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February 2012
Get a calendar to support Japan!
source : www.jnto.go.jp
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Wednesday, February 1, 2012
NISA OK on stress tests but gets poor PR grade
IAEA The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has been doing a good job overseeing reactor stress tests but needs to communicate better with the people living nearby, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency official.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120201a1.html
Fukushima village urges residents back
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120201a3.html
Fukui nuclear plants key issue in Kyoto mayor race
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120201a4.html
Snow-related deaths rise to 51 in Japan - NHK
Deaths from snow-related accidents are increasing at a faster pace in Japan, as heavy snowfall hits northern parts of the country.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says 51 people have died in snow-related incidents so far this winter, excluding traffic accidents. Thirty of them have died in the past 15 days.
Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast has 12 deaths, the largest number, followed by Hokkaido with 10 and Aomori Prefecture with 9.
Japan's smoking rate falls below 20%
The health ministry says the smoking rate in Japan has fallen below 20 percent for the first time since recordkeeping began in 1986.
A ministry survey shows the rate was 19.5 percent in November 2010, down 3.9 percentage points from a year earlier.
The smoking rate for men fell by 6 points to 32.2 percent, while the figure for women was down 2.5 points to 8.4 percent.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
More heavy snow dumped in Northern Japan.
Some temporary homes have frozen water pipes and need to get water by tank lorry.
51 deaths laid to blizzards; more snow forecast
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120202a7.html
Heavy snow stalls 100 cars in Aomori
Heavy snow has stranded more than 100 cars on a main road in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan.
Prefectural officials say traffic has been stalled since Wednesday evening on a nearly 40-kilometer stretch.
The stranded cars include a school bus carrying 6 junior high students. All of them were evacuated to a nearby building.
The prefecture has mobilized about 20 plows to clear snow and free the vehicles.
Aomori Governor Shingo Mimura has asked the Self-Defense Forces to dispatch disaster relief units.
3 dead in avalanche at hot spring in Akita
An avalanche at a hot spring resort in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan, has killed 3 people.
A 40-meter stretch of snow on a mountain slope near Tamagawa hot spring in Senboku city collapsed at around 5PM Wednesday, crushing 3 structures housing bedrock baths.
3 people who were in the baths--a man and two women--were rescued and taken to a hospital, but were later pronounced dead.
The structures, which are about a 15-minute walk from an inn, were reportedly buried under 1.5 meters of snow.
Snow around the hot spring was 2.87 meters deep as of 6PM Wednesday.
Heavy snow in Japan affecting wide areas
Heavy snow is affecting wide areas of Japan, an avalanche at a hot spring resort in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan, has killed 3 people.
A 40-meter stretch of snow on a mountain slope near Tamagawa hot spring in Senboku city collapsed at around 5PM Wednesday, crushing 3 structures housing bedrock baths.
3 people who were in the baths--a man and two women--were rescued and taken to a hospital, but were later pronounced dead.
The structures, which are about a 15-minute walk from an inn, were reportedly buried under 1.5 meters of snow.
Snow around the hot spring was 2.87 meters deep as of 6PM Wednesday.
Heavy snow has stranded more than 100 cars on a main road in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan.
Prefectural officials say traffic has been stalled since Wednesday evening on a nearly 40-kilometer stretch.
The stranded cars include a school bus carrying 6 junior high students. All of them were evacuated to a nearby building.
The prefecture has mobilized about 20 plows to clear snow and free the vehicles.
Aomori Governor Shingo Mimura has asked the Self-Defense Forces to dispatch disaster relief units.
Meteorological Agency officials say more heavy snow is expected across wide areas of Japan onThursday.
The officials say a winter pressure pattern is gaining strength, bringing snow along the Sea of Japan coast in northern and western Japan.
The fresh snow will add to the already massive snowfall that has hit the country this winter.
As of Thursday morning, Ohkura Village in Yamagata Prefecture had about 3.6 meters of snow. About 1.3 meters of snow had piled up in Aomori City.
Weather officials are calling for caution about traffic disruptions, avalanches and snow-related accidents.
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Pipe leaks water from reactor 4 fuel pool
Tepco discovers that 8.5 tons of radioactive coolant water leaked in reactor 4 at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, somewhat higher than its initial estimate of 6 litters, but says none flowed outside the building.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120202a3.html
24% of coastal municipalities lack plans for issuing evacuation alerts
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120202a9.html
Milk makers begin radiation checks
Major Japanese milk producers have announced that screening tests for radiation will soon begin at about 180 milk factories in response to growing concerns among consumers.
Municipalities have been conducting radiation checks before raw milk goes to factories, but only a few have been checking the milk after it's produced.
Ever since the health and welfare ministry decided to strengthen food safety standards for milk from April, there has been a growing call from consumers for more screening.
Under the tougher standards, milk will be allowed to contain only 50 becquerels per kilogram, one quarter the current permissible level.
The Japan Dairy Industry Association says the screening will be conducted in Tokyo and 16 prefectures in eastern Japan.
It will announce the result by the end of this month.
Nuclear safety agency proposes new safeguards
The government's nuclear agency has made a new proposal to bolster safety at nuclear power plants. The proposal calls for nuclear plant operators to install various types of backup power generators.
At the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the loss of all power sources in the earthquake and tsunami last March led to meltdowns at its reactors.
The proposal also asks operators to waterproof reactor-cooling facilities to prevent high waves from flooding the buildings. ...
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Friday, February 3, 2012
. Setsubun, the "Seasonal Divide" .
Throwing beans at the demons !
This morning was minus 9 centigrade in my valley, the coldest in years.
We got just about 5 cm of snow, but the coastal regions are dumped in snow again.
Avalanche kills trio as snow toll rises
Deadly blizzards have wreaked havoc in coastal areas along the Sea of Japan, but the Meteorological Agency warns of more heavy snowfall to come.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120203a1.html
Mercury hits record lows in Japan
A cold air mass over Japan brought the coldest morning of the season on Friday. Temperatures marked record lows in many parts of the country.
Officials say the weather is clear in many places, after days of heavy snow. Temperatures hit all-time lows at 38 locations across Japan.
In the southwestern island of Kyushu, the temperature was minus 14.7 degrees Celsius in Oita Prefecture. It was minus 10.6 degrees in Kumamoto Prefecture.
The cold weather suspended operations at a thermal power plant in Oita Prefecture in the morning. The plant operator says the cause was frozen air pipes, and that power-generating turbines are now being restored.
Elsewhere in Japan, it was minus 26 degrees in Nobeyama-kogen in the central part of the country. Minus 15.5 degrees was recorded in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan.
Weather officials said sub-zero temperatures were experienced at most of the observation points across the country.
Tokyo was among them. The temperature was minus 1 degree.
Deaths from snow-related accidents reach 63
Heavy snow is wreaking havoc in Japan, raising the number of deaths from related accidents.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says such accidents, excluding those related to traffic, have claimed 63 lives so far this winter.
The death tolls in Hokkaido and Niigata Prefecture are 13; in Aomori and Akita, 10; and in Nagano, 8.
Forty-one of the victims were aged 65 or older, and 80 percent of the accidents occurred when victims were clearing snow from roofs or other places.
The agency calls on people to use lifelines and helmets when clearing snow, and to refrain from working alone.
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Chiba homeowners sue realtor for March 11 liquefaction damage
A group of residents in Chiba Prefecture sue real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan for about \700 million in liquefaction damage related to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120203a2.html
Tokyo holds drill for stranded commuters
About 10,000 people in Tokyo have taken part in a drill to practice what they need to do if they become stranded when a major quake strikes the capital.
The problem occurred after the March 11th earthquake. The disaster halted trains and paralyzed road traffic. More than 5 million people were stranded in Tokyo and its neighboring areas, and many tried to head home on foot. Ambulances and other emergency vehicles were stuck in traffic jams.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is advising people to stay where they are if another disaster occurs.
The participants in Friday's drills gathered at Shinjuku station and 2 other major terminals.
About 1,000 people in Shinjuku were informed by TV broadcasts to mobile phones and Twitter that they could take shelter at the Tokyo government building.
Safety checks to begin at Fukushima Daiichi plant
Japan's nuclear safety agency will begin inspecting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant from Monday to see if it can safely remain in a state of cold shutdown.
Officials from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency plan to check equipment and contingency preparations by examining manuals and interviewing workers during their three-week inspections.
Among the seven types of equipment to be checked is a reactor cooling system that recycles decontaminated water from the facility. ....
Flu epidemic peaking in Japan
Japan's health officials say the influenza epidemic has peaked. In some areas, more people had flu than at any time in the past 10 years.
A survey of medical facilities by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases found an estimated 1.7 million people sought flu treatment during the week through January 29th. The figure was up 620,000 from the previous week. ...
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Saturday, February 4, 2012
Record lows recorded at 38 locations
The country experiences severe cold weather and temperatures drop to record lows at 38 locations nationwide.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120204a1.html
and
Cold weather kills 180 in Europe
More than 180 people have died in a cold snap gripping much of Europe.
My morning was a bit warmer, only the usual minus 3 centigrade and no new snow.
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Safety checks to begin at Fukushima Daiichi plant
Japan's nuclear safety agency will begin inspecting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant from Monday to see if it can safely remain in a state of cold shutdown.
Officials from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency plan to check equipment and contingency preparations by examining manuals and interviewing workers during their three-week inspections.
Among the seven types of equipment to be checked is a reactor cooling system that recycles decontaminated water from the facility. ...
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Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sales tax may be raised higher than 10% due to welfare reforms: Noda
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120205a6.html
Nuclear crisis given lightweight treatment
JEFF KINGSTON
The nuclear crisis seems grafted on to the author's main focus and previous books on Japan's dysfunctional bureaucracy and the collusive and corrosive ties between business, politicians and the bureaucracy.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fb20120205a1.html
State mediator urges partial redress for evacuees
A state arbitration body has urged Tokyo Electric Power Company to make advance payments to people affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident before the final amount of compensation is decided.
NHK has learned that the arbitrator recommended last Monday that the utility should pay about 20,000 dollars to a family of 4 from Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
The family had filed a complaint with the arbitrator, saying they are unhappy with the proposed standard monthly payment of 1,300 dollars. The family also says they are running out of money as the dispute remains unsettled.
The arbitrator says it recommending advance payments because the survivors need money to rebuild their lives.
The family's lawyer says this will help many people who are facing financial difficulties.
Tokyo Electric says it is studying the recommendation.
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Monday, February 6, 2012
Temperature rises at Fukushima No.2 reactor
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says the temperature in the No.2 reactor remains high despite the injection of additional water.
A thermometer at the bottom of the reactor showed 73.3 degrees Celsius on Monday morning. It was around 45 degrees on January 27th and 71.7 degrees at 4 PM on Sunday.
Tokyo Electric Power Company began injecting 10.6 tons of water per hour from around 1:30 AM on Monday. That's one ton more per hour than before.
The utility says 2 other thermometers placed at the bottom of the reactor have been giving readings of about 44 degrees.
It says the flow of water in the reactor may have changed after plumbing work, causing difficulties in cooling the nuclear fuel.
In December last year, the government and TEPCO declared the 3 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant had been successfully put into a state of cold shutdown as their temperatures had fallen below 100 degrees. But the situation inside the reactors remains unknown.
TEPCO says the regulations set after the state of cold shutdown
Govt to create more decontamination bases
The Environment Ministry plans to decontaminate more public facilities in Fukushima Prefecture to use them as bases for cleaning up radioactive substances.
The government wants to decontaminate no-entry and evacuation zones around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant. It hopes to create a safe environment so that residents can return to the area.
Nuke plant operators paid $2 bil. to localities
Newly disclosed documents show that nuclear power plant operators in Japan have paid more than 2 billion dollars to local authorities hosting their facilities over the past 4 decades.
NHK obtained information about the payments from 44 prefectures and municipalities based on the information disclosure system.
The information shows that the payments have reached 2.1 billion dollars since construction of nuclear plants began in the late 1960s.
Of the amount, Tokyo Electric Power Company which operates the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant paid nearly 460 million dollars. Other utilities have continued making payments ever since the accident at the plant.
Power companies pay the money to promote the construction of nuclear plants. Some local governments ask for donations to invest the money in the regional economies.
The utilities view the payments as part of the cost of generating power and pass the expense on in utility fees. But an economy ministry panel said last week that the payments should not be counted as a cost.
Host communities have spent the money in various ways. They include public works projects, events and scholarships as well as statues of animation characters and promotional videos.
The host communities also receive subsidies from the central government, but the payments decrease in stages. Until 2003, they were only allowed to use the money to construct public facilities.
The payments are apparently convenient for some communities that are struggling to find ways to maintain the facilities.
Monday, February 06, 2012 20:48
Temperature at No.2 reactor remains high
Attempts to cool the temperature in the No. 2 reactor of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have only partially succeeded despite the injection of more cooling water.
The temperature in the reactor has gradually risen from about 45 degrees Celsius registered on January 27th.
In the past 4 days, the temperature has climbed more than 20 degrees to above 70 degrees.
The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company began pumping more water into the reactor at around 1:30 AM on Monday. But at 7 AM, the temperature stood at 73.3 degrees and at 5 PM, 69.2 degrees.
The utility firm says 2 other thermometers elsewhere in the reactor gave readings of about 44 degrees.
TEPCO says the rise in temperatures indicate that the flow of water in the reactor may have changed direction after plumbing work, and is no longer able to properly cool down the melted down nuclear fuel. ...
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nuclear Safety Commission, Haruki Madarame, says that a recurrence of nuclear criticality is unlikely.
But he criticized TEPCO and the nuclear safety agency for their handling of the matter. He says they are failing to properly explain the state of the reactors to the people.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Utilities face hike in redress fund ante
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120207a4.html
Foreign bloggers take in disaster zone
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120207a8.html
Cuisine targeted for UNESCO list
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120207b1.html
Questions over stress tests
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ed20120207a1.html
Temperature remains high at damaged reactor
An unknown rise in temperature at one of the reactors at the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant is troubling its operator. Tokyo Electric says the temperature hasn't gone down even after it increased the volume of cooling water on Tuesday.
One of the thermometers at the bottom of reactor No. 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant gradually rose to about 70 degrees Celsius since January 27th. It had stayed around 45 degrees before.
In an effort to lower the temperature, the operator increased the amount of water sprayed on the nuclear fuel by 3 tons to 13.5 tons per hour Tuesday morning.
But Tokyo Electric said readings were down only about 3 degrees after some 5 hours of operation, hardly showing signs of improvement.
The utility said the flow of water in the reactor may have changed after plumbing work in late January, causing difficulties in cooling part of the melted nuclear fuel.
It added that no temperature rise has been observed at 2 other thermometers in the same reactor and that it will continue to carefully monitor the reactor.
TEPCO has been unable to visually confirm conditions inside the reactors since the nuclear disaster last March because of high radiation.
Vents introduced to pressurized water reactors
Japanese nuclear power plant operators say they will introduce a venting system to pressurized water reactors to enhance safety in case of emergencies.
On Tuesday, the Federation of Electric Power Companies announced the plan at a meeting of experts discussing nuclear energy policies.
Venting systems are designed to release gas, which includes radioactive substances, from containment vessels to protect them from damage.
The system is installed in boiling-water reactors, but power suppliers had said that pressurized water reactors do not need vents. They had said pressure does not rise easily in containment vessels of pressurized water reactors, which are much larger than those of the boiling water type.
At the Tuesday meeting, the federation officials explained that in the wake of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, they will install vents for both types of reactors.
The plan will also include filters to cut the amount of released radioactive substances to less than one 1000th. They said that they will make vents operable by hand from remote sites in case power is lost. Power suppliers will study detailed designs of the vents.
Of 54 atomic power plant reactors in Japan, 24 are of the pressurized-water type. Of these, 22 are currently suspended. In total, 51 reactors are currently suspending operations.
Toyota profits down 72%
Toyota Motor says its operating profit for the April-December period in 2011 decreased 72 percent from the same period in the previous year. ..
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
. . . . . at 21:01
earthquake M 5.7 at sea offf Sado 佐渡付近
Nuke dangers nowhere near resolved: Kan's crisis adviser !!!
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208f1.html
. . . . . and
Crisis never came close to scenario meriting Tokyo evacuation: panel chief
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208f4.html
Water rate increased for reactor 2
Workers at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant increase the amount of water injected into reactor 2 to the highest level since the plant achieved cold shutdown in December as concerns grow over rising temperatures at the bottom of the pressure vessel.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208a2.html
High cesium found in earthworms
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208a3.html
Damage by animals to be studied
The Environment Ministry said Tuesday it will research reports of increased damage caused by wild animals in nuclear crisis-hit Fukushima and three surrounding prefectures this month and consider countermeasures.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208a7.html
Child population drops in disaster-hit prefectures
The number of children has significantly decreased in 3 Japanese prefectures hit by the March 11th disaster.
The Education Ministry says the child population as of May 1st in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima fell by more than 27,000 from a year earlier to about 834,000.
Fukushima saw the biggest fall of 5.8 percent, or more than 17,000, followed by a decrease of 2.3 percent in Iwate and minus 1.7 percent in Miyagi.
The ministry says the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant is to blame for an 11-percent decline in the number of kindergarteners and a nearly 8-percent drop in the elementary school population in the prefecture.
It says smaller children are more vulnerable to radiation and are likely to have been evacuated to other prefectures.
The child population in the 3 prefectures had been falling even before the disaster due to the low birthrate.
Cesium detected in worms near Fukushima plant
Researchers say high levels of radioactive cesium have been detected in earthworms caught in areas around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The researchers from the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute checked cesium levels in earthworm samples they collected at 3 locations.
The institute says about 19,000 becquerels of cesium per kilogram of worms were detected in Kawauchi Village 30 kilometers from the plant, about 1,000 becquerels in Otama Village, 70 kilometers from the plant, and 290 in Tadami Town, 130 kilometers away. . . .
Vents introduced to pressurized water reactors
Japanese nuclear power plant operators say they will introduce a venting system to pressurized water reactors to enhance safety in case of emergencies.
On Tuesday, the Federation of Electric Power Companies announced the plan at a meeting of experts discussing nuclear energy policies.
Venting systems are designed to release gas, which includes radioactive substances, from containment vessels to protect them from damage.
The system is installed in boiling-water reactors, but power suppliers had said that pressurized water reactors do not need vents. They had said pressure does not rise easily in containment vessels of pressurized water reactors, which are much larger than those of the boiling water type.
At the Tuesday meeting, the federation officials explained that in the wake of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, they will install vents for both types of reactors.
The plan will also include filters to cut the amount of released radioactive substances to less than one 1000th. They said that they will make vents operable by hand from remote sites in case power is lost.
Power suppliers will study detailed designs of the vents.
Of 54 atomic power plant reactors in Japan, 24 are of the pressurized-water type. Of these, 22 are currently suspended. In total, 51 reactors are currently suspending operations.
Temperature decreasing inside Fukushima reactor 15:31
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has been able to lower the temperature inside the No.2 reactor at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant by increasing the amount of water being injected into it.
TEPCO had been struggling to deal with rising temperatures inside the reactor. A thermometer located at the bottom of the reactor read 45 degrees Celsius on January 27th, but rose to over 70 degrees on Sunday. The cause is unknown, and two other thermometers at the reactor have shown no such increase.
TEPCO said on Wednesday that the temperature inside the reactor was 66.7 degrees at 5 AM, 5.5 degrees lower than a day earlier. The temperature gradually declined after the company increased the rate of water injection by 3 tons to 13.5 tons per hour on Tuesday.
70% of nuclear reactor hosts cautious on restart
An NHK survey has found that more than 70 percent of Japanese municipalities that host nuclear power plants are cautious about restarting the reactors.
51 of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors are currently out of operation. Restarting them would require the approval of local municipalities.
NHK surveyed 29 municipalities, excluding those in Fukushima Prefecture.
5 of them, or 17 percent, said they would give the go-ahead for the reactors to resume operation. But 21 municipalities, or 72 percent, said they wouldn't allow it, or that they cannot yet decide. ....
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Thursday, February 9, 2012
- - - - - 21:30
earthquake M 5.7 at Sado Island
Quake stops water supplies in Sado - NHK
An earthquake in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, on Wednesday night temporarily cut off water supplies to some parts of the prefecture.
The quake occurred near Sado Island at around 9:00 PM.
It registered 5 plus on the Japanese scale of 7 in Sado City, and 3 in Joetsu and Nagaoka.
About 3,400 homes in Sado city were left without water for about 3 hours after the quake triggered a switch that automatically stopped the flow.
The quake also shattered windowpanes at a gym and partially damaged a school in the city. There were no reports of injuries.
A cold night, minus 7 celsius in my valley.
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Emails bare NRC's Fukushima chaos
In the confusion that followed the earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear complex last March, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was standing by to help, but groping for information.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120209a2.html
Reactor 2 temperatures said trending lower
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120209a6.html
Stress tests evaluation to be concluded
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency plans to approve safety tests on 2 nuclear reactors in central Japan in a final report scheduled for submission shortly.
The Agency says a panel of experts on Wednesday agreed to complete their evaluation of computer-simulated stress tests for the 2 reactors at the Ohi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture.
The government tests were ordered last July for suspended reactors in an effort to win the consent of municipalities hosting nuclear power plants.
At Wednesday's meeting, some experts argued that the test results were only simulations and should not be used to restart the reactors. But the Agency decided to end the debate, saying it will take full responsibility for the tests while also considering those cautious views.
The Agency says it has concluded that the tests have been conducted appropriately. It says sufficient safety measures have been taken for the reactors to counter quakes and tsunami as powerful as those that hit the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The final decision on whether to restart the reactors, however, lies with the government. Even if it decides to give the go-ahead, local municipalities will be difficult to convince.
Many complain that the official assessment of the Fukushima accident is not complete yet and that the stress tests have been done just to ease local anxieties.
TEPCO investigates Fukushima plant fuel pool
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has started taking a closer look at spent fuel inside a storage pool at one of its 4 reactor buildings, in preparation for the eventual removal of the fuel.
Tokyo Electric Power Company put a remote-controlled underwater camera inside the storage pool for Reactor Number 4 on Thursday to examine conditions inside. The firm says it will insert the camera several more times in March.
In one of the first steps in a 40-year plan for decommissioning the plant, Tokyo Electric plans to start removing the spent fuel from Reactor Number 4 by March 2014.
The reactor was off line at the time of the accident on March 11th and no active fuel was inside the reactor.
But the reactor had 1,535 spent fuel rods stored in a pool above the reactor -- more than any of the 3 other reactors. The temperatures in the pool rose steeply in March, raising fears that a partial meltdown might have occurred.
A hydrogen explosion blew the roof off the reactor building, sending debris falling inside the pool, and making it very difficult to look inside the storage pool.
see Reconstruction
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Petition ready for Tepco nuke vote
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120210a9.html
Osaka chief woos Shanghai tourists
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120210b3.html
Constructing green cities to save the economy
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/eo20120210a1.html
a special for
. February 11, Remember March 11, 2011 .
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sources
. . Bulletins from NHK WORLD . .
. . Japan Times - JT . .
January 2012
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ZENKON湯
zenkon 善根 is the spirit of supporting the henro pilgrims in Shikoku。
A company from Marugame, Shikoku had developed a simple bathhouse, put together easily, lit through white acryl plates in the walls.
The bathtub holds three people.
source : zenkon-you.blogspot.com
香川県丸亀市柞原町字上所306番2 イスノキ1F
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