Stories about Japan from March, 2011
Tensions Between Korea and Japan Intensified Over Territorial Conflict
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
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
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
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...
Russia, Japan: Sakhalin Residents’ and Chernobyl Survivors’ Reactions to Fukushima
Ksenya Semenova writes on OpenDemocracy.net about the reactions of Sakhalin residents to the situation in Japan: “I have some friends in Japan […]. From their relations and from the internet they have discovered what's going on in the Russian Far East at the moment. They sigh deeply and smile ruefully,...
Japan: Relief Tweets for Refugee Parents
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.
Russia: Unexpected Results of Radiation Mapping
The crowdsourcing project of mapping radiation levels in Russia measured by private dosimeters not only became an interesting case of digital activism, but also showed some effects its creators didn’t even think of.
Japan: The Importance of Getting Back to Normal
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
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
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
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
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...
Serbia: Returning Gratitude for the Japanese Donations
Sasa Milosevic reports on Serbian initiatives to help Japanese victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster, in a grateful return of the aid donated by Japan to Serbia.
France: Worry and Hope in the Japanese Community
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?
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: Manga artists draw comics to support Japan
A post at the Italian independent news website Linkiesta shows [it] the comics that several Japanese manga artists drew to express solidarity to their country.
Japan: The Macroeconomic Aftermath of the Earthquake/Tsunami
Ilan Noy, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Hawai'i, elaborated a theory on the macroeconomic aftermath of the magnitudo 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11.
Bulgaria: Offering Shelter to Japanese Earthquake Victims
The earthquake in Japan has become a tragedy for the entire world. This is evident from the willingness of people from different countries and continents to help the victims of the quake, which took the lives of thousands of people. Ruslan Trad reports on the Bulgarian online initiative.
Japan: “The Light and Darkness of Social Media”
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.
Japan: Story and photos of everyday life in the aftermath of the earthquakes
The Japanese francophone blogger from A la cuisine de Shoko writes here [fr] and here [fr] with accompanying photos, about daily life and the atmosphere in Tokyo after the earthquake.
Japan: Wondering About the Meaning of Life
Poet Shuntaro Tanikawa's famous poem "To Live", which explores the meaning of life, has been posted by many bloggers who wonder what's the best thing to do now.
About our Japan coverage
Nevin Thompson is our Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
