Hi All,

Here's a story from the Japan Times regarding the financial losses from the Niigata quake. Though Japan is the most earthquake aware nation on Earth, they are no different than other countries when it comes to economic recovery.
I recall a video I have which was hosted by a Los Angeles fireman named Frank who spoke about how a devastating earthquake in California could cripple the US by the loss of so many products we produce here. California is a major supplier of fruits and vegetables and if our rail lines are down for a period of time, those products can't be delivered.
As they say, so far, so good. Hopefully the day will never come when we are put to the test.
Petra

Niigata quake damage: 3 trillion yen
Prefecture eyes recovery fund, pleads for state relief aid

NIIGATA (Kyodo) The strong earthquakes that hit Niigata Prefecture late October have caused about 3 trillion yen in damage to the region, Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida said Wednesday.
It is the first time the prefectural government has released an estimate of the financial damage caused by the temblors that hit the prefecture on Oct. 23 and left 40 people dead.
Izumida told the day's plenary session of the prefectural assembly that the prefecture might establish a quake recovery fund and would continue to press the central government to enact special legislation to assist in relief and reconstruction efforts.
He said the quake was expected to adversely affect the economy of the entire prefecture. The quakes caused the derailment of a Joetsu Shinkansen Line bullet train, the kept the line blocked, and the temporary closure of the Kanetsu Expressway ruptured distribution arteries linking Niigata with Tokyo and the greater metropolitan area.
He said the prefecture was trying to gain approval to issue prefectural bonds and would persuade financial institutions to purchase them.
Izumida said the prefecture's coffers will not be able to support reconstruction efforts. He said he hoped the central government would enact legislation similar to that drawn up after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of January 1995.
Farm minister Yoshinobu Shimamura, who visited quake-hit areas of the prefecture the same day, told reporters the government would "do everything possible" to help, including enacting such legislation.
Shimamura inspected rice warehouses in the city of Ojiya in the prefecture, where Vice Gov. Tomomi Sato requested state assistance to enable farmers to plant the prized Koshihikari strain of rice next year.
The minister replied that his ministry would do all it could to assess the extent of the damage to farmland through aerial surveys before snow starts to fall.
Quakes take 426 jobs
At least 426 workers have lost their jobs in Niigata Prefecture due to the economic repercussions of the devastating earthquakes, the Niigata office of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Wednesday.
More companies could be hit by worsening business and have to lay off workers, the Niigata Labor Bureau said, quoting results of a survey it conducted after the Oct. 23 quakes.
The Niigata Prefectural Government might establish a relief fund to ensure employment, particularly for middle-aged workers, officials said.
The 426 workers were discharged from 50 firms whose factories and office buildings were damaged by the quakes, the labor office said.
The prefectural government would use the fund to pay subsidies to companies that hire people made jobless by the disaster. It would also provide vocational training to the victims, the officials said.
Labor demand was sluggish in the affected region even before the quakes hit in late October. In September, the Niigata labor office reported that the ratio of job offers to job-seekers stood at 0.69 in Ojiya, one of the hardest-hit municipalities.
Labor demand normally rises in winter due to greater demand at ski resorts and for snow-removal work. But officials said they don't expect demand this winter to rise as sharply as it normally does.
The Japan Times: Nov. 18, 2004