Latest News By GaijinPot

  • Japan nuclear crisis road map
    April 29th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    Ten days have passed since Tokyo Electric Power Co released its road map for bringing the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant under control. Efforts are under way to stabilize overheated nuclear fuel rods and keep water temperatures in reactors in check but new challenges have emerged such as dealing with a large volume of contaminated water found inside the No. 4 reactor building. Rubble containing radioactive materials and a serie ... » Continue Reading
  • Foreign businesses commit to helping Japan rebuild through NGOs
    April 29th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    Seventeen foreign chambers of commerce in Japan representing 34 countries have expressed their long-term commitment to helping the nation rebuild from the March 11 quake and tsunami that wrecked northeastern and eastern areas, by supporting activities of nongovernmental organizations. In a joint event on April 25 of the chambers, which are made up of companies from 27 European Union members, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, S ... » Continue Reading
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  • 21 mini-FM stations help survivors in disaster areas
    April 25th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    A total of 21 mini FM radio stations have obtained government licenses to operate as provisional broadcasters, giving people post-disaster information in areas ravaged by last month’s earthquake and tsunami. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said it plans to support the broadcasters by giving them discounts on radio licensing fees and possibly granting subsidies to municipalities running them, as it may take much longer to re ... » Continue Reading
  • Environmental crises bad but not always fatal for businesses
    April 22nd, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    There are some who would consign the Tokyo utility embroiled in Japan’s worst-ever nuclear plant disaster to the corporate graveyard. Its share price has collapsed by 80%, it may take a year or more to regain control of leaking nuclear reactors, and compensation claims could run to an eye-watering $120 billion. Yet Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) will probably survive and the company might even go on to prosper. There are plenty of precedents o ... » Continue Reading
  • Beer fundraiser offers disaster-hit kids a hand in education needs
    April 21st, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    It’s the season when cherry blossoms in Japan lure people to celebrate, with beer in their hands, but for Gary Bremermann, his beer is for a different cause—helping children cope in the aftermath of the March 11 disaster. About a month since the earthquake and ensuing tsunami rattled Japan, children in the severely affected northeastern Japan remain in dire need, and that has spurred Bremermann to round up his friends and other networks to org ... » Continue Reading
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  • What worked and what did not: Views from the field
    April 18th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    Recently I took a survey in the affected areas of Iwate and Miyagi prefectures as a part of the need assessment team of a nonprofit organization named SEEDS Asia. This survey was an effort by the consortium of nongovernmental organizations called Japan Platform which has been active mobilizing resources in the hardest-hit areas. I visited several affected towns and cities including Taro, Miyako, Yamada, Kamaishi, Ofunato, Rikuzentakata, Kesenn ... » Continue Reading
  • Comparing Fukushima and Chernobyl
    April 13th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    Japan raised the assessment of its nuclear crisis to the most severe rating Tuesday, on the same level as the Chernobyl disaster, the world’s worst to date. Lots of concerns have been raised and a lot of questions remain unanswered. Here are some basic answers to questions about the assessment and health and safety concerns: Has the situation at the Japanese nuclear power plant worsened? No. The heaviest radiation leaks at the Fukushima Dai ... » Continue Reading
  • Japan Earthquake – Latest News
    April 8th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    Late last night, or at 11:32 to be precise, a strong (shindo 7.4) aftershock hit Miyagi-ken once again. The quake was felt in Tokyo, too, where the shaking continued for a few minutes. This was the strongest quake yet to hit Japan since March 11th and by the end of it, 2 people were reported killed and a further 132 injured. Thankfully, the nuclear power plant in Fukushima was OK and things in Tokyo and the immediate area quickly returned to ... » Continue Reading
  • Quake donations reach Y115.4 bil but no agreement yet on how to use
    April 4th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    Total donations received by the Japanese Red Cross Society and the Central Community Chest of Japan for people afflicted by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami stood at 115.4 billion yen as of Saturday, the two charity organizations said Sunday. Meanwhile, Softbank Corp President Masayoshi Son will donate 10 billion yen to support earthquake relief efforts, the company said. The sum is the largest donation for the victims of the twin disasters ... » Continue Reading
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  • Japan Earthquake – Friday roundup
    April 1st, 2011By Category: Uncategorized
    The situation with the nuclear reactor in Fukushima continues to roll on. TEPCO and the government have some control mechanisms in place but the threat from radiation remains in the area. Elsewhere, we are beginning to get news about how relief efforts are going (or not) in tsunami-affected regions, while the economy changes gear and Tokyo adapts to life after the quake. This week's top stories: TEPCO has announced that there will be no rol ... » Continue Reading
  • DeNA recruit in disaster affected areas
    April 1st, 2011By Category: Work Tips
    DeNA, which we have covered before as one of the Japanese companies leading the charge to internalization, has revealed that it will recruit between 50 to 100 people directly from disaster affected areas in northern Japan. The company will make a special point of recruiting people currently forced to live in temporary housing and evacuation centers, with initial positions going to customer service positions on a temporary contract basis. In t ... » Continue Reading
  • Trouble at Tokyo Disneyland after quake
    March 29th, 2011By Category: Arts & Entertainment
    Although the visitor parking area at Tokyo Disneyland suffered considerable liquefaction damage due to the March 11 earthquake, the rides and facilities in the park itself appear to have stood up to the temblor without major problems. J-Cast News (March 24) reports that the huge theme park has in many ways fared better than the surrounding community in Urayasu City, where nearly half the homes in the neighborhood were without running water. Ma ... » Continue Reading

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