Contents:
November 19, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Record-breaking rainfall in September breached levees in inland areas of Miyagi Prefecture, causing immense damages on the areas. Responding to calls by organization working in the Oshika Peninsula after the earthquake, locals in Ishinomaki voluntarily joined clearing houses of sludge in the flood-ravaged areas. What is heartening to us is that there are willing helpers among people who have experienced the Tohoku earthquake, as we saw in the recent flooding where people in Ishinomaki took prompt action in corporation with organizations.
The city of Ishinomaki was heavily damaged by the Great East Tohoku Earthquake, but thanks to support from all over the world, its key industry has achieved reconstruction and its communities are gradually recovering, new movements found to be created. From now on, our continued support to the communities will be delivered through recovery assistance organizations based in the disaster hit areas. October 22, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. By this September 11th four and a half years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, as make us realize how quickly time flies.
Ishinomaki, though worst affected by the earthquake, is now recovering. The renovation work on schools in the city have finished, and so students have moved from awkward makeshift classrooms to their reborn schools, returning to their normal school lives.
To support the industry Ishinomaki fish market was reconstructed and now reborn into a world-class market. With the construction of coast infrastructure and housing for affected people proceeding at a fast pace, many support organizations are seen to take initiative to boost local development. Temporary quarters are becoming empty every day as people continue moving to the public housing units to settle in new neighborhoods.
The difference between neighborhoods that are ready to brace these people and ones that are not is becoming visible, which is presenting a new challenge. September 24, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The festival began to both pay tribute to Mr.
The city of Ishinomaki has undergone multiple disasters including tsunami triggered by the Chile earthquake, the Miyagi earthquake, the Great East Japan Earthquake, and so on, but never called off the festival even in the year when it was hit by these disasters because the festival has been the source of emotional support to its people. Magobei Kawamura and was followed by a service to commemorate the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, in which service a total of 5, paper lanterns were floated down to comfort the spirits of the victims and fireworks were set off with wishes for recovery from the disaster.
The second day continued to follow a pattern of exciting events such as the parade featured by marching bands, the dedicatory tug-of-war competition to the god of Nawabari shrine, Magobei-boat rowing match and so on, as many as 6, fireworks being set off to wrap up the festival. August 20, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Four years and four months passed since the Great Tohoku Earthquake, and efforts to restore crumbled infrastructure including road and dikes continue in disaster-hit areas. Landscapes have changed acccoringly with signs of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami disappeared, leaving less and less traces that reveal the ravage of the disaster.
In the city of Ishinomaki, the worst hit area, as many as 3, people lost their lives either directly or indirectly by the disaster and are still missing, and even now the search activities for the missing people are carried out on the 11th of each month. While the Self-Defense Forces searched the district from boats right after the earthquake, no search activities have been conducted since then. The completion of dike restoration work accelerated the pace of draining the district, and made it possible to conduct full-scale search activities.
Disaster restoration housing is now ready to receive victims living in temporary quarters, signaling post-quake restoration is rolling forward. In this situation JEN continues helping disaster victims find their way back to normal as soon as they can. July 16, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Supporting the committee become more self-reliant, JEN opted to take only background role in A lot of plans were worked out at the tour.
Participants came from many countries and regions, including, Taiwan, China, Tokyo, Sendai and so on. I had productive two days. The committee will take the initiative in planning and running. June 18, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. JEN so far has donated playground equipment to four elementary schools in the areas affected by the tsuami. Now all elementary schools in the areas have restored damaged playground equipment thanks to the support from local governments, support organizations as well as JEN.
In the latest project JEN decided to restore a small-scale playground in the residential area in Shimokama district, Ishinomki. The decision followed a survey done by JEN on the damage to playgrounds to determine which one to restore in the coastal areas of Ishinomaki. The Shimokama district in southeastern Ishinomaki saw a massive exodus after the Tohoku earthquake, which exodus has reduced the number of households in the district from 1, to As a result JEN could successfully incorporate their opinions into the plan, deciding what kind of equipment to install, setting up of an arbor and so on.
The neighborhood association also successfully pressed the local government to level the ground and install a fence around the playground. Long-awaited equipment was installed on May 17 and the ceremony to celebrate the completion of the playground was held. Representatives of each organization including JEN, local government and the neighborhood association cut the tape at the ceremony. After the ceremony many children were seen to play with the long awaited equipment.
JEN wants the children of those people come here and use the playground as a place to recover their community. May 28, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. JEN has been involved in wide range of activities including helping victims make a living and restore their communities since right after the disaster in the Oshika Peninsula, the city of Ishinomaki. Its activities to restore communities have been conducted mainly in the Ohara district located in the middle of the peninsula.
Two thirds of the people in the district were left homeless by the tsunami, forced to live in shelters. With another third of them escaped getting their houses destroyed, the difference in living conditions once drove the two sides even too further. The united efforts together by the people to resume their traditional festival, however, were able to lead to overcome the difference, the people working to settle in a higher ground together. The center was affected by the tsunami but restored by the help of the volunteers across the country, and has been provided free of charge for volunteers in the peninsula where no accommodations were available after the disaster.
The first group was assigned to the Ohara Community Center and gave a thorough cleaning even to places that are usually neglected, airing out tatamis and bedding, cleaning overhead lights and swabbing floors, wiping windows and screens. April 16, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. JEN has concluded a project to rebuild ravaged two parks attached to the housing areas in Kamikama district located to the southwest of Ishinomaki city.
So the park has become a place where people from children to elderlies in local communities can relax. So we bet all of the participants enjoyed the event. We hope it continues its activities in conjunction with local communities in Kamikama district. JEN will continue its efforts to develop local communities comfortable for children. March 12, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. On January 30, JEN hosted the last meeting of the handicrafts support project, bringing together handcrafters who exhibited their products.
This project aims at promoting the empowerment of women through handiwork and putting in place a mechanism needed to ensure their self-sustaining and lasting business. For details for the event in December, click here. From , they will make a fresh start of their businesses in Ishinomaki.
February 12, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. On December 13, the sixth "Handicraft market, Hands-on exhibit in Ishinomaki: Making Handcrafting into Jobs", an event aimed at giving a leg up to women who do handicrafts in Ishinomaki, was held at the central office of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives in Ishinomaki, Nakazato Agricultural Cooperative Hall for more information on the fifth event on July 12 is available here. Blessed with fine weather, the event attracted many repeat visitors who love crafts, a flow of visitors continuing until its closing time. It all started with craft workshops held at temporary housing and public meeting places in disaster affected areas, and some female workshop participants there who wanted to go up to a higher level have found a market for their products, making their hobby into a job.
During the fair the handcrafters worked together on site management, product inspection, accounting operation and so on. We hope them to fully demonstrate what they have gained through their experiences so far. Good luck, Keep up the good job!! December 25, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. In the city of Ishinomaki, children have difficulty finding outdoor spaces where to play, because not just many of its parks are still left unrestored after being raged through by the tsunami but baseball parks or sports ground were used to set up temporary housing for disaster victims.
In the hope of building a park for their children, the members of the neighborhood association talked many times among them about park restoration, providing a variety of ideas. Before the groundwork of the construction work, many of the members and their children weeded. The construction work of the two parks will be completed by December 7. On the day, the children and their parents will put the finishing touch on the park by assembling benches, doing painting, and planting, then a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the park will be performed. A workshop on the importance of being well mannered and obeying rules in the park and a luncheon party are also planned for the ceremony.
November 20, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The male participants, receiving prior instruction, had a united effort to pump up the event. Thanks to the cooperation of local residents, the event could let the female participants see many interesting places in the Oshika peninsula and learn how wonderful the nature of the Oshika peninsula is. On the first day, the participants had a face time by introducing themselves and playing games at Meguro, a guest house featuring fine Japanese kappo cuisine at Obuchihama in Oshika peninsula.
We believe the female participants liked locally-hauled fish and seafood for dinner. After the dinner, the participants got along great and were excited at chatting, smiling faces being seen everywhere. Five couples were formed. I had a good time enjoying chatting and participatory games. Yahoo Japan Corporation Sponsor: November 13, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The city of Ishinomaki constructed 7, row-house-style temporary housing units to house disaster victims on a smaller scale than its initial plan of 10, units because it was authorized to use private rental housing as temporary housing by the central government.
Ishinomaki aims at setting up 4, disaster public housing units so that victims may move from temporary housing to homes where they can live without anxiety. A total of private apartments have been already chartered and supplied to victims so far. Under its plan, 3, disaster public housing units are going to be built at thirty nine places in urban areas, 1, of them are due to be supplied by the end of March next year, but soring labor cost and material prices are delaying the construction work.
JEN organizes occasional networking events among victims living in temporary housing. JEN is committed to encouraging the victims to be more positive.
October 30, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. This award aims at developing the spirit of volunteerism among junior-high-school and high-school students by parsing volunteer activities, promoting exchanges with other students, and letting other students know more about volunteer activities. The criteria for deciding the winner of the award are contribution to communities, creativity, ability to make a plan and execute it out, leadership, and what was learned and felt. These criteria are examined synthetically.
The school districts where the two elementary schools are located were severely hit by the tsunami, and in particular Kadonowaki Elementary School was burn down. In November , many local people and volunteers cooperated in making a flowerbed and planting tulip bulbs. In the autumn of , the flowerbed was taken over from the second graders who first came up with the idea to the first graders.
JEN continues grooming future leaders. October 9, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The event for the twelfth time was carried out featuring assistance in purifying a festival site and helping organize it, a tour to temporary quarter sites, and fishing experiences at Kyubunnhama.
There had been worries whether the event could attract participants for it was timed on weekdays to coincide with the festival, but a total of twenty-one students who were still on summer vacation came to join the event from Aomori in the north from Hiroshima in the south. October 2, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink.
First, all of the participants walked to the square, and observed how large it is, where it is, and what its surroundings are. Ryo Yamazaki, a community designer, served as the overall facilitator for the workshop. In the second workshop, the participants, on the basis of the ideas created during the first workshop, did a brainstorming about how to play, where to set up playground equipment and what color best suit the equipment, with the help of a replica of the playground. Then each team presented its plan in front of other teams. Masayoshi Takeuchi will integrate those plans to wrap up an architectural plan, which will take a concrete shape next spring.
September 25, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The latest class featured swimming and camping at Ajishima Island, a remote island off the coast of Ishonomaki. Shirahama bathing beach located to the west of the island has a shoal that blazes like emeradls and boasts one of the clearest water in Tohoku region. It was hard hit by the tsunami generated by the great earthquake, but was managed to reopen last summer thanks to islanders and volunteers from across the country.
Some of the children had hated going to the sea after the disaster, but the sight of the sea before them caused them to jump into the sea with not much time being wasted on warm-ups. Children called for extending hours allotted them for swimming. Then they enjoyed a firework display that they had been looking forward to, with it finishing the day. They seemed to have fallen asleep quickly perhaps because of tiredness from swimming.
When JEN asked the parents about their motives for joining the class, the following answers came back: The next morning also the children prepared breakfast and cleared up. At the end of the class, everyone joining in the class cleaned up Shirahama bathing beach. September 11, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. However, when the great earthquake broke out, the biggest problem we faced was the lack of access to water. In fact we are apt to forget that this environment we consider natural is not the case abroad. We are committed to forging ahead with its mission to realize a warless and dispute less world and a society where everybody can independently live in happiness.
September 4, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. It has been decided that Watanohausu a pun linking Watanoha and hausu which is Japanese pronunciation of house: Watanoha lodging will close at the end of August after providing volunteers with a floor to sleep for more than three years. This, JEN making practical use of an old folk house in Watanoha district situated on the halfway point between central Ishinomaki and the Oshika peninsula, has been accommodations secured for people coming to Ishinomaki to take part in assistance activities.
Many of the volunteers quartered in Watanohausu because it was difficult to find anywhere to stay right after the disaster. Among them were a repeat guest who lodged over twenty times and also a long-stay guest who stayed for over thirty days. During the busy day, more than thirty volunteers brought their own sleeping bags and slept in Watanohausu.
The lodging has a common book on which guests have left many messages. Among those messages are one that expresses not only sympathies for disaster-stricken Ishinomaki but concern for JEN staff members, which messages made my eyes watery before I realize it.
August 28, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The tenth of the event featured hands-on experiences in fishing at Yagawahama on the Oshika peninsula and joining in a festival at Oharahama. Participants came from Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and as far as Italy. I believe you have found that they are filled with deep love for their home town and the Oshika peninsula. While the Oshika peninsula is still on the road to recovery from the disaster, locals are doing their best toward recovery. August 21, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink.
The 91th Ishinomaki River Festival took place, , people according to its organizer being attracted. On Saturday the 31st of July, a memorial service was held to repay Mr. After the sun had gone down, some 5, lanterns were floated down the Kitakami River while there was the sound of monks reciting sutras; with the surface of the river reflecting the fantastic lights of the lanterns, many were watching them floating one by one while thinking about those victimized by the disaster. On water was held Magobei-boat rowing match which has made a comeback from the disaster with a support for rebuilding disaster-stricken boats.
Heated races were unfolded. On land was held a parade by a firefighter marching band, a band affiliated with the Association for Ishinomaki District Administrative Affairs, which was resumed for the first time after the disaster. Many citizens cheered as it passed. JEN donated musical instruments to the firefighter marching band in March, , in collaboration with Hope for Japan, a project developed by Mudef aiming at helping Tohoku areas in their recovery effort. JEN will continue helping those people live an independent life. August 14, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. A series of six classes are scheduled to be given in the June-December period, and are going to be improved so that they may become rich and rewarding opportunities to learn and experience various futures of hometown Ishinomaki.
First offered was a photography class in a parking lot at the foot of Mt. Every children being handed out an instant camera, they learned the basics of photography from how to advance and rewind films to how to take photos. When they were encouraged to take the pictures of their parents first, however, the children seemed to relax a little after they began shooting, the class being full of smiling faces and lively conversations at last. On the natural trail up to Hitsujisaki shrine sitting on the top of Mt.
They were amazed by his explanation that humans in early times were living in mountain areas because sea level was meters higher than it is now when humans began living in Ishinomaki. The natural trail leading to an athletic facility, the children dashed to it with not much time being wasted on lunch. The parents seemed to get refreshed, above all else, by seeing their children joyfully playing. JEN will hold classes on fishing, camping on a remote island, cooking, and so on down the road.
JEN is committed to working on providing those parents and their children in disaster-stricken areas who are facing many challenges with rewarding time in which they can deepen their bonds while rediscovering their hometown Ishinomaki. August 7, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. On July 12, the fifth "Handicraft market, Hands-on exhibit in Ishinomaki: Making Handcrafting into Jobs", an event aimed at giving a leg up to women who do handicrafts in Ishinomaki, was held at the central office of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives in Ishinomaki, Nakazato Agricultural Cooperative Hall the fourth on February 8, the third on December 14; for more information on the third event is available here.
The event has become so popular that it marked its fifth kickoff on the day, attracting a lot of visitors from immediately after its kickoff. Marking its fifth kickoff on the day, the event has become completely popular.
The participants also had actively worked on making a public announcement about the event such as handing out leaflets. July 24, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Locals in the communities have had aspiration: The committee composed of the locals are hosting the program, JEN helping them organize it. They came from Tokyo, Chiba, as well as from as far afield as Kobe and Hokkaido. During the wo-day trip they had an opportunity to interact with locals in the Oshika peninsula, the interaction developing into spontaneous exchanges among themselves.
Come to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of the island and gorgeous blue sea. July 10, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. This year makes the third year since the training program began, which has become familiar among people in the town. A total of trainees participated in the program this year, of which participated in the first leg of the program held in April and in May respectively.
The trainees were divided into groups according to an area assignment to nine hama [fishing community] and each group engaged in fishing support activities for four consecutive days at the same hama such as shipping mekabu [holdfasts of seaweed], making anchors of farming rafts and so on.
The program provides not only the communities with contributions in human resources but both the communities and the trainees with a priceless opportunity to learn from one another. That must have provided the trainees a learning environment and make a formative effect on their life in the future as members of society.
Even after the training, JEN wishes them to continue thinking of the future of the quake-and-tsunami-hit areas and feeling sympathy for people confronted with difficult situations in the world. June 19, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. In good weather, the moving work was lucky enough to mobilize large group of people including 50 students, 43 volunteers and parents and their children who are members of a local sports club.
Some viola seedlings were drug out and put into a plastic bag one by one, and then carried to Kadonowaki Elementary School in many batches, their new habitat. Kadonowaki town starts a land preparation for new town and its redemarcation project from fiscal year The project is supposed to begin in earnest after consecutive holidays in May and the site of the flower garden is also subject to it; therefore the moving has taken place.
On the second day, participants totaled 40, students and volunteers, despite the rain, completing the moving. Thanks to the efforts of many people, the moving has been done successfully.
Long winter has gone and you can feel the coming of spring in Ishinomaki. The flowers will be at their best soon. We will let you know on Facebook or Twitter as soon as they come out and so we invite you to join us. Two-day experience tour in the Oshika peninsula, Miyagi Pref. April 17, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. April 3, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. March 28, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. On March 11, , a chilly day with high winds and occasional snowstorm just like three years ago, as this year marks the third year since the Tohoku disaster, memorial ceremonies were held at several locations in the city of Ishinomaki.
Almost all of the houses in the town were swept away by the tsunami, and that led the local authorities to do land plotting again in order to develop a new town; currently twenty-three households remain in the town waiting for the plotting to be over. It was some eighty people including not only those living in the town but also those taking shelter in other places who came to join the ceremony on that day.
They prayed for those who died, the ceremony providing a good opportunity for them to meet and hear from their old friends and neighbors after a long time. The design for lanterns was created by Mr. Toyokazu Abe who lives in the town. He says that the lanterns represent the combination of a cirque, a jewelry Buddha wears, and soul in the shape of heart. Keeping close to victims, JEN is committed to working on many assistance projects.
March 13, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Almost 4, lives including missing persons were lost in the city of Ishinomaki where the Tohoku Earthquake inflicted maximal damage. The Ishinomaki City Second Minato Elementary School is scheduled to be closed down at the end of this month, and with this, a "reunion to share its memories" was held at Kaihoku Elementary School on March 2 where it has been temporary giving classes.
Some alumni gathered and looked backed on the days they spent in the school, regretting the ending of the school's history,. Ripped through by the tsunami, the school established in has been getting by for three years on giving classes in temporary school quarters or other school's classrooms. It has been finally decided that the school ends its year-long history this spring, integrated with Minato Elementary School.
During the gathering, the school's old days were displayed using a slideshow, and then ninety-three current students introduced its history and what it was like when the disaster struck it. At the end of the gathering, the students recited their pledge saying "We will hand down the lessons of the disaster to the next generation, and we will grow up to be adults who can support many people. Alumni, successive PTA associates and school principals sent a shout-out to the current students, and then everyone attending the gathering sang the school song.
The first verse of the school song goes: The word "Blue Ocean" came up when the current students gave presentation on "what we are proud of our homeland Minato. JEN is committed to helping Minato's young shoots grow up healthy in spite of the odds and be able to lead the rehabilitation of their home land Minato which has suffered heavy losses and is still under difficult conditions.
If you have any questions, please contact JEN Tohoku office at March 6, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Tsunami-hit elementary and junior high schools in the coastal areas of Ishinomaki city are now under restoration work and so children have had a school life in temporary school buildings or classrooms offered by other schools.
With the completion of the restoration work, four of nine those schools are scheduled to start giving classes in new school buildings from April The relocation of the schools is going to be carried out by teachers and locals, but it would be a heavy workload so much so that it's likely to be beyond their power. JEN has been working on improving school environment since , and so JEN recruits volunteers to help the teachers and locals with the relocation. Volunteer Job; - Helping transport school equipments including student desks - Cleaning up temporary school buildings.
What to bring; -Clothes that you won't bother getting dirty -Non-slip cotton work gloves -Indoor shoes -Lunch -Drinks. Conditions for participation; - Participants are to come to Ishinomaki station or the scene by yourself. For the participation of minors over 6 and under 15 , their parents need to accompany them and sign a letter of awareness. Number of participants; - 10 participants every day but there is no limit to participants coming by their own cars.
February 20, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. Since the Thohoku Great Earthquake broke out, JEN has worked on a variety of projects set in the Oshika peninsula ranging from sending volunteers to helping individuals make a living, local communities restore vitality and temporary housing society keep alive. With these project as a base, locals has taken the initiative in starting "Come to Join Fishing Event" project that aims at addressing the problems bothering their fishery villages in the Oshika peninsula and revitalizing those slumping villages.
There are nearly thirty fishery villages on the Oshika peninsula, each of which is called whatever -"hama". Each hama has its distinctive culture, way of life and charm. Locals and outside support organizations are promoting many projects aimed at addressing challenges facing each hama to revitalize its community, and so you can see changes taking place in each hama. JEN considers it critical helping create a sustainable environment where each community can work in union towards resolving their problems there.
It's been two years since "Come to Join Fishing Event" was launched.
The locals together have worked on improving the event which creates the flow of people from outside by promoting the Oshika peninsula's attractions. Receiving a request saying that "Our hama would like to hold such event too! We are waiting for your coming the Oshika peninsula where you can experience its lots of attractions and savor tradition, culture and marine products. Everyone in each hama is anxiously waiting for your coming. In March, following two programs are scheduled to take place. So, why not take this opportunity to reach the magic in the Oshika peninsula and have a chance to talk with the locals about the future of the region.
You can please your taste buds as many as five times! It is a two-day program that provides you with an opportunity to enjoy spring foods of hamascallops, ascidia, wakame, holdfasts and oystersat Higashi-hama and Yagawa-hama. You also can have an opportunity to exchange with the locals at a guest house "Stago-so" at Obuchi-hama.
March 12, "Participants to Experience Historic Shrine Festival at Kitsunezaki-hama" You can have an opportunity to participate in carrying mikoshi, portable shrine, during Kitsunezaki-hama Fox Deity Shrine Festival which has a history of more than years and takes place annually on the day of hatsuum, traditional day for worship at fox deity shrines. After making preparations in the morning, people parade along street holding mikoshi on their shoulders. At the end of the festival, naorai feast will develop more friendly ties between the participants and the locals. Applications are being accepted through each website sign-up page.
February 13, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. JEN has been working on assisting children in disaster stricken areas in coalition with a charity project called "Reborn Garden". Miki Ando along with world's leading skaters organized Reborn Garden charity show, in March On January 25, Ms. Miki Ando who first called for the need to launch the project came to Ishinomaki to hold an exchange party with children, they thronging around her while having lunch. The city of Ishinomaki hardest hit by the Thohoku Earthquake still has scores of children who lead a difficult school life in which they study in temporary prehab school building or in classrooms offered by inland schools that survived the tsunami.
It was those children trying hard to keep up their spirits under such circumstances that came together to participate in the party on that day. The party was held at an historic restaurant founded years ago, which was managed to reopen in January after its disaster-struck building had been rebuilt. Reporting to the reception desk, the children blinked at her. A total of twenty five children and their parents joined the party. Perhaps because some reunited days after long separation and others saw each other for the first time, the party began in a bit tense atmosphere.
However smiling faces began to be seen a little by little everywhere while the participants were having lunch together. February 4, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The students are from all parts of the world including Norway, Turkey, and China, whose engagement with JEN's project is as part of their school curriculum. Tanigawahama's young fisherman Mr. Masao Atsumi, as a storyteller, welcomed the students and gave a talk about; what the situation of Tanigawahama was like in the post-quake period; the farming of ascidians and scallops having been prosperous since long ago and so on.
And he said through an interpreter Korea has imposed a controversial ban on the import of Tanigawahama's sea products as a consequence of Fukushima nuclear plant incident and so there remains a major problem for fishermen in the region. Atsumi's explanation, the students worked on making mother shells for farming ascidians and the preparation of scallop farming as a hands-on activity. Braving the exposure to low wind-chill, they actively worked with fishermen. For lunch, they savored a potluck barbecue with freshly-hauled scallops and oysters brought by fishermen and beef brought by the students.
It was impressing to see a woman who can't speak English responded with smile when one of the students who tried tonjiru, miso soup with pork and vegetables, for the first time said to the woman "Miso soup, oishi! JEN is committed to providing people working hard to overcome the disaster toward self-sustained development with continued assistance through its exchange program which offers participants opportunities to experience fisheries, to make inspection tours, and to socialize with people in the stricken areas. January 23, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink.
It was "the Ishinimaki-Nichi-Nichi Shinbun's cup soccer event for boys and girls co-hosted by Meiji University affiliated Meiji High as part of its centennial events" that took place for the second since last year on January For more about last year's event, click here. This year's event was held at the soccer field of the Ishinomaki Football Association unlike last year, because last year's venue, Comprehensive Sports Park in Onagawa, is now under post-disaster construction and damage repair work,.
Heated battles were unfolded. A total of twelve teams came from Ishinomaki, Higashimatsushima and Onagawacho to participate in the two-day event, enjoying competitive matches. Meiji High School sent thirty seven students including soccer club members to Ishinomaki for the event. The soccer club members served as umpires and scorers, the rest of the students were also active in volunteering right beside the soccer games for cooking shiruko, sweet red-bean soup, together with residents of the temporary housing complex built in the Tohoku Electronics Industry, Ltd owned land; providing children with the experience of spinning be-goma, spinning top and true-or-false quiz contest.
Regression analyses of the prefecture -level panel data confirmed that there was an inverse-U shaped relationship between economic development and income inequality. At the same time thorough analyses of the d Application of the micro-PIXE technique for analyzing arsenic in biomat and lower plants of lichen and mosses around an arsenic mine site, at Gunma , Japan. Microhabitats of bacteria biomat and lower plants, such as lichen and mosses, are known to accumulate hazardous elements.
Spatial distributions of As, Fe, Si and S in all biomat, lichen and moss collected within 3 m from the mine entrance indicate that As is localized, and is associated with silicate and Fe-containing compounds. This indicates that As trapped by the moss on the concrete wall probably has the same origin as the biomat. Survey of environmental radiation dose rates in Kyoto and Shiga prefectures , Japan.
We have measured environmental radiation dose rates in several Prefectures , such as Ai chi Prefecture , Gifu Prefecture , and Mie Prefecture , in central Japan. Recently, we measured the environmental radiation dose rates in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures that are also located in central Japan with a car-borne survey system. At the time of measurement, Kyoto Prefecture area: The following factors were taken into consideration the shielding effect of the car body, the effect of the road pavement, radon progeny borne by precipitation, and increases in tunnels and near the walls.
Terrestrial gamma ray dose rates in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures were estimated to be Secondary cosmic ray dose rates in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures were The environmental radiation dose rates due to the sum dose rates of terrestrial gamma ray and secondary cosmic ray in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures were We confirmed that the environmental radiation dose rates in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures mainly depended on the change of the terrestrial gamma ray dose rates, since the secondary cosmic ray dose rates had little change. Therefore, radiation dose-rate maps of the terrestrial gamma rays as well as maps of the environmental radiation dose-rate were drawn.
Geographical structures and the cholera epidemic in modern Japan: Fukushima prefecture in and Full Text Available Abstract Background Disease diffusion patterns can provide clues for understanding geographical change. Fukushima, a rural prefecture in northeast Japan , was chosen for a case study of the late nineteenth century cholera epidemic that occurred in that country.
Two volumes of Cholera Ryu-ko Kiji Cholera Epidemic Report, published by the prefectural government in and , provide valuable records for analyzing and modelling diffusion. Text descriptions and numerical evidence culled from the reports were incorporated into a temporal-spatial study framework using geographic information system GIS and geo-statistical techniques.
Results Changes in diffusion patterns between and reflect improvements in the Fukushima transportation system and growth in social-economic networks. The data reveal different diffusion systems in separate regions in which residents of Fukushima and neighboring prefectures interacted.
Our model also shows that an area in the prefecture 's northern interior was dominated by a mix of diffusion processes contagious and hierarchical, that the southern coastal region was affected by a contagious process, and that other infected areas experienced relocation diffusion. Conclusion In addition to enhancing our understanding of epidemics, the spatial-temporal patterns of cholera diffusion offer opportunities for studying regional change in modern Japan.
By highlighting the dynamics of regional reorganization, our findings can be used to better understand the formation of an urban hierarchy in late nineteenth century Japan. Prefectural and municipal public health institutes are located in prefectures and ordinance-designated cities in Japan , and play a vital role in the regional surveillance of infectious diseases and foodborne illnesses. These institutes, in close cooperation with national institutes such as the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Health Sciences, construct the national surveillance network for infectious diseases and their causative agents.
Bacteriological examinations and studies on a variety of infectious diseases and foodborne illnesses are core activities of prefectural and municipal public health institutes, through which novel and important bacteriological findings have been acquired. Eradication of the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett, by mass release of sterile flies in Okinawa prefecture , Japan. Following the successful eradication on Kume Island in , large scale SIT was started to eradicate the melon fly on the 3 groups of islands, Miyako, Okinawa and Yaeyama of Okinawa Prefecture , Japan in , and , and eradication was achieved in , and , respectively.
For the successful eradication on Miyako, Okinawa and Yaeyama groups of islands, about 6,, 30, and 15, million sterile melon flies were released, respectively. Flora and vegetation in Mikazukiike-Awara moor in northern Nagano prefecture , central Japan. Flora and vegetation were investigated in Mikazukiike-Awara moor in northern Nagano prefecture , central Japan. The vegetation was chiefly characterized by the Sphagnum-sedge community. We recorded species of vascular plants and 4 sphagnum species in this area.
Population of some Liliaceae and Orchidaceae species have decreased over the past 12 years. It may be caused by drought associated with human impacts. Additionally, conservation of peripheral environments e. When disaster struck at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March , the IAEA offered immediate assistance to the Plant operators and the Japanese authorities as they tried to regain control over the reactors.
We began sharing verified information about the accident with the world and helped to channel international assistance to Japan. A high priority was to do everything we could to help ensure the safety of the people of Japan , especially those in Fukushima Prefecture who were most affected by the crisis.
I went to Japan a few days after the accident to meet then Prime Minister Kan. I assured him that Japan could count on the support of the entire international community and stressed the need for full transparency. I sent a number of expert teams to assist in areas such as radiological monitoring, food safety, and analysis of the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant. Four IAEA teams undertook measurements in the Fukushima region, both inside and outside the 20 km evacuation zone. Joint teams from the IAEA and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization advised local authorities on technical issues related to food safety and agricultural countermeasures.
Some important environmental readings at key points in the unfolding crisis were taken by IAEA experts. Our presence helped to provide reassurance to the people of Japan at a very critical time. It is now one year and nine months since the accident. In that time, we have continued to work closely with Japan. Today, I will sign an important document with Governor Sato of Fukushima Prefecture on our cooperation in the coming years. We will also implement human health projects with Fukushima Medical University. Incidence of pests and viral disease on pepino Solanum muricatum Ait.
The solanaceous fruit crop pepino Solanum muricatum Ait. In these areas, pests and diseases of pepino have been identified well; however, to date, these have seldom been investigated in detail in Japan. Herein, we attempt to reconstruct an agricultural production system for commercial pepino crops in Japan , and evaluate the incidence of pests and viral diseases on pepino. The findings of this study will facilitate in developing a better crop system for the commercial cultivation of healthy pepino fruits.
A total of 11 species, comprising nine insects and two mites, were recognized as pests of pepino plants in our experimental fields in Kanagawa Prefecture , central Honshu, Japan. Of these pest species, the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch, and the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, , were remarkably abundant than the other pest species.
Eventually, 13 species, including two previously recorded, are currently recognized as the pests of pepino in Japan. No virus was detected in symptomatic pepino leaves collected in our experimental fields. This is a first report on the identification of pests on pepino plants in Kanagawa Prefecture , Japan and elucidates the relationship between currently occurring pests of pepino plants and potential viral pathogens that they can transmit. A new species of the genus Pontogeneia taken from a shallow inlet of Fukushima Prefecture , Japan , is described and figured.
The new species is closely related to P. This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of rotavirus genotypes in Nara Prefecture , Japan before and after the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in The efficiency analysis methods of decontamination of Fukushima Prefecture territory Japan. Full Text Available The article deals with the problems of radiological and economic efficiency of decontamination procedures as a measure of eliminating radioactive contamination in scarcely populated residential areas of Fukushima Prefecture Japan.
The objective of the research was to identify and compare with officially declared results the real effects of the decontamination measures on improving the radiation situation and reducing radiation doses for the population in Fukushima region. There was another objective of estimating the expected decontamination expenditure for these territories and the economic efficiency of this measure in accordance with the official international recommendations.
The results of such kind of survey for Japan and actual values of the prevented doses due to the decontamination have not been published before. The key objective of this research was to assess the need for decontamination in sparsely populated areas of Fukushima Prefecture taking into account relatively low radiation background in these areas and significant associated financial losses.
The initial data for the research have been taken from the Environment Ministry Japan reports on the restoration progress in the NPP area. The data on the current radiation situation in Japan have been taken from the Japan Nuclear Regulatory Commission Internet publications. A mathematical modeling of the radiation situation in remediation territories near Fukushima-1 NPP was carried out in the research taking into account the simultaneous impact of several natural and anthropogenic factors.
This mathematical model is described in the article. Some empirical dependencies obtained after the Chernobyl accident were also used in it. As the results of the research, the estimated values of actual, predicted and prevented by the decontamination and the resettlement measures doses to residents in one specific Fukushima prefecture municipality were presented. The total and average financial costs. Meteorological factors affecting scrub typhus occurrence: Climate change, by its influence on the ecology of vectors might affect the occurrence of vector-borne diseases.
This study examines the effects of meteorological factors in Japan on the occurrence of scrub typhus, a mite-borne zoonosis caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. Using negative binomial regression, we analysed the relationships between meteorological factors including temperature, rainfall, snowfall and spring-early summer cases of scrub typhus in Yamagata Prefecture , Japan , during The average temperature in July and August of the previous year, cumulative rainfall in September of the previous year, snowfall throughout the winter, and maximum depth of snow cover in January and February were positively correlated with the number of scrub typhus cases.
By contrast, cumulative rainfall in July of the previous year showed a negative relationship to the number of cases. These associations can be explained by the life-cycle of Leptotrombidium pallidum, a predominant vector of spring-early summer cases of scrub typhus in northern Japan.
Our findings show that several meteorological factors are useful to estimate the number of scrub typhus cases before the endemic period. They are applicable to establish an early warning system for scrub typhus in northern Japan. Objective Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in March , many residents of Fukushima Prefecture were affected by a radiation accident in addition to suffering loss or damage from the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the actual condition of patients with peptic ulcers related to the disaster. Methods Patients with peptic ulcers at six hospitals in three different regions of Fukushima Prefecture during the two months following the disaster and the corresponding period of the year before and the year after the disaster were enrolled in this study. Changes by period and region in the number of esophagogastroduodenoscopy EGD examinations and the number of peptic ulcer patients were evaluated as the primary endpoints.
Changes in the frequencies of hemorrhagic ulcers were evaluated by period and by region as secondary endpoints. Results The numbers of EGDs and peptic ulcer cases compared to the previous year decreased in and then increased in However, the ratio of hemorrhagic ulcers to peptic ulcers was higher in Regarding bleeding cases during , the rate at 1 month after the disaster Conclusion The number of patients with peptic ulcers did not increase immediately following the disaster in Fukushima Prefecture.
However, the rate of bleeding patients increased soon after the disaster, especially in the coastal area. Daily radionuclide ingestion and internal radiation doses in Aomori prefecture , Japan. To assess internal annual dose in the general public in Aomori Prefecture , Japan , 80 duplicate cooked diet samples, equivalent to the food consumed over a d period by one person, were collected from volunteers in Aomori City and the village of Rokkasho during — and were analyzed for 11 radionuclides.
To obtain average rates of ingestion of radionuclides, the volunteers were selected from among office, fisheries, agricultural, and livestock farm workers. Committed effective doses from ingestion of the diet over a 1-y period were calculated from the analytical results and from International Commission on Radiological Protection dose coefficients; for 40K, an internal effective dose rate from the literature was used.
Fisheries workers had significantly higher combined internal annual dose than the other workers, possibly because of high rates of ingestion of marine products known to have high Po concentrations. The average internal dose rate, weighted by the numbers of households in each worker group in Aomori Prefecture , was estimated at 0. Effect of tree thinning and litter removal on the radiocesium Cs, discharge rates in the Kawauchi forest plantation Fukushima Prefecture , northern Japan.
On 11 March a 9. Despite the bulk of radionuclides ca. As a consequence and among other radionuclides, a total of , TBq of I, 13, TBq of Cs and 13, TBq of Cs were released into the atmosphere and the ocean, contaminating cultivated soils, rivers, settlements and forested areas. This accident caused severe environmental and economic damages. Several decontamination practices have done, including tree thinning and litter removal within the forests and tree plantations.
In this study we analysed the effect of eight different management practices on the radiocesium Cs and Cs discharge rates during 20 months May' - Dec' in a Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica plantation stand age of 57 years , located in a hillslope near the Kawauchi village, Fukushima Prefecture , northern Japan. The soils are Andosols.
With girls screaming at worms appearing in the earth and boys competing on the speed of shoveling, they spiritedly, cheerfully got on with the work. September 5, in Tohoku Earthquake Permalink. The low degree of melting is the primary reason for the high-Nb content of the vogesite, not mantle metasomatism, and a higher degree of melting would have changed the primary magma composition from a HNB to a Nb-enriched basalt NEB. An advanced educational program for in-hospital procurement coordinators is a possible solution for this. However, protocols for rapidly identifying other gastroenteritis viruses need to be established to investigate NoV-negative cases intensively. They have been working with the Japanese National Police Agency JNPA to accomplish this but sources inside that agency are dubious as to whether there have been any real results.
Ten runoff plots 5 x 2 meters were installed and measurements started on May Two plots remained without any treatment as control plots and the other eight plots represented the following management practices: Each plot had a gauging station and sediment samples. The size distribution of Po in the atmosphere around Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima prefecture , Japan. The concentration and size distribution of Po in particulate matters in the atmosphere were measured around the active volcano, Mt. The samples were collected eight times at four sampling points for the period from June to January The Po concentrations decreased with the increase of distance form Mt.
In addition, it was suggested that the Po concentration in particulate matters collected at Akamizu was affected by the wind direction over Mt. Radioactivity measurement of tsunami sediments due to the Great East Japan Earthquake in Miyagi prefecture. The tsunami sediments and their directly under soils from 25 tsunami flooded areas in Miyagi prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake were analyzed quantitatively for radiocesium Cs and Cs concentrations.
It was found that the radiocesium released in the reactor accidents of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant stayed for at least 6 months in the tsunami sediments layer of a few centimeter thickness. On the other hand, from the results of the radiocesium extraction test using the tsunami sediments and 3 kinds of inorganic solvents, it was also found that the radiocesium in the tsunami sediments passed ca. In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, most of the areas in Yamagata prefecture experienced a serious power failure lasting for approximately 24 hours.
A number of households were subsequently poisoned with carbon monoxide CO due to various causes. In this study, we conducted a survey of CO poisoning during the disaster. A questionnaire regarding CO poisoning associated with the disaster was sent to 37 emergency hospitals in Yamagata prefecture. A total of 51 patients were treated for unintentional CO poisoning in 7 hospitals hyperbaric oxygen chambers were present in 3 of the hospitals.
The patients 18 men, 33 women ranged in age from 0 to 90 years. Blood carboxyhemoglobin levels ranged from 0. Of these, 41 patients were treated by normobaric oxygen therapy, while one was intubated for artificial respiration. CO sources included gasoline-powered electric generators and charcoal briquettes during the disaster. Storm-related CO poisoning is well recognized as a disaster-associated accident in the United States, but not in Japan. We emphasize that public education is needed to make people aware of the dangers of CO poisoning after a disaster. In addition, a pulse CO-oximeter should be set up in hospitals.
Questionnaire survey on mumps vaccination for parents in Nara prefecture , Japan. Although the mumps vaccine has not been included in the national immunization program NIP in Japan , it has been shown that a two-dose routine vaccine program would be highly cost-effective.
In this study, we carried outa questionnaire-based study to investigate how many Japanese parents want the mumps vaccine to be included in the NIP with proper information. The questionnaire consisted of information about mumps and six questions, for example i do parents know that mumps can be prevented by vaccine; ii do they know that they need to pay for mumps vaccines; and iii do they hope that the government will resume routine mumps vaccination. In total, 1, parents answered the questionnaire. After reading the information, Japan is able to start routine use of the mumps vaccine now.
Annual incidences of visual impairment during year period in Mie prefecture , Japan. To determine the annual incidence of visual impairment in a Japanese population during a year period. We examined the physical disability certificates issued yearly between and in Mie prefecture , Japan. During this period visually impaired people were registered under the newly defined Act on Welfare of the Physically Disabled Persons' criteria. The age, sex distribution, and causes of visual impairment were determined from the certificates.
The major causes of visual impairment during the ten-year period were glaucoma The incidence of glaucoma was significantly higher throughout the period , and that of diabetic retinopathy was lower between and The incidence of retinitis pigmentosa did not change significantly during the year period.
The incidence of macular degeneration tended to increase between and , but it decreased significantly between and The results indicate that in Japan , the rates of the major causes of visual impairment altered in the most recent year period reflecting the recent changes in the social background and advances in ocular and systemic treatment. Supports for libraries'restoration from the Great East Japan Earthquake: Challenges we address at Miyagi Prefectural Library.
This article overviews the situations of damage and reconstruction of mainly public libraries in Miyagi Prefecture about 9 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Serious damage of library buildings was due not only to the tsunami or seismic sea wave but to violent shaking, the latter less reported by the media. We at the Miyagi Prefectural Library implemented reconstruction assistance for regional public libraries in both direct and indirect ways. Among them, we report in detail on the support we offered until the Minami-sanriku Town Library reopened its service.
We highlight a prefectural library's role, acting between supporters and those supportees, to consider the necessity of middle organizations. We clarify what challenges we face and examine how best to provide assistance in case of large-scale disasters. A Population Survey in Mie Prefecture. Full Text Available Complementary and alternative medicine CAM therapies have been provided at hospitals along with conventional medicine in industrialized nations. Previous studies conducted in Japan revealed high proportion of Japanese had experience of using CAM, but failed to discuss how it should be provided.
The present study aims to clarify the demand for CAM practice at hospitals in Japan. The questionnaire asked the subjects about demand for CAM practice at hospitals, types of CAM therapy to be provided and associated reasons. Sociodemographic characteristics, perceived health status, experience and purpose of CAM use, and information resource for CAM were also surveyed.
Completed answers were collected from Two thousand and nineteen The demand was positively associated with gender, ages of 40—59 years, annual household incomes of 5—7 million yen, occupation of specialist and technical workers and sales workers and poor health status.
Higher demand was observed among those who used both CAM and conventional medical therapies for curative purposes. In conclusion, Japanese show a high demand for CAM practice, hoping to use CAM for curative purposes with monitoring by physicians at hospitals.
Transplant Procurement Management Model Training: The organ donation rate in Japan is much lower than that in other developed countries for several reasons. An advanced educational program for in-hospital procurement coordinators is a possible solution for this. Furthermore, we held 2 workshops outside Hyogo Prefecture and at the same time undertook a pre-workshop questionnaire survey to evaluate the ability and motivation with respect to organ donation.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops, we conducted post-workshop and 3-months-after workshop questionnaire surveys. The results of the pre-workshop survey revealed that in-hospital procurement coordinators lacked the knowledge regarding the entire organ donation process, the current status of organ donation in Japan , and the definition of brain death. Moreover, they did not completely understand the meaning of "organ donation.
The survey results showed that our TPM model educational program offered sufficient knowledge and skills to increase organ donation at Hyogo Prefecture. We will continue this program and make an effort to further contribute to the Japanese organ donation activities.
Consumers' Attitudes towards Edible Wild Plants: This study assessed the current and possible future utilization of edible wild plants as one important NTFP by clarifying the attitudes of consumers and exploring the challenges of harvesting edible wild plants. Traditional ecological knowledge associated with edible wild plants and the related attitudes of consumers towards wild plants was documented. A questionnaire survey found that a majority of the respondents held positive attitude towards edible wild plants as being healthy, safe food, part of traditional dietary culture. Non timber forest products NTFP extraction can be seen as a tool for creating socioeconomic relationships that are dependent on healthy, biodiverse ecosystems.
As important traditional dietary and ecological system, edible wild plants should be a part of GIAHS project for rural revitalization. Radioactive contamination status of an elementary school in southern Miyagi Prefecture , Japan , four years after decontamination. We investigated the radioactive contamination status of an elementary school in southern Miyagi Prefecture , Japan , four years after decontamination.
In addition, topsoil from the playground and gutters sediment were measured with a high-purity germanium semiconductor detector, and sand from the parking lot and sediment from gutters was imaged following an autoradiography method. The mean radioactive dose rate in the playground was almost 0. The dose rate was higher at sites facing the mountains, near the main gate, and by the front entrance of the school building. These results indicated that the radioactive dose rates in the decontaminated school were below the threshold for being a health hazard.
However, the topsoil in the playground had been re-contaminated with radioactive Cs, which had likely been transported via dirt attached to children's shoes and car tires. In addition, the radioactive sediment in the gutters had likely been contaminated by rainwater, suggesting that radioactive protection is necessary when handling gutter sediment. Assessment of landslide distribution map reliability in Niigata prefecture - Japan using frequency ratio approach. Research on landslide susceptibility has evolved rapidly over the few last decades thanks to the availability of large databases.
Landslide research used to be focused on discreet events but the usage of large inventory dataset has become a central pillar of landslide susceptibility, hazard, and risk assessment. Indeed, extracting meaningful information from the large database is now at the forth of geoscientific research, following the big-data research trend.
Indeed, the more comprehensive information of the past landslide available in a particular area is, the better the produced map will be, in order to support the effective decision making, planning, and engineering practice. The landslide inventory data which is freely accessible online gives an opportunity for many researchers and decision makers to prevent casualties and economic loss caused by future landslides.
This data is advantageous especially for areas with poor landslide historical data.
Since the construction criteria of landslide inventory map and its quality evaluation remain poorly defined, the assessment of open source landslide inventory map reliability is required. The present contribution aims to assess the reliability of open-source landslide inventory data based on the particular topographical setting of the observed area in Niigata prefecture , Japan. Frequency ratio method is utilized to model and assess the landslide map. The outcomes of the generated model showed unsatisfactory results with AUC value of 0.
Full Text Available The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Salmonella in retail and wholesale foods in Fukuoka Prefecture , Japan. A total of 2, samples collected between and were tested using a culture method. Overall, liquid egg showed significantly P Salmonella in liquid eggs and other foods in fukuoka prefecture , Japan. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Salmonella in retail and wholesale foods in Fukuoka Prefecture , Japan. Full Text Available Entrepreneurs of small- and medium-size enterprises SMEs are often expected to boost rural revitalization.
However, due to the effects of globalization and regional disparities, in rural Japan entrepreneurs find few consumers and other entrepreneurs due to depopulation of many areas. This study asks how entrepreneurs build and maintain business-to-consumer B2C and business-to-business B2B networks in a rural Yamagata prefecture. The author performed a semi-structured interview with more than 20 entrepreneurs of SMEs in this area during , with special attention being paid to their networking with consumers and other entrepreneurs. The author found that the entrepreneurs invited outside consumers from urban areas, introduced their consumers to other entrepreneurs, used local media, and participated in rural revitalization programs to help local residents discover the value of their products.
Different entrepreneurs cooperated together to improve their businesses and increase the number of regular consumers. They also tried to increase the number of cooperative entrepreneurs as they hoped for the growth of other entrepreneurial businesses and business aggregation. Consequently, such businesses contributed to rural revitalization in the sense that the residents as a whole could enjoy the local more developed market. The Japan Environment and Children's Study is an ongoing nationwide birth cohort study that is being conducted at 15 regional centers throughout Japan. The recruitment of subjects in the study area within Fukushima Prefecture , which includes Fukushima City, Minami Soma City and Futaba County, was begun on January 31, with the cooperation of the obstetrics and gynecology departments of local medical institutions.
As a result of the disaster, the study area in Fukushima Prefecture was expanded on October 1, to include 59 municipalities across Fukushima Prefecture. Three points are seen as particularly important: With the cooperation of all concerned, the recruitment period ended on March 31, The tentative total number of the participants enrolled at the Fukushima Regional Center was 34, 13, pregnant mothers, 8, fathers and 12, children born before November 30, as of June The Japan Environment and Children's Study.
This study aimed to clarify the correlation between the Great East Japan Earthquake and domestic violence DV against pregnant females after the disaster in Miyagi Prefecture , an area damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. We analyzed pregnant females from June to December The incidence of physical and mental DV and the proportions in the inland, north coastal, and south coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture and nationwide were calculated, and a chi-square test was conducted for comparison. The risk factors for DV were estimated with multivariate logistic regression analyses on a prefecture -wide basis.
The incidence levels for physical DV were found to be 5. Experiencing disease or injury in someone close and changes in the family structure were significantly associated with mental DV in Miyagi Prefecture. Continuous monitoring and support for pregnant females may be necessary to address this issue in disaster-affected areas. Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. The objective of this report is to describe some results of a questionnaire-based pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey.
Questionnaires were sent to women who received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture between 1 August and 31 July , with the aim of reaching those who were pregnant at the time of the disaster. Mailing began 18 January Data were analyzed separately for six geographic areas in Fukushima Prefecture.
The total number of women meeting survey criteria was 15, The number of responses received to date is 9, Data from respondents were analyzed after excluding invalid responses and 5 induced and 57 spontaneous abortions less than 22 gestational weeks. The incidences of stillbirth over 22 completed gestational weeks , preterm birth, low birth weight and congenital anomalies were 0. These incidences are similar to recent averages elsewhere in Japan. Considering the pregnancy and birth survey data in aggregate, our disaster seemed to provoke no significant adverse outcomes over the whole of Fukushima prefecture.
But post-disaster prenatal care and support intended for patients' safety and security should be coupled with ongoing surveillance and rigorous data analysis. Therefore, it is important to examine the distribution of mosquitos carrying JEV in the fields, even though recently, the number of Japanese encephalitis cases has been approximately 5 per year in Japan.
Radiation Exposure of the Public: External Irradiation, Inhalation and Ingestion. The Committee did not present their own assessment at this point, and is expecting to have access to results of its own assessments, but it announced how it will study the evaluation of doses to the public published by the World Health Organization. It also presented the results of a thyroid monitoring conducted by the Fukushima Prefecture government over thousands of children under age 15, in some affected areas. The assessment will look at exposure pathways in the air and on the soil, internal exposure from inhalation and internal exposure from ingestion of marine and terrestrial food and water.
Radiation Exposure of Workers: To date, there are only a few published assessments of exposure of non-human to radiation resulting from this accident, the press release said. Most of the data used in their assessment came from the official Japanese government agencies. The government of Japan has been requested to supply the data in electronic formats, together with supplementary information, so that the experts can more readily use the data. We first posted this in June of In the context of fewer and shorter inspections, and a record of falsifying safety reports, the implications are unsettling in light of the potential harm of an accident.
Those fears were well founded. With his permission, Japan Subculture Research Center is publishing the relevant chapters from his book cited above. The Japanese government puts a great deal of faith in, and spends massive amounts of money on, nuclear energy. Polls consistently reveal that percent of Japanese have misgivings about nuclear power and fear that serious accidents might happen.
With dwindling reserves of fossil fuels, high prices, and growing concern about greenhouse gases related to consumption of these fuels, the prospects for the nuclear power industry have brightened considerably. Advocates assert that nuclear power is the trump card in the battle to reduce emissions and curb global warming while critics suggest it is more of a wild card given the risks, high costs, and long-term waste disposal issues involved.
Japan currently operates 55 nuclear power plants, up from 32 in , that supply nearly 35 percent of its electricity needs. The government plans to raise the share of energy generated by nuclear power to 41 percent by Since two nuclear power reactors have started up with six more currently slated for installation or expansion. Continue reading The Melting Sun: I spent 12 years as a reporter in Japan working for the largest newspaper there—actually, the largest newspaper in the world. The DPJ is working on a new law that will further damage the right of the Japanese people to know what the government and corporations running the country are actually doing.
The entire statement is here:. Only two Japanese freelances will be included among 40 accredited to the third media visit on 26 May to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, badly damaged by the March earthquake and tsunami. Although some photographers and camera operators will be present, neither of the two freelances will be allowed to use still cameras or video equipment. One of them, Hatakeyama Michiyoshi , told Reporters Without Borders that a quota of four video journalists and four photographers had been set for the visit but the two who were not affiliated to news organizations would not be allowed to take any equipment.
The right of access to information, which is meant to be guaranteed by clause 21 of the constitution, applies to all those who work in the media and to citizen journalists, not a select few. We urge the government to halt such discriminatory restrictions and to allow more freelance journalists to take part in the visit on 26 May.
In a telephone conversation with Reporters Without Borders yesterday, the MP Yasuhiro Sonoda, parliamentary secretary at the cabinet office, put forward several arguments to support the ban on journalists taking photo and video equipment. Referring at first to a lack of space, despite the fact that the journalists would be using two buses specially chartered for the visit, he then indicated the problem was one of time.
He said photo and video equipment would have to be protected from the radiation present at the site and too large a quantity of apparatus would drastically lengthen the time needed to prepare for the visit. The freelance Michiyoshi explained that, during the visit, the journalists would be equipped with protective suits allowing that them to spend 10 minutes at a distance of 70 to 80 metres from the building housing reactor number 4. During the second media visit to the site in February this year, for foreign journalists not included in the first visit, the organizers insisted on checking video images before they were broadcast.
A year after the nuclear disaster, restrictions on freelance journalists remain stricter than those that apply to journalists affiliated to a news organization. The foreign media are still largely under-represented. According to reports by Sankei Shinbun and other sources, the Sumiyoshi-kai boss dispatched men, including yakuza members to a construction subcontractor in Tochigi Prefecture, and these men were sent into the nuclear plant area where they allegedly participated in containment work for the damaged facilities.
The charges pertain to labor dispatches from May to the end of July last year. The labor dispatch laws forbid dispatching workers to construction sites. This is the first time a yakuza boss was arrested in relation to nuclear power plant reconstruction work. TEPCO is not the only nuclear power plant operator in Japan to get in trouble for using yakuza supplied labor.
A Fukuoka Police investigation in January uncovered the problem. Hopefully, a change in command will result in a change in safety, compliance, and working conditions at the nuclear power plants they have operated. The panel indicated that it could be problematic to have debtors, convicted criminals, organized crime members, and other possibly anti-social elements working with nuclear energy.
We guess this is so that no one is surprised when these unsavory elements steal dangerous materials and sell them to terrorists. In the United States and Europe, background checks on nuclear power plant workers, including Homer Simpson, are mandated by law. The panel suggested that not only should the people operating the nuclear power plants be subject to background checks, but even the subcontracted workers as well.
The panel reportedly took into account the poor management of labor by Tokyo Electric Power Company after the nuclear meltdowns began on March 11th, Tokyo Electric Power Company TEPCO , the monolithic corporation that controls all electric power in Greater Tokyo, and runs the Fukushima Daichii nuclear plant that experienced a triple meltdown following the March 11 earthquake, is on the brink of nationalization according to Japanese government sources.
The official reason is that the firm may not be able to handle the massive compensation payments it owes to victims of the meltdown without going bankrupt.