Japan Tsunami Pictures - Before and After
February 10, 2012 8:31 PM Subscribe
Japan Tsunami Pictures - Before and After See how Japan has rebuilt in the 11 months since the earthquake and tsunami
I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again here: While it was awful and traumatic and nerve-wracking, it was an honor to be there to see the Japanese people at their best.
posted by gc at 8:47 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by gc at 8:47 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm kind of amazed that they were able to move some of those huge boats, such as the one sitting on top of a building.
posted by delmoi at 8:51 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by delmoi at 8:51 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
Mefites in Japan: Where did they put all the rubble?
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:51 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:51 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
Those pictures show that they've done an amazing job of clearing away the debris. But there hasn't really been much rebuilding, as such. Just a few cases of it; mostly what you see is empty fields where there used to be heart-breaking wreckage.
Still a tremendous achievement, but I think a lot of those places will never be rebuilt. After what happened last year, no one will want to live in them.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:53 PM on February 10, 2012
Still a tremendous achievement, but I think a lot of those places will never be rebuilt. After what happened last year, no one will want to live in them.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:53 PM on February 10, 2012
In "This combination of pictures shows the pavement ruptured by the earthquake in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture", it looks like they not only cleared debris, but repaved the sidewalk as well.
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 9:03 PM on February 10, 2012
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 9:03 PM on February 10, 2012
Mefites in Japan: Where did they put all the rubble?
I'm not in Japan per se (I just got back after an extended stay), but disposing of the rubble is a huge problem. Currently, rubble is stored mostly in the afflicted areas themselves, in huge pyramid-shaped piles. Local governments don't have the capacity to dispose of the rubble, and have asked other prefectures for help. However, perhaps understandably, other prefectures are afraid of radioactive contamination, and local voters have vocally opposed efforts to import gareki, or rubble, for disposal (typically, the rubble is incinerated or crushed, and used to make cement).
Tokyo has agreed to accept rubble from the afflicted areas, but Kyoto and Osaka have bowed to the wishes of the local populations, for now. The thing is, most of the rubble in the tsunami zone has not been contaminated by radioactivity... or has it? The problem is, the vast amount of rubble will tend to concentrate radioactive particles, and it's absurd to think that rubble in the tsunami zone has not been contaminated somewhat by radioactivity.
Radioactive contamination is a huge concern for many people southwest of Fukushima. Sewage sludge in Tokyo and Chiba has been found to concentrate radioactive cesium, which is a real problem, since the sludge is used to make concrete.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:05 PM on February 10, 2012 [5 favorites]
I'm not in Japan per se (I just got back after an extended stay), but disposing of the rubble is a huge problem. Currently, rubble is stored mostly in the afflicted areas themselves, in huge pyramid-shaped piles. Local governments don't have the capacity to dispose of the rubble, and have asked other prefectures for help. However, perhaps understandably, other prefectures are afraid of radioactive contamination, and local voters have vocally opposed efforts to import gareki, or rubble, for disposal (typically, the rubble is incinerated or crushed, and used to make cement).
Tokyo has agreed to accept rubble from the afflicted areas, but Kyoto and Osaka have bowed to the wishes of the local populations, for now. The thing is, most of the rubble in the tsunami zone has not been contaminated by radioactivity... or has it? The problem is, the vast amount of rubble will tend to concentrate radioactive particles, and it's absurd to think that rubble in the tsunami zone has not been contaminated somewhat by radioactivity.
Radioactive contamination is a huge concern for many people southwest of Fukushima. Sewage sludge in Tokyo and Chiba has been found to concentrate radioactive cesium, which is a real problem, since the sludge is used to make concrete.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:05 PM on February 10, 2012 [5 favorites]
Amazing that the Japanese people have accomplished so much in such a short time. Over here it seems to take a bit longer to clean up after a disaster these days.
Current projections predict that Japan will see its population shrink by fully one third--imagine that! as if one third of the current population just disappeared--over the next 50 years or so. As far as I know, that's not being explicitly (or even implicitly) attributed to the effects of the still ongoing Fukushima disaster (the population's been declining for sometime now, though this latest projected dip seems especially steep), but in any case, it's still bound to be a long and difficult road ahead for Japan.
posted by saulgoodman at 9:31 PM on February 10, 2012
Current projections predict that Japan will see its population shrink by fully one third--imagine that! as if one third of the current population just disappeared--over the next 50 years or so. As far as I know, that's not being explicitly (or even implicitly) attributed to the effects of the still ongoing Fukushima disaster (the population's been declining for sometime now, though this latest projected dip seems especially steep), but in any case, it's still bound to be a long and difficult road ahead for Japan.
posted by saulgoodman at 9:31 PM on February 10, 2012
I'm curious.. how do you move a ship that's not just grounded, not even just a mile inland, but on top of a two story building? And those massive trawlers and freighters, I figured it would be easiest to dig a canal under them and float them back to sea.
posted by charlie don't surf at 10:14 PM on February 10, 2012
posted by charlie don't surf at 10:14 PM on February 10, 2012
You take it apart. It's not like it's going to be seaworthy after all that banging about.
posted by merelyglib at 10:34 PM on February 10, 2012
posted by merelyglib at 10:34 PM on February 10, 2012
Actually I read a short article about that boat stuck on top of the building. Apparently it was undamaged and still fully seaworthy, but no one could figure out (or there weren't resources for) how to get it off the building safely. Seems like a few heavy duty cranes could've done the job, but I ain't no engineer.
posted by zardoz at 10:47 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by zardoz at 10:47 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
Hint: Don't read the comments. Ever.
posted by Seiten Taisei at 10:49 PM on February 10, 2012
posted by Seiten Taisei at 10:49 PM on February 10, 2012
Thanks for this, KokuRyu.
posted by ob1quixote at 10:53 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ob1quixote at 10:53 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
I knew if any country could spring back from this, it'd be Japan.
An incredible people.
posted by codswallop at 1:34 AM on February 11, 2012
An incredible people.
posted by codswallop at 1:34 AM on February 11, 2012
I'm pretty sure they used a crane like this to get rid of some of the ships.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:07 AM on February 11, 2012
posted by KokuRyu at 7:07 AM on February 11, 2012
Those were amazing pictures. The before and after of the mother made me cry.
posted by dragonplayer at 1:05 PM on February 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by dragonplayer at 1:05 PM on February 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Cool, let's get these guys to New Orleans.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 3:53 PM on February 11, 2012
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 3:53 PM on February 11, 2012
« Older I think there's a front moving through. | It's all about the grapes... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by KokuRyu at 8:31 PM on February 10, 2012 [6 favorites]