Aron Cramer: Japan: From Tragedy to Turning Point?

Japan: From Tragedy to Turning Point?

I arrived in Japan for a week of meetings to find Tokyo more deserted than ever before. Maybe the

economy really had collapsed in the wake of the triple whammy of the earthquake, tsunami, and

ongoing nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi.

A week's visits with BSR's member companies, however, showed a more layered situation. Japan

appears ready to turn this tragedy into a pivot point that puts the country on an even stronger path

for a safe, prosperous -- and sustainable -- future.

Many of our Japanese member company representatives expressed a strong sense of self-reflection. cont

Japan 2011 - Earthquake - Family links Network via FAMILYLINKS.ICRC.ORG

If you are looking for your relatives in Japan or if you want to inform your relatives that you are alive after the events List of names First, consult the List of names. If you find the names of your relatives, contact them directly. If this is not possible, check this website on a regular basis or contact the nearest Red Cross/Red Crescent office for more information. Search for your name as well as someone might be looking for you. You are alive If you want to inform your relatives that you are alive, please register your name and contact details on I am alive. Your name will appear on the list. By checking the list, your relatives will know where you are and may be able to contact you. Check this website or contact your nearest Red Cross/Red Crescent representative for more information. You are looking for a missing relative If you are looking for missing relatives in Japan who are not on the list, you can register their name and your contact details on Missing relative. Your missing relatives might be able to see the list and contact you. Other persons checking the list might have information on their whereabouts and contact you.

Japan bans residents from remaining within 20-km of Fukushima plant

TOKYO, April 22, Kyodo

Japan imposed a no-entry zone midnight Thursday prohibiting residents from remaining within a 20-kilometer radius of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to enhance control of evacuees amid continued fears of radiation leaks.
The no-entry zone came into effect following a meeting between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato at the prefectural office on Thursday, in which Kan told Sato to upgrade the current evacuation instruction for residents in the area.
Sato, emerging from a 35-minute meeting with Kan, told reporters he had called on the premier to thoroughly explain the new step to the municipalities subject to the legally binding ''caution areas.''

Payouts For Fukushima Nuclear Leak Evacuees

11:23am UK, Friday April 15, 2011

The company that runs Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant has been ordered to pay compensation to people forced to leave their homes because of leaking radiation.

Damage at the Fukushima nuclear power plant

Individual households affected by the disaster will receive up to £7,300 ($12,000) when payments begin on April 28.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO has set aside £370m ($600m) for the initial payouts but more compensation is expected.
Industry analysts say TEPCO could end up paying £14bn ($23bn) in the current financial year.
One analyst says the bill could rise to £80bn ($130bn) if the Fukushima crisis drags on.
Reports from Japan say that a government-backed compensation fund might be set up to save TEPCO, Asia's largest utility company, from collapse.

Police in protective suits search for bodies near the Fukushima nuclear plant

It has lost more than three-quarters of its stock market value since the disaster.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has said that an estimated 200,000 people living within a 30 km radius from the plant will be eligible for the initial compensation payments.
Efforts are still continuing to stabilise the reactors at the nuclear power plant which saw its cooling systems fail after it was hit by the March 11 megaquake and subsequent tsunami.
Radiation levels inside a total 10km exclusion zone dropped enough on Thursday for police to begin searching the area for the bodies of an estimated 1,000 people killed by the earthquake and tsunami.

Police begin risky search for 1000 tsunami victims around Fukushima | The Australian

Police begin risky search for 1000 tsunami victims around Fukushima | The Australian

BBC News - One month after the tsunami- IN sights and sound!

BBC News - One month after the tsunami

updated as of 4-10-2011 Earthquake East - Shelter Information

Earthquake East - Shelter Information

City seethes in radiation zone (Oregonian in Japan) | OregonLive.com

City seethes in radiation zone (Oregonian in Japan) | OregonLive.com

FACTBOX-Japan's disaster in figures | Reuters

FACTBOX-Japan's disaster in figures | Reuters