US fusion master Bob James visits the Tohoku region to support survivors.
Norwegian snowboarding sensation JP Solberg returns to the snow peaks of his beloved Fukushima.
China's top scientist in Giant Panda breeding visits the Sendai's Yagiyama Zoo to examine the effects of the disaster on the animals.
Russian pianist Bunin revisits Sendai to collaborate with a girls' choir in an uplifting performance.
The pop legend arrived in Japan the day of the disaster and persevered with her shows. One year on, she returns and remembers.
The renowned Indian thinker travels in Japan to meet with people seeking a new way to live in harmony with nature and hears the stories of university students affected by the March 2011 disaster.
Brazil's celebrated graffiti artist Titi Freak returns to the city of Ishinomaki, where he painted some murals at temporary housing sites last year, and builds more bonds through the creative process.
South Korean jazz phenomenon Woong San continues to belt out tunes for Japan with her latest release, Tomorrow, accompanied by a high school band from one of the most damaged towns in Iwate.
The South Korean sand animation artist makes art to ease the minds of Japanese affected by the disaster on the theme of rebirth in a lone pine tree standing in the ruined city of Iwate.
The 70-year-old Swedish textile and paper artist travels to the city of Tono in Iwate, the mythological center of Japan, to see how people are coping and offer her support with a workshop on the paper arts.
Reporting on the devastation of the 3.11 disaster the German TV journalist was struck by the level of calm and returns to try to understand this inner strength.
China's popular TV talk show host and veteran reporter of the Sichuan earthquake heads to the port of Minamisanriku in Miyagi to see a determined population recovering their town and their livelihoods.
Noted in the Guinness book of records as the most successful pianist in the world, Richard Clayderman brings his romantic repertoire to piano students in Sendai to keep their spirit of musicianship alive.
The Harvard professor of political philosophy promotes continuing public discussion and interaction with survivors of the disaster about the meaning of recovery and the reality on the ground.
Japanese Canadian science broadcaster and environmentalist David Suzuki meets researchers in Japan who are showing the way to an environmentally sustainable future after the March 2011 disasters.
The Michelin Masterchef travels to Miyagi to see how oyster farmers wiped out by the tsunami are recovering and encourages aspiring young chefs at a local school.
The renowned Belgian floral artist travels to the disaster area during the Obon holiday to work with apprentices in Miyagi and help them cope with their grief by creating an artwork for the departed.
Duc Nguyen and his brother Viet, once conjoined twins, were surgically separated with help from Japan’s Red Cross. Duc travels to Miyagi to meet disabled athletes caught up in the disaster.
The French journalist reports from Iwaki on the OECD Tohoku School project on global human resources and the Forest School in Higashi-Matsushima.
The legendary singer known for his hit song, "Stand by Me" travels to Iwate and Miyagi and visits a college big jazz band and jazz bars, bonding through music with survivors of the disaster.
The American artist known for his rich illustrations of the ocean environment meets surfers clearing the rubble in the beach town of Shichigahama in Miyagi and makes drawings with local children.
The American ukulele wizard with links to Fukushima plays for evacuees from the nuclear-contaminated town of Futaba and marvels at their optimism despite having to live in an abandoned school.
The British Formula One champion gives go-cart lessons to children in Sendai who dream of becoming racers themselves, and shares life lessons about the joys and hardships of pursuing your dream.
The former K1 champion meets fishermen in Otsuchi and young fighters at a gym in the city of Kamaishi and is moved by the spirit of people in Iwate to keep going after great personal loss.
Following up on her photo documentary of the disaster along the Tohoku coast, the Greek photographer returns to reconnect with people in MinamisÅma, Fukushima.
The French author whose novel about Japan's 3.11 tsunami generated publicity in France, revisits Miyagi to research a new novel and meet with survivors.
The Finnish actor and composer for the beloved Moomin stories treats children living in temporary housing in Iwate, to a Moominvalley-style camping trip, with music and dancing in the forest.
The Chinese artist turns his talent to a massive tree-planting project in Iwaki for friends who were early supporters of his work.
The Taiwanese actress discovers the sorrows beneath the cheer in a children's theater troupe re-enactment of their 3.11 experience in the recovering port town of Kesennuma.
The world renowned Italian jockey visits the Soma District in Fukushima, famous for its Soma-Nomaoi horse festival. Demuro meets with people preserving the festival, and encounters their deep love for horses.
Asia's first laureate of the international Chopin competition recalls his own childhood hardships in wartime Vietnam while teaching piano to the children of evacuees in Fukushima.
The Japanese Swiss fashion designer donates sewing machines to people in Rikuzentakata hit by the tsunami and commits long-term support for the region.
The artistic director of Britain's Birmingham Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Japan is delighted to find a high level of skill among students in Fukushima.
In a special episode of TOMORROW beyond 3.11, One Million People’s Flowers Will Bloom, we tell the story of how this song was created and what it means to people as they sing for Japan’s recovery.
War correspondent and Beijing bureau chief for Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV, Luqiu Luwei, resumes her coverage of Japan’s disaster, reporting on the progress of the offshore wind energy plant in Fukushima.
Paris-based journalist Elin Lindqvist investigates the role of local media in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, at the time of the disaster and during the rebuilding.
75-year-old Swedish glass designer Ulrica Hydman Vallien seeks out the power of Japanese design to lift the human spirit and add value to goods produced in the rebuilding effort in Iwate and Miyagi.
Stone memorials inscribed with the lessons of natural disasters since ancient times can be found across Japan. Japanese also learn about disaster preparedness at school. But how useful were these practices when the last disaster hit? How can preparation and response be improved? These are the questions American journalist Lucy Birmingham seeks answers to in her report on disaster education.
Seeing Tokyo’s lights dimmed by the loss of power from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant 200 km away made photojournalist Kwon Choul realize how interdependent the world is. He returned to Tohoku to capture in pictures the ties that bind us post 3.11.
Keiko Courdy’s 2012 interactive Web documentary Au-Dela Du Nuage (Beyond the Cloud - Yonaoshi 3.11) examines Japan post-Fukushima and the triple disaster of 3.11. As she returns to the Tohoku region she discovers that groups of young people are making headway in the recovery by moving past the crisis and focusing on the future.
Danish journalist Asger Christensen reports on forestry-related rebuilding projects in Miyagi, including the "forest school" in Higashi-Matsushima aimed at nurturing in the next generation an understanding about co-existing with nature.
After first hand experience of the tragedy of the Christchurch earthquake, New Zealand journalist David Killick investigates possibilities of community recovery in Tohoku and finds communities uniting to take action to relocate or rebuild by overcoming complicated difficulties.
David Killick reports on Japan’s traditional and modern earthquake construction techniques including quake-resistant building methods, the latest ground reinforcement technology to repair liquefaction damage and a 3D base isolation system that absorbs both vertical and horizontal tremors.
In the two years since the 3.11 disaster, singer and actress Jane Birkin has been touring the world to rally support for Japan, despite a heart condition. She visits the severely damaged city of Ishinomaki where she gives a charity concert and meets locals gradually recovering from the effects of the disaster. Jane returns home with a gift of courage and resilience from the people she meets.
Japanese-American writer Marie Mutsuki Mockett has family roots in Iwaki Fukushima Prefecture. Marie was interested in how survivors are dealing with the loss of loved ones in the aftermath of the 311 disasters. Marie discovers people’s relationship with the departed, in order to soothe their psychological pains and give comfort to the survivors.
Finnish TV news presenter Jussi-Pekka Rantanen says that the images of the tsunami engulfing Natori in Miyagi were amongst the most shocking he has had to cover in his whole career. Visiting Natori for the first time, Rantanen directs his attention to the recovery of farming in the disaster-stricken areas and investigates the role that new technologies could play in the future of agriculture and their potential.
French TV journalist David Zavaglia reports on initiatives of the new bioenergy research projects for the Tohoku recovery, including biofuel extraction from rapeseed grown in areas harmed by seawater, and a scheme to produce biomass fuel from algae specially cultivated to purify contaminated reservoirs.
American journalist Jed Horne, who has chronicled the recovery efforts of the city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, visits Tohoku to cover reconstruction plans driven by local people. Jed closely observes various activities being carried out by those who are seriously considering the future of the area they live in.
Over two years since the 3.11 disaster, the volunteers supporting the Tohoku region are now at a turning point. Some groups have reached a dead end and have been driven to break up. Others aim at providing long-term support. Argentinian journalist Diego Laje covers the current situation of volunteers in the region and observes their efforts.
Debris from the 3.11 tsunami continues to be washed ashore on the west coast of North America. Items found on beaches are being returned to their rightful owners. Canadian documentary filmmaker Nicolina Lanni, currently working on a piece following the journey of these items back to Japan, visits Tohoku to discover what they mean to the owners.
British photographer Tony McNicol visits the Tohoku region to observe long-cherished traditional events including the Soma Nomaoi equestrian festival. When he sees the love people have for their hometowns, he discovers the power of festivals to revitalize those devastated by disaster.
“Dark tourism” is defined as travelling to sites associated with tragedy, and it is on the rise in the Tohoku region post-3.11. Belarussian journalist Aliaksei Mikhalchanka investigates split opinion on preservation a marooned fishing boat in Kesennuma, and why locals are guiding tours of areas affected by the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
Italian journalist Alessia Cerantola reports on the state of temporary housing in the Tohoku region, comparing it with that in her own country. She discovers the strength of Japanese survivors as they adjust to adverse circumstances and find ways to ease inconveniences.
Italian Journalist Alessia Cerantola reports on “disaster recovery housing” for 3.11 survivors after leaving temporary accommodation. She covers the efforts of the local community trying to maintain their neighborhood bonds by designing recovery housing together with residents.
Food journalist Harris Salat, an expert on Japanese home cooking, reports on the Tohoku region’s recovery from the perspective of food. He meets people in Iwate Prefecture pinning their hopes on the revival of the salmon industry and women creating a new business producing fishermen’s dishes.
Erin Ellis, a veteran health journalist for a Canadian newspaper, visits Kesennuma to report on disaster medicine. How did the city’s medical staff deal with tsunami victims when critical services were cut? She discovers lessons in the stories of those who experienced the unprecedented.
American journalist Doug Meigs reports on post-disaster initiatives in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, where fishing rights can now be granted to private businesses. He meets elderly fishermen looking to attract the next generation to the port.
Swedish environmentalist Helena Norberg-Hodge, expert on local economics, visits a company in Iwate Prefecture that is striving to foster small-scale businesses as a driving force for recovery and meets the entrepreneurs being supported.
The situation of pets that many evacuees had to leave behind in their homes near the damaged nuclear power plant nearly three years ago has become very complicated. Iranian Journalist Afshin Valinejad interviews pet owners and meets a vet dedicated to animal relief activities as he looks for hints on how people and animals can live together at times of disaster.
Three years since the 3.11 disaster, many people have been forced to relocate due to the tsunami, and those who evacuated because of the nuclear disaster are unaware when they can return home. There is a desire among evacuees to keep a connection with their hometown through music.
Sarah Carr, who has focused on families and education to report on how disaster recovery efforts should be carried out, meets Japanese mothers and midwives who survived the 3.11 disaster and have displayed tremendous power to move forward by creating close bonds and networks.
Seven months after the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, a symbol of hope emerged in the devastated city of Kesennuma with the formation of pop idol group, ‘SCK Girls.’ Two years on, the group faced a big turning point with the passing of their founder, Kenichi Abe. Now the girls must take their career into their own hands to continue their journey.
Swiss fashion designer Kazu Huggler teams up with a group of elderly women living in temporary housing in Rikuzentakata to launch a project for recovery. The “Tohoku Grandmas” produced bags, purses and other items, even winning an order from Switzerland to produce pin cushions. This program follows their efforts as they take their activities to the world stage.
Nearly three years after the disaster, the debris that drifted across the Pacific Ocean is producing new ties between the people in disaster zones in Tohoku and on the west coast of North America. Some have sculpted debris into works of art, while others are determined to collect these memories of the tsunami and reunite them with their owners in Japan.
100 children are participating in a project backed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to produce a promotional event in Paris for the recovery of northeastern Japan. Many of these children have lost family members or are living in temporary housing. This program follows them as they pool their ideas and enthusiasm to prepare for this international event.
The song “Flowers Will Bloom (Hana wa Saku)” was produced by NHK in the wake of the March 2011 disaster to support recovery in northeastern Japan. This edition of TOMORROW tours Spain, France and Australia to report on the One Million People’s Flowers Will Bloom project to discover how the song continues to create personal bonds between Japan and the rest of the world.
As local communities weaken due to aging and depopulation, the presence of volunteer fire brigades organized by each district is becoming ever more essential for disaster prevention. During the 3.11 disaster, members of volunteer fire brigades in the three prefectures of the Tohoku region bravely committed themselves to shutting floodgates and guiding people to safety in the face of the imminent onslaught by the huge tsunami. While saving many residents' lives, 254 volunteer firefighters lost their lives. Why did so many of them have to die? Three years on, the program investigates the new “regional disaster prevention” initiatives appearing in disaster-prone Japan.
When Kesennuma City Hospital was cut off from critical services and food supplies following the 3.11 tsunami, it managed to protect the lives of both its inpatients and other citizens. Since then, the hospital has developed various new measures to provide better medical treatment in future disasters, such as the introduction of telemedicine, multipurpose helicopters, and networks of local home nursing teams. What did the hospital’s medical staff learn from their experience during the disaster? An American journalist reports on the situation at the hospital as it faces the challenge of providing new types of medical care.
Movies have provided great support to people in the Tohoku region. From two months after the disaster, the “Cinema Yell Tohoku” project has held more than 500 free-of-charge screenings of popular movies in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. With the help of people in the movie industry, screenings have been held at elementary schools and temporary housing complexes. People are once again enjoying watching movies together with others, and movies are starting to become a new focus for community-building. The program investigates the spirit of people connected by movies and the regeneration of communities
The 3.11 tsunami devastated Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture. Hundreds of residents flocked to Kojuen, a special nursing home for the elderly on elevated ground. Although not a designated evacuation site, it unexpectedly served as a shelter for more than 1,000 people. Based on the reports of nutritionists, who had to do their best in an environment with food shortages and no utilities, and staff members who struggled to maintain order, the program reviews how people survived evacuation life in an extreme situation and what is needed at such times.
The 3.11 tsunami wiped out the small port town of Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture. One month later, the town’s junior high school resumed classes earlier than any other school in the disaster-stricken areas. Soon, they started unique classes in which students confront the reality of the disaster. They wrote haiku, a very succinct form of poetry, and expressed their inner feelings. We take a close look at how their haiku composition served as psychological care after the disaster.
More than 700 nurseries were damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake, but there were few infant fatalities. Even so, lawsuits have laid the blame for them on the nurseries. Reviewing the case of the one known as the “Miracle Nursery” because all 54 of the children in its care survived from the tsunami, the program reveals it had been implementing regular safety measures, including monthly evacuation drills and disaster manual updates. We see its new manual being prepared based on lessons learned from 3.11 and hear about regional initiatives to protect children.
Babies' diapers and powdered milk went to facilities for the elderly, rice and vegetables arrived at places with no means of cooking... There was great confusion and congestion in the transportation and distribution of emergency supplies right after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Evacuees who were drivers for home-delivery companies used their experience and local knowledge to help solve the problems, and in Iwate Prefecture truck association experts provided invaluable logistic solutions. This program reviews cases of successful cooperation that provide tips for the future.
In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, many local authorities were unable to handle the huge influx of volunteers eager to help. However, in Tono City in Iwate Prefecture, which suffered relatively little damage, a volunteer group called “Magokoro Net” provided the coastal areas with logistic support. It handled 100,000 volunteers, allocating work and organizing transport and accommodations. The program investigates the logistic support system provided by the city of Tono that managed massive numbers of volunteers in the post-quake chaos.
Right after the 3.11 disaster, there was a sudden increase in pneumonia cases in Kesennuma, especially amongst elderly evacuees. Recovered medical records revealed a 240% increase from 2010, and a 710% increase at evacuation sites. Why? Clinicians suspected oral bacteria to be the cause, and dentists began promoting better oral health conditions. By June 2011, the pneumonia symptoms had been eradicated. Study meetings and practical training sessions are now being held based on the lessons learned.
For the past three years, local fishermen and more than 3,000 volunteer divers have continued working hand in hand to remove underwater debris. Their efforts have helped to revive the seaweed essential for marine life, and largely restore the former ocean ecosystem so that fish and shellfish can return. The program includes photos and video footage taken during these underwater recovery activities and looks at the vital mechanism of eelgrass in the fish feeding grounds.
The firemen of Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture faced serious problems when the Great East Japan Earthquake cut off communication tools, including mobile phones. They couldn’t transmit on-site reports because their radios functioned only for reception. Local taxi drivers came to their rescue with their analog radios, providing support at the disaster HQ, evacuation sites and mortuaries. Learning from this, Kesennuma has been developing a multiplex information communication system. The program looks at ways to improve communications when a disaster strikes.
In the fourth year since the 3.11 earthquake, the number of volunteers to the Tohoku region is rapidly decreasing. At the same time, there’s a change in the corporate volunteerism that has continued since right after the disaster, with a growing focus on corporate specialization to meet actual needs. For example, Ajinomoto provides cooking classes at temporary housing sites, and Fuji Xerox now includes document cleaning as part of staff training, has cleaned and digitized 4,500 official documents, and has developed a system for clinics to check medical records on tablet terminals. The program investigates sustainable support using corporate specialization.
Many convenience stores in the Tohoku region suffered damage and casualties at the time of the 3.11 disaster. However, those that reopened shortly after played an important role as a lifeline for people in the stricken areas, selling food and carrying out administrative activities. Japan’s unique convenience stores, renowned for their careful and versatile service have evolved further since the disaster. They are now perfecting disaster prevention manuals, installing earthquake and tsunami alarms, and storing food, fuel, and backup resources in cooperation with local governments. Daniel Kahl reports on the way convenience stores are preparing themselves to be ‘disaster stations’ supporting the local community.
After the tsunami had washed away most patient’s prescriptions, pharmacists in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, received special permission to distribute the stocks left at pharmacies, especially drugs for evacuees with chronic diseases. Confusion was avoided through the cooperation of various pharmacies. They also helped sort out the chaos at evacuation centers in Otsuchi by gathering prescriptions every day and delivering the drugs the following day. This reduced the waiting time for treatment and medicine preparation, and also facilitated inventory control. The program reviews the vital support role of pharmacists at the time of a major disaster.
The opening of the OECD Tohoku School in March 2012 launched a 30-month project in which 100 teenagers from three disaster-stricken Tohoku prefectures would think up ways to promote their regions at a presentation in France in summer 2014. Although many of the students had lost relatives in the disaster and still live at evacuation sites, they put great effort into planning ideas and promoting them, and the Paris event was a great success. Focusing on students from Okuma-machi, Fukushima prefecture, and Otsuchi-cho, Iwate prefecture, preparing photo exhibits, the program shows how children from the stricken areas have matured through the school’s activities.
Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, is an important crossroads where Routes 106 from Morioka and the coastal 45 meet. Local construction workers took just two days to clear the roads of tsunami debris: first opening up the area within 800 yards of the junction, and then the route south to Yamada-machi. Bonnie Waycott reports on the men who overcame many difficulties in the chaos right after the disaster, including seismic wave warnings and a lack of communication means, fuel and food.
Many of the elderly people forced to live as an evacuee or in temporary housing ever since the 3.11 disaster lead inactive lives with nothing special to do. This can result in hypofunction of the whole body, making them susceptible to ‘disuse syndrome’. Dr. Yayoi Okawa identified many such cases after the 2007 Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake, and since then she has been supporting sufferers in various ways. The program interviews people who have managed to overcome the syndrome by getting involved in the revival of tangle-net fishing and seaweed farming, which has reenergized them and rejuvenated their sense of confidence. It also looks at ways to avoid the syndrome and how it can be treated with the support of families and friends.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces have carried out a variety of lifesaving and support activities since the 3.11 disaster. Not many people know that they provided bathing facilities for people who were experiencing a protracted evacuee life. The JSDF set up its temporary bathing equipment called ‘Field Bathing Set Mk.2’ at 42 different locations. A tank car pumps up water from the river, filters it, and then heats it for 45 minutes to provide 5.4 tons of hot water per hour. It allows 30 people to shower at the same time and 1,200 people to take a bath per day. The baths had a great healing effect on those forced to escape from the tsunami and the nuclear accident with just the clothes they were wearing. This mobile bathing service is unique to Japan with its traditional bathing culture.
More than half of the 1,000 evacuees were foreigners at an evacuation site in the Sanjo district of Sendai. This happened because many overseas students lived in the area and widely circulated e-mails reported that the Sanjo evacuation site was safe. However, the foreigners who escaped there were soon at a loss. Few of the Japanese evacuees could speak English and they were unable to explain the rules of the site well. Cultural and behavior differences stood out in relief and led to friction. Since then, the Sanjo district has been trying to make improvements in various ways based on the lessons learned. There will be more and more foreign residents in Japan in the future. The program presents hints on surviving disasters through mutual assistance.
More than 700 schoolchildren perished in the 3.11 disaster. As new types of disaster education are being considered nationwide, the “Disaster moral education” developed by students of Shizuoka University Faculty of Education is drawing attention. The students conducted a survey on the behavior of children during the disaster in Kesennuma, where many schoolchildren lost their lives. Everyone was faced with a crucial decision before the tsunami arrived: to escape or to check out the safety of their family? The program covers an actual “disaster moral education” lesson for 6th graders at an elementary school near Suruga Bay. It clearly shows how the children’s disaster prevention awareness changes: “Every man for himself”.
About 450,000 Japanese schoolchildren at all three levels (elementary, junior high and high schools) suffer from some kind of food allergy. However, local government disaster prevention plans pay insufficient consideration to the needs of allergy sufferers. The program introduces various efforts to provide countermeasures for allergy sufferers during a disaster, based on lessons learned in 2011. Allergy sufferers have also fully realized the importance of reporting that they are allergic to certain items. A group of mothers has developed “Cards to prevent food allergy” which can be carried even by babies and small children.
The local ‘idol group’ SCK GIRLS was formed in 2011 to back up the recovery of the disaster-stricken town of Kesennuma. The way they enthusiastically practice their dancing and singing in the community space at Minamimachi Murasaki Market, a temporary shopping district, has provided great mental support to local people. Many fans began visiting Murasaki Market. But as they enhanced their name recognition holding concerts in various cities, they felt their bonding with their hometown was weakening. Now the girls’ desire to deepen the bonds with local people is strengthening again. They plan to hold a ‘Thanking Local People’ 4th anniversary concert in the area.
Children’s physical strength tests conducted in 2013 have showed poor results compared with those for 2010, the year before the 3.11 disaster, especially in the coastal areas. The reasons include the fact that many temporary housing complexes were erected in parks and school playgrounds, an increase in the number of students going to school by bus because of the closing and mergers of schools, and self-restraint regarding outdoor activities due to radioactive contamination. Various efforts to solve this issue are underway, including the ‘Two-minute jump exercise’ (Kamaishi, Iwate Pref.), and the large-scale indoor playground called ‘Pep Kids Koriyama’ which is attracting many family groups. The reporter is Bobby Ologun, a TV personality popular with children.
A famous Taiwanese actress revisits a children’s theater troupe that she supported after the Great East Japan earthquake of 2011. After the quake, the children in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas, banded together to re-enact their version of the disaster. Taiwanese actress Lin Chiling coached them on how to express their feelings. Almost four years since the disaster, some troupe members now worry that memories of their experiences are fading, and may soon be forgotten. We go back with Lin to visit and talk with them.
When the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, no passengers lost their lives while riding on trains. Thanks to the Urgent Earthquake Detection and Alarm System, in which seismometers automatically halt trains when they sense abnormal vibrations, all the Shinkansen bullet trains started braking before the quake struck. We look at the ongoing reinforcement of the elevated tracks and improvements to the cars and verify the legendary safety of the Shinkansen by observing simulations of how safety is ensured at the time of an earthquake. The program also reports on a case where human wisdom saved lives. Nobiru Station on the Senseki Line connecting Sendai and Ishinomaki was badly damaged. A train that left the station a few minutes earlier stopped on a hillside; following the advice of local residents, the conductor instructed all the passengers to stay on the train instead of following the manual, and they were safe. The program covers the preparations and countermeasures being implemente
Many items imbued with personal memories that were carried out to sea by the tsunami in 2011 have been found on the west coast of North America and returned to their owners. In previous TOMORROW programs, we have reported on the memories evoked by the return of nostalgic items, and how their owners have made a new step forward driven by them. Through those programs, a Japanese NPO called ‘Kids Now’ and Kevin Easley, an American dentist living in Alaska, got connected and the owner search movement has been steadily expanding. Encouraged by the return of his football, 13-year-old Rin Goto in Minamisanriki, Miyagi Prefecture, wrote in an essay: "Whenever I get discouraged, I will hold this football and remember the many people who have supported me. I’m sure that will give me the courage to move on..." His essay won the top award among 22,000 entries at a junior high school essay contest in the Tohoku region.
After the 3.11 disaster, it was said that many evacuation sites lacked proper consideration for the needs of women. Comments included: “There were no partitions, so I had trouble with changing clothes and breastfeeding”, “There was nowhere to hang underwear”, and “It was embarrassing to receive sanitary goods in public”. The leaders at many of the sites were men, so women found it difficult to say what they wanted and had to remain patient. In an emergency situation, survival is always the most important consideration, but more sensitive care could be provided. Bonnie Waycott reports on the issues and solutions.
Some communities were isolated after the Great East Japan Earthquake because the roads had become impassable. Half of the homes of the Nagahora community in Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture were washed away by the tsunami, but the residents evacuated to private houses on the hillside. The tsunami had destroyed the road, so there was no access. With no idea of when they would receive help, they decided to do their best to manage by themselves for at least one month. They weathered the crisis by creating 10 groups, each given a different role to perform. What made this possible was community power, a phenomenon that is now once again receiving a lot of attention. The program reports on the way a community can be created in urban areas and high-rise apartment blocks that tend to lack a community spirit.
Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, two Tohoku radio stations were suddenly unable to receive accurate local information, and the tsunami and nuclear accident occurred shortly afterwards. However, “Radio Fukushima”, which covers the whole of Fukushima Prefecture, and “TBC Radio”, which has a network right across Miyagi Prefecture, continued broadcasting. They used every possible means, including outside broadcast vans and the Internet. How did they handle the information they asked their listeners to send in? TV producer Russell Goodall from New Zealand visits those who were involved to report on that time when a relationship of great trust developed between the radio stations and their listeners.
The Great East Japan Earthquake damaged many cultural assets, such as temples, shrines, and statues of Buddha. Since ancient times most Japanese buildings and statues have been created from the country’s rich sources of timber, including Horyuji Temple, the world’s oldest wooden building. It’s very important to preserve such treasures that have witnessed the nation’s history, but how has that been possible in the face of so many natural disasters? The answer lies in the restoration skills that have been handed down from generation to generation. This edition of TOMORROW focuses on Japan’s expertise in post-disaster restoration work.
The 3.11 tsunami surged into Sendai Airport, located just one kilometer from the sea. The runways were submerged, the terminal buildings were flooded, and 1,700 people, including travelers, airport staff and local residents were left stranded. How did people of all ages, occupations and nationalities survive without essential utilities? The program follows the stories of stricken travelers who happened to be at the airport. We see sew bonds created by a disaster at an airport, a place that symbolizes the Japanese concept of every encounter being a once-in-a-lifetime experience?
In the belief that memories of the 3.11 disaster should be handed down to posterity, more than 100 stories have been produced for ‘kami shibai’, public storytelling with pictures. Many of them are based on actual events in Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the earthquake. They cover a wide range of topics, including the story of a boy who saved many local residents from the tsunami and the experiences of people forced to evacuate after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident. American Jason Hancock reports on the true stories behind the storytelling.
The ocean off the Tohoku region has long been a rich fishing ground, but the fisheries suffered serious damage in the 3.11 disaster. Four years on, they were showing signs of recovery, but then it was discovered that some marine products were unexpectedly suffering a new disaster. In the Shizugawa Bay in Miyagi Prefecture, many sea urchins adversely affected by the tsunami have been developing spongy roe, making them unsalable. And in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, the number of scallop culturists has drastically fallen, seriously threatening the future of scallop aquaculture. To deal with these problems, help arrived from marine scientists. In cooperation with fishermen, they are using their expertise to help local fishing businesses to recover.
The 3.11 tsunami inflicted tremendous damage on Miyako City in Iwate Prefecture. Students of a high school there present demonstrations that simulate a tsunami using an elaborate model of the coastal area of the Tohoku region. Designed to enhance disaster prevention awareness by teaching how scary a tsunami is, these demonstrations started six years before the 3.11 disaster at local elementary schools. In fact, there were no victims at any of the schools that had seen them. What are the high school students' motivations? The reporter is Daniel Kahl, who has been actively involved in volunteer work in the stricken areas.
The mortality rate of disabled persons during the 3.11 disaster was approximately double the average; specifically, more than 70 deaf people lost their lives. Why is that? As it happened, in the time between the quake and the arrival of the tsunami, TV broadcasts had been cut off and the deaf were unable to access the information in radio and neighborhood warnings. Moreover, these people suffered an information gap at the evacuation sites, where they were unable to hear announcements. This edition of TOMORROW explores this issue and seeks effective measures for future disasters.
Farming in Fukushima was hit hard by the 3.11 nuclear accident. There is, however, a young farmer (and former model) who has been steadily increasing his sales. Long lines of women form at the “Pizza Kitchen Car” launched by his apple and peach farm, ‘Oononouen.’ The farm’s fruit as well as local vegetables are used as pizza toppings, highlighting delicious Fukushima produce. Far from being an oddity, Oononouen farm is part of a larger trend. In 2015, 40 young farmers from all over Fukushima joined forces to establish the “Cool Agri” organization, which acts as a prefecture-wide framework for agricultural production and promotion. This program shows viewers how the organization’s activities provide a model for energizing farming, not only in Fukushima, but across the nation.
At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a tremendous amount of support was provided to the Tohoku region from all over the world. A portion came from the government of Nepal. Though the country is known as one of the least developed in Asia, the Nepalese government provided 5,000 blankets, and Nepali people living in Japan distributed food. In April 2015, Nepal was struck by a massive earthquake. Residents of the Tohoku region, eager to repay the generosity shown by Nepal, were quick to respond. The Japanese owner of a Nepalese restaurant in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, assisted by local residents, raised money and sent supplies to stricken areas. In Sendai, children who experienced the 3.11 earthquake have painted pictures of the sun to provide moral support to Nepali children. This episode reports on ongoing activities in the Tohoku region that provide support to Nepal.
It’s nearly five years since the accidents at the Tokyo Electric Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Uncertain about their future, around 100,000 evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture who are now spread all over the country are being pressed to make various decisions. In order to help them, lawyers are listening to their stories.One mother who voluntarily evacuated now lives with her children in very needy circumstances with nothing and nobody to depend on. And amongst those forced to evacuate who used to be close friends, ill feelings have grown as a result of differences in compensation and aid measures.The program introduces the unvoiced opinions of those who had no option but to evacuate after the 3.11 disaster. It includes interviews with a female ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) lawyer who deals mainly with those who evacuated voluntarily to Saitama Prefecture, where many evacuees now live. And it introduces a lawyer couple who have returned to Fukushima to support the evacue
Five years have passed since the 3.11 disaster. Have people in the stricken areas in Iwate managed to regain their lives? How is the recovery progressing in the communities? The TOMORROW reporters who have been observing Iwate engage in an lively discussion!
Five years ago, the fishing industry in the prefecture that proudly calls itself Fishery Miyagi was devastated by the tsunami. How is the recovery of the marine resources progressing? We discover fishermen so dynamic that they almost seem to be leading the nation’s fisheries.
Fukushima has become a familiar name worldwide as a result of the nuclear accidents in 2011. Ever since then, the world has been concerned about what’s happening regarding radioactive contamination in the prefecture.