National Oct 5, 2020
Iwate Prefecture's Yumechan wins Japan's final mascot competition
The winning mascot has ears modeled after pines in a grove that was swept away during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
National Oct 3, 2020
The winner of this year's annual mascot competition will be hoping they attract as much international attention for the prize as Kumamoto Prefecture's Kumamon black bear-like mascot did after winning the inaugural event in 2011. The competition wraps up for the final time after ...
National / History | Regional Voices: Tohoku Aug 21, 2020
Striving to keep memories of WWII Kamaishi bombardment alive
The city has been spurred on by local residents sharing their stories of the two naval attacks in 1945.
National Jul 29, 2020
While no casualties have been reported, the Yamagata Prefectural Government has been trying to assess the extent of the damage along the Mogami River.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Jul 25, 2020
Go To Travel campaign stirs anxieties outside Tokyo
by Michael Hoffman
in some areas, out-of-prefecture motorists have been pelted with rocks and intimidated by reckless driving.
National / Politics / Social Issues Jul 17, 2020
Japan earmarks ¥1.6 trillion to finance phase two of 3/11 restoration plan
The government on Friday decided on a plan to spend about ¥1.6 trillion over a five-year period from fiscal 2021 for reconstruction measures related to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The amount for the second phase of the restoration period as designated by the ...
National Jul 15, 2020
‘Now is not the time’ for Go To Travel as virus spikes, say Japan local leaders
Despite the concerns, some leaders are welcoming the campaign as a needed economic boost.
National Jun 30, 2020
The elephant weighed 3,940 kg as of June 20, but her target weight is 3,600 kg.
National | Regional Voices: Tohoku May 29, 2020
Most Iwate 3/11 memorials canceled, with next year’s under threat
Charity events and victim support projects put on hold due to coronavirus pandemic.
National Apr 3, 2020
3/11 survivors face loneliness after moving into public housing for disaster victims
In a recent poll of people in the March 2011 disaster-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima who moved to public housing for survivors, nearly half said they feel that interactions with neighbors have decreased since they moved to the housing complexes from temporary ...
National / Social Issues | Regional Voices: Tohoku Apr 3, 2020
Iwate 3/11 survivors face isolation as wait to leave makeshift houses drags on
About 40 households who survived the March 2011 earthquakes and tsunami in the coastal areas of Iwate Prefecture are still stuck in makeshift housing, waiting to move into new homes. As more temporary housing units become vacant in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, some of the elderly ...