Tag - tohoku

 
 

TOHOKU

A Japan Meteorological Agency map shows the seismic intensity of Sunday morning's earthquake off the coast of Iwate Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jun 28, 2026
Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes off coast of Iwate
The quake registered a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. No tsunami warning was issued.
A screenshot of the Japan Meteorological Agency website shows the seismic intensity of Thursday morning's earthquake.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2026
Magnitude 7.2 quake hits northern Japan
No tsunami warning has been issued over the temblor, which registered a rare upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the town of Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture.
The Environment Ministry aims to gain a better  understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Japan to survey bear habitats in Niigata and Tohoku region
The government surveys aim to gain a better understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
A Japan Meteorological Agency map shows where shaking was felt in Friday evening's earthquake.
JAPAN
May 15, 2026
Strong earthquake jolts Tohoku region
The quake struck off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture at 8:22 p.m. following an emergency earthquake warning for the region.
Police seal off a residential area in Sendai on April 19 after a bear was spotted on the grounds of an apartment complex.
JAPAN
May 1, 2026
As bears emerge from hibernation, local governments warn of attacks
Japan’s municipalities are telling residents to take extra precautions this spring, such as refraining from leaving outside their homes any items that could attract bears.
Immediately after a magnitude 7.7 quake off the Sanriku coast of northeastern Japan on Monday, many posts on X claimed the temblor was artificial.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2026
Misinformation spreads on social media after northeastern earthquake
Many posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, claimed that the temblor was artificial.
An electronic board displays a subsequent earthquake advisory in Iwate Prefecture on Tuesday, a day after a magnitude 7.7 temblor struck off the Tohoku coast.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Apr 21, 2026
Why did a big earthquake strike the Tohoku region again?
Monday’s temblor struck off the coast of the Tohoku region, which experienced the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency speaks about the powerful quake that hit northern Japan at a news conference in Tokyo Monday evening.
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2026
Japan issues rare special advisory over chance of more powerful quake
The government issued the advisory to residents of 182 municipalities from Hokkaido to Chiba, urging them to be ready to evacuate at any moment.
Visitors look at exhibits outside a 3/11 earthquake and tsunami memorial facility in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 11.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 2, 2026
Number of visitors to 3/11 memorial facilities drops further
“There are strong concerns about collective memories fading,” one local government official said.
A scheduled visit to the Tohoku region by Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko has been postponed.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2026
Imperial couple postpone Tohoku visit due to cold symptoms
The couple, along with Princess Aiko, were slated to inspect recovery efforts in areas affected by the March 2011 powerful earthquake and tsunami.
A warning sign is displayed in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, last November.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 24, 2026
Spring reawakens concerns over bear encounters in Japan
Experts say that a good harvest of bear staple foods such as acorns and nuts could determine whether the number of reported bear sightings ultimately rise or fall.
Residents take part in a tsunami evacuation drill using an app to register their evacuation in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in November 2025.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 12, 2026
Tohoku still faces tsunami evacuation challenges 15 years after disaster
The region is facing a series of challenges to prepare for any future tsunami evacuation, such as trying to encourage people to use an app to register at evacuation sites.
An outlet of Aeon supermarket in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, sells a variety of goods, including over-the-counter drugs and local specialties, as well as fresh and prepared foods.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2026
Supermarkets key to evacuees’ return to Fukushima communities
Creating an environment in which people can easily buy fresh foods and daily necessities is essential for attracting new residents, too.
People pray on a seawall in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, on Wednesday, the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 11, 2026
Japan marks 15th anniversary of Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged to ensure that the invaluable lessons from the disaster are handed down to future generations.
Yoshiko Sato, visiting Minato Park in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, with her two sons, says the park carries a special meaning for her.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Mar 11, 2026
A Japanese city looks to pick up the pieces yet again
Fourteen years after the city of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture was struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake, it experienced the nation’s worst wildfire in 60 years.
Residents evacuated from areas within around 20 kilometers of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant take shelter at an evacuation center in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 31, 2011. Residents who faced long-term evacuation after the disaster suffered severe psychological and physical strain.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 10, 2026
Japan still struggles with disaster-related deaths 15 years later
Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, but the government’s declared goal of reducing indirect deaths to zero still appears far from being achieved.
Ohtani on the field at Hanamaki Higashi High School on Sept. 18, 2012, the day he signed his application to turn pro.
BASEBALL
Mar 10, 2026
How one of Japan’s deadliest disasters shaped Shohei Ohtani’s life
A global baseball icon opens up about his upbringing in Iwate and how a cataclysmic disaster shaped both his youth and future.
Members of the Self-Defense Forces search for missing people in the wake of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 10, 2026
Lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake
The long-term consequences of disasters are often understudied once media attention shifts to newer crises elsewhere.
Haruna Kambayashi stands by her newly purchased home on a street now lined with mostly empty lots.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Mar 9, 2026
15 years after the Tohoku quake, the road home remains uncertain for many
In once-abandoned communities, life is cautiously returning as policymakers confront the staggering price of future recoveries.
Yumi Sakurai (second from left in the background) performs on a piano damaged in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and later restored, at Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture, on Saturday.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2026
Sendai Airport fills with music from piano once damaged in 2011 tsunami
After being made playable again, the piano has been placed at the airport for a limited period every year since 2021 to encourage people to reflect on the disaster.

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival