Rebuilding Northeast Japan...will take YEARS

The tremendous earthquake and tsunami took only minutes to demolish Japan's Northeast. Rebuilding will take years - if and if only it can be afforded.

The water that the quake and tsunami unleashed killed thousands, wiped away whole towns, devastate ports, oil refineries, steel plants and factories.

Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki - are the home to industries from farming to autoparts to electronics and they make up some of 6 percent of Japan's economy. But they are seem to be out of action now, they are the four severely affected prefectures or states.

Sendai, the biggest part on the Northeast coast... has been destroyed. It handles container shipment of exports including rubber and marine products, office machinery, paper goods and autoparts.

Sendai (Before)

Sendai (After the Earthquake and Tsunami)

Nippon Steel Corp., located in Kamaishi, Iwate; capable of making steel and wire rods for vehicle powertrains and chasis, was shut after the tsunami hit and flooded the whole plant. Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. plant in Kashima, Ibaraki also went dark after the earthquake.

There are still some factories that has been destroyed by the earthquake and the tsunami hit. Reconstruction will be extremely challenging and also very costly, approximately five (5) to ten (10) years to rebuild or repair.

Facing also nuclear crisis, Japanese authorities ordered emergency workers to withdraw from the nuclear powerplant because of the severe radiation, temporarily suspending efforts to cool the overheating reactors.

Thousands of people have spent nights with very little food and water and facing life with no home at all. Many survivors are suffering from a psychological trauma. 

*photo from Google images