As Sept. 11 nears, the US prepares to remember the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC. For Japan, the date marks six months since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit. While Japan continues to grapple with a multitude of problems unleashed by the disasters, coverage of Japan’s daily struggles has all but disappeared from global media. What is the current status of recovery and reconstruction efforts? Although considerable progress has been made, significant challenges remain amidst an atmosphere of political and economic uncertainty.