Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on March 11th, 2024. Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. While the physical infrastructure in the affected areas, such as roads and seawalls, has mostly been restored, the government’s support for the emotional well-being of the survivors continues. With an aging population and a declining population in the affected regions, the long-term support for the victims’ lives remains a significant challenge. Commemorative ceremonies will be held across the country at 2:46 p.m., the time when the earthquake occurred.

In an effort to enhance disaster preparedness in apartments and other collective housing where approximately 9 million people reside in Tokyo, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to partially subsidize the installation cost of emergency power generators.

In the public housing for disaster victims in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, known as the disaster public housing, the number of ‘solitary deaths,’ where people pass away unnoticed, has reached at least 355 as of the end of last December. The isolation of residents has become more severe due to the aging population, limited opportunities for social interaction, and the confirmation of 48 new cases in the current fiscal year. This situation highlights the pressing issue of addressing the isolation of the residents.

In Unnan, Shimane Prefecture, a fire broke out in the early morning of the 11th, completely destroying a wooden house. The police are currently unable to contact the three residents, a parent and their two children, and are conducting further investigations.

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the number of earthquakes observed in the epicentral area and its vicinity off the coast of Tohoku has been decreasing. However, the seismic activity remains active in the aftershock area, with an earthquake of seismic intensity 5- on the Japanese scale occurring in May last year. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging caution.

The investigation report on the helicopter accident involving the Ground Self-Defense Force in the waters off Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture, last year, which resulted in the death of 10 people, has been released. The report reveals that the accident was caused by a phenomenon called ‘rollback,’ in which the engine gradually loses power. The detailed contents of the report are expected to be made public soon.

A tragic incident occurred on the evening of the 10th on the Tomei Expressway in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. A man fell from a car and was subsequently hit by a following vehicle, resulting in his death. The police are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be mostly sunny with a high of 11°C and a low of 5°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.