Japan's Quake and Tsunami

Japan Flips the 'Off' Switch on Its Last Nuclear Reactor

May 4, 2012

Japan Flips the 'Off' Switch on Its Last Nuclear Reactor

Fukushima Survivor: I Want 'To Breathe Freely Again'
March 9, 2012
Nuclear technician Carl Pillitteri was one of 38 Americans at the Fukushima nuclear power plant when an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan's eastern coast and triggered a radiation leak at the reactor. It's taken Pillitteri a full year to be able to talk publicly about what he saw at Fukushima.
Fukushima Survivor: 'I've Hardly Smiled This Whole Year'
March 9, 2012
Carl Pillitteri was one of 38 Americans at the Fukushima plant when the earthquake hit. Describing the "demonic" sounds he heard and the pit of fear he felt inside the turbine building that day, Pillteri recently spoke with Alex Chadwick, the host of the new American Public Media series "BURN: An Energy Journal."
Near Fukushima, a Big 'Guessing Game' Over Radiation's Long-Term Risks
March 9, 2012
Sunday marks a year since a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, causing a partial meltdown of nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plants. In the first report in a series on Japan's recovery, Miles O'Brien documents the country's cleanup attempts as scientists decide whether residual radiation could be potentially harmful.
Tracking Japan's Tsunami Debris
March 9, 2012
Although a year has passed since Japan's tsunami sucked tons of debris into the Pacific Ocean, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to track the rubble and urges others to do so to help focus cleanup efforts.
After Tsunami, Japanese Coastal Town Struggles to Recover
Nov. 25, 2011
Independent Television News' Alex Thomson reports from Kesennuma, Japan, on one fishing port's struggle to come back after the March earthquake and tsunami devastated the town and its fleet.
Safecast Draws on Power of the Crowd to Map Japan's Radiation
Nov. 10, 2011
Eight months after a tsunami caused a nuclear accident in Japan, ordinary people are using new technology and the power of crowdsourcing to find radiation hotspots. NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports from Japan.
'Hacker' Group Safecast Crowdsources Radiation Data in Japan
Nov. 10, 2011
While in Tokyo, Miles spoke to Hari Sreenivasan about his trip with Safecast workers into the voluntary exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where they detected levels reaching the equivalent of six X-rays per day.
Some Bright Spots Amid Worries in Japan's Quake Recovery
May 13, 2011
Two months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that forced many into evacuation shelters and damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, Japan is grappling with the long-term recovery effort.
Japan's Triple Disaster, By the Numbers
May 11, 2011
On March 11, Japan's northeastern shore was struck by a massive earthquake followed by a violent tsunami. Within days a third disaster was unfolding, a crisis at the damaged Fukushima nuclear power facility.
Slide Show: The Japan Crisis, 2 Months Later
May 11, 2011
It has been two months since a catastrophic earthquake rocked Japan, triggering a massive tsunami and critically damaging the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
News Wrap: Search Underway for Bodies Near Japanese Nuclear Plant
April 14, 2011
In other news Thursday, Japanese police in protective suits hunted for the bodies of up to 1,000 earthquake and tsunami victims that might be near a disabled nuclear plant. Radiation levels have fallen enough to let teams get within six miles of the site. Meanwhile, more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week.
Japan Raises Nuclear Crisis Level, Pakistan Demands Cut in CIA Presence
April 12, 2011
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has raised the level of the nuclear crisis at the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant to a seven, matching the level used to describe Chernobyl.
One Month After Tsunami, What Are Japan's Biggest Needs?
April 11, 2011
A month after an earthquake and tsunami killed tens of thousands and touched off a nuclear crisis, Japan struggles to cope with the aftermath. Jeffrey Brown talks with the Stimson Center's Yuki Tatsumi, the American Red Cross's Nan Buzard and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's James Acton.
Aftershock Rattles Japan 1 Month After Earthquake, Tsunami Disaster
April 11, 2011
Japan continued recovery efforts one month after an earthquake and tsunami devastated its northeastern coast and killed at least 13,000 people, while 14,000 are still missing. Thousands more are living in shelters as the government struggles to contain the radiation threat from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Jeffrey Brown reports.
Strong Aftershock Jolts Japan on One Month Anniversary of Tsunami Disaster
April 11, 2011
As Japan somberly marked the one month anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people and set off a radiation crisis at a nuclear plant, a strong aftershock shook the country once more.
7.1-Magnitude Quake Hits off Japan Coast
April 7, 2011
A tsunami warning has been lifted after a 7.1-magnitude quake hit off Japan's northeastern coast. Officials had warned those in low-lying areas to move to higher ground. Tepco says there is no immediate indication of damage at the Fukushima plant.
Q&A: IFRC on Evacuee Conditions, Nuclear Crisis Concerns
April 6, 2011
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' John Sparrow spoke with the NewsHour from Tokyo just after a trip up the eastern coast to visit tsunami evacuation centers.
Japan to Release Radioactive Water into Pacific Ocean in Effort to Cool Reactors
April 4, 2011
Workers at the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant are using a dye substance in an effort to trace the source of a leak spreading radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean and hampering efforts to cool the reactors.
Japan's Radioactive Leak: What Are the Long-Term Consequences?
March 31, 2011
Environmental and nuclear scientists in the U.S. are watching apparent leakage discovered at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor site this week with a concerned eye, for both health effects and impact on the environment.
NOVA Explores Science Behind Japan's Earthquake, Tsunami
March 30, 2011
NOVA looks at the scenes behind the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed much of Japan's northeastern coast and killed at least 11,000 people. The documentary includes footage from a conservationist who was in the region when the disaster struck.
Four Reactors to Be Decomissioned, Seawater Radiation Levels Rise
March 30, 2011
Tokyo Electric Power Company has said four of the six reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant cannot be fixed and will be decommissioned as efforts to contain the spread of radioactive water continue at the facility.
Revisiting Chernobyl: A Nuclear Disaster Site of Epic Proportions
March 29, 2011
The nuclear crisis in Japan has renewed interest in the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in Ukraine. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien travels to the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, which is approaching its 25th anniversary.
Japan on 'Maximum Alert' as Fukushima Radiation Threat Remains High
March 29, 2011
Japan's prime minister acknowledged on Tuesday that the country faces a grave danger from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant and remains at "maximum alert." Tom Clarke of Independent Television News reports on the latest in the struggle to contain the crippled reactors.
Infographic: Radiation and Radioactive Contaminants
March 29, 2011
The damage caused at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has created a host of potential hazards for workers and residents.
Japan in 'Maximum Alert' as It Struggles to Contain Nuclear Crisis
March 29, 2011
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his government was "in a state of maximum alert" as the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant continues to spread, with radioactive contamination in the air, soil and water near the plant.

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Fukushima After the Meltdown

March 15, 2012

How much is too much radiation, and why are Japanese authorities still grappling with that question? That's the subject of the latest blog from our science correspondent Miles O'Brien. We've compiled all of Miles reporting on the Japan quake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown on one easy-to-access page.

After 500 Years in Family, Rice Farmers Forced Off Land by Fukushima

March 12, 2012

After 500 Years in Family, Rice Farmers Forced Off Land by Fukushima

Fukushima's Food Fallout: Testing Groceries for Radiation in Japan

March 13, 2012

Fukushima's Food Fallout: Testing Groceries for Radiation in Japan

In Japan, Nuclear Cleanup May Be Mission:Impossible

March 12, 2012

In the second installment of a three-part series on Japan's recovery, Miles O'Brien reports on Japanese residents who are struggling to clean up contaminated farms, roads and school yards after the massive earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster struck Japan one year ago.