· March, 2011

Stories about Japan from March, 2011

Tensions Between Korea and Japan Intensified Over Territorial Conflict

  31 March 2011

South Koreans have expressed deep regret over the Japanese government’s decision to endorse middle school textbooks that defined Dokdo island as part of its territory. Reflecting people's anger, Korea's power Twitterer and bestselling novelist, Lee Oi-soo (@oisoo) harshly condemned [ko] Japanese government for approving the new textbooks.

Japan: The Tsunami, God and Man

  31 March 2011

A few days after the disaster that killed more than ten thousand people, Italian vice-president of the National Research Council (CNR) Roberto De Mattei and Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara left the Italian and the Japanese blogosphere astounded when they declared that the catastrophe occurred as a manifestation of God’s will. Both in Japan and in Italy bloggers reacted and demanded their resignation.

South Korea: Application for Radiation Levels Checkup

  29 March 2011

As minuscule amounts of radioactive iodine and cesium have been detected in South Korean atmosphere, intensifying the already heightened fear over Japan's nuclear crisis, South Korean web developers debuted an Android application enabling citizen to check updated information on radiation levels in the country. Wiki Tree posted [ko] screenshot images...

Taiwan: Anti-Nuclear Protesters’ Lonely Quest

  29 March 2011

A fourth nuclear power plant is currently under construction in Taiwan, in Gongliao town, just 40 km away from the capital Taipei. In 1988, eight years after the Taiwan Power Company first decided to build the plant, locals in Gongliao held the first meeting of what became their anti-nuclear organization. In...

Japan: Relief Tweets for Refugee Parents

  27 March 2011

As the situation at the nuclear plant Fukushima Daiichi remains unstable and the government warns about the high levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in vegetables and tap water, infants' parents seek reassurance and advice from experts and fellow parents on the internet.

Japan: The Importance of Getting Back to Normal

  24 March 2011

As more time passes since the devastating Earthquake that shook Japan on March 11th, people in Japan are feeling the need to return to normal and put the disaster behind them. Although for many Japanese who lost their homes or loved ones this will be quite difficult, those who weren't as unlucky feel the need to do their part and help the economy get back on its feet.

Japan: Fundraising through art

  24 March 2011

A group of international artists realized paintings and drawings dedicated to the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The works are part of an open project called Tsunami, Des Images pour le Japon. You can send your original illustrations here [fr].

Japan: Hoarding Water in Wake of Radiation Fears

  24 March 2011

South Korea's blogger/citizen news site, Wikitree posted a photo sent by a Japanese net user which shows people hoarding bottled water in big supermarket chains in Tokyo, reflecting heightened fears of radiation contamination.

Macedonia: QR Campaign to Aid Japan

  23 March 2011

It.com.mk noted [MKD] that Kalina Zografska, Kristijan Ivanovski and Iva Dujak started an independent campaign using QR codes containing Japanese proverbs, quotes and links, to promote the humanitarian concert “Heart for Japan” [MKD] (#srcejp) and remind Skopje's citizens of the legacy of Kenzo Tange, a Japanese architect who helped rebuild...

Macedonia, Japan: Anime vs. Reality

  23 March 2011

poljaff, a contributor to Japan@MK blog, compared [MKD] the experiences of learning about Japanese culture and disaster response by watching the award-winning anime Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 a year ago, and intensely following the aftermath of the March 11 catastrophe. According to her, reality is much scarier, but the Japanese people...

France: Worry and Hope in the Japanese Community

  21 March 2011

In France as elsewhere, the terrifying pictures of the tsunami and earthquake have had Japanese expatriates worried by the magnitude of the disaster. Many of them spent all day on Friday, March 11, 2011, trying to contact their loved ones through the Internet, and since then have been working to bring their compatriots some emotional relief.

Japan: How dangerous is low-level radiation?

  20 March 2011

Jake Adelstein reprinted parts of the scientific article entitled “The Uranium Widows: Why Would A Community Want To Return To Milling A Radioactive Element?” by Peter Hessler, hoping to give some perspective on the radiation fear spreading in Japan.

Japan: “The Light and Darkness of Social Media”

  19 March 2011

It's human nature for rumors to run rampant in a high pressure situation, and social meda tools can be a double-edged sword in expediting this situation. Yasuhisa Hasegawa gives an analysis in his blog post "The Light and Darkness of Social Media", drawing parallels between social media usage and consumption of mass media.