2012-02-14
The Famine in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima - 1906
The following clipping from The New York Times, 5 March 1906, provides an interesting perspective on last year's disaster.
2011-12-26
3rd Supplementary Budget Measures for SMEs
2011 December 26, Tsukuba Center Inc., Tsukuba
This post contains notes of a briefing seminar held for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) regarding measures contained in Japan's 3rd supplementary budget for recovery from the 3/11 Tohoku earthquake.
The National Federation of Small Business Associations (http://www.chuokai.or.jp/) is administering the programs described below. The deadline for applying for all programs is 20 January 2012.
2011-11-21
Railway tracks may become exclusive bus lanes
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111120003930.htm
The East Japan Railway Co. is considering building highways exclusively for buses on out-of-use sections of three railway lines in the Tohoku region where tracks and stations were washed away in the March 11 tsunami, it has been learned.
The East Japan Railway Co. is considering building highways exclusively for buses on out-of-use sections of three railway lines in the Tohoku region where tracks and stations were washed away in the March 11 tsunami, it has been learned.
2011-07-29
Innovation from the Bottom Up - An Argument for Iwate's Approach
An earlier post discusses the differences between Iwate Prefecture's bottom up approach and Miyagi Prefectures nationwide-sourcing approach to recovery. That post cites Miyagi criticism of Iwate's approach. How is Iwate to come up with anything new? Ryu Matsumoto's insulting and career-killing "No smarts, no help" remark to Iwate Governor Tasso played on this criticism.
2011-07-28
Miyagi Fisheries Recovery Zone - New JF Miyagi chairman still rejects zone, claims fisheries now open to corporations
The fisheries recovery zone promoted by Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai took a small step toward realization with JF Miyagi's newly selected chairman, Shinetsu Kikuchi.
2011-07-04
Reconstruction Minister Blasts Tohoku Official — for ‘Bad Manners’
Update: 2011-7-6: Matsumoto resigned
New Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto lost his temper when Miyagi Governor Murai kept him waiting for a meeting, then blasted the Governor for his lack of manners and failing to remember his military training, and finally threatened to destroy any media company that reported his outburst.
New Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto lost his temper when Miyagi Governor Murai kept him waiting for a meeting, then blasted the Governor for his lack of manners and failing to remember his military training, and finally threatened to destroy any media company that reported his outburst.
2011-06-25
2011-06-22
Naming disasters and emotional ownership
In an earlier post, "Whose disaster is it, anyway?", I argue that emotional ownership is important for victims of a disaster to recover from that disaster. A translator, who works for the Prime Minister's office, argues that simply calling it "the 3/11 disaster" is good enough.
- Translator: In our translations we use "the 3/11 disaster," etc
- Me: Okay globally. Emotional ownership first to Tohoku, second to Japan, third to globe.
- Translator: No, not global ownership issues; the term that will be used most around the globe. Globally speaking, it'll end up being "the 2011 Japan quake," like 2004 Indonesia, 2010 Chile.
- Me: The Kan administration's first and most lasting contribution?
- Translator: We did lots of translation for the Kantei; convinced them to abandon "Tohoku -off the Pacific" [sic]. I just don't think the question of labeling/linguistic ownership is a vital one here.
2011-06-19
2011-06-18
2011-06-16
2011-06-11
Japan’s strength from Tohoku's outlaw past
The Economist's recent outstanding article, about the strength of Japan's regions nicely focuses on the pressure points for change.
While the article states that Tohoku's tight-knit, independent streak dates back centuries, one can add Tohoku's outlaw status stemming out of Japan's Sengoku Period of the 16th and 17th centuries.
While the article states that Tohoku's tight-knit, independent streak dates back centuries, one can add Tohoku's outlaw status stemming out of Japan's Sengoku Period of the 16th and 17th centuries.
2011-06-08
Tochigi Pref to donate 1 million strawberry plants to Miyagi farmers
Tochigi Prefecture, Japan's largest producer of strawberries, will donate 1 million strawberry plants to farmers in Miyagi Prefecture's Watari and Yamamoto towns. More than 90% of the 98 hectares of cultivated land in these towns were ravaged by the 11 March tsunami.
2011-06-06
[Cabinet Recovery Commission] A Top-Down Vision: Building Anew Out of Tsunami's Rubble
In Yoree Koh's article in the Wall Street Journal, architect Tadao Ando, a member of the Cabinet Recovery Commission, presents his view of how Tohoku's ravaged coast should be rebuilt.
Mr. Ando is taking upon himself the task of designing a rebuilt Tohoku. The vision is grand but omits a key component: the input of the people of Tohoku. Mr. Ando is acting as if a doctor diagnosing and prescribing for a patient.
Curiously, the article makes no mention of Miyagi Prefecture's competing vision, which is further along in its development. It also makes no mention of Iwate Prefecture's bottom up approach.
Mr. Ando, like others, wants to write his views on Tohoku. Does Tohoku want to be written on?
Citation:
Yoree Koh, "Building Anew Out of Tsunami's Rubble," Wall Street Journal - Asia, 2011/6/6, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906004576366643979766836.html (accessed 2011/6/6)
Mr. Ando is taking upon himself the task of designing a rebuilt Tohoku. The vision is grand but omits a key component: the input of the people of Tohoku. Mr. Ando is acting as if a doctor diagnosing and prescribing for a patient.
Curiously, the article makes no mention of Miyagi Prefecture's competing vision, which is further along in its development. It also makes no mention of Iwate Prefecture's bottom up approach.
Mr. Ando, like others, wants to write his views on Tohoku. Does Tohoku want to be written on?
Citation:
Yoree Koh, "Building Anew Out of Tsunami's Rubble," Wall Street Journal - Asia, 2011/6/6, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906004576366643979766836.html (accessed 2011/6/6)
2011-06-05
[Iwate Recovery Commission] Web navigation to recovery offices
Iwate Prefecture's website provides handy navigation to the prefecture's recovery offices. This is translated and presented below. The links all point to Japanese web pages.
2011-05-30
Miyagi Governor Murai proposes deregulation in 8 areas
In a Sunday meeting of the Cabinet Recovery Commission on 29 May, Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai proposed an "East Japan Recovery Zone." The proposal calls for a 10-year period of tax breaks and national support in eight areas including town and city building, agriculture and seafood industries, and medicine.
2011-05-27
[Fish farming new tech] DNA bar coding for fish
"Scientists aiming their gene sequencers at commercial seafood are discovering rampant labeling fraud in supermarket coolers and restaurant tables: cheap fish is often substituted for expensive fillets, and overfished species are passed off as fish whose numbers are plentiful."
The article is about European and North American markets, but this technology should affect the vitality of Japanese fish farms and seafood processors.
The article is about European and North American markets, but this technology should affect the vitality of Japanese fish farms and seafood processors.
2011-05-26
Damage to Ibaraki Prefecture public facilities: JPY 133 billion ($ 1.64 Billion)
The Great East Japan Earthquake damaged 1587 prefecture government facilities and caused JPY 133.2 billion ($1.64 billion) in damages. This total is only for prefecture facilities and does not include damage to national and municipal facilities.
The largest single category was fishing harbors: 16 harbors received JPY 42.5 billion in damage. Another 209 cases of harbor damage total JPY 32.9 billion, and 223 cases of damage to rivers total JPY 15.6 billion.
Source:
The Ibaraki Shimbun, online edition, 2011/5/26, (ja), http://www.ibaraki-np.co.jp/news/news.php?f_jun=13063342937913 (accessed 2011/5/26)
The largest single category was fishing harbors: 16 harbors received JPY 42.5 billion in damage. Another 209 cases of harbor damage total JPY 32.9 billion, and 223 cases of damage to rivers total JPY 15.6 billion.
Source:
The Ibaraki Shimbun, online edition, 2011/5/26, (ja), http://www.ibaraki-np.co.jp/news/news.php?f_jun=13063342937913 (accessed 2011/5/26)
2011-05-22
Sendai City initial recovery plan calls for building up highways to make double seawall
Almost a month after Miyagi Prefecture released initial reconstruction plans for its other coastal municipalities, Sendai City released its initial concept and began hearings.
Sendai's "Recovery Vision" calls for moving about 2,600 families away from the coast into new municipal development zones. A double seawall system will replace them. A traditional seawall on the oceanfront will be backed by forested barriers laced with drainage canals. Behind them, two existing major highways will be built up into seawalls using rubble left by the earthquake and tsunami. Farmland will take up the space between these highway-cum-seawalls.
Sendai's "Recovery Vision" calls for moving about 2,600 families away from the coast into new municipal development zones. A double seawall system will replace them. A traditional seawall on the oceanfront will be backed by forested barriers laced with drainage canals. Behind them, two existing major highways will be built up into seawalls using rubble left by the earthquake and tsunami. Farmland will take up the space between these highway-cum-seawalls.
Fukushima recovery headquarters set up more than 2 months after disaster
Hit by a triple punch, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, Fukushima Prefecture's recovery headquarters got underway yesterday, 20 May, more than two months after the earthquake and tsunami.
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