A survey of Japanese businesses that shut down, or reduced production, because of the 9.0 quake/tsunami, shows that at least half blame it on damage to their buildings.
The next biggest reason is destroyed infrastructure: Lack of electricity, destroyed roads/rails.
Cabinet Secretary, Edano Yukio, has told Japanese living outside the current 20km (12.4 miles) evacuation zone, to prepare for mandatory evacuations.
Edano has also told people, that if they wish, they should voluntarily evacuate now. The concern is that it looks like efforts to get the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant under control, are not working.
Also, advisers from the United States, have told TEPCo officials that the use of salty sea water is doing more damage than good. A U.S. Navy tanker ship with fresh water, is on its way to the nuclear plant.
Taiwan is checking mail from Japan for radiation.
They are also testing imported goods such as electric appliances and household utensils.
Taiwan started monitoring radiation levels on farm produce, marine products and processed food from Japan on March 15th.
So far no abnormal radioactive material has been detected.
A spray pump, that was about to be shipped off to Vietnam, is instead being used at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The Vietnamese company that bought the pump, gave Japan permission to use the pump to help fight the nuclear disaster.
The pump is designed to pour concrete for construction of high rise buildings. It is equipped with a 50 meter (175 feet) arm, and can accurately reach targets from a distance. It is being used on reactor 4.
Honda said today, that the suspension of car production at its Saitama and Suzuka factories will be extended to 03 April 2011.
They hope to resume motorcycle production at their Kumamoto factory on Monday.
Tokyo Electric officials admit they are having trouble controlling temperatures and pressures in the reactors.
The problem is the salty sea water. While it cools down the reactor, it also increases the pressure in the containment chambers. That’s not good, in fact it’s almost as bad as high temperatures. They are looking into ways to bring large amounts of fresh water to the Fukushima Daiichi facility.
Regarding to the employees sent to the hospital with radiation Beta Burns; the water they were standing in was 10,000 times more radioactive than the normal radioactive water in the reactor containment system.
Attorneys in Japan are dealing with disaster survivors asking for advice concerning paying debts, and even paying employees.
Those asking for advise have lost everything; jobs, homes, businesses, etc.
Apparently there are no legal parameters in Japan for dealing with legal issues that will arise from a catastrophic event.
One attorney, who is also a disaster survivor, has been offering free advice. Most of the time he tells the people that they must wait until the Japanese parliament comes up with new laws to handle the situation.
The Exxon/Mobile Shiogama Oil Terminal near Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, resumed operations on Thursday (Japan time).
Local officials in north east Honshu, Japan, say the oil refinery, which makes gasoline and heating fuel, is key in helping local economic recovery after the 9.0 quake/tsunami.
Nissan announced that it might send engines made in its U.S. factory, to Japan.
Nissan lost one of its engine plants in the Fukushima Prefecture after the 9.0 quake/tsunami. The factory made V6 engines.
Now Nissan officials are considering sending V6 engines from its Tennessee, United States, plant to factories in Japan.
Video aired on NHK, shows multiple tsunami waves racing inland on March 11.
An hour and a half after the 9.0 quake, video was taken by helicopter, which flew from Sendai City south to Iwaki City.
The tsunami waves swallowed everything in their path. People in tall buildings can bee seen scrambling for the roof tops.
Professor Fumihiko Imamura at the Tohoku University Disaster Control Research Center, says he can see a tsunami rare effect, called undular bore, hit Natori City, Miyagi.
Undular Bore is a phenomenon in which a series of tsunami waves surge high near the shore and flood onto land one after another. At least 20 undular bores hit the north east (Pacific) coast of Honshu.