• Japan has some pretty hefty rebuilding plans: With a month and a half of distance between the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged a large chunk of the country, and a need to ensure a next step for the recovering nation, Japan’s government, led by Prime Minister Naoto Kan (left), has a large-scale recovery plan in its sights, which includes the building of 100,000 temporary homes. A huge catalyst for the move, according to the prime minister, was a recent meeting he had with people stuck in shelters. “I felt with renewed determination that we must do our best to get them back as soon as possible,” he said. More details:

The cost & the overall need

• $48.5 billion in emergency spending earmarked

• 14k people confirmed dead after last month’s quake
• 13k people missing in the quake or tsunami
• 130k people still live in evacuation centers source

• » Japan has recovered before: Back in 1923, Japan suffered a far more substancial economic and physical disaster from Great Kanto Earthquake, which killed as many as 140,000 and caused the country to lose 40 percent of GDP. The current earthquake, likely the most expensive in the country’s history at $300 billion, is a mere fraction of that in comparative scale.

The situation around Fukushima

• 12 miles the radius of the evacuation zone around Fukushima — residents could face fines or jail if they enter
• 19 miles the radius around Fukushima where the government recommends residents leave source

• » Letting residents come back: While authorities let some residents return to their homes for a brief period yesterday (a mere two-hour window, by the way), they may not have another chance. MSNBC has photos from the pretty freaky scene. “I’m sorry there’s nothing I can do for you,” said dairy farmer Hiroaki Hiruta, who had to leave his 130 cows to fend for themselves within the radiation zone. He had visited to feed them every single day, but no longer can due to the newly-enforced regulations. It’s unclear if there will be a next time for Hiruta to visit his cows, or if that “next time” will come anytime in the near-future. (photo by DVIDS on Flickr)