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Great East Japan Earthquake

Seven years after earthquake, Fukushima teen says March 11 is an “ordinary day” in the prefecture

High schooler hopes the prefecture will shed its disaster zone image, and that the rest of Japan will start to see Fukushima as normal again.

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Eva tie-wearing Japanese minister resigns after saying “it’s a good thing the tsunami hit Tohoku”

People in Japan responded to the remark with a heartwarming hashtag that immediately went viral, showing support for the Tohoku region.

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Chilling Tokyo skyscraper sign shows just how tall the 2011 Japanese tsunami was

Numbers alone can be hard to visualize, but this makes things terrifyingly easy to understand.

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Fukushima rebuilds its future with fish, tomatoes and hula-dancing girls

It’s amazing to see how far the region has come just six years after the 2011 tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster.

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Disaster-struck region aims to increase tourism by bringing ALL region-exclusive Pokémon to Japan

That means Tauros, Mr Mime and Kanghaskan could be caught in Japan for a limited time.

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New Pokémon Line app message stamps raise money for children in Japan’s disaster-struck regions

Artists from around the country took part in the project, which sees Pikachu saying thank you in forty different ways.

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Emotional photos of Fukushima are turned into a moving tribute in gorgeous joint project【Video】

The final result is a powerful short film that will grip you.

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Over 150 whales found beached in Ibaraki, same thing happened before 2011 Tohoku earthquake

A little over four years ago, a week before the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, 50 melon-headed whales were found beached in Ibaraki Prefecture, only about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake’s epicenter.

Now the same omen of bad things to come has happened again. On April 9, about 150 melon-headed whales were found beached in Ibaraki Prefecture. As emergency teams race to save the whales, one thought is sitting in the back of their minds: is this foreshadowing another giant earthquake?

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Japanese politicians propose officially designating March 11 as Great East Japan Disaster Day

This coming spring will mark four years since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. While that’s not nearly long enough for the those who experienced the tragedy first-hand to forget about the destruction, sadness, and fear, some politicians are concerned that in time memories will fade, which is why a bill is being introduced in the Japanese Diet to establish March 11 as an official day of remembrance of the disaster.

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The results are in: Poll asks if Japanese people would want to be reborn in Japan

Have you ever thought about where you’d like to be born if you were reincarnated? It may be an odd question, but in Japan this has been asked every five years to citizens around the country since Showa 28 (1953). It seems like a pretty unassuming survey, but it appears to be a cleverly phrased poll that is able to determine how the citizens really feel about their home country.

What better way to find out if Japan is doing right by their youth, by asking them if they’d be willing to do it all over again! Find out what they learned after the jump.

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World famous shadow artist shines a light on Tohoku relief【Art】

Often life-altering events can inspire incredible artistic endeavors, and while the Great East Japan Earthquake is a tragic day for many people, that tragedy can inspire amazing creativity. One particular 89-year-old is using his skills to turn melancholy scenes into hopeful invigorating masterpieces.

Already well-known for delighting children with his character Keroyon, the frog who drives a red convertible, Seiji Fujishiro is probably most famous for his shadow art. These brilliant pieces of work show amazing scenes populated by his signature silhouetted elvish characters. Recently, he has turned his attention to the affected areas of the Tohoku region and has created astounding art from some iconic images created by the disaster.

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LIGHT UP NIPPON 2014 pays tribute to the Great East Japan Earthquake with a booming spectacle

For those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, three and a half years still might not be enough time separating the event from the present day. Each slight tremble in the earth, any loud alarm can be a painful reminder of all that was lost that afternoon. While the saying goes “time heals all wounds”, a bit of light-hearted fun always helps the process along. On August 11, 2014, on the 3 ½ year mark of the disastrous event, the LIGHT UP NIPPON event will be celebrating in remembrance, as it has for the past four years.

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Tohoku tsunami survivor’s $12K camera: heart-felt gift or PR stunt?

Three years ago, Japan’s northeastern region was devastated by a triple disaster of a Magnitude 9.0 earthquake, an ensuing tsunami that wiped away whole towns and caused the meltdown of a nuclear power plant. Affected deeply by the tragedy, Japan has since rallied together as a country to support those who lost loved ones, livelihoods and homes.

Last week, as a part of remembering the three years that have passed since the disaster, famed German camera maker Leica gave a high-end camera worth 1,200,000 yen (US$12,000) to a high school student whose community was devastated by the tsunami. Initially touched by the show of support, Japanese netizens began a heated conversation online about whether the very generous gift was a heart-felt present or just a PR stunt for the well-known camera maker.

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US Tops Japan Earthquake Donor List, Neighboring South Korea Fails to Crack Top 20


The Japanese Red Cross Society recently released a summary of countries and territories that sent donations (as of the end of 2012) to the organization following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Topping the list were the United States and Taiwan, number one and two respectively, with donations in excess of 2.9 billion yen (approx. US$29 million) each. A total of 22.7 billion yen was received from 179 countries and territories, including from among the world’s poorest nations. Drawing the attention of some Netizens was the fact that neighboring South Korea failed to make the top 20.
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