Flags show fishing communities resolve to rebuild (by Asahi Shimbun)

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201104170110.html


A flag is tied to a piece of driftwood in Oya-Motoyoshi district of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 3. (Koichi Ueda)


A flag is raised where Koya Miura's house once stood, in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 2. The house, which was washed away in the March 11 tsunami, is seen in the background to the right. (Gen Hashimoto)


Choei Ito spreads out a flag in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, after removing mud from it. (Masatomo Norikyo)

TEPCO aims to achieve 'cold shutdown' for reactors in 6-9 months (by Mainichi Shimbun)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110417p2g00m0dm074000c.html

Tokyo Electric Power Co. Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata bows at the end of a news conference at the company's headquarters in Tokyo on April 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Woman who lost family leads search for memories of loved ones in quake-stricken area (by Mainichi Shimbun)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110416p2a00m0na023000c.html

Saori Takezawa sorts out washed photographs and arranges them at a gymnasium at Yuriage Elementary School in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 10. (Mainichi)

44 Filipinos flee Japan region hit by nuke crisis (by Mainichi Shimbun)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110417p2g00m0dm075000c.html

Anabelle Katahira, center, a Filipino who lives some 50 kilometers from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, wears masks with her daughters as they arrive at Manila's International Airport, Philippines on April 17, 2011. The Philippine government has bought home 44 Filipino mothers and their children after ordering hundreds of its nationals to leave the northeastern Japan region grappling with a nuclear crisis. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Home being in evacuation zone, not allowed to return--TEPCO's compensation not enough for long term

(by Mr. Tsuguo Tadokoro (62), Security Guard, Hirono-cho, Fukushima Prefecture at an evacuation center, Budokan, Adachi-Ward, Tokyo)

I am afraid that I won’t be able to return home as long as I live since the nuclear power plant accident was classified level 7 same as Chernobyl. We lived out of 20 kilometer radius from the plant, but the official told us not to return home. I’ve just paid off the mortgage loan, but my house was crushed down by the earthquake. And if your house is within 30 kilometer radius, and you will not be able to go for the inspection, then insurance company will not pay even a solatium. Tokyo Electric Company said that they would pay lump sum of one million yen to nuclear power plant accident evacuee, but it would not be enough for the long term evacuation life. I am living off my savings now. I am able to move into municipal housing in Tokyo on April 14th, so I’ll look for a job as a security guard in this area.


Asahi Shimbun, “Disaster Victim's Voice," April 16, 2011
Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Once prominent, huge vessel lying on the land now

Mr. Motomu Sato (60), Kesennuma City looking up at the vessel washed ashore near port of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture. He dropped by to check on the port wondering how it was.

The vessel on the left is Dairoku Anyoumaru. ” It was a well known and very prominent fishing boat for Pacific saury fishing in Japan. They used to be able to catch fish worth about 300 million yen within 4 months easily. Now it’s lying on the land. It has to be disassembled after all since no crane truck can lift it up.”

He used to engage in deep-sea fishing as well as Pacific saury fishing, and said, “ I’d like to go back on the sea, but I don’t know what to expect.” (Picture taken by Mr. Shihou Tsutabayashi)

Nikkan Sports, April 16, 2011

http://photos.nikkansports.com/general/genki/archives/20110416_14671.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano