20110611

Japan marks three months since tsunami

by AFP

Japan Saturday marked three months since its devastating quake-tsunami and resulting nuclear crisis, with the prime minister visiting the disaster zone and thousands set for anti-nuclear protests. Centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under heavy opposition pressure to step down over his handling of the March 11 catastrophe, was to make a one-day trip to an area in Iwate prefecture, one of the worst-hit regions. Kan was to attend a government-sponsored forum in the port town of Kamaishi on ways to improve survivors' lives, said his spokesman, who apologised for the fact that many people were still enduring harsh conditions. (AFP)

Housing still scarce three months after disaster

by Japan Times

Three months after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and with a nuclear power plant disaster still unfolding, thousands of evacuees are still living in shelters as construction of temporary housing plods along. In the worst-affected prefectures - Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima - only half of the 52,000 temporary homes required have been completed. Even after all evacuees find temporary housing, however, there will remain the extremely taxing issue of how to rebuild residential areas. Miyagi Prefecture's policy is to build much of the temporary housing inland to save coastal land for permanent homes. (Japan Times)