Japan

They bring more Dune, but also rape and memories of the Holocaust

Japan on Monday marked 13 years since a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country’s northern coasts. Nearly 20,000 people died, whole towns were wiped out and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was destroyed, creating deep fears of radiation that linger today.

It's one of three top-tier non-English, subtitled, films this week. One is Oscar nominated.

The powerful earthquake that shattered the peace of New Year’s Day in central Japan did not spur massive tsunamis like those that scoured the Pacific coast in 2011, killing nearly 20,000 people and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

The tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday — a controversial step that prompted China to ban seafood from Japan.

Japan's industry minister visited the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Monday to see equipment that would be used in the planned release into the sea of treated radioactive water to ensure the safety of the controversial plan, while demonstrators, including many from South Korea, rallied against it.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to leave on Monday for a weeklong trip to Asia, where he will make his first official visit to South Korea and attend the G7 leaders' summit in Japan.

Atlantic fishers are feeling the pinch as Japan brings in cheap Russian product rather than Canadian snow crabs, with federal ministers and provincial premiers saying they are raising the issue with Japanese officials.

This month marks the 12th anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, when three nuclear reactors in Japan suffered catastrophic meltdowns.

Live horses do not make up a significant percentage of the overall value of our total exports to Japan and serve only to satisfy a small niche market of wealthy individuals who are willing and able to pay top dollar for raw horse sashimi.     

Under the new policy, Japan will maximize the use of existing reactors by restarting as many of them as possible and prolonging the operating life of aging ones beyond a 60-year limit. The government also pledged to develop next-generation reactors.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada is set to become a major energy supplier for Japan and South Korea.

U.S. officials are touting bioethanol in Japan, which trails other nations on using the green fuel made from corn and other crops.

Michael Regan, after holding talks with his Japanese counterpart Akihiro Nishimura in Tokyo, told a joint news conference that nuclear energy in their countries plays a role and "the opportunities for advanced nuclear technology will be critical if we’re going to meet our climate goals."

The National Science Foundation said Tuesday it plans to conduct a study to evaluate the environmental effects of building one of the world's largest optical telescopes on sites selected in Hawaii and Spain's Canary Islands.