What's on TV in Tohoku

Having relied on my computer-guru husband for all things electronic for the past twenty years, I've evidently become quite the techno-dud. Case in point:  I can't get my television to work.  Now that I'm back in Ofunato and have a television at my disposal, I'm watching.  I call it research.  Getting caught up on local news is an important part of my information gathering.  I'm more surprised than not by what I'm seeing.

Two things strike me immediately.  First, the commercials are anything like what I've seen on television in Tokyo (when I actually have access to TV).  In the past thirty minutes, the commercials have shown the following:  a cemetery plot in a nature park (twice), a new apartment complex inland, a vegetable-delivery service (twice), a pharmaceutical company ad, and a car dealership.  There are the requisite coffee commercials, sports drinks, cosmetics, and ramen ads interspersed among the more locally relevant services being provided.  The former list is unique to Tohoku, or so I'm guessing.  Cemeteries for those who are no longer here, an apartment inland far away from the coast, fresh vegetables unlike those under suspicion, new or used cars for those whose were washed away.  These commercials are airing a year after the tsunami?

I have yet to see a commercial in Tokyo advertising a cemetery.  Or a we'll-make-sure-your-vegetables-are-safe promotion, targeting the fear of--dare I assume--radiation in locally grown produce?

Then there are the news programs highlighting areas hit by last year's tsunami.  The news is, for the most part, not uplifting.  The focus is on how much any given town was destroyed, how slow-going the recovery is, mayoral meetings discussing who can assist whom, damaged buildings and hospitals, the continued need for medical expertise (actually mentioning PTSD).

It's been over a year since the tsunami hit destroying city after city, town after town.  Surely there's a feel-good story out there.  I'm baffled by why there isn't more focus on these.  If depression is an ongoing concern here, then why continue to focus on the negative?

Then I heard it.  "It will be almost a year since the great disaster."  What?  They're airing a tear-jerker story from several months ago?  Are the reporters on strike?  Did the editors play the wrong clip?  What's going on?

This is followed by Richard Gere hugging a kid as he drinks a bottle of Orangina.  That's followed by an ad for the new show "Let's Make Tohoku Happy" starting April 7th.  So there is good news.  I'm baffled all over again as to why the focus on the negative, all while images of Richard Gere run through my brain.

Television content in Tohoku is not what I expected.  I decide to continue my "research" and vow to keep monitoring the news and commercials to see what those around me are watching.  Perhaps someone here can help me make sense of the negativity and commercials unlike those in Tokyo.