Managing the Restoration in Quake-Hit Japan

Everyone’s talking about the Japanese economy and Abenomics, but what’s happening in Tohoku two-plus years after a tsunami, on the heels of the most powerful earthquake in the country’s history, took the lives of some 16,000 people and destroyed almost 300,000 houses? If you visit the northeastern region of Japan’s main island today, you will … Read more

Japanese quake victims cheated out of aid

Stung by reports that trillions of yen that were earmarked to assist the people of Tohoku to rebuild their lives and communities in the aftermath of the most destructive natural disaster to strike this country in living memory, the Japanese government has announced that it plans to ask local authorities and related organizations to stop … Read more

Before the wreckage comes ashore

From the Fukushima tsunami disaster to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, environmental disasters exact all-too-memorable damage to coastal communities. Imagine if it was possible to predict the exact place a blob of spilled oil or dangerous tsunami debris would hit a coastline two days ahead of time. Imagine if we could pinpoint where the … Read more

Garin Dart Missing

Foreign Volunteers Japan co-founder, British citizen, long-term and well-known Tokyo resident Garin Dart, has been missing since last Wednesday (May 22) at 13:00. Anyone who knows Garin – either as a friend or businessperson – will appreciate that this is really out of character. Garin runs a highly successful events company, Bluesilver, and has a … Read more

Children demand a bigger say in disaster prevention

GENEVA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Since a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Hiroto’s home city of Ishinomaki in northeastern Japan in March 2011, the 17-year-old has been busy. He has worked with charity Save the Children to set up a “community building” club for kids, whose members have designed plans for a new leisure centre. … Read more

National park of restoration

Natural parks in the Pacific coastal area of the Tohoku region that were devastated by the 3/11 massive earthquake and tsunami will be reorganized into a new, large national park. As a first step, two such parks were designated as the Sanriku Restoration National Park on May 24. Inauguration ceremonies were held in Hachinohe, Aomori … Read more

Fiji appoints representative in Sendai

On May 17, the Republic of Fiji appointed Takayuki Moriya Fiji’s honorary consul general in Sendai in the Tohoku region for his contributions to amicable bilateral relations. Moriya is the president of recycled car parts dealer Mitsumori Corp., which is based in Sendai. Fiji’s Ambassador Isikeli Mataitoga handed Moriya the Consular Commission, signed by Fiji’s … Read more

Under the sea

Image of the seafloor. Under the sea 24 May 2013 Dean Wilson recently returned from a research cruise off Japan, carrying out deep-sea drilling to gather rock samples and sensor data on the geology beneath the seabed. The results will give us a better understanding of the risk of earthquakes and tsunamis. He describes life … Read more