Fukushima’s Road to Recovery
In early February 2025, we went on a two-day bus tour of Fukushima Prefecture’s coastal towns near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. It was to see the area’s…
Futaba, Fukushima after 3.11
Futaba Town (双葉町) is where two (Units 5 and 6) of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant‘s six nuclear reactors are located, but both were offline and successfully shut down. Problem…
Namie, Fukushima after 3.11
Namie Town (浪江町) is in the center of the Hama-dori region next to Futaba and Okuma Towns where the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is located as near as 4…
Soma and Minami-Soma, Fukushima after 3.11
Soma (Jan. 2025 pop. 32,721, 2010 pop. 37,817) is a small city in northern Hama-dori 45 km away from the Daiichi nuclear power plant. It was less affected by the…
Naraha, Fukushima after 3.11
Naraha (楢葉町) is a town south (map here) of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. After March 11, 2011, the town’s entire population had to evacuate, being within the 20…
Origin of Fukushima prefectural name
FUKUSHIMA – Good Fortune Island 福島県 The “Fukushima” name came from Suginome Castle (杉妻城 or 杉目城) after it was renamed “Fukushima Castle” (福島城) by the Gamo Clan castle lord. No…
Origin of “Sato,” Japan’s No. 1 surname
by Philbert Ono, updated: June 17, 2023 “Sato” (佐藤) is Japan’s No. 1 most common family name with about 1.8 million people named “Sato.” This translates to 1.5 percent of…
Colorful Goshiki-numa, Kitashiobara, Fukushima
“Goshiki-numa” means “Five-Color Ponds,” a very appropriate name for these colorful, volcanic ponds near Mt. Bandai (磐梯山) in Bandai-Asahi National Park. An eruption by Mt. Bandai in 1888 created landslides…
Spa Resort Hawaiians
Updated: Oct. 11, 2020 (First posted in June 2012) Spa Resort Hawaiians (スパリゾートハワイアンズ) is a Hawaiian-themed water park and hot spring (onsen) amusement park in the coastal city of Iwaki…
Yae no Sakura, NHK Taiga Drama 2013
This year’s year-long, weekly NHK Taiga Drama TV series will start airing tonight on Jan. 6. Titled “Yae no Sakura,” it’s about a woman warrior named Yae Niijima (1845-1932) from…