Category: Spotlight

In March 2011, 88 000 people lived in the Fukushima Prefecture before an extremely powerful tsunami struck the region, destroying much of the area and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

It has been 10 years since the Fukushima disaster, when a 15 metre high wave destroyed 4 of 6 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, north of Tokyo and destroyed much of the surrounding area. Since the catastrophe, the government and Tepco, the operator of the site, have been leading the decommissioning of the power station. This includes decontamination, a job that should be completed in 30 to 40 years.

It has been 10 years since an undersea earthquake off the pacific coast of Japan triggered a powerful tsunami that devastated large parts of the country’s northeast. One of the many casualties of the tsunami’s waves was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, north of Tokyo.

Humans are social creatures: technology cannot replace real interactions.However, at times when we can’t meet face to face or need to stay away from each other for our own good, it can help make communication between us a little better.

The entertainment industry has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Theatres have seen their box office profits plummet overnight, as venues close to try to stop the spread of the virus. But the show must go on. Access to culture cannot be stopped. That’s why some artists have looked for new ways to continue to perform.

2020 has been an unusual year for the world due to the COVID-19 crisis. For the 2 800 000 foreigners living in Japan, dealing with the changes linked to the pandemic has been an additional challenge.

When the COVID-19 struck, Hong Kong acted quickly, and successfully, to control the outbreak early on. And it did this with a mixture of strong health and safety measures, along with a lot of homegrown technology.

Spotlight takes a look into Japan’s ‘Reconstruction Games’ – the name being given by residents there to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, taking place in Tokyo next summer.

Hong Kong is open for business. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, its economy and cultural activities have continued, thanks to quick action to control the virus’ spread, and a lot of adaptation.

Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer, nearly 500 cities and towns across Japan have built or strengthened ties with other parts of the world. While the Games have been postponed until 2021, organisers have been keen to pursue exchange programmes, including the so-called Host Town initiative.