TOKYO — The head of the U.N. atomic agency on Tuesday emphasized to Japan’s government the importance of transparency in its ongoing discharges of treated radioactive wastewater at the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi also expressed support for increasing Japan’s nuclear capacity as the country looks to … Read more
TOKYO — Japan marked the 13th anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that triggered a nuclear meltdown and left large parts of Fukushima prefecture uninhabitable on Monday with a minute of silence and memorial events, where officials pledged continued support for rebuilding. A 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami ravaged parts of Japan’s northeastern coast … Read more
SUZU, Japan — His face hidden under a humble straw hat, the man stood silent, watching several helmeted rescue workers carefully lift his wife’s body from the rubble, wrapped in blue plastic on a stretcher. He wiped his weary face with a rag. His eyes were red. This scene in the city of Suzu was … Read more
Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave TOKYO — A powerful earthquake struck western Japan on New Year’s Day, killing dozens of people, destroying homes and triggering fears of greater harm from aftershocks, tsunamis and landslides. Japan is no stranger to earthquakes. In fact, it’s among the most seismically active countries in the world … Read more
SUZU, Japan — The powerful earthquake that shattered the peace of New Year’s Day in central Japan did not spur massive tsunamis like those that scoured the Pacific coast in 2011, killing nearly 20,000 people and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes. The tsunamis that did roll in along the Sea of … Read more
TOKYO — Japan issued tsunami alerts Monday after a series of strong quakes in the Sea of Japan. The Japan Meterological Agency reported quakes off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4 p.m., one of them with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. It issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level … Read more
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — A strong and shallow undersea earthquake shook part of Indonesia’s Aceh province Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.9 earthquake was centered 362 kilometers (225 miles) east of Sinabang, a coastal town in Aceh province at a depth … Read more
TOKYO — Japanese nuclear safety regulators lifted an operational ban Wednesday imposed on Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the operator behind the Fukushima plant that ended in disaster, allowing the company to resume preparations for restarting a separate plant after more than 10 years. At its weekly meeting, the Nuclear Regulation Authority formally lifted the … Read more
TOKYO — A Tokyo court on Tuesday held only the operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant responsible for paying damages to dozens of evacuees. The Tokyo High Court also slashed the amount to half of what the lower court had ordered and relieved the government of responsibility — a decision that plaintiffs and … Read more
MANILA, Philippines — A powerful earthquake that shook the southern Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake Saturday night had … Read more