20110428

Japan's small firms struggle to stay afloat after quake

by BBC

Japan's first quake-related bankruptcy did not happen in the epicentre of the devastation. It happened in Fukuoka, more than 1000km away. BIC is a 22-year-old company organising concerts in the southwest island of Kyushu. It was already struggling with weak sales. When it filed for bankruptcy on 18 March, it had a total debt of 150m yen ($1.8m; £1.1m). According to documents filed to the Fukuoka District Court, cancellations of popular events due to the earthquake were the final blow. (BBC

Tsunami towns face 'empty monument' risk as Japan rebuilds

by Bloomberg

Mayor Futoshi Toba lost his wife in the March 11 tsunami that pulverized his city of Rikuzentakata and left two thirds of its residents homeless. He says it's too early to move on and rebuild. "So many families are still looking for missing bodies and they would feel like they're abandoning their loved ones," Toba, 46, said in an interview outside the city's makeshift offices. "It's not a big deal to delay reconstruction for a couple of months, as we are talking about something that will take 10 to 20 years." (Bloomberg)