Disaster in Japan: Two Months On
VIEW EVENT DETAILSEvening Panel Discussion with Krista Mahr, Associate Editor, TIME; Dr. Yoshiko Nakano, Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts, HKU; & Dr. Charles Schenking, Chair, Department of History, HKU
The triple disaster that hit Japan – earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear leak — will have long-lasting implications for the country. The 9.0 magnitude offshore quake on March 11, the largest in Japan's history, triggered a massive 23-foot tsunami and left an estimated 28,000 people dead or missing. International aid agencies are assisting in the recovery efforts as the operator of the stricken Fukushima power plant attempts to contain the nuclear fallout. The World Bank says it may take up to five years to rebuild Japan and estimates the damages at US$235 billion. To mark the second month anniversary of the disaster, the discussion will review the post-earthquake humanitarian effort; the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts; and the economic, environmental, and social impact of the disaster on the nation.
Krista Mahr, Associate Editor, TIME
Mahr reported throughout northeastern Japan for the first two weeks after the disaster. Based in Hong Kong, she has been reporting from the region for TIME since 2007. She previously lived in Reykjavik, where she was editor-in-chief of the Iceland Review magazine and an Associated Press and BBC World Radio contributor. Mahr is a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz and University of California Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
Dr. Yoshiko Nakano, Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Dr. Nakano is Associate Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at HKU where she has been teaching intercultural communication and media since 2000. She is a regular contributor to Yomiuri Shimbun's Asian satellite edition. Her latest book, Where There Are Asians, There Are Rice Cookers: How "National" Went Global via Hong Kong, was published in 2009. She is a graduate of Tokyo's Meiji Gakuin University and received her PhD from Georgetown University. (Moderator)
Dr. Charles Schencking, Chairperson, Department of History, University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Dr. Schencking is Associate Professor of Japanese history at HKU and an active researcher who has published widely on Japanese history as well as the history of natural disasters in Japan. He is currently completing his book, The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the Chimera of National Reconstruction in Japan on the 1923 earthquake disaster that destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama. He received his BA from Western Washington University, his MA from the University of Hawaii and his PhD from Cambridge University.
Proceeds from this event will be donated towards ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in Japan.
Event Details
Hong Kong Club, 1 Jackson Road, Central