Flowers kept by Japanese to offer prayers

OnlineSchools.org presents Japan One Year Later
Presentation by OnlineSchools.org, Title:  Japan One Year Later

It is the end of Japan's most difficult year. Last year on the same day of 11th March, Japan experienced one of the strongest Earthquakes in its history, along with one of the most devastating tsunami which destroyed towns and villages and sea life. Life had almost stopped in Japan when another disaster took place, nuclear radiation leak, world's worst nuclear disaster in quarter century.

Even after the massive cleanup of cities, many towns are still undergoing reconstruction plans. The plan is to shift the residential areas to higher town to protect the citizens from any of this kinds of natural calamity.

To mark one year of disaster, in the morning that the tsunami hit northeastern coastal town of Rikuzentakata, some people from across Japan gathered to pray in front of mere one pine tree in barrenness, a symbol of survival. They visited the places where their houses were and where their friends once lived, and placed flowers and small gifts for them and offered prayers for them.

Many Japanese people will spend their Sunday mourning the tragedy  and some will join street rallies to bring some required changes in their country following a year of turmoil and soul searching. They will be demonstrating Anti nuclear slogans in planned rallies in major cities, including Tokyo. A human chain will surround the parliament building. Organizers have also gathered up signing petitions, asking the government to stop the resumption of Fukushima nuclear reactors which were stopped after the meltdown.

The government said that the damaged Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant, where three reactor cores melted down after the earthquake and tsunami had failed their vital cooling systems, is stable and that radiation coming from the plant has reduced significantly. Though the plant's chief acknowledged journalists visiting the complex recently that it remains in a fragile state, and makeshift equipment some mended with tape could be seen keeping crucial systems running. [Read: Japan marks one year since quake and tsunami disaster]

Japan is a modern and capable country which has effectively managed the disaster recovery. Still, the impact of the disaster can be felt acutely throughout the island nation even after one year. In Tohoku, nearly 350,000 people are still displaced from their homes, many living in cramped temporary housing, without jobs and hope.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Tokyo is spending Y20.9 trillion ($258 billion)—about the size of the annual gross domestic product of Portugal—to rebuild the northeast. The spending further bloats Japan's government debts (already the worst in the world) fueling concerns about their sustainability. [Read: One Year After Disaster, Japan Reflects, Clamors]

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which is one of the country’s largest firms, is on the brink of sweeping reform struggling to repay the debt from the decommissioning of nuclear reactors. Panel at Stanford University says, Its deregulation and creation of a new regulatory framework for Japan’s electricity markets can potentially stimulate innovation, economic growth, and entrepreneurship. Investment into smart-grids and rebuilding of the Tohoku region provides opportunities as well as risks. [Read: One Year After Japan's 3/11 Disaster: Reforming Japan's Energy Sector, Governance, and Economy]

Presently, including the Fukushima nuclear reactors, 52 of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors are stopped since last year for inspection and testing and any repair work which might be required. Japan is highly dependent on other countries for oil and other minerals, thus nuclear power is one of the major source of energy for the island.

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