nippon Fighters: 50 million yen
Clint Eastwood, American actor and director: $1 million
Ayumi Hamasaki, Japanese pop singer: 35 million yen
Ichiro Suzuki: 100 million yen
Kim Hyung-joong, South Korean actor: 100 million won
Hiroshi Kume, Japanese TV anchor: 200 million yen
Li Ka Shing, Hong Kong investor: $1 million
Elaine Low, affiliated with Singaporean company PT Bayan Resources: $783,000 (S$1 million)
Hideki Matsui: 50 million yen
Park Chon-ho, South Korean baseball player on Orix: 10 million yen
Ryu Si-won, Korean actor and singer: $180,000
Song Seung-hun, Korean actor: $180,000
Tadashi Yanai, Fast Retailing CEO: 1 billion yen
Companies
Canon: 300 million yen
Casio Computer: 10 million yen
Fast Retailing: 400 million yen
Fujifilm Corp: 300 million yen
Credit Suisse: $1 million
Goldman Sachs: 500 million yen
Honda Motor: 300 million yen
Kirin Holdings: 300 million yen
Eli Lilly: 100 million yen
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: 100 million yen
Japan Sumo Association: 50 million yen
Jefferies: $5.25 million
Konica Minolta: 50 million yen
Michelin: $1 million
Mitsubishi Electric: 500 million yen
Morgan Stanley: 500 million yen
Nikon: 100 million yen
Nissan Motor: 430 million yen
Panasonic Corp: 300 million yen
Ricoh Co. Ltd.: 300 million yen
Seiko Epson: 100 million yen
Sony: 300 million yen
Suntory: 300 million yen
Tokyo Apache and Evolution Capital, Japanese professional basketball team.: $1 million
Toyota Motor Corp.: 300 million yen
UBS: 100 million yen
Wal-Mart: $5 million
UPDATE: This post was updated at 6:25 GMT to include new donor information.
Read this post in Japanese/日本語訳はこちら≫
http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html
Latest news related to the Japanese nuclear reactors
A massive 8.9/9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific Ocean nearby Northeastern Japan at around 2:46pm on March 11 (JST) causing damage with blackouts, fire and tsunami. On this page we are providing the information regarding the disaster and damage with realtime updates.
The large earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for countries all around the Pacific ocean.
Local Japan Emergency dials:
171 + 1 + line phone number to leave a message
171 + 2 + line phone number to listen to the message
Phone numbers to consult about missing persons: (Japanese language)
Iwate: 0120-801-471
Miyagi: 022-221-2000
Fukushima: 0120-510-186 / 090-8424-4207 / 090-8424-4208
Your donations will support disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Note that donations to the Japanese Red Cross Society must be made in yen (2000 yen is approximately 25 US dollars).
