On March 11, 2011, north-east Japan was struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake. The tremors sparked a tsunami that swept away towns and cities and even caused a nuclear emergency as it hit a power plant.
The disaster left more than 20,000 people dead or missing, and many areas are still recovering.
See how the rebuild and recovery effort has progressed over the past decade below.
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
The tsunami triggered by the earthquake slammed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, destroying its power and cooling systems and triggering meltdowns at three reactors.
Ten years later, as the photo on the left shows, the recovery efforts are still under way. Last week, a fuel pool that had been damaged and left uncovered after the disaster, was removed. The photo taken in 2021 shows how little rebuilding had been achieved at the plant. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited Fukushima on March 6, promising to accelerate decontamination efforts so all remaining no-go zones can be reopened. He did not give a timeline.
Some areas up to 10 kilometres from Fukushima Daiichi are still a no-go zone.
Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture
Two days after the tsunami swept hundreds of towns away, streets in the area of Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture, remained flooded. The area recovered its manufacturing capabilities to pre-disaster levels in 2013, and the economy grew by 19 per cent between 2010 and 2018.
Today, the area, pictured on January 25 this year, almost looks like the tsunami never happened, but over the past decade the population there has shrunk 2.5 per cent. In the aftermath, local government built 532 apartments in Tagajo to house those who had lost everything, a decision some say made residents isolated from their communities.
Otsuchi, Iwate prefecture
The photo taken on April 6 2011, as the whole of Japan still reeled from the tsunami, shows the extent of devastation coastal communities experienced.
Houses washed away as water and debris rushed into the town of Otsuchi.
The town, pictured this January on the right-hand slide, features a white phone booth where residents 'call' those dead and lost as part of the grieving process.
The phone booth was built by Itaru Sasaki, who owns the garden in Otsuchi, about 500 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, a few months before the disaster, after he lost his cousin to cancer.
Minamisanriku, Miyagi province
Minamisanriku lost 800 residents in the tsunami, and has sprung back in an unusual fashion.
Nine staff at Minami Sanriku Hotel Kanyo have lead daily hour-long bus tours showing the sites of devastation and talking about their experiences.
The bus stops at a former school that was damaged by the tsunami, a disaster prevention centre where 43 workers died and a former wedding ceremony hall.
Since the tours began, they have had about 400,000 participants.
Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture
Kesennuma, on the coast of Sanriku is famous for its plentiful fishing grounds. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, a trawler was left grounded in the town, pictured above.
The city lost 1,246 of its residents and the rebuilding effort has been long and arduous. But today, pictured on the right, the city is working on attracting tourists.
The nearby Karakawa Penisula Visitor Centre features an exhibition dedicated to the tsunami and its impact on the area.
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Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
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But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
About Karol Nawrocki
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It Was Just an Accident
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UNpaid bills:
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN budget in 2019
USA – $1.055 billion
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Venezuela – $17 million
Korea – $10 million
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USA – $2.38 billion
Brazil – $287 million
Spain – $110 million
France – $103 million
Ukraine – $100 million
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
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• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Rating: 3.5/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Key recommendations
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- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
