Japan approves third extra budget for tsunami recovery

Japan has approved a ¥12 trillion ($156 billion) extra budget to fund reconstruction after the March 11 disasters and nuclear crisis.

The upper house president Kenji Hirata says the third supplementary budget for the fiscal year was approved on Monday. The more powerful lower house passed the budget bill earlier this month. The budget includes about ¥240 billion ($3.25 billion) to decontaminate areas affected by radiation leaked from the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Japan has now earmarked at least ¥18 trillion ($234 billion) for reconstruction. The earthquake/tsunami wiped out part of the northeastern coast and left 20,000 people dead or missing.