Tag - disasters

 
 

DISASTERS

Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2017
Kumamoto marks one-year anniversary of deadly quakes with grief and resolve
Friday marked the first anniversary of strong earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture that caused more than 200 deaths. Governments have pledged to overcome the disaster and accelerate efforts at reconstruction.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2017
Foreign nationals relive 2016 Kumamoto quakes in new English booklet
A group of overseas students at Kumamoto University has compiled an English booklet recording the experiences of foreign nationals during last April's powerful earthquakes.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2017
Once-devastated Philippine city feels safe from floods thanks to JICA-funded projects
More than 25 years after being devastated by a massive flash flood that claimed the lives of thousands of residents, the central Philippine city of Ormoc has revived its sense of safety thanks to the ongoing effects of Japan-funded flood-mitigation projects.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 28, 2017
Thousands take shelter as 'screaming, howling' Cyclone Debbie whips north Australia
Howling winds, heavy rain and huge seas pounded Australia's northeast Tuesday, damaging homes, wrecking jetties and cutting power to thousands of people as Tropical Cyclone Debbie tore through Queensland state's far north.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2017
Nankai Trough mega-quake would leave 1.45 million households stranded, report says
A group of government-appointed scientists warned Tuesday that a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough off the Pacific coast could leave as many as 1.45 million households in 246 coastal municipalities stranded.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2017
Abe hails 3/11 reconstruction progress on six-year anniversary of deadly disasters
Prime minister touts Tohoku region's “steady” recovery in annual speech.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2017
Just 22% of new seawalls are finished in areas hit by 2011 tsunami
Only a fifth of the planned seawalls have been constructed in northeastern areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, a Kyodo News survey has found.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2017
Red Cross to adopt first official charter for volunteers using lessons learned from the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies plans to adopt a charter to guarantee the rights of volunteers and establish mission guidelines as demand for their services grow globally, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2017
Disaster drill with foreigners in mind held in major Tokyo tourist area
Some 250 people, including foreign students from a Japanese language school, took part in a natural disaster drill Wednesday that simulated a massive earthquake hitting Asakusa, a major tourist area in Tokyo's Taito Ward.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Mar 8, 2017
New Zealander is on a mission to turn Japan green, one balcony at a time
Quakes of 2011 in Christchurch and Tohoku put Kiwi on the path to self-reliance and sustainability.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AFTEREFFECTS OF MARCH 2011
Mar 8, 2017
In tsunami-hit Kesennuma, fishing industry recovers but scars remain
A stranger visiting the fishing port of Kesennuma today may not realize that six years ago it suddenly became the scene of massive, deadly devastation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2017
Grief victims themselves, mental care specialists reach out to Fukushima evacuees
Every month, Harumi Sugiyama and Yumiko Hongo visit an apartment complex in Tokyo accommodating people who fled the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, listening to the evacuees as they talk about their daily lives, frustrations and sorrows.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AFTEREFFECTS OF MARCH 2011
Mar 7, 2017
Tsunami-hit Rikuzentakata rebuilding on raised ground, hoping to thrive anew
This is the first of a four-part series looking at the lasting impact of the March 11, 2011, disasters.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Mar 7, 2017
Financial crunch time looms for Fukushima's 'voluntary evacuees'
This month, housing subsidies run out for those who fled the Fukushima nuclear disaster from areas other than the government-designated evacuation zones, and as the clock ticks down, evacuees have had to decide whether to return or move once again.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2017
Nagano solicits outside help after losing most-seasoned fire-rescue chopper pilot in crash
Nagano is seeking the cooperation of other prefectures to deal with emergencies in the mountains after its only experienced firefighting-capable helicopter pilot was killed in a crash Sunday during a training exercise.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 7, 2017
Over half of Japan's 'disaster base' hospitals lack clear crisis operating manuals
More than half of specially designated hospitals for emergencies have yet — due partly to a lack of manpower — to draw up manuals spelling out how to continue operating after a major natural disaster hits, a Kyodo News survey showed Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2017
People in New York and Los Angeles offer prayers ahead of 2011 Tohoku quake and tsunami anniversary
About 700 Americans and Japanese offered prayers Sunday at memorial events in New York and Los Angeles ahead of Saturday's anniversary of the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 22, 2017
Flooding forces hundreds from homes in San Jose, California
Murky, waist-high floodwaters swamped neighborhoods along a rain-swollen creek in the northern California city of San Jose on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders or advisories for more than 1,000 homes, city officials said.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 3, 2017
Guardian of 3/11 orphan gets six years for embezzling his aid money
A corporate executive from Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, was handed a six-year prison term Thursday for embezzling some ¥68 million from the bank account of his 15-year-old nephew, who was orphaned by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 22, 2017
How space could trigger an economic crisis
The World Economic Forum's annual assessment of global risks, published this month, rates extreme weather events as the most likely risk to the world.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals