• Paper lanterns are lit to commemorate the victims of an earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. More than 2,000 candles with messages will be on display until March 11. EPA
    Paper lanterns are lit to commemorate the victims of an earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. More than 2,000 candles with messages will be on display until March 11. EPA
  • Lit candles are arranged to spell out "memory" and "connecting future" at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture. AFP
    Lit candles are arranged to spell out "memory" and "connecting future" at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture. AFP
  • Candles spell out "memory" and "connecting future" at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum to mark the 10th anniversary of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake that caused a tsunami and nuclear disaster, killing about 16,000 people. AFP
    Candles spell out "memory" and "connecting future" at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum to mark the 10th anniversary of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake that caused a tsunami and nuclear disaster, killing about 16,000 people. AFP
  • Residents of Hisanohama change Gohei, strips of paper used in a Shinto ritual, on a traditional Japanese gate in front of a memorial for the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Reuters
    Residents of Hisanohama change Gohei, strips of paper used in a Shinto ritual, on a traditional Japanese gate in front of a memorial for the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Reuters
  • Paper lanterns are lit to mark the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. EPA
    Paper lanterns are lit to mark the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. EPA
  • More than 2,000 candles have been used in a display to commemorate those killed by an earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. EPA
    More than 2,000 candles have been used in a display to commemorate those killed by an earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. EPA
  • A paper lantern bearing the Japanese character for "bonds" forms part of a display to mark the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami. EPA
    A paper lantern bearing the Japanese character for "bonds" forms part of a display to mark the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami. EPA
  • A stray dog looks back at the destruction left by a tsunami that struck the Odaka area of Minamisoma, a city inside the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors. Part of the area is still a no-go zone. AP
    A stray dog looks back at the destruction left by a tsunami that struck the Odaka area of Minamisoma, a city inside the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors. Part of the area is still a no-go zone. AP
  • People visit a memorial for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Namie, Japan. Ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster are expected to be scaled back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Getty
    People visit a memorial for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Namie, Japan. Ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster are expected to be scaled back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Getty
  • A woman visits a memorial for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Namie, Japan. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded. Getty
    A woman visits a memorial for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Namie, Japan. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded. Getty
  • Top, a ship washed inland to the city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, by the tsunami that struck Japan in 2011; below, the same area nearly 10 years later. AFP
    Top, a ship washed inland to the city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, by the tsunami that struck Japan in 2011; below, the same area nearly 10 years later. AFP
  • Top, the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, was damaged by the tsunami on March 11, 2011; below, and the same area 10 years. AFP
    Top, the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, was damaged by the tsunami on March 11, 2011; below, and the same area 10 years. AFP
  • Top, the effects of the 2011 tsunami on the port town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture; below, the same area nearly 10 years later. AFP
    Top, the effects of the 2011 tsunami on the port town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture; below, the same area nearly 10 years later. AFP
  • Top, a flooded street in an area of Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, hit by the tsunami in 2011; below, the same area about 10 years later. AFP
    Top, a flooded street in an area of Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, hit by the tsunami in 2011; below, the same area about 10 years later. AFP
  • Left, a road is littered with vehicles in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, after a devastating tsunami in 2011; right, the same area 10 years later. AFP
    Left, a road is littered with vehicles in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, after a devastating tsunami in 2011; right, the same area 10 years later. AFP
  • Police in Miyagi Prefecture offer silent prayers for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 before searching for evidence of people still missing. AFP
    Police in Miyagi Prefecture offer silent prayers for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 before searching for evidence of people still missing. AFP
  • A child and her father look at a candle at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Japan. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of up to 25 centimetres. Getty
    A child and her father look at a candle at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Japan. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of up to 25 centimetres. Getty
  • Ukedo beach in Namie, Japan. Ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and triple nuclear meltdown are expected to be scaled back because of the pandemic. Getty
    Ukedo beach in Namie, Japan. Ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and triple nuclear meltdown are expected to be scaled back because of the pandemic. Getty
  • From top to bottom, an area east of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2010; flooded fields and destroyed homes after the 2011 tsunami struck; the area in August 2020. AP
    From top to bottom, an area east of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2010; flooded fields and destroyed homes after the 2011 tsunami struck; the area in August 2020. AP
  • From top to bottom, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2006; eight days after the tsunami struck; the same area in April 2020. AP
    From top to bottom, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2006; eight days after the tsunami struck; the same area in April 2020. AP
  • From top to bottom, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2006; eight days after the tsunami swept through; the same area in April 2020. AP
    From top to bottom, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2006; eight days after the tsunami swept through; the same area in April 2020. AP
  • From top to bottom, Sendai Airport in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2010; a day after the 2011 tsunami struck; the same area in August 2020. AP
    From top to bottom, Sendai Airport in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2010; a day after the 2011 tsunami struck; the same area in August 2020. AP

Japan's recovery from 2011 tsunami: before and after - in pictures


Taylor Heyman
  • English
  • Arabic

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.

MATCH INFO

Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)

Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14

Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)

Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31

Bangla Tigers win by six wickets

Essentials

The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

RESULT

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen:
 Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')

AIDA%20RETURNS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAida%20Abboud%2C%20Carol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5.%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
While you're here
The biog

Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
 

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Play-off fixtures

Two-legged ties to be played November 9-11 and November 12-14

 

  • Northern Ireland v Switzerland
  • Croatia v Greece
  • Denmark v Ireland
  • Sweden v Italy
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray