Japan: In the Aftermath of Disaster

Affected areasPrefectures most heavily affected: Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba

Major cities affected: Sendai, Tokyo

Coastal regions with small towns were the hardest hit by both the earthquake and tsunami, while further inland the earthquake damaged roads and halted transportation services.

Current IssuesPower

Housing/relocationEconomyCleanup

Relief Efforts

Fukushima Power Plant and

Surrounding AreasPlants are presently stable, and safety measures in the event of future earthquakes are currently

under construction.

Radiation levels continue to be monitored around the plant and all affected areas to ensure the safety of workers, as well as evacuated

residents.

An evacuation zone with a radius of 20 kilometers is maintained around

the plant.

Food monitoring and restrictions are in place, especially for

Fukushima prefecture.

Some foods include: milk, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower,

mushrooms, and turnips.

With the loss of the Fukushima power plant, many cities around Japan are trying to ration/conserve power to decrease the burden on other power plants throughout the country. One such example from this summer is controlling the use of air conditioning in many buildings, and encouraging people (including many office workers) to wear lighter, cooler clothing instead of suits.

Housing and relocation

Efforts are now focusing on moving people from evacuation centers and emergency shelters, to longer term

temporary housing.

Towns located within the evacuation zone are being prepared for

decontamination, which is expected to take place in September, in hopes of allowing people to return to their

homes.

In some areas, homes remain intact, yet are flooded with debris from the tsunami. Governments are deciding

on the amount of money houses receive based on the level of

damage.

EconomyLocal economies have suffered the most with the

majority of local businesses destroyed. Because housing has become a priority, rebuilding shops and businesses has been slow going.

The fishing industry in the affected coastal areas has been without work for months, efforts to reconstruct the ports have been slow.

Exporting livestock from Miyagi prefecture has been suspended, putting a lot of pressure on local farmers.

Due to the damaged economy in northeastern Japan and rationing of power, overall production and exports have slowed, leading to a decrease in GDP.

Cleanup

Cleanup efforts have cleared away some areas. However,

large amounts of debris have yet to be even touched and are piled

up into huge mounds.

Many roads within towns have been cleared, allowing crews to

work more efficiently.

While the majority of the work is done by bulldozers and cranes, volunteers continue to remove

debris from homes, while victims sift through the wreckage for any

salvageable belongings.

Relief Efforts Five months after the earthquake, there are still some areas

where it is difficult to transport supplies, especially island communities where their ships have been heavily damaged or destroyed.

Due to the difficulty of pinpointing the needs of each community, much of the donated funds are distributed as cash grants to local governments and smaller, local non-profit organizations, which can more easily assess the needs of the communities where they operate.

Volunteer work ranges from cleanup, construction, and delivering basic supplies such as water and food, to services such as day care and psychological and medical care.

Recent material donations include such things as appliances (refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, rice cooker for the temporary housing units), and cars and scooters to facilitate transportation for residents.

Japan/USA Relationship in Times of Crisis

1906 – The Great San Fransisco Earthquake occurs. According to reports, there was minimum of 3,000 deaths. This was the greatest recorded natural disaster and loss of life in California history. There was an outpouring of donations and support from the international community, and Japan donated the most with a total of $244,960.

1923 – The Great Kanto Earthquake occurs. Casualty reports estimate between 100,000 and 142,000 deaths, including missing persons. This is the most deadly recorded earthquake in Japan. The United States led the charge by sending naval vessels filled with supplies, and raising $12 million dollars for relief efforts.

Let’s continue to keep this spirit of generosity and friendship strong!

Thank you for your continued support and concern for Japan and

the Japanese people during this long and difficult rebuilding

process. Money donated from the Riverport Business Association will

help contribute to these relief efforts in many ways.