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Japan: Colorful Balloons Released to Mark 14th Anniversary of 2011 Earthquake

Japan marked 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on Tuesday, March 11. At former Arahama Elementary School in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, whose building was damaged in the natural disaster, the commemoration event "HOPE FOR project" was held where people released colorful balloons after observing a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m., the time of the 2011 earthquake.

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Hong Kong restaurant gives disabled youth chance to work

STORY: Hong Kong restaurant gives disabled youth chance to work SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 15, 2024 DATELINE: March 13, 2024 LENGTH: 00:02:00 LOCATION: HONG KONG, China CATEGORY: OTHERS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Holy Cafe 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): MARIA SUNG LAW MAN-KWAN, Founder of Holy Cafe 3. various of Holy Cafe 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): MARIA SUNG LAW MAN-KWAN, Founder of Holy Cafe 5. various of Holy Cafe 6. various of Holy Cafe distributing lunch boxes to the elderly 7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): MARIA SUNG LAW MAN-KWAN, Founder of Holy Cafe STORYLINE: A restaurant in Hong Kong's Cheung Sha Wan provides job opportunities and training for people with disabilities, helping them to develop their capacity for self-care and integration into society. The restaurant, named Holy Cafe, was opened in 2011 by Maria Sung Law Man-kwan. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): MARIA SUNG LAW MAN-KWAN, Founder of Holy Cafe "I hope the staff members can learn different catering skills here. My restaurant used to serve Western-style food. Some o

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Japan to start ocean discharge of Fukushima nuke wastewater Thursday

STORY: Japan to start ocean discharge of Fukushima nuke wastewater Thursday DATELINE: Aug. 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant 2. various of people opposing 3. various of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and local fishermen STORYLINE: The Japanese government announced Tuesday it has decided to start releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on Thursday. The decision was made amid strong opposition from neighboring and Pacific island countries, as well as local fishermen over the irreversible impacts on the marine environment and public health. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, hit by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, suffered core meltdowns that released radiation. In April 2021, the Japanese government announced its controversial plan to release nuclear-contaminated water from the facilit

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Japanese rally against ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater

STORY: Japanese rally against ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater DATELINE: Aug. 19, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:52 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1 various of the rally 2 various of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant STORYLINE: As the Japanese government approaches a decision on the specific date for the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, hundreds of Japanese gathered in central Tokyo on Friday to rally against the discharge plan. Despite scorching temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, people from various parts of Japan braved the heat to gather in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence, urging the government to uphold its promise of "no disposal without the understanding of relevant parties." Hit by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, r

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37 pct of population displaced from Japan's Fukushima may have PTSD: survey

STORY: 37 pct of population displaced from Japan's Fukushima may have PTSD: survey DATELINE: April 4, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:38 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of street views in Fukushima 2. various of local fishermen STORYLINE: A survey of Fukushima Prefecture residents who evacuated to areas outside the prefecture following the March 2011 nuclear disaster found that nearly 40 percent of respondents may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), local media reported Monday. Waseda University and a citizens group sent questionnaires to 5,350 households mainly in the Kanto region around Tokyo who had fled from Fukushima following the nuclear disaster, and obtained responses from 516. The results indicated that 37.0 percent of the evacuees had PTSD. Behind the high rate are long-term stress factors, including memories of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, drastic changes in living environments and problems resulting from the government's p

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Russian expat turns passion for surfing into business in China

STORY: Russian expat turns passion for surfing into business in China DATELINE: March 21, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:09 LOCATION: HAIKOU, China CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Alexander Pantyukhin working in his company 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ALEXANDER PANTYUKHIN, Founder of Ananas Surf Company 3. various of people surfing in the sea of Hainan Province 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ALEXANDER PANTYUKHIN, Founder of Ananas Surf Company 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ALEXANDER PANTYUKHIN, Founder of Ananas Surf Company 6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ALEXANDER PANTYUKHIN, Founder of Ananas Surf Company 7. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): ALEXANDER PANTYUKHIN, Founder of Ananas Surf Company STORYLINE: From catching waves to making waves, Alexander Pantyukhin, a Russian who came to south China's Hainan in 2011 has turned his passion for kite surfing into a business into the global market. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ALEXANDER PANTYUKHIN, Founder of Ananas Surf Company "My name is Alexander Pantyukhin and I come from Russia. Now I live

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(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(230317) -- JIANCHUAN, March 17, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Duan Sixing draws woodcarving patterns at his studio in Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 2, 2022. Jianchuan County, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has a long history in woodcarving dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The carving skills gradually developed from one-layer relief to even seven-layer hollowing relief, and are now applied to making architecture parts, wooden furniture, wall paintings and tourism souvenirs. A high-standard "Four Screens", a representative displaying form of the craft, requires high-level carving skills and costs several months to create. In 2011, Jianchuan woodcarving was listed as one of China's national-level intangible cultural heritages. Duan Sixing, born in a woodcarving family in Jianchuan County, was deeply edified since childhood by his father and grandfather who were all excellent carpente

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(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(230317) -- JIANCHUAN, March 17, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Duan Sixing checks on woodcarving patterns at his studio in Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 2, 2022. Jianchuan County, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has a long history in woodcarving dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The carving skills gradually developed from one-layer relief to even seven-layer hollowing relief, and are now applied to making architecture parts, wooden furniture, wall paintings and tourism souvenirs. A high-standard "Four Screens", a representative displaying form of the craft, requires high-level carving skills and costs several months to create. In 2011, Jianchuan woodcarving was listed as one of China's national-level intangible cultural heritages. Duan Sixing, born in a woodcarving family in Jianchuan County, was deeply edified since childhood by his father and grandfather who were all excellent carp

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(MASTER OF CRAFTS)CHINA-YUNNAN-JIANCHUAN-WOODCARVING-INHERITOR (CN)

(230317) -- JIANCHUAN, March 17, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Duan Sixing waxes on his woodcarving work in Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 2, 2022. Jianchuan County, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has a long history in woodcarving dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The carving skills gradually developed from one-layer relief to even seven-layer hollowing relief, and are now applied to making architecture parts, wooden furniture, wall paintings and tourism souvenirs. A high-standard "Four Screens", a representative displaying form of the craft, requires high-level carving skills and costs several months to create. In 2011, Jianchuan woodcarving was listed as one of China's national-level intangible cultural heritages. Duan Sixing, born in a woodcarving family in Jianchuan County, was deeply edified since childhood by his father and grandfather who were all excellent carpenters. After g

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Türkiye's current account deficit hits nearly 9.85 bln USD in Jan.

STORY: Türkiye's current account deficit hits nearly 9.85 bln USD in Jan. DATELINE: March 14, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:09 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Turkish central bank and banknote counting 2. various of jewellery store and gas station in Türkiye 3. various of a container port STORYLINE: Türkiye's central bank said Monday the country's current account deficit reached nearly 9.85 billion U.S. dollars in January, following a rapid increase in gold imports and soaring energy import bills. The central bank's statistics showed that excluding gold and energy, the current account has a net surplus of 2.6 billion dollars in January. Among items constituting the current account balance, foreign trade in goods recorded a deficit of 12.43 billion dollars, while the services registered a net surplus of 3.16 billion dollars. The current account deficit in January beats the record 9. 41 billion dollars deficit in March 2011, according to official statistics. Meanwhile, Türkiy

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Moscow opens world's longest metro ring

STORY: Moscow opens world's longest subway line DATELINE: March 2, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:06 LOCATION: Moscow CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the opening of the 70-km Big Circle Line (BCL) 2. various of Russian President Vladimir Putin participating in the opening ceremony 3. SOUNDBITE (Russian): SERGEI SOBYANIN, Moscow Mayor 4. various of the Big Circle Line STORYLINE: Moscow on Wednesday opened the 70-km Big Circle Line (BCL), the longest subway line in the world. The metro line was constructed from 2011 to 2022. The first section of the BCL opened in 2018, and another 20-km section, which is the longest in the history of the capital's metro, was launched in December 2021. The BCL has 31 stations, with 24 of those providing 47 interchanges to existing and future stations of the capital's metro. Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the ceremony dedicated to the launch of the BLC via video link, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin attended the opening in person. SOUNDBITE (Rus

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Key Piece Of Debris Removed From One Of Damaged Fukushima Reactors

FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN - AUG. 2: A key piece of debris was successfully removed Sunday from a damaged reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, clearing the way for the removal of over 500 spent fuel rods sitting inside the unit's cooling pool more than four years after the 2011 crisis. An official of plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. called the removal of fuel handing equipment from the pool "major progress" in the debris clearing process and a step forward to the reactor's eventual decommissioning. The fuel handing device, used to put fuel rods in and out of the No. 3 reactor and located above its spent fuel pool, fell into the pit when a hydrogen explosion rocked the structure housing the reactor on March 14, 2011.

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Tsunami-damaged piano returns to elementary school

KAMAISHI, Japan - A grand piano, washed away from Toni Elementary School in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, by the devastating tsunami of March 11, 2011, is displayed in the vacated yard of the school after repair on June 2, 2014.

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U.S. envoy Kennedy visits nuclear plant in Fukushima

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy (C) and her son Jack Schlossberg (R) wearing protective suits and masks are briefed during their visit to the central control room for the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, on May 14, 2014. The plant was devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. (Pool photo by Sankei Shimbun)

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Figure skaters at quake charity event in Kobe

KOBE, Japan - Japanese figure skaters, including Daisuke Takahashi (R) and Mao Asada (2nd from R), observe a moment of silence in honor of victims in the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011 at a charity event to support reconstruction from the disaster held in Kobe on April 2, 2014.

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Takahashi, Asada at quake charity event in Kobe

KOBE, Japan - Japanese figure skater Daisuke Takahashi (L) and Mao Asada (2nd from L) ask visitors for donations to support reconstruction from the March 11, 2011, disaster after their performances at a charity event held in Kobe on April 2, 2014.

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Ex-yokozuna Takanohana commemorates 2011 disaster victims

OSAKA, Japan - Former yokozuna Takanohana (L) and others in Osaka at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2014, take a moment of silence for the victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami victims.

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Scribbled reactor water levels at Fukushima control room

TOKYO, Japan - Water levels at a reactor just after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami remain scribbled on a control panel in the central control room of the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Feb. 26, 2014. (Pool photo)

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Scribbled water levels, times at Fukushima control room

TOKYO, Japan - Water levels at a reactor and corresponding times just after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami remain scribbled on a control panel in the central control room of the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture on Feb. 26, 2014. (Pool photo)

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No-go zones in Fukushima

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - The hands of a clock on the outside of a hair salon in a no-go zone in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, in January 2014 remain frozen at 2:46 p.m., the time that a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The quake and a subsequent massive tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

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Crown prince, princess visit disaster-hit Iwate

KAMAISHI, Japan - Crown Prince Naruhito (R) and Crown Princess Masako (C) converse with evacuees from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami at a temporary housing in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on Nov. 2, 2013.

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Crown prince, princess visit disaster-hit Iwate

KAMAISHI, Japan - Crown Princess Masako (R) listens to a crying woman, an evacuee from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, at a temporary housing in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on Nov. 2, 2013.

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Crown prince, princess visit disaster-hit Iwate

KAMAISHI, Japan - Crown Prince Naruhito (C) and Crown Princess Masako (L) visit Ono Foods Co., a seafood processing company, in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on Nov. 2, 2013. The company's operation was affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. (Pool photo)

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Crown prince, princess visit disaster-hit Iwate

KAMAISHI, Japan - Crown Prince Naruhito (R front) and Crown Princess Masako (next to him) converse with evacuees from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami at a temporary housing in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on Nov. 2, 2013. (Pool photo)

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Crown prince, princess visit disaster-hit Iwate

KAMAISHI, Japan - Crown Prince Naruhito (R front) and Crown Princess Masako (next to him) converse with evacuees from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami at a temporary housing in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on Nov. 2, 2013. (Pool photo)

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2 and a half years after quake

SENDAI, Japan - Combination photos taken from a Kyodo News helicopter show (from R front) the No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 reactor buildings at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima Prefecture on Dec. 15, 2011 (top), about nine months after the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake, and about two and a half years after the disaster on Sept. 6, 2013 (bottom).

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Princess Hisako to attend IOC meet

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows Princess Hisako, widow of the late Prince Takamado. The Imperial Household Agency said Sept. 2, 2013, that the princess will attend a general meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Buenos Aires on Sept. 7 and make a speech thanking the world for supporting northeastern Japan after the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

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Replica moai for disaster area displayed in Osaka

OSAKA, Japan - A replica moai statue from Chile goes on display at the Grand Front Osaka commercial facility in Osaka on May 2, 2013. The newly made statue is a present given as a token of support by the Chilean government to the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. It will be displayed through May 9 before being transported to Minamisanriku.

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Moai for disaster area displayed in Osaka

OSAKA, Japan - A moai statue from Chile goes on display at the Grand Front Osaka commercial facility in Osaka on May 2, 2013. The newly made statue is a present given as a token of support from the Chilean government to the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, hit by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. The display will run through May 9, before the statue is transported to Minamisanriku.

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2011 disaster documentary wins award

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Japanese film director Kaoru Ikeya. His film "Senzoninaru" (Becoming an Ancestor), with the English title "Roots," about an elderly man's struggle following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami received the top award in the documentary category at the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 2, 2013.

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2 years after Japan quake

TOKYO, Japan - Emperor Akihito (front) and Empress Michiko observe a moment of silence at a government-hosted ceremony at the National Theatre in Tokyo to mourn the victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2013, the time the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck northeastern Japan exactly two years earlier. (Pool photo)

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2 years after Japan quake

IWAKI, Japan - People face the sea as they observe a moment of silence for the victims of the 2011 tsunami in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2013, the time the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck northeastern Japan exactly two years earlier.

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2 years after quake

MINAMISANRIKU, Japan - Photos show an area in the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 13, 2011 (top), two days after the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, and the same location on March 2, 2013, with cars running on a restored national road.

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2 years after quake

MINAMISANRIKU, Japan - Photos show an area in the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 18, 2011 (top), after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and the same location on March 2, 2013, with a bus running to Yanaizu Station in the city of Tome in the prefecture.

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2 years after quake

MINAMISANRIKU, Japan - Photos show an area in the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 13, 2011 (top), two days after the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, and the same location on March 2, 2013, with the frame of the town's antidisaster office visible.

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Young volunteers stay to support victims of March 2011 disaster

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - Volunteer Yusuke Kato (L), holding a dosimeter, explains to a tour participant about a checkpoint set up 10 kilometers north of Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crippled by the March 2011 disaster. Photo was taken Feb. 2, 2013, in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture.

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Vienna Philharmonic members play Bach sonata for quake victims

SENDAI, Japan - Four members of the Vienna Philharmonic play on Nov. 2, 2012, a Bach sonata on Mt. Hiyori in Natori city's Yuriage district, Miyagi Prefecture. The commemorative performance took place in front of a monument honoring victims in an area severely damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

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TEPCO starts removing fuel from Fukushima Daini reactor

TOMIOKA, Japan - Fuel assemblies are removed from the No. 4 reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daini plant in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, on Oct. 2, 2012. TEPCO showed to the media its work to remove fuel from the reactor to the spent fuel pool located next to it, the first time it has done so since a huge earthquake and tsunami hit the complex and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011.

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TEPCO starts removing fuel from Fukushima Daini reactor

TOMIOKA, Japan - Fuel assemblies (underwater, C) are carried into the spent fuel pool after being removed from the No. 4 reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daini plant in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, on Oct. 2, 2012. TEPCO showed to the media its work to remove fuel from the reactor to the spent fuel pool located next to it, the first time it has done so since a huge earthquake and tsunami hit the complex and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011.

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TEPCO starts removing fuel from Fukushima Daini reactor

TOMIOKA, Japan - Fuel assemblies (underwater, C) are removed from the No. 4 reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daini plant in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture on Oct. 2, 2012. TEPCO showed to the media its work to remove fuel from the reactor to the spent fuel pool located next to it, the first time it has done so since a huge earthquake and tsunami hit the complex and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011.

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Travolta supports "miracle pine" preservation

RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan - Photo taken at the Rikuzentakata city office in Iwate Prefecture on Oct. 2, 2012, shows an autographed picture of U.S. actor John Travolta with a handwritten message, received by the municipal government of the city ravaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The northeastern Japan city said it has received a message of support from Travolta for its efforts to preserve the "miracle pine" that survived the massive tsunami.

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Japanese coin found at burial site in N. Korea

HAMHUNG, North Korea - Photo taken Sept. 2, 2012, shows what appears to be a Japanese coin that North Korea said was discovered in a survey in March 2011 of a site in Bupyong, believed to contain the remains of Japanese nationals who died around the end of World War II, outside Hamhung in the south of Hamgyong Province in eastern North Korea. A bag containing the coin was excavated there on Sept. 2, 2012. Characters such as "Dai-Nippon," loosely translated as great Japan, "Showa 16 nen," referring to a Japanese era and year equivalent to the year 1941, and "Issen," a small currency unit, are inscribed on the coin.

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IAEA team inspection at Onagawa nuclear plant

ONAGAWA, Japan - Sujit Samaddar (C), head of the International Atomic Energy Agency's International Seismic Safety Center, answers reporters' questions in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, on July 31, 2012. The 20-member IAEA delegation team started an inspection the previous day at the Onagawa nuclear power plant, which was relatively undamaged by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the area in March 2011. The turbine building for the No. 2 reactor and a levee at the plant can be seen in the back.

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IAEA team inspection at Onagawa nuclear plant

ONAGAWA, Japan - Members of a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency listen to explanations in the heat exchanger room of the No. 2 reactor building at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, on July 31, 2012. The 20-member delegation started an inspection the previous day at the plant, which was relatively undamaged by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the area in March 2011.

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IAEA team inspection at Onagawa nuclear plant

ONAGAWA, Japan - Members of a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency listen to explanations in the heat exchanger room of the No. 2 reactor building at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, on July 31, 2012. The 20-member delegation started an inspection the previous day at the plant, which was relatively undamaged by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the area in March 2011.

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IAEA team inspection at Onagawa nuclear plant

ONAGAWA, Japan - Members of a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency listen to explanations in the heat exchanger room of the No. 2 reactor building at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, on July 31, 2012. The 20-member delegation started an inspection the previous day at the plant, which was relatively undamaged by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the area in March 2011.

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Japan's power-saving period begins

FUKUOKA, Japan - Employees of the Fukuoka prefectural government have their lunch in an office where electricity has been turned off as part of power-saving efforts, on July 2, 2012. A government-requested power-saving period began in Japan the same day to cope with power supply constraints caused by the prolonged halt of nuclear reactors following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

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Japan's power-saving period begins

OSAKA, Japan - Operation of an escalator is suspended at Osaka's Hankyu Umeda Station on July 2, 2012, as part of power-saving efforts. A government-requested power-saving period began in Japan the same day to cope with power supply constraints caused by the prolonged halt of nuclear reactors following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

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Japan's power-saving period begins

TOKYO, Japan - A board in the head office of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corp. (NTT East) in Tokyo on July 2, 2012, shows the work schedules of employees, including those working only between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. for two days per week under a "short" working hour system introduced as part of power-saving efforts. A government-requested power-saving period began in Japan the same day to cope with power supply constraints caused by the prolonged halt of nuclear reactors following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

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Japan's power-saving period begins

FUKUOKA, Japan - (from L) Fukuoka Gov. Hiroshi Ogawa, Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima and Kyushu Electric Power Co. President Michiaki Uriu distribute handouts calling for electricity saving near JR Hakata Station in Fukuoka City on July 2, 2012. A government-requested power-saving period began in Japan that day to cope with power supply constraints caused by the prolonged halt of nuclear reactors following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.