SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Two violent earthquakes and numerous strong aftershocks continue to rock the iconic 400-year-old castle, which has so far outlasted much younger structures.

Japan
(earthquake • Kumamoto • Kumamoto Castle • landmark)

Driving up the Miyagi coastline, four years after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami

Evie Nyan
Dec 1, 2015

I recently visited several areas of the Miyagi coastline decimated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. This is what I saw.

Japan
(earthquake • Ishinomaki • Minamisanriku • Miyagi • Sendai • Tohoku • tsunami)

Radiation fears as report shows Fukushima fir trees to be growing strangely

Evie Nyan
Sep 1, 2015

Following the events of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, radiologists in Japan have been closely observing the area for potential changes. A new report by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences now suggests that the fir trees in Fukushima may be exhibiting strange growth patterns, with the radiation from the disaster being named as a possible factor.

Japan
(earthquake • Fukushima • nuclear • Radiation • trees • tsunami)

Visiting Ikebukuro’s disaster prevention center and experiencing a magnitude-9 earthquake【Video】

Preston Phro
Jul 29, 2015

The first real earthquake I remember experiencing was on March 11, 2011. You might recognize that as the day of the Great Tohoku Earthquake, which brought the devastating tsunami that ravaged the northeastern coast of Japan. I was in Tokyo at the time, so the seismic activity was markedly lower than that experienced by people living in places like Iwate and Fukushima, but it was still a real shock.

Ever since, I’ve wondered just how much worse it must have been closer to the epicenter. Thanks to the Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center, I’ve come close to understanding what it must have felt like. Though far from anything you could describe as “fun,” it was an unquestionably powerful experience — and you can find out what it was like too. Check out our video introducing the center below, and learn a little bit about what to do in case you find yourself in caught in the middle of a powerful earthquake.

Japan
(disaster prevention • earthquake • Ikebukuro • Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center)

Tweet all the things! Japanese vs American reactions to earthquakes

Evie Nyan
May 29, 2015

You might have heard that we experienced a magnitude-5.6 earthquake last week, which got everyone in the area a little shaken up (except for this super chill gorilla, of course). While Japan experiences earthquakes incredibly frequently, this one was a little bigger than usual, and had many in Japan diving for cover.

Oh, no, wait, they dived for their smartphones instead…

Internet
(disaster • earthquake • tweet • twitter)

Rescued dog becomes rescue dog as Hiroshima stray joins search for survivors in Nepal

Fran W
May 5, 2015

In the wake of the massive earthquake that struck central Nepal last week, non-profit organisation Peace Winds Japan sent a small team of six rescuers and two specially trained dogs to help with the search for survivors.

Remarkably, one of the search dogs who was dispatched to Kathmandu is himself a former rescue: Yumenosuke, a stray dog saved from euthanasia in Hiroshima.

Japan, S Asia
(animals • disaster • earthquake • Hiroshima • Nepal • rescue dog • search and rescue • Yumenosuke)

Don’t forget: Yahoo! Japan to make disaster relief donation for every person who searches for “3.11” today

Casey Baseel
Mar 4, 2015

Four years on, the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis that befell Japan’s Tohoku region on March 11, 2011 have very little effect on the day-to-day lives of most people in the country. The rolling blackouts have stopped. Batteries and bottled water are once again readily available. Trains are running, and whole cities aren’t spending hours walking home from work or school.

But while a return to normalcy is a desirable, and ultimately necessary, part of recovery, it’s also important to remember what happened. To stem the forgetfulness that often accompanies the later stages of coping with tragedy, on March 11 Yahoo! Japan will be making a donation to the Tohoku recovery efforts for every person that searches for “3.11” through the company’s search engine.

Internet, Japan
(3.11 • charity • disaster • earthquake • march 11 • Tohoku • tsunami • Yahoo!)

M5.6 earthquake in Tokyo brings some weird photos to Twitter

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Sep 17, 2014

Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, meaning every time one occurs, the Japanese Twittersphere is bombarded with photos of the aftermath. There have been some major quakes that were no laughing matter, but usually, the tremors that occur result in nothing more than otaku griping about their toy…sorry, action figure collections getting knocked off the shelves. Japan’s most recent earthquake was centered around Ibaraki Prefecture and came in at a somewhat calm M5.6, delivering a few more photos of fallen treasures. From toppled heads to teetering TP, let’s take a look at some of the most popular photos taken after the earthquake.

Japan
(damage • earthquake • Tokyo • twitter)

Japanese scientist predicts another major earthquake in Japan by 2017

Krista Rogers
Jul 29, 2014

According to Japanese scientists, Japan might be in for another big one.

Dr. Masaaki Kimura, a seismologist who reportedly predicted the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, recently appeared on Japanese TV to share his theory about the next major earthquake to strike Japan. Based on his estimates, the quake will occur by 2017 and will be of similar magnitude to 2011’s. Similarly, astronomer Yoshio Kushida continues to insist that a big quake is not too far away. Keep reading to find out more about their respective theories and which specific areas of Japan they’ve got on the radar.

Japan
(2011 Tohoku Earthquake • Beat Takeshi • earthquake • Izu • Masaaki Kimura • Robert Geller • Yoshio Kushida)

Way to go! Japan earns top spot and two others in top 10 most dangerous world cities ranking

Master Blaster
Mar 31, 2014

It’s always nice to be number one for something, even if it is number one in the “cities where the earth is most likely to kill you” ranking. That’s why we’re proud to announce that Tokyo and Yokohama were declared the cities at highest risk of natural disaster by Zurich-based Swiss Reinsurance (Swiss Re) in a 2013 study, whose findings were recently announced.

Japan
(earthquake • natural disaster • ranking • survey • tsunami • world cities)

NHK TV worker woken by earthquake, gives viewers a show by accident

Preston Phro
Mar 15, 2014

As you already know, the third anniversary of the 3/11 Tohoku disaster was remembered this week through a variety of activities, including a fundraiser by Yahoo! Japan which saw the company donating roughly $250,000 to charity. The anniversary was also marked by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Kyushu at around 2 am on March 12, injuring about 14 people and wrecking havoc on innocent anime figures.

It also brought grins to all of the NHK viewers and Twitter users who happened to catch the public broadcaster’s footage of a confused-looking man running around an office in his underwear!

Internet, Japan
(earthquake • funny • live broadcast • NHK • TV • twitter • wtf)

M6.3 earthquake hits Japan, anime fans rush to tweet photos of damage to figure collections

Fran W
Mar 15, 2014

Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in the early hours of Friday morning which injured 14 people and caused a brief power outage in some areas. The quake, which struck off the coast of the southern island of Kyushu at 2:07am local time, caused only minor damage, but the third anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake this week served as an important reminder of the devastation that can be caused by major earthquakes and tsunami.

Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, and as such its people tend to be extremely well-versed in what to do in the event of a natural disaster. Take cover, turn off the gas, open the door to secure an escape route. These collectors of anime figures, however, had a different idea about what to do in the moments after this morning’s quake – check up on their action figures, and immediately catalogue the damage on Twitter.

Japan
(anime • earthquake • figures • twitter)

Remembering the people of Tohoku three years on

Philip Kendall
Mar 11, 2014

At 2:46 p.m. today, exactly three years will have passed since a Magnitude 9.0 earthquake shook Japan to its very core, moments later sending an enormous tidal wave that claimed tens of thousands of lives in the Tohoku region.

Today is a day to remember the people who are no longer with us, and to think of those whose lives were changed forever–many of whom were displaced from their homes and are still trying to start anew.

But today should also be seen as something of a gift. Those of us who came away from March 11, 2011 unscathed or are fortunate enough never to have known loss like the people of Tohoku are given days like today to pause and take stock of what we have. Whether or not you observe a moment’s silence this afternoon, and wherever you are in the world, try to keep Japan in the back of your mind today, but also try to look a little closer to home. Use today to effect some positive change in the world or in your own life, however small and seemingly insignificant. Donate to a charity you believe in; call your mother; switch off your phone for an hour and look at all of the cool stuff around you; start work on that book that you’ve been crafting in your mind for the past five years; buy some nicotine patches instead of another pack of cigs; book that holiday you’ve been meaning to take; pay for the guy in line behind you in Starbucks; tell your dog that he really is a good boy; make an awesome cake, then sit with a pal and stuff it into your faces while pretending to be dinosaurs.

As dramatic as it may sound, days like March 11, 2011 are firm reminders that sometimes there isn’t a tomorrow to put things off until, so make the most of today. Ganbare, Tohoku!

Need some inspiration? Maybe one of these groups could use some help:

Japan Red Cross Society / Cancer Research UK / (RED)
Global Giving / Save the Children / World Vision / WWF

Japan
(2011 Tohoku Earthquake • 3.11 • earthquake • Fukushima • Japan • message • remembrance • tsunami)

Tokyo Tower displays special message ahead of Tohoku earthquake and tsunami anniversary

Philip Kendall
Mar 10, 2014

A special message is being displayed on Tokyo Tower in memory of those lost during the March 11, 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami, as well as to promote a sense of unity across the country.