hirakawa presents the results of the research in lectures. he hopes to have more opportunities to exchange views with other researchers. >> translator: if amateur historians dig deeper into the history of disasters in their area and present their research locally, i think our society can develop greater resistance to these catastrophic events. >> reporter: local residents have left a legacy of their experiences. by uncovering these stories, tazai and hirakawa believe they can offer life saving wisdom to future generations. terui, nhk world. >>> investors saw markets in the u.s. get off to a sluggish start to 2014. stocks in new york dropped sharply on thursday, the first trading day of the year. the dow jones industrial average fell 135 points from its close on december 31st, ending the day at 16,441. a dip in u.s. crude oil. the dow rose 26.5% in 2013. that's the highest rate of increase since 1995. the key index kept hitting record highs, even after the federal reserve decided to scale back monetary easing. improvements in jobs and housing