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CNN: Rebuilding Japan

As Japan marks a year since the earthquake and tsunami, CNN features live reports, features and in-depth interviews.

As Japan marks a year since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, CNN features live reports, features and in-depth interviews.

Beginning March 5, the ‘Rebuilding Japan’ week features live daily reports from Anna Coren in Tokyo and the Tohuku region, as well as in-depth reportage from Coren, Kyung Lah and Andrew Stevens from around the nation. ‘Rebuilding Japan’ will also include in-depth feature interviews on ‘Talk Asia’ with Japanese soccer star Homare Sawa and one of Japan’s most respected business executives and founder of Uniqlo, Tadashi Yanai. A special half-hour show, ‘Rebuilding Japan’ brings highlights from the week’s coverage and will air on March 10th – 14th. CNNGo is also turning the spotlight on Japan, with an edition from Osaka and Kyoto first airing on March 14th.

‘Rebuilding Japan’ also features extensive online coverage and a special iReport initiative calling on people to share their photos and videos of life in Japan before and after the tsunami. The iReport initiative has already begun receiving submissions and can be accessed here: http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/744690 The best stories and videos will be featured on CNN.com.

On-air coverage encompasses a wide range of special reports, including:

Talk Asia – This half hour interview hears from Tadashi Yanai, the retail billionaire behind the Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo and Japan’s wealthiest man according to Forbes Magazine. Within weeks of the tsunami, the 62 year old was recognized for his humanitarianism, donating $12.2 million of his personal fortune towards relief efforts, on top of the $4.9 million donated by his company. Yanai shares his outspoken views of what he thinks Japan needs to do to fully get back on its feet.

Talk Asia – Homare Sawa is the captain of the Japanese women’s national soccer team who led her country to victory against the United States at July’s Women’s World Cup. Not only was the win one of the country’s greatest sporting achievements, it was a much needed injection of morale for a nation still recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Energy Shifters – The legacy of the Fukushima disaster may have created a shift in energy policy, highlighting a need to move away from monolithic energy providers like Tepco to smaller sources. ‘Rebuilding Japan’ looks at recent moves by local governments and corporates to change the energy dynamic.

Young Tech Giants – The Yen and supply chain problems have made it difficult to make manufacturing in Japan profitable so the new wave of entrepreneurs in the country have stopped selling things and started selling ideas. Gree CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka is Asia’s youngest self-made billionaire and Mixi CEO Kenji Kasahara runs one of the nation’s largest social networks. ‘Rebuilding Japan’ talks to some of the names behind Japan’s successful and growing tech sector.

Youth Volunteerism – Young people in Tokyo like Takashi Tachibaha are giving up their monied jobs and lifestyles and moving to the tsunami zone. Tachibaha gave up his successful career in Tokyo to set up a fishing company with eight other fishermen in Ogatsu, to help revive the fishing town that was totally destroyed by the tsunami in March. He’s part of a youth movement that’s sprung up in the wake of the disaster—a generation that has found a way to give back to their country.

China Tourism Recovery – Chinese visitors are a rare ray of light in Japan’s hard-hit tourism industry. Visitors from Mainland China and Hong Kong are on the rise and they are big spenders too, hitting Japan’s department and electronics stores. CNN looks at how Japanese businesses are hoping to make the most of the growing number of Chinese visitors.

Sendai’s Reconstruction Boom – The city at the center of the Tohoku region, Sendai has become a hub for reconstruction and new business. Construction workers are looking for housing and materials, and businesses once teetering on the edge are now seeing the best year in decades.

Airtimes (all times are in AEDST)

Daily Reports and Coverage
Monday March 5 to Friday March 9 at 1100 (live reports) on ‘World Report’
Tuesday March 6 to Saturday March 10 at 0100 on ‘World Business Today’

Talk Asia: Tadashi Yanai
Friday, March 2 at 2130
Saturday, March 3 at 2400 Midnight Saturday night
Sunday, March 4 at 1030, 1730
Monday, March 5 at 1230
Tuesday, March 6 at 1930
Thursday, March 8 at 1630

Talk Asia: Homare Sawa
Friday, March 9 at 1130
Saturday, March 10 at 2400 Midnight Saturday night
Sunday, March 11 at 0930, 1630
Monday, March 12 at 1130
Tuesday, March 13 at 1830
Thursday, March 15 at 1530

CNNGo
Wednesday, March 14 at 2030
Saturday, March 17 at 1530
Sunday, March 18 at 1230

Special Half Hour
Sunday March 11 at 2030
Monday March 12 at 1730, 2130
Tuesday, March 13 at 2330
Thursday, March 14 at 1530

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