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July 12, 2026
 

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IWATE

Children listen to stories of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami told by a local resident in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, in January.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 11, 2026
Some disaster-hit regions struggle to pass down lessons to younger generation
Logistics and costs are among the hurdles faced in conducting disaster education for younger people with little or no memory of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
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.
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.
Miyagi Prefectural Police officers in charge of searching for missing people, in Sendai in February
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2026
2,519 still unaccounted for 15 years after quake and tsunami
The death toll from the disaster came to 15,901 in 12 prefectures.
A Filipina anthropologist (Gabby Padilla, right) and her Japanese half-sister (Arisa Nakano) are brought together following the sudden death of their father in Jaime Pacena II’s “This Place.”
CULTURE / Film
Mar 6, 2026
‘This Place’: Estrangement and renewal set against a city’s recovery
Set in Rikuzentakata, Jaime Pacena II’s crosscultural drama pairs a city’s slow recovery with two sisters struggling to rebuild trust.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako wave to well wishers on the emperor's birthday on Monday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The couple and their daughter will visit the Tohoku region in March and April.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2026
Emperor and his family to tour Tohoku region 15 years after disaster
During their visit, the imperial family will inspect progress made in reconstruction efforts and meet with people in areas affected by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
A stone monument marking the tsunami’s furthest reach stands beside cherry trees, planted by Sakura Line 311 after the 2011 triple disaster, in full bloom at Jodoji Temple, in the city of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, in April.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2026
Flowers bloom in Tohoku as symbol of resilience
Colorful seasonal flowers bloom to symbolize the resilience of communities hit hard by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso speaks during an interview on Monday at the Iwate Prefectural Government office.
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2026
Governor says Iwate still faces challenges 15 years after disaster
Iwate’s governor said the prefecture still faces challenges such as “mental health care support, rebuilding people’s livelihoods, rising prices and the impact of climate change.”
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off eastern Aomori Prefecture around 11:15 p.m. Monday.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2025
Tsunami warnings lifted after M7.5 quake rocks northeastern Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency registered a seismic intensity of upper-6 on the Japanese scale in the city of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.
In a rare meeting of ballet and butoh dance — a first for K-Ballet Opto — butoh company Dairakudakan and its founder, Akaji Maro, will dance alongside ballet dancers.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 29, 2025
A rare dance trinity: Ballet, butoh and kabuki share the stage
In the uncertain realm between life and death dwell mystical creatures — tengu demons, yōkai folklore monsters and spirits of the dead. It’s these shadows that choreographer and director Kaiji Moriyama explores in K-Ballet Opto’s “A Dance Remembered in Tohno,” premiering Dec. 26 at Tatemono...
As bear attacks spike across northern Japan, the country's community of nature enthusiasts say that while the risk might be high now, enjoying the outdoors is still possible with the proper precautions.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 19, 2025
‘Be bear aware’: Japan’s outdoor pros sound off on ursine risks
Japan’s nature researchers, hunters and trail runners reflect on how a spike in bear activity affects their professions and hobbies.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako plan to visit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures next year, 15 years after the massive earthquake and tsunami hit the region, sources have said.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2025
Imperial couple to visit disaster-hit northeast in 2026
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako plan to visit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima 15 years after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the region.
A tsunami advisory was issued for Iwate Prefecture on Sunday evening following a strong earthquake. The advisory was later called off, after waves measuring 20 centimeters were recorded in some areas.
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2025
Tsunami threat passes following magnitude 6.9 quake off Iwate
Waves reached 20 centimeters in some areas after the quake, which measured a 4 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale.
Ground Self-Defense Force personnel unload a box trap during a training exercise on wildlife damage control.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2025
SDF to provide logistical aid for bear capture efforts
There have been over 8,000 reported bear sightings in the prefecture this fiscal year, and 50 people have suffered injuries, including three fatalities.
A man's body was found at around 9 a.m. on Friday near to the site where a bear was hunted in a wooded area of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2025
Body found after possible bear attack at onsen in Iwate
Iwate Prefectural Police believe that the body is that of a 60-year-old employee of a hot spring.
People observe a moment of silence on March 11, the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, near the ruins of the former disaster prevention center in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2025
Remains identified as 6-year-old missing after 2011 tsunami
The victim was at home in Iwate Prefecture and was washed away by the tsunami that came following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
A bear seen in security camera footage taken at a supermarket in Numata, Gunma Prefecture, on Tuesday. More and more wild bears have been spotted in Japan in recent years, even in residential areas.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2025
Man killed in apparent bear attack as deaths mount in Japan
The official death toll due to bear attacks has risen to six for the fiscal year starting in April, matching a record high seen in 2023.
A bear seen in security camera footage taken Tuesday inside a supermarket in Numata, Gunma Prefecture
JAPAN
Oct 8, 2025
Bear injures two in Japan supermarket; man killed in separate attack
More and more wild bears have been spotted in Japan in recent years, even in residential areas, due to factors including a declining human population and climate change.
Mutsuko Sano shows a booklet containing her wartime experiences during an interview in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, in May.
JAPAN / History
Jul 28, 2025
80 years on, Iwate woman recalls naval bombardment
More than 5,000 shells were fired into Kamaishi, which had a large iron mill, on July 17 and Aug. 9, 1945, killing a total of 782 people, mostly civilians.
The pilot of an U.S. Osprey military aircraft contacted Hanamaki Airport in Iwate Prefecture to request an emergency landing due to a technical issue, according to an official at the airport.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2025
U.S. Osprey makes emergency landing at Iwate airport
The aircraft has been involved in accidents and several deadly crashes, including one in 2023 when all eight people on board were killed.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
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