Japan — Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis (2011) In many ways, Japan is still reeling from the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 and the nuclear crisis and huge leaks of radiation it set off. The earthquake and tsunami led to soul searching in a nation already worn down by two lost decades of economic growth, a rapidly aging and now shrinking population, political paralysis and the rapid rise of its longtime rival, China. The government will now focus on removing the fuel stored at the site, opening up the ravaged reactors themselves and eventually dismantling the plant, a process that is expected to take at least four decades, Mr. Noda said. But for many of the people of Fukushima, the crisis is far from over. More than 160,000 people remain displaced, and even as the government lifts evacuation orders for some communities, many are refusing to return home. Disponível em: http://topics.nytimes.com. Acesso em: 24 fev. 2012 (adaptado). O excerto do artigo publicado no site do jornal The New York Times, acerca da situação em que o Japão se encontrava em 2011, expõe o tema: