Japan update:

After taking a heavy hit on Friday by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks, as well as the infinitely more damaging tsunami that followed, Japan’s transportation network and infrastructure is being restored bit by bit. Sharon Gill reports …
 

Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport in Tokyo resumed normal operations on Saturday morning.

Sendai Airport remains closed.

FedEx has resumed flights into Narita, although ground service delays are anticipated within eastern Japan.

According to Reuters, all ports south of Tokyo are operational, while ports north of Tokyo are still being assessed. Normal operations have resumed at the port of Tokyo.

Among the ports still shut are Kashima and Sendai.

OOCL has suspended bookings to Sendai until further notice. The carrier’s SCX vessel, NYK Themis 13, will skip Sendai and discharge cargo at Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Mitsui OSK Lines has begun support activities to help victims of the quake and to help restore their homes and cities.

MOL has decided to donate ¥50 million to help support and rescue victims of the quake. The company’s executives and employees have also organised a charity donation program within the MOL Group of companies, the proceeds of which will be donated to organisations that are working to support victims and rebuild their cities.

At the request of the government, MOL Ferry Co is helping to transport members of the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) who were assigned to rescue operations in northeast Japan. This afternoon, four ferries took on the transport of vehicles and members of the JSDF from Tomakomai in Hokkaido to Aomori, which is close to the quake-stricken area.

MOL has also set up a task force and support headquarters, headed by President Muto, to help the victims in the Tohoku district.

While MOL is still gathering data concerning its vessels that may have been affected, the carrier reports that its chartered vessel, the 20,212 gross ton Panama-flagged CS Victory, was carried toward the breakwater by the tsunami and now rests on the bottom of the shallow harbour at Ishinomaki in the Miyagi prefecture.