Transcript Japan: In the Aftermath of Disaster

Japan: In the Aftermath
of Disaster
Affected areas
Prefectures 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 Issues
Power
Housing/relocation
Economy
Cleanup
Relief Efforts
Fukushima Power Plant
and Surrounding Areas
Plants 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.
Economy
 Local 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.