MEMO-112214

Rescue Japan staff went to the Yunuki Temporary housing community in Soma city in Fukushima November 23, to host a cook-out event for the residence there. RJ volunteers prepared Yakitori and veggie shish-kabobs, and showed the residences a new dish they had not ad before… grilled fajitas. RJ volunteers topped off the evening by preparing waffles … Read more

Many evacuees still in temp housing

SENDAI – The occupancy rate for makeshift housing units set up after the March 2011 mega-quake and tsunami is still at more than 85 percent in the three hardest-hit prefectures as Wednesday marked 1,000 days since the twin disasters struck. The figure — much higher than in the comparable period after the Great Hanshin Earthquake … Read more

Strays become woman’s calling

It’s a typical evening in the Mercer-Tojo household. Susan Mercer, 37, has just settled down their 2-year-old for the night, tucking him in as he cuddles with five or six cats. Several dogs prowl restlessly, eager for a pat or a kind word. Scooping a kitten off the floor, Mercer settles down to wait for … Read more

Japanese tsunami debris: Where is it?

Not long after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan in 2011, washing whole towns out to sea, concerns grew that huge amounts of debris could wash up on California’s coast. But as an estimated 70,000 Californians prepare to participate Saturday in the state’s annual coastal cleanup, the question remains: Where is it? Very little … Read more

Tohoku tsunami radiation to reach US coast?

Albert AndradeSeptember 18, 2013 Filed under Health Life As 2014 nears, some are concerned about the plume of incoming radioactive material from Japan said to reach the U.S. coast. Since the Tohoku tsunami that ravaged Japan on March 11, 2011, a large plume of radioactive material traveling with the ocean’s current will reach U.S. coastal … Read more

Japan Nuclear Power Usage A Necessity Based On Energy Costs

TOKYO — Japan once again has become without atomic energy as its only operating nuclear reactor went offline Sunday for refueling and maintenance, and other plants remain closed for intensified safety checks following the 2011 meltdowns at the tsunami-stricken plant in Fukushima. But despite signs that the Fukushima crisis is worsening, Japan’s commitment to restarting … Read more

Photographer helps rebuild family albums lost to disaster

Brian Peterson is a photographer who doesn’t just take pictures, he gives them. A Tulsa native and graduate of Bishop Kelley High School, Peterson has lived in Tokyo for 10 years with his wife and family. Following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and catastrophic tsunami that hit Japan, Peterson and his friend Yuko Yoshikawa created … Read more