March 25, Friday

[ . BACK to TOP of this BLOG. ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. March 11, 2012 - Remember 2011 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The third week after the shock starts !


two weeks later -
nothing can erase
these memories



. Remember March 11, 2011, 14:46 　


One old lady in a shelter summed it up:

"After almost two weeks without anything,
now we have running water
and heating in the halls.
We even get three free warm meals.
What an almost luxury life now!! "


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


JAPAN DISASTER-RELIEF DONATIONS



Please help by making a donation, no matter how small.
. Mark Schumacher

Mark is my Daruma friend from Kamakura.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Gabi reports:

It is now two weeks since the great earthquake, tsunami and reactor crises.

Strong frost and minus 2 centigrade again, even here in Okayama, even a little snow around 9 in the morning.
The North must be freezeng again.

. . . . .

A bit lower since yesterday:
. Radiation info from Tokyo University


as of late tuesday updates
More than 27,000 people officially dead
9,811 people are confirmed dead, 17,541 people missing



Radiation levels in microsievert per hour :
from Wendesday to Thursday (according to Japan Times)
Fukushima - 12.2 / (down from 15.3 yesterday)
Tokyo - 0.148 / (down from 0.155 yesterday)
Aomori - 0.029 (0.029 yesterday)
Shizuoka - 0.051 (0.051 yesterday)

Some sake brewers around Fukushima will try to prove that the water from their wells (they do not use tap water) is clean and their products safe.

Taiwan started checking the radiation of mail from Japan.
HongKong does not accept food from Fukushima for the time being.
. . . . . On the ohter side
China is getting more orders from Japan for frozen food items, especially vegetables.

Japan has asked South Korea for shipments of bottled water.

North Korea has send $100.000 to help the earthquake efforts.

Japan will have to review its nuclear power policy:
. Japan's Nuclear Policy


System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information (SPEEDI):
Rate of space dose (nGy/h)
source : www.bousai.ne.jp
The unit gray (Gy) measures absorbed radiation which is absorbed into any material.
The unit sievert (Sv) specifically measures absorbed radiation which is absorbed by a person.
1 rem = 0.01 Sv = 10 mSv
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !
The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI-derived unit of radioactivity. One Bq is defined as the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. . . . . another new word buzzing in Japan

half-life, half time (Halbwertzeit)
半減期（half-life period）（
Half-life is the period of time it takes for a substance undergoing decay to decrease by half. The name was originally used to describe a characteristic of unstable atoms (radioactive decay), but may apply to any quantity which follows a set-rate decay.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Is Fukushima reaching Chernobyl levels ?

. . . . .

The tsunami of March 11 was so powerfull, it swept up a river in Iwate, around a bend at km 14 and up and up until 49 km inland ! This is a record never seen before.

. . . . .


. . . . . at 5.09
A strong earthquake M 6.8 hit in Myanmar, in the north-east near the border to Thailand.


. . . . . at 12.30
Temperatured dropped to a cold plus four centigrade, a very strong storm seemed to blow huge snowflakes right from Siberia.


. . . . . at 17.00
There have been fewer aftershocks today than in the days before. I hope this problem comes to a quiet end.


. . . . . at 20.36
Earthquake M 6.2 off Miyagi coast
It was felt all the way up to Hokkaido and down to Shizuoka


Even the emperor send some food, fresh eggs and other items from the imperial ranch to the shelters:
1,200 eggs, 30 smoked chickens and canned sausages were send to Mashiko, Tochigi.


And here is Prime Minister Kan, adressing the nation:
. NHK : Friday, March 25, 2011 21:29 　


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Thursday, March 24, 2011 03:01 (updated)
Japan disaster: over 27,000 dead or missing
More than 27,000 people are officially dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11th.
According to the National Police Agency, 9,811 people are confirmed dead as of 9 PM on Thursday.
The agency says it has received reports of 17,541 people missing.
Most of the dead and missing are from the 3 hardest hit prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima.
The number of confirmed deaths in Fukushima totals 839, far smaller than the more than 5,800 in Miyagi and about 3,000 in Iwate. This may be due to the suspension of search operations in areas within 20 kilometers of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, because of radiation leaks.
Emergency shelters are accommodating more than 200,000 people, mostly from the prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, according to NHK figures. More than 30,000 people, mainly from Fukushima, have fled their hometowns to other prefectures.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 19:50
Disaster affects Japanese firms in Asia
Japanese companies operating in other Asian countries are feeling the effects of the March 11th earthquake.
On the outskirts of the Philippines capital Manila, an electronic parts assembler is no longer getting orders from a plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo. The plant has stopped operating due to the earthquake.20 percent of sales come from the Ibaraki plant, so the company has had to close some of its assembly lines since March 12th. The company says it will probably take a month or more at least before business with the Ibaraki plant resumes.
Factory chief, Takanobu Asari, says the company will have to cut staff if the impact of the quake is prolonged.
Japanese auto production in Thailand has been hit by delays in procuring parts from Japan.
Toyota Motors is adjusting its production there by eliminating overtime work.
A Japanese auto parts maker in a suburb of Bangkok is unable to get the steel and aluminum it needs from manufacturers in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures. The company is exploring ways to procure these materials from other regions in Japan or from China.
Company official Yoshikazu Kurachi says the firm will run out of raw materials if it can't place an order soon. Kurachi says he hopes for an early recovery in Japan so operations can return to normal.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok says some of the 7,000 Japanese-affiliated companies in Thailand will be forced to stop production in April.


. . . . . . . . . .


Friday, March 25, 2011 01:25
Radioactive water detected in 6 prefectures
Radioactive water has been detected at water purification facilities in Tokyo and 5 other prefectures. The level of radioactive iodine-131 at 18 purification plants exceeds Japan's safety limit for infants.
Radioactive iodine-131 does not exist in nature. Experts believe it was carried by the wind from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to surrounding areas, and then washed down into rivers by rain.
The governments of Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, Saitama and Tochigi prefectures have detected more than 100 becquerels of iodine per liter of water, above the safety level for infants under 12 months. But the water is safe for adults because it's not above the 300 becquerel safety limit for them.
Hosei University professor and air-borne contamination expert Kentaro Murano says it's hard to predict where the radioactive substances will spread, because the wind blows in various directions at this time of year.
Murano says people should not overreact when they see small changes in levels. He points out that if it rains several times, all the radioactive substances in the air and on the ground will be washed out to sea.
Professor Murano says the radioactivity in the water will decrease to safer levels within 2 weeks. But he warns that if more radioactive substances are emitted from the nuclear plant, the impact of the radioactivity will continue for some time to come.


Friday, March 25, 2011 05:09
Excessive radioactivity found in Tokyo vegetable
Japan's health ministry says radiation above the legal limit has been detected in a vegetable grown in Tokyo. This is the first time that radioactive cesium exceeding the legal limit has been found in a Tokyo vegetable.
The ministry says the radioactive cesium was detected on Thursday in a leafy vegetable taken from a field in Edogawa ward on Wednesday. The vegetable is called Komatsuna, or Japanese mustard spinach. The radioactive level was 890 becquerels per kilogram, exceeding the legal limit of 500.
The vegetable was grown at a research center, and is not being sold on the market.
The health ministry says that level of radioactivity would not have an adverse effect on health, even if the vegetable was eaten.


Friday, March 25, 2011 07:49
Nuclear abolition monument completed at UN
The United Nations has completed a monument containing the signatures of over a million people demanding nuclear abolition.
It will be displayed along the sightseeing route at UN headquarters in New York.
At a ceremony to celebrate completion of the monument, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon thanked 3 Japanese survivors of the atomic bombing for attending at a time when Japan is struggling to deal with the massive earthquake and tsunami.
He called for realizing a world without nuclear weapons to respond to the wishes of nuclear bomb victims.
The monument is a 2-pillar structure that is 3 meters tall. It has the signatures of more than one million 20,000 people calling for an end to nuclear weapons by 2020.
The petitions were collected by the "Mayors for Peace" group, which is represented in 4,500 cities worldwide. The signatures were first handed to the United Nations at a nuclear non-proliferation treaty conference in May last year.Atomic bomb survivor Toshiko Tanaka says she's happy that the aspiration of many people has given shape to something like this. She also says she believes nuclear weapons will truly be abolished.


Friday, March 25, 2011 08:22
High radiation detected in water at plant
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has detected high levels of radioactive substances in water that 3 workers were exposed to at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The company says 3.9 million becquerels of radioactive substances per cubic centimeter were detected in the water that the workers were standing in. That is 10,000 times higher than levels of the water inside a nuclear reactor in operation.
The level of radioactive cerium-144 was 2.2 million becquerels. Also, 1.2 million becquerels of iodine-131 was measured. These substances are generated during nuclear fission inside a reactor.
Tokyo Electric says damage to the No.3 reactor and spent nuclear fuel rods in a storage pool may have produced the highly radioactive water.
On Thursday, 2 of the 3 workers were taken to hospital after being exposed to 173 to 180 millisieverts of radiation while standing in 15-centimeters of water in the turbine building adjacent to the reactor. A third worker was also exposed to the higher-level radiation but did not require treatment.


Friday, March 25, 2011 11:46
Death toll tops 10,000
More than 10,000 people have now been confirmed dead in the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11th.
The National Police Agency said 10,035 people are confirmed to have perished as of Friday morning.
The agency said it has received reports of 17,443 people missing.
Most of the dead and missing are from the 3 hardest-hit prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima.
6,097 are confirmed dead in Miyagi Prefecture,
3,025 in Iwate, and
855 in Fukushima.
The figure for Fukushima is far below those of the other 2 prefectures, partly because search operations were suspended in areas within 20 kilometers of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The figures are almost certain to rise ...


Friday, March 25, 2011 11:46
Work resumes to restore power at Fukushima plant
Work to restore power resumed at the quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Friday morning.
Workers are checking if there is any damage to equipment at the No.1 to No.4. reactors. Lights in the No.2 reactor's control room are expected to be switched on again on Friday.
The Fukushima office of Tokyo Electric Power Company says the surface temperature of the No.1 reactor dropped to about 205 degrees Celsius on Friday morning. It had risen to about 400 degrees, exceeding the safety limit of 302 degrees.
TEPCO also says the pressure inside the container vessel of the No.1 reactor dropped to 0.31 megapascals from 0.385 on Thursday morning.
In the turbine building of the No.3 reactor, work is under way to drain the highly radioactive water that 3 staff members were exposed to on Thursday. Its radiation level was 10,000 times higher than those for water inside the reactor.


Friday, March 25, 2011 12:48
Nuke safety agency: No.3 reactor likely be damaged
Japan's nuclear safety agency says it is highly likely that the Number 3 reactor of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been damaged, leading to the leak of high levels of radiation.
The agency said while the reactor appears to have partially retained its function to contain radiation leaks, there's a strong possibility that some part of the reactor is now damaged and the containment function is weakening.


Friday, March 25, 2011 13:17
Edano: Voluntary evacuation from 20-30 km advised
The government is advising residents to voluntarily evacuate areas within 20 to 30 kilometers of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, in view of the severe living conditions in the zone.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters on Friday that business and distribution in these areas has been harshly disrupted, as an increasing number of people have voluntarily evacuated.
Edano also said he cannot deny the possibility that the government will expand the evacuation zone to a 30-kilometer radius from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, depending on radiation levels.
The government has instructed people living within 20 kilometers of the plant to evacuate, while advising those who are 20 to 30 kilometers away to stay indoors.
Edano said the government has asked municipalities within the 20 to 30 kilometer radius to call on residents to voluntarily evacuate, and to make preparations to evacuate those who remain.
He said he wants the municipalities to closely cooperate with the government, and to be ready when evacuation orders are issued.



Friday, March 25, 2011 13:47
Nuclear safety agency orders Tepco safety measures
Japan's nuclear safety agency says it ordered the Tokyo Electric Power Company to step up safety measures at the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima after another case of workers exposed to radiation.
Three people working to restore cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at the Number 3 reactor were exposed to 173 to 180 millisieverts of radiation on Thursday. They were working in the turbine building, when they stepped in highly radioactive water, 15 centimeters deep. Two of the men are suffering from suspected beta ray burns.
It was later learned the water contained 3.9 million becquerels of radioactive substances per cubic centimeter. The detected figure is 10,000 times higher than levels of water inside a normally operating nuclear reactor.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told reporters on Friday there were problems with measures taken by the power company to prevent the accident.
It said the firm did not properly measure radiation levels at the building where the accident occurred before the recovery operation began and failed to equip workers with adequate protective gear. It also said the workers did not immediately pull out of the building despite alarms set off by their gauges measuring radiation exposure.
The safety agency said it ordered the power company to take appropriate steps to measure radiation in the power plant. It also told the operator to take steps to prevent another accident, including more effective protective gear for the work


Friday, March 25, 2011 15:29
Quake-devastated communities face rebuilding task
Some quake-devastated communities are starting to pull together to move on.
Construction of temporary housing began on Friday in Miyako City in Iwate Prefecture, where the tsunami wrecked many houses.
The city says it needs 3,000 units to accommodate more than 4,900 evacuees taking refuge in shelters.
The first 250 units will be built in the grounds of a hotel run by the local government. Households with elderly people and infants are likely to be given priority.
However, the temporary housing will not be completed until late May, given the shortage of materials and fuel for heavy machinery.
In Ofunato City, also in Iwate Prefecture, an elementary school held a graduation ceremony for 53 pupils, including a boy who was killed by the tsunami. Twelve-year-old Keita Matsubara was in a car with his grandparents and elder brother when the tsunami hit. His grandfather, who was the only survivor, attended the ceremony along with the boy's aunt. She received his certificate of graduation. The grandfather said he wished he could have seen Keita attend the ceremony, and he is sorry that he alone survived without being able to save his grandchildren.
In Minami Sanriku Town in neighboring Miyagi Prefecture, a bicycle shop manager is repairing bikes free of charge, even though he himself is an evacuee.
Sixty-two-year-old Hideaki Sato lost his house, shop and practically everything else in the tsunami. But he has borrowed tools to carry out repairs to help people who rely on bicycles as their only means of transportation.


Friday, March 25, 2011 17:03
Over 30% of listed firms report damage
A research firm says about a third of Japanese companies listed on stock exchanges suffered damage from the March 11th earthquake.Tokyo Shoko Research says 1,135, or over 30 percent, of listed companies reported damage during the 5 days through Wednesday last week.
The research firm says about half of the affected companies cannot conduct business.
The most common problem, damage to buildings, was reported by 529 firms. Concerns about utilities and infrastructure were cited by 208 companies and damage to production lines by 194.
The research firm says the figures will likely rise as more reports come in.
It says that before the disaster, more than 30,000 businesses operated in coastal communities alone.


Friday, March 25, 2011 17:03
Overseas makers suffer shortages of Japanese parts
The massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan have seriously affected foreign auto and electronics firms.
Many overseas firms have had to scale back production due to disruptions in supplies of semiconductors and other hi-tech parts from Japan's disaster-stricken area.
US automaker General Motors says its assembly plant in Louisiana has not been operating since Monday due to lack of parts from Japan. GM says it hopes to resume operations as soon as possible.
Opel, a company in the GM group, says it has temporarily halted production at its factories in Germany and Spain.
Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson has expressed concerns about the availability of Japanese parts. It says it will consider looking for other suppliers.
Finnish cell phone maker Nokia says a lack of Japanese components may cause problems for the firm's product output.



Friday, March 25, 2011 18:54
Nuclear agency: No. 3 reactor may be leaking
Japan's nuclear safety agency says it is highly likely that radioactive materials are leaking from part of the Number 3 reactor of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency spoke to reporters on Friday about an accident in which 3 workers were exposed to radiation in the turbine building of the No. 3 reactor.
It said 3.9 million becquerels of radiation was detected from 1 cubic centimeter of water sampled from the floor of the building. The radiation level was about 10,000 times higher than the water inside a normally operating nuclear reactor.
The agency said the water sample indicated it is highly likely the leak comes from the reactor itself, not from the pool storing spent nuclear fuel.
According to the officials, pressure inside the reactor core is stable and the agency doesn't believe the reactor is cracked or broken. But it says it is highly possible that radioactive materials are leaking from somewhere in the reactor.
The agency also said high levels of radiation have been measured at reactors No. 1 and 2, and speculates there may also be leakage from them. Cooling operations using seawater are continuing at the reactors.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, also known as TEPCO, resumed work to restore the external electricity supply to the facility on Friday morning.
Engineers are now checking pumps and other equipment for malfunctions before hooking up reactors 1 through 4.
Lighting is expected to be available in the control room of the No. 2 reactor on Friday, while at the No. 3 reactor firefighters continue spraying water at the fuel storage pool.
TEPCO says it intends to switch over from pumping sea water to pumping fresh water into the 3 reactors, as salt in the sea water could cause corrosion and buildup, hampering the smooth flow of water inside the structures.
The company has been pumping seawater as an emergency measure.
The power company also says preparations to switch to fresh water were completed at the No.1 reactor on Friday afternoon.
Operations to pump fresh water into reactors No.2 and No 3 are expected to start later in the day.


Friday, March 25, 2011 19:10
Summer electric supply will likely face difficulties
Japan's economy ministry says Tokyo and surrounding prefectures could face difficulties supplying electricity this summer.
The ministry's announcement on Friday comes after several power plants of the Tokyo Electric Power Company suffered serious damage from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
The ministry said peak electricity demand in the area this summer is expected to reach 55 million kilowatts -- about 10 million more than the anticipated supply.
The ministry added that the firm's power-supplying capability is expected to be restored by summer to around 45 million kilowatts, up from 31 million just after the quake.
Tokyo Electric said on Friday that planned power outages like those now in place will be inevitable during summer, as demand is expected to increase.Also on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters that the government will wrap up a package of measures to deal with the power shortage by the end of April. He suggested that the comprehensive measures include efforts to reduce demand by industries and the public.
Many event organizers in the Tokyo metropolitan area have cancelled movie showings, theatrical performances and other events, citing precautions against possible aftershocks and efforts to conserve energy.



Friday, March 25, 2011 20:27
Survey: 60% of survivors unlikely to return home
An NHK survey shows that about 60 percent of survivors of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami think they cannot return to their homes or do not want to.
NHK asked 488 people staying in shelters in the 3 hardest-hit prefectures -- Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
79 percent of the respondents said they want to return to where they lived before the disaster, but 40 percent said they cannot. 17 percent said they don't want to go back.
Asked about their reasons, many cited financial difficulties. Some said they're afraid of another disaster, while others said their destroyed homes would remind them of their ordeal.
64 percent of the respondents said they do not know where to live, and 53 percent said they have no idea how to make a living.
Many respondents also expressed concerns about how long they'll have to stay in shelters, or called for early reopening of schools.
Some said they're grateful for assistance from many people. Others expressed resolve to live life to the fullest.


Friday, March 25, 2011 21:11
Fresh water starts flowing into troubled reactors
Tokyo Electric Power Company has begun pumping fresh water instead of seawater into troubled reactors at the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Workers had been injecting seawater as an emergency measure to cool the reactors and spent fuel storage pools after the plant was crippled by the quake and tsunami.
But experts say the continued use of seawater will cause a crust to form inside the reactors and prevent cooling, as well as causing corrosion.
The plant operator, known as TEPCO, is switching to pumping fresh water from fire engines with storage capacity.
Workers began pumping fresh water into the Number One reactor on Friday afternoon and into the Number 3 reactor in the evening.
They are now preparing to start injecting fresh water into the Number 2 reactor.
TEPCO has also been working to restore external power to the reactors in order to restart cooling systems and instruments.



Friday, March 25, 2011 22:50
Radioactive water in Kanto region
Radiation levels detected in tap water still exceed safety limits for infants in parts of Ibaraki prefecture, south of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The tests by municipalities in the prefecture on Friday came after checks at some local purification plants two days earlier found that tap water had radioactive iodine-131 above the permitted level for infants of 100 becquerels per liter.
In Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, 229.6 becquerels per liter of the radioactive substance were detected. Hitachiota City and Tokai Village in the same prefecture also recorded figures above the safety level for infants.
The prefectural government is advising residents in the municipalities not to give tap water to babies less than one year old. The same advice was also given to residents in Kasama City, where Wednesday's test showed radioactive contamination exceeding safe levels.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Chiba and Tochigi prefectures, figures returned to below safety levels on Friday.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Voices from around


. The Daily Reading List . 　 　

. . . . .

quote
Will Fukushima spell Tepco's doom?
Every time a light is switched on in Tokyo, it is powered by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).
And the chances are the Japanese cars we drive, the television sets from Japan in living rooms across the world and the Japanese game consoles used by children globally have been produced using electricity generated at one of Tepco's plants.
Formed in 1951, the company has literally powered Japan's industrial revolution and in the process gone on to become the fourth-largest power company in the world.
Ironically, it has also given Japan one of its worst nuclear disasters, which may also result in its own downfall.
Tepco supplies about one-third of Japan's electricity.
... "It's almost unthinkable that any local government will accept a nuclear plant in their backyard," said Martin Schulz of Fujitsu Research in Tokyo.
source : www.bbc.co.uk
..... and on this link
Tokyo Electric Power: Japan's BP? 16 MARCH 2011

. . . . .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



. Source: 　tokyogeneralunion.org


after the tremor...
the majestic Mt. Fuji
calm as ever

Hanami...
dainty sakura bloom still
in Fukushima

Bos Tsip, facebook


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]

[ . BACK to TOP of this BLOG. ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

March 24, Thursday

[ . BACK to TOP of this BLOG. ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





plum blossom time -
the mind still wanders
in Northern Japan

This morning we have heavy frost on the blossoms.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Gabi reports:

. . . . . at 5.43
Earthquake M 5.2, off the coast of Ibaraki

Radiation levels in microsievert per hour
from Tuesday to Wendesday (according to Japan Times)
Fukushima - 15.3 / (9.60 yesterday)
Tokyo - 0.155 / (0.144 yesterday)
Aomori - 0.024
Shizuoka - 0.064

Radiation might affect people outside the 30 km zone, Secretary Edano said on TV at 18:55 yesterday evening.

The permissible levels for radiation in water, milk and vegetables in Japan are much lower than the international standard, because - so is the logic here - if someone intakes more than one, like drinking milk and eating vegetables, radiation will accumulate double in the human body, or triple, if you also drink tap water.

. . . . .

A friend sent this folded crane.


9,523 confirmed dead, and 16,094 people still missing.
to sum it up
25,000 dead or missing

And two workers from Fukushima plant had to be send to hospital with radiation problems.

But radiation levels at the Tokyo water plant are dropping to normal.

. . . . .


Gregory Clark is musing about this topic today
in the Japan Times :
. Nuclear meltdowns and Japanese culture 　

. . . . .

. . . . . at 9.00
Earthquake M 4.9, Ibaraki
It was felt as a quake strengh weak 5. 震度5弱 - 茨城県


. . . . . at 12.30
The town of Urayasu in Chiba has suffered from liquidification (soil liquefaction) of the ground and many homes are now slanted. The water sewage system is out of order. Now homes got tab water back, but the use of drainage from the toilets etc. does not work, the sewage pipes are broken.


. Volunteers translate quake data into visuals 　


. . . . . at 16.30
In the coastal town of Ofunato they have now salvaged about 500 car wrecks from the debris. It will be difficult the find the owners (many are maybe not alive any more) and then get rid of these cars. A huge camp if filled with them for the time being.

They are also salvageing the sunken ships from the ports, and more cars that have washed in the water.


. . . . . at 17.21
Earthquake M 6.1, off the coast of Iwate


Cold and more snow is predicted for tonight.
Even here in my valley we might get some snow ...

My friend with a spare home is taking a friend's family with two kids, they want to get out of Tokyo for a while and drink clean water, no aftershocks and some pure rest.


We are also affected by the earthquake now.
My car needs a repair, but the spare parts come from Northern Japan -
but who knows, when ?



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Thursday, March 24, 2011 03:01
Japan disaster: over 25,000 dead or missing
More than 25,000 people are officially dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11th.

According to the National Police Agency, 9,523 people are confirmed dead as of 11 PM on Wednesday.
The agency says it has received reports of 16,094 people missing.
Most of the dead and missing are from the 3 hardest hit prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima.

The number of confirmed deaths in Fukushima totals 776, far smaller than the more than 57,000 in Miyagi and the nearly 3,000 in Iwate. This may be due to the suspension of search operations in areas within 20 kilometers of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, because of radiation leaks.

Figures appear almost certain to rise because of the absence of family members to report the dead and missing. In some areas, entire families appear to have perished in the tsunami that followed the magnitude 9.0 quake.

Emergency shelters are accommodating more than 200,000 people, mostly from the prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, according to NHK figures. More than 30,000 people, mainly from Fukushima, have fled their hometowns to other prefectures.

Some survivors who have returned to their homes in areas where essential services have been restored are suffering from shortages of supplies, and are having to seek food at shelters for local residents.

The National Police Agency says at least 18,000 houses were destroyed by the quake and tsunami, and more than 130,000 homes were damaged.

. . . . .later upgraded to

More than 27,000 people are officially dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11th.

According to the National Police Agency, 9,811 people are confirmed dead as of 9 PM on Thursday.

The agency says it has received reports of 17,541 people missing.


. . . . .

Thursday, March 24, 2011 03:01
Tokyo to provide bottled water for infants
The Tokyo Metropolitan government says it will distribute mineral water to families with infants following reports that radioactive material above permissible levels for babies has been detected at one of its purification plants.
The Metropolitan Waterworks Bureau announced on Wednesday that 210 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 were detected on Tuesday in one liter of water at a purification plant in northern Tokyo.
The Metropolitan government is calling on residents in Tokyo's 23 wards and 5 adjacent cities to refrain from giving tap water to infants aged less than 12 months.
Authorities are also urging firms and facilities, including child daycare centers in these areas, not to use tap water when preparing drinks or baby food for infants.
The water bureau announced late on Wednesday that many consumers have rushed to buy bottled water at stores in these areas, making it difficult for people to secure safe water.
It said it will ask local municipalities to distribute 3,550 milliliter bottles of mineral water each to about 80,000 households with infants in these areas on Thursday.
The Metropolitan government plans to provide more water to these families in the future, and is calling on mineral water bottlers to increase production.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 03:01
Govt agency posts nuclear hazard guidelines
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has posted guidelines on the internet for people living outside the 30 kilometer exclusion zone around the troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The information is intended to address concerns over higher-than-usual radiation levels detected outside the zone.
The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency earlier advised residents of areas within 20 kilometers of the plant to evacuate and those within 20 to 30 kilometers to try to stay indoors.
The agency's information is compiled in a question-and-answer format and covers such issues as the possible hazards of being soaked with rain.
According to the answer, radiation levels outside the zone are too minute for rain to pose a health threat. The guidelines also say that well water beyond the zone is safe, and homegrown vegetables can be eaten without fear as long as they have been grown outside the areas from which the shipment of produce is banned.
On Tuesday, the government instructed the governors of 4 prefectures - Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi -to refrain from shipping spinach and another locally-grown leafy green, as well as raw milk.
The guidelines also say it is not necessary for residents to take iodine tablets at present.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's health consultation phone number is 0120-755-199. Enquiries are accepted between 10 AM and 9 PM.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 03:01
Less than 60degrees Celsius at plant fuel pools
Japan's Defense Ministry says that the temperature of spent fuel rod pools in 2 reactors of a seriously damaged nuclear plant has fallen below 60 degrees Celsius.
The Ministry has been using helicopters to take infrared surveys of the surface temperatures of facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant since Saturday.
The 3rd survey was done for half an hour from around 9 AM on Wednesday.According to the Ministry, the surface temperature of the spent fuel rod pool at the No. 3 reactor was 57 degrees Celsius. The rod pool at the No. 4 reactor was recorded at 22 degrees Celsius.
The first infrared survey on Sunday found temperatures under 100 degrees Celsius in the same facilities.
The surface temperature of the container vessel for the No. 3 reactor was 35 degrees Celsius, down from128 degrees on Sunday.
The surface temperatures of the buildings of all 6 reactors at the plant were below 40 degrees Celsius.
The Defense Ministry says the effort to cool the spent nuclear fuel rod pools contributed to the temperature falls.It was revealed on Wednesday that the temperature of the core in the No. 1 reactor had reached about 400 degrees Celsius. The ministry says the surface temperature of the building housing the reactor was 38 degrees on Wednesday, as observed by aerial survey.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 08:20
Aerial footage of tsunami taken over Miyagi
Video footage of a tsunami taken from a helicopter over Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, shows a series of huge waves surging toward the shore.
The footage was taken half an hour after the earthquake that struck the region on March 11th.
The helicopter flew from north to south along the Pacific coast covering the region from Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture to Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture.
The video shows a wall of water uprooting trees all along the coastline of Wakabayashi District in Sendai before engulfing houses and paddy fields, and swallowing up huge quantities of sand and debris.
A large number of people are reported dead or missing in the Wakabayashi District.
The footage shows people fleeing to the roof of a nursing home, as the waves lap at the second floor of the building.In waters off Natori City, Miyagi, a phenomenon called an undular bore was confirmed to have occurred, in which a series of tsunami waves surged high near the shore and flooded onto land one after another.
Professor Fumihiko Imamura at the Tohoku University Disaster Control Research Center says the extensive damage was probably caused by more than 20 undular bores, with huge waves repeatedly coming ashore, putting pressure on houses and dikes.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 09:31
Steam rising from 4 reactors at Fukushima plant
An NHK helicopter crew has confirmed what appears to be steam rising from No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 reactor buildings at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
This is the first time that steam has been seen coming out of the No.1 reactor.
The helicopter crew was filming from a location more than 30 kilometers from the plant shortly before 7:00 AM on Thursday.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company says that black smoke seen rising from the No.3 reactor building on Wednesday was no longer visible as of 6:00 AM Thursday.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:03
Tohoku Expressway reopened to all traffic
The Tohoku Expressway, Japan's main artery connecting Tokyo and the quake-stricken northeast, has reopened for the first time since the earthquake struck on March 11.
Only emergency vehicles had been allowed to travel on the 300-kilometer section of the expressway between Utsunomiya interchange in Tochigi Prefecture and Ichinoseki interchange in Iwate Prefecture. But the ban on regular traffic was lifted at 6:00 AM on Thursday.
About a dozen motorists were waiting to enter the expressway at an interchange in Sendai.
A 53-year-old man from Iwate Prefecture said he was returning home after confirming the safety of his son.
Another driver expressed hope that the reopening of the expressway would speed up the distribution of goods.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:56
Pressure rises inside No.1 reactor container
Tokyo Electric Power Company is taking measures to reduce pressure inside the No.1 reactor containment vessel at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The power company began injecting more water into the No.1 reactor on Wednesday, after temperatures on the reactor surface reached about 400 degrees Celsius, exceeding the safety limit of 302 degrees.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the influx of massive amounts of water has raised the pressure inside the reactor containment vessel.
The power company cut back on the water injection early on Thursday. This resulted in pressure inside the container dropping to 0.3585 mega-pascals, below the safety limit of 0.528 mega-pascals.
The reactor temperature also dropped to 243 degrees as of 5:00 AM on Thursday.
The safety agency says the reactor remains stable for now, but it will continue monitoring it carefully.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:56
Civil engineers must work for quake-hit regions
Civil engineering experts in Japan say they should not waste time defending past studies by calling the latest earthquake beyond any expectations, and instead focus on working together to rebuild a strong nation.
The Japan Society of Civil Engineers, the Japanese Geotechnical Society, and the City Planning Institute of Japan released a joint statement in Tokyo on Wednesday.
The statement says the earthquake was of unprecedented scale for Japan in both magnitude and the extensive damage it caused.
But it says the focus now must be on joining hands to help rebuild quake-hit regions by studying the damage and reassessing past disaster prevention measures.
The 3 societies will send a fact-finding team to the quake zone and draw up new anti-disaster and reconstruction proposals to submit to the government.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:56
Lights on at No.1 reactor control room
The Tokyo Electric Power Company says lights have been turned on inside the control room of the No.1 reactor building at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Water injection resumes at No.3 reactor
The Tokyo Electric Power Company has resumed injecting water into a pool for spent fuel rods at the No.3 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The company had planned to restart the flow of cooling water using external power to the No.3 reactor pump on Wednesday.
But the work was suspended after black smoke was seen rising from the reactor building and workers were ordered to stay indoors. Work was also suspended at the No.1, No.2 and No.4 reactors.
The company resumed injecting water into the No.3 reactor pool at 5:30 AM on Thursday after confirming that the black smoke was no longer visible.
Workers will later resume efforts to restore the cooling system.They will also continue attempts to restore external power to control rooms at the No.1 and No.2 reactor buildings.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 12:02
The city of Kawaguchi, north of Tokyo, says radioactive iodine-131 has been detected in one of its 7 water purification facilities.
The municipal government announced on Thursday that it detected 120 becquerels of iodine per liter of water in a survey carried out on Tuesday. The reading is above the 100-becquerel safety level for infants but is safe for adults.
The city is calling on residents to refrain from letting infants drink tap water.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 13:39
Pressure rises inside No.1 reactor container
Tokyo Electric Power Company is taking measures to reduce pressure inside the No.1 reactor containment vessel at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The power company began injecting more water into the No.1 reactor on Wednesday, after temperatures on the reactor surface reached about 400 degrees Celsius, exceeding the safety limit of 302 degrees.
The power company says lights have been turned on inside the control room of the No.1 reactor building.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the influx of massive amounts of water has raised the pressure inside the reactor containment vessel.
The power company cut back on the water injection early on Thursday. This resulted in pressure inside the container dropping to 0.3585 mega-pascals, below the safety limit of 0.528 mega-pascals.
The reactor temperature also dropped to 243 degrees as of 5:00 AM on Thursday.
The safety agency says the reactor remains stable for now, but it will continue monitoring it carefully.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said on Thursday there has been no damage to the containment vessel of the No.1 reactor despite the rise in pressure inside. He also said that it is necessary to monitor the situation continuously.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 15:34
Iodine levels on the rise near Fukushima plant
Tokyo Electric Power Company says the level of radioactive iodine is on the rise in waters near the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
On Wednesday morning, the plant operator detected radioactive iodine-131 at a level 147 times higher than safety standards at a location 330 meters away from a water outlet of the facility.
The substance measured 127 times above the standard on Monday, when the first survey was conducted. The reading dropped the following day to 30 times over the benchmark.
Wednesday's survey also found higher-than-standard doses of radioactive cesium-134 and cesium-137.
The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says levels of radioactive materials fluctuate depending on ocean currents, adding it will continue to closely monitor the situation.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 15:43
2 nuclear plant workers sent to hospital
Japan's nuclear safety agency says 2 workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were taken to hospital on Thursday after being exposed to high-level radiation at the plant.
The agency says the workers' feet were accidentally exposed to 170 to 180 millisieverts of radiation while they were working in the turbine building of the Number 3 reactor.
A third worker was also exposed to radiation but apparently did not require treatment.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 15:34
Radiation level drops at Tokyo water plant
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says the measurement of a radioactive substance at a water purification plant dropped below the safety limit for infants on Thursday.
It said on Thursday that a test at the Kanamachi water purification plant on Thursday morning found 79 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 per liter of water -- below the recommended limit of 100 becquerels for infants.
But it warns of the possibility that water containing higher levels of radioactive iodine could remain in pipes and water tanks for the next couple of days.
Radioactive iodine 2 times above the limit for infants was detected at the water purification plant on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been advising against using tap water for infants' consumption in Tokyo's 23 wards and 5 adjacent cities that use the water from the purification plant.
It said it will continue testing the radioactive level at the water treatment plant from Friday on, pointing out it will withdraw the advisory if the level stays below the safety limit.
. . . . . Comment from Gabi:
Just heared on the news that water in a plant in Chiba is now contaminated and some towns are on tap water alert. Levels in Kawaguchi on the other hand, are also back to normal.



Thursday, March 24, 2011 17:12
Tokyo lifts advice against tap water
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it has lifted its advice against using tap water for consumption by infants in Tokyo's 23 wards and 5 adjacent cities.
The government said the level of radioactive iodine-131 in water at the Kanamachi purification plant on Thursday morning had dropped to 79 becquerels per liter -- below the recommended limit of 100 for infants under 1 year old. The government added that the level has been falling for 3 days.
The advisory had been issued after levels above the limit were detected at the plant on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Friday, the government plans to continue testing the level at the plant and distribute 240,000 bottles of water to households with infants, following similar distribution on Thursday.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 18:58
High radiation levels detected 30km off nuke plant
Japan's science ministry says levels of radioactive substances up to twice recommended limits were detected in waters 30 kilometers off the quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.
The ministry conducted a survey on Wednesday in 8 locations over a distance of 70 kilometers from north to south in the Pacific Ocean. Radioactive iodine-131 and radioactive cesium-137 were detected at all locations.
Levels of radioactive iodine-131 were from 1.05 to 1.92 times higher than the limit. Readings for radioactive cesium-137 were all below the limit, but about 10,000 times higher than a similar survey last year.
Another survey conducted by the Tokyo Electric Power Company on Wednesday detected radioactive iodine-131 at 146.9 times the limit, 330 meters away from a water outlet of the nuclear plant. The same substance was detected at a level 19.1 times higher than allowable limits on the coast 16 kilometers south of the plant.
The science ministry says it will continue analyzing the impact of the radioactivity on marine resources and the environment.
A senior consultant at the Marine Ecology Research Institute, Jun Misonoo, says contamination decreases further off the coast. He says radioactive iodine-131 levels fall by half in 8 days, and the impact on fish fades away.
Misonoo says that although radioactive cesium is unlikely to affect human health, monitoring should continue to assess its impact inside fish.




Thursday, March 24, 2011 19:10
SDF getting help from US nuclear specialists
The Chief of Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces says his personnel are working with US military specialists to bring the Fukushima nuclear plant under control.
General Ryoichi Oriki told a news conference on Thursday that the SDF are playing a leading role at the Fukushima plant, coordinating firefighters and police.
Oriki said they are getting cooperation from US military nuclear specialists who have been sent to the Yokota base in Tokyo.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 21:08
56 patients die in disaster-hit areas
NHK has found that inadequate medical care following the March 11th earthquake has left at least 56 hospital patients dead.
NHK surveyed 255 hospitals with 100 beds or more in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures hit hardest by the massive quake and tsunami.
A major hospital in Tagajo City in Miyagi says 13 patients in their 80s died after the tsunami flooded its generator system, shorting out heating and medical equipment.
At another hospital in Kamaishi City in Iwate, 12 elderly patients died of pneumonia under similar conditions.
Most are believed to have died because they did not receive sufficient care due to prolonged power outages and delays in the delivery of medical supplies.
A doctor who has worked for emergency care says that the most ill patients need to be immediately moved to another hospital outside the disaster-affected areas.
He said that emergency medical staff should be sent to the areas to help local hospitals treat survivors.
The doctor is a veteran of the 1995 Kobe earthquake.


Thursday, March 24, 2011 21:10
Restoration efforts continue at damaged nuke plant
Electricity supply has been restored at the control room of the No.1 reactor of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says lights in the control room were switched on again before noon on Thursday, 2 days after lights were turned on in the control room of the No.3 reactor.
Work to restore outside power sources was suspended on Wednesday after dark smoke billowed from the No.3 reactor building.
Workers at the reactor continued efforts to launch a test run of a pump to supply fresh water using outside power sources. But the pump remains unusable as it's not known how much water is left in the reactor tank.
TEPCO, meanwhile, says three people working in a turbine building near the No.3 reactor were exposed to 173 to 180 millisieverts of radiation.
Operations have been halted on the reactor's first floor and basement.
Pumps were inspected at the No.2 and 4 reactors.
Inspectors are said to be facing difficulty at the No.2 reactor due to high levels of radiation.




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




Voices from around


. The Daily Reading List . 　



quote (at 16:00)　　
3 workers injured at Japanese nuke plant
Nuclear officials says three workers have been exposed to radioactive elements at Japan's tsunami-crippled plant and that two of them were injured and sent to hospital for treatment.
Fumio Matsuda, a spokesman for the nuclear safety agency, says the workers were injured while laying electrical cables Thursday at Unit 3 of the Fukushima Dai-chi plant. Two of them were exposed to radioactive elements on the skin of their feet, and taken to hospital for treatment.
Matsuda says the workers were exposed to radiation levels of up to 180 millisieverts, which is less than the maximum amount of 250 millisieverts that the government is allowing for workers at the plant.
About two dozen people have been injured since the plant began leaking radiation after suffering tsunami damage March 11.
source : news.yahoo.com

. . . . .

quote
Japan nuclear crisis still a serious concern
Tokyo residents were warned not to give babies tap water because of radiation leaking from a nuclear plant crippled in the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeast Japan in the world's costliest natural disaster.
The U.N. atomic agency said there had been some positive developments at the Fukushima nuclear plant 250 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo but the overall situation remained serious. Some countries have started blocking imports of produce from Japan, fearful of radiation contamination.
Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said that level posed no immediate risk. "But, for infants under age one, I would like them to refrain from using tap water to dilute baby formula."
source : news.yahoo.com/

. . . . .

quote 　　
Update: Radioactive Iodine Levels Down in Tokyo’s Water,
Elevated Levels Radiation in Tap Water Found Outside Tokyo
Radiation levels at Tokyo’s Katsushika Kanamachi Water Purification Plant went down to normal levels – 79 becquerels per liter.

Yesterday levels were detected at: 210 becquerels per liter of iodine-131 – more than twice the recommended limit of 100 becquerels per liter for infants. Government officials said parents should stop giving the tap water to babies, but they should not worry if the infants already had consumed small amounts. Edano urged calm.
source : www.majiroxnews.com

. . . . .

quote 　　
Anxiety in Japan over radiation in tap water
TOKYO – Shops across Tokyo began rationing goods — milk, toilet paper, rice and water — as a run on bottled water coupled with delivery disruptions left shelves bare Thursday nearly two weeks after a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
... Radiation has seeped into raw milk, seawater and 11 kinds of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and turnips, grown in areas around the plant.

Concerns also spread to Europe. In Iceland, officials said they measured trace amounts of radioactive iodine in the air but assured residents it was "less than a millionth" of levels found in European countries in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

New readings showed Tokyo tap water was back to safe levels Thursday but the relief was tempered by elevated levels of the cancer-linked isotope in two neighboring prefectures: Chiba and Saitama.
source : news.yahoo.com


. . . . .

quote
Callum Macrae : Awed in Japan
You know what: Looting in a disaster?
In America, in the U.K.--yes, that is exactly what might happen.
But not here. Not in northern Japan.
source : www.pbs.org

. . . . .

quote 　　
'Triangle of Life' Earthquake Survival Method
Doug Copp's emailed advice on earthquake survival tactics
... 2) Cats, dogs and babies all naturally often curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.
... 4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed
... 7) Never go to the stairs.
source : urbanlegends.about.com

. . . . .

quote
Disaster analysis you may not hear elsewhere
By ERIKO ARITA
The seemingly limited information being provided by both the government and the operating company, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), about the ongoing disaster at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is a source of widespread public concern.
However, a nonprofit organization focused on nuclear power issues and founded in Tokyo in 1975 — and which includes among its contributors former engineers at such power plants — has been clearly presenting expert analysis of the situation since its inception with the megaquake and tsunami that struck the northeast of the country on the afternoon of Friday, March 11.
source : japantimes.co.jp



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


a child's hand
reaches up from the rubble –
the scent of plum

They found a baby in the rubble . . .

cluttered in rubble
dreams of yesterday
lumped in

... many of the stories are so sad. It breaks my heart and I'm a helpless poet with a soul that longs to help humankind ...
and falls short ...

dreamspace
in a floating car
... someone

And, so I read the stories of tragedy. I ponder moment to moment the pain and suffering of Japan. I bleed and it doesn't show but it does to God.
Is there words that can capture this devastation or is it left to cameras to tell a story of no words?

silence
the dove's wings mumble
through the storm

Don Baird, California
. Kigo Hotline .






:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]

[ . BACK to TOP of this BLOG. ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

March 23, Wednesday

[ . BACK to TOP of this BLOG. ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


New York City’s Japan Society has created a disaster relief fund to aid victims of Japan’s Tohoku earthquake.
source :　blog.dramafever.com


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Gabi reports:

. . . . . at 0:54
Earthquake M 5.2 off the coast of Iwate
and a few more lighter shocks off Chiba.

It was very cold this morning, minus 2 centigrade, outside everything is white with frost. And this cold weather might continue for a few more days.

Radiation levels in microsievert per hour
from Monday to Tuesday (according to Japan Times)
Fukushima - 9.60
Tokyo - 0.144

. . . . .

The supply of necessary goods to the people in the shelters is still a major problem.
Lawson wanted to send rice balls to Northern Japan, but had a hard time finding a way of transportation of their perishable goods within a limit of 30 hours.
Citizen volunteers have been actively discouraged by the government from jumping into their cars and delivering aid themselves.

many ask :
. Is Government Bureaucracy Slowing Help?


Reporting about the power plant in Fukushima is sometimes difficult to understand for lay people. But even the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) raised concerns about a lack of information from Japanese authorities (as we watching TV also do).

. Radiation leaks . 　

. . . . .

More strong earthquakes, see NHK bulletin below.

The World Bank said the disaster damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake may reach as high as 235 billion dollars.
This is much more than from the Kobe earthquake in 1995.


Many of the identified dead are now burried, since there is not enough fuel to use in the crematoriums. Soldiers dug rows of graves in the disaster areas.

Groups of foreigners bring car loads of food and prepare curry for a shelter, another group of Jews started providing bread.
They bring all their stuff, mose come from regions that have experienced strong earthquakes or tsunami themselves.

English language teachers, who stayed in some small towns along the coast, will keep staying there with the evacuees and teach English to the children as best as the situation makes it possible.

Travellers from many countries are not coming in such large numbers any more.
Singapore airlines cut down to about half of its flights to Japan.

Korea is not importing much fresh fish from Japan, because the consumers are afraid of radiation contamination.

The long-term effects on the Japanese economy are still not feasible, but it looks quite bleak right now.

.................................................................................


Other reactors along the coast in Japan are upgraded.
The Chubu plant in Omaezaki had its emergency equipment put to higher ground, including diesel generators for emergency power.


Okayama town has offered about 30 city housings to evacuees.
The homes will be equipped with basic needs, like futon and stove. The inhabitants can stay free of rent for six month. During this time, Okayama town will try and help them find work in or around the city.
Other communities made the same plans and pledges.



. . . . . at 16.30
More black smoke is coming out of one reactor again.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 02:01
Power restored to control room of No.3 reactor
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has restored the electricity supply for the control room of the Number 3 reactor at the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
TEPCO said lights in the control room were switched on again on Tuesday night.
Eleven days have passed since the massive earthquake devastated northeastern Japan and cut off external power to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
TEPCO reconnected power cables to the Number 3 and Number 4 reactors earlier on Tuesday.
The lights are now working in the control room of the Number 3 reactor. This will make it easier to repair the reactor's cooling system.
TEPCO will now try to reactivate vital monitoring systems in the control rooms, such as those for measuring temperatures inside the reactors and water levels in the spent fuel storage pools.
TEPCO says it will transmit electricity to the cooling pump for the Number 3 reactor on Wednesday.
The company says if the pump functions normally, it will begin cooling the reactor and the spent fuel storage pool.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 02:01
Kan pledges full disclosure of reactor information
Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he will provide the European Union with as much information as possible about the problems at the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Kan held phone talks with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on Tuesday.
Van Rompuy told Kan that the EU stands by Japan and will do its utmost to assist the quake-devastated country.
Kan said he will ensure maximum transparency in providing information to the international community about the nuclear crisis caused by the March 11th earthquake. He also promised to attend the Group of Eight nations' summit in France in May.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 02:01
9,199 confirmed dead in March 11 disaster
Police say 9,199 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 14,000 are missing after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan.
5,607 of the victims died in Miyagi Prefecture.
More than 4,200 people are unaccounted for in the region.
2,773 people are confirmed dead and over 5,000 are missing in Iwate Prefecture.
In Fukushima Prefecture, 762 people died and nearly 4,500 are missing.
This is the worst natural disaster in Japan since the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake that claimed more than 100,000 lives.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 02:01
Tohoku shinkansen to resume full service in April
East Japan Railway, or JR East, briefed the transport ministry on Tuesday on the progress of repairs to the bullet train line between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori.
The route runs through regions hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. The service was suspended after the disaster and has only been resumed in sections near the 2 terminals. The super-express trains cannot run in the middle section between Nasu-Shiobara and Morioka stations.
JR East told the ministry that although the repair work will take more than one month, the bullet train line sustained relatively minor damage.
The company said the sections near Nasu-Shiobara will be restored first.
The railway operator also said 3 local train services in the quake-hit city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, are likely to resume operation in early April.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 06:12
Thermometers working again at 3 reactors
Tokyo Electric Power Company says thermometers are working again at 3 of the reactors at the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.The March 11th earthquake and tsunami cut off power and the reactors' measurement equipment stopped working.
TEPCO tried to restore the instruments' functions with make-shift power sources, including batteries. It says the thermometer at the Number 3 reactor started working again last Saturday morning.
At that time, the temperature of the reactor's external surface was 366 degrees Celsius, much higher than normal. The company increased the amount of sea water it was using to cool down the reactor.
The thermometers for the Number 1 and Number 2 reactors were restored on Sunday.
The power company says it will pour more water onto the Number 1 reactor, as its temperature was 394 degrees on 3:30 PM on Tuesday.
TEPCO says the functioning thermometers, along with devices to measure pressure and water levels, will provide better information about the condition of the reactors.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 08:05
Aftershocks hit northeastern Japan
Powerful and persistent earthquakes have jolted the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan, which was devastated by the March 11th quake.
Quakes jolted Fukushima Prefecture at 7:12 (M 6.0), 7:34 and 7:36 (M 5.8) AM on Wednesday morning.
The intensity of the first and third quakes measured 5-plus on the Japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7 in Iwaki City in the prefecture.
The Meteorological Agency says the preliminary magnitude of the first quake was 6.0.
It issued no tsunami warning.
This was the first quake with an intensity of upper 5 on the seismic scale since last Saturday.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 10:34
Govt. to gauge radiation 30 km off Fukushima coast
Japan's science ministry says it will expand the scope of its radiation monitoring in waters around the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to 30 kilometers offshore.
The ministry said it will start the monitoring on Wednesday, after detecting radiation above legal limits in the ocean around the plant.

A survey ship is to collect seawater at 8 locations at 10-kilometer intervals over a distance of 70 kilometers.
The ministry plans to release its findings after comparing the new readings with old data collected yearly in the same areas.
Experts say rainwater and water sprayed on reactor buildings of the plant to cool their spent fuel storage pools could be flowing into the ocean.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the plant, said the amount of radioactive iodine-131 found 330 meters south of the plant's water outlet was 127 times the legal limit. The amount 16 kilometers south of the plant was 16 times the limit.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 11:01
.Aftershocks hit northeastern Japan
Strong earthquakes jolted the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan on Wednesday morning.
The Meteorological Agency has issued warnings to the region about the possibility of strong aftershocks from the March 11th quake, saying they could trigger more tsunami.
A quake with a magnitude 6.0 jolted Fukushima Prefecture at around 7:12 AM, followed by a magnitude 5.8 tremor about 20 minute later.
These were the first earthquakes since Saturday with intensities of 5-plus or above on the Japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7.
The agency says that about 70 aftershocks with intensities of 4 or higher have shaken wide areas of the northeastern Tohoku region as well as areas around Tokyo.
It says the frequency of the aftershocks is declining but warns of the possibility that tremors of magnitude 7.0 or higher could occur.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 11:13
Govt.: Do not eat vegetables from Fukushima
The government is calling on consumers to refrain from eating leafy vegetables such as spinach and cabbage produced in Fukushima Prefecture, where the troubled nuclear power plant is located.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan issued the instruction on Wednesday after it became clear that radiation levels much higher than legal limits were detected in some vegetables grown in Fukushima.
Kan said consumers should not eat leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and komatsuna produced in Fukushima, and added broccoli and cauliflower to the list.
He also issued instructions to suspend shipments of turnips from Fukushima, and parsley and raw milk from neighboring Ibaraki.
According to the health ministry, radioactive cesium at a level 164 times higher than the legal limit was detected in a leafy vegetable called kukitachina, sampled in Fukushima on Monday.
Other vegetables with excessive radiation levels include cabbage and broccoli from Fukushima and parsley from neighboring Ibaraki.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 11:42
No.3 reactor's pump to undergo test run
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, plans to test-run a cooling pump at the No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Wednesday, in the latest bid to restore cooling functions at the plant.
TEPCO said the electricity supply for the control room of the reactor was restored on Tuesday night for the first time since the devastating quake and tsunami on March 11th, allowing lights in the room to be turned on again.
The reactor is the first among the troubled No. 1 through 4 reactors to have external power restored at its control room.
On Wednesday morning, a local TEPCO branch told reporters that it will check whether the pump can supply water to the reactor from its tank.
Meanwhile, work to inject water into the spent fuel storage pool of the No. 4 reactor resumed shortly after 10 AM.
TEPCO plans to inject water for about 3 hours using a vehicle with an arm that can be extended more than 50 meters to spray water with great accuracy.
The Tokyo Fire Department plans to spray water into the No. 3 reactor for about 2 hours on Wednesday afternoon.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 12:58
Above normal radiation figures
Radiation levels in many areas of eastern and northern Japan continue to be higher than normal.
Municipalities and other institutions are measuring their radiation levels.

According to measurements taken by 9 AM Wednesday, 6.09 microsieverts per hour were observed in the city of Fukushima, 65 kilometers northwest of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
In the town of Onagawa, about 160 kilometers northeast of the plant, the figure was 1.3 microsieverts.
In Kitaibaraki City, located south of the Fukushima plant, the radiation level was 1.45 microsieverts.
In Mito City, further south, the figure was 0.33 microsieverts.
Radiation levels were also higher than usual in other cities, including the prefectural capitals of Yamagata, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, and Tokyo.
Health authorities say one hour of exposure to the radiation at Fukushima city, which showed the highest reading, would equal one-100th of the amount of radiation received in a single stomach X-ray.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 12:18
US suspends food imports from near Fukushima
The US government is suspending food imports from areas near Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Japan has confirmed that levels of radioactivity exceeding its standards have been found in farm products from some of these areas.
The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it is putting an immediate hold on dairy products, fruit and vegetables from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma Prefectures.
The FDA says it will stop shipments of these products at US border entry points without screening them for radioactive substances.
The US agency says all other food and animal feed from the affected prefectures will be checked for radiation before being distributed in the United States.
US food safety officials have not said how long the measures will last, or how the rejected products will be disposed of.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 13:35
Edano comments on veggie shipment suspensions
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has officially announced that the government has instructed the governors of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures to suspend shipments of and warn against eating some farm produce because of radiation contamination.
Edano said at a news conference on Wednesday that eating such vegetables and drinking milk from the prefectures temporarily pose no health risks.
But he said the government issued the instructions at an early stage as a precaution, assuming that contamination will be found in the area for a long time.
Edano also said the government will compensate farmers affected by the suspensions.
He added that other farm produce from the area poses no health risks, and called on consumers to remain calm.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 14:52
TEPCO asks for emergency loans
Tokyo Electric Power Company has asked Japan's major banks for at least 1.5 trillion yen, or about 18 billion dollars in emergency loans.
Sources say the utility has approached Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Mizuho Corporate, Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, and the trust bank Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking for the emergency financing.
The loans are needed to help the utility cope with the crisis at the quake-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, and prepare for expected severe power shortages.
Procuring cash has become a major issue for the power company as the end of the current business year approaches.
The relevant financial institutions are in the final stages of discussion with the company and are expected to provide the loans by the end of this month.
As a result, it is expected that Tokyo Electric Power will have enough working capital to cope with the current nuclear emergency. The funds will also be used to repair and boost the company's thermal power plants to deal with expected power shortages.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 15:13
High levels of iodine in Tokyo tap water
Radioactive iodine has been detected in Tokyo tap water in levels above the safe limit for infants.
The Tokyo Metropolitan government says 210 becquerels of iodine-131 were detected on Tuesday in one liter of water at one of its purification plants in northern Tokyo.
A sampling on Wednesday also showed roughly 190 becquerels per liter.These levels are below the 300-becquerel per liter safe limit for adults, but far above the 100-becquerel limit for infants.
Tokyo says infants in the central 23 wards, plus 5 adjacent cities, should refrain from drinking tap water.
It is also urging beverage makers in these areas not to use tap water in infants' drinks.
Tokyo says the safety level assumes long-term consumption, and that there is no risk to health if tap water is consumed over a short period.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 17:22
Rain may have put iodine in Tokyo water
Professor Yasuyuki Muramatsu of Gakushuin University says the high level of radioactive material in Tokyo's tap water was likely caused when air mixed with Tuesday's rain, raising the iodine level in the water before it reached the purifying plant.
Muramatsu says drinking tap water over a short period poses no health risk even for infants. He added there's no problem using tap water for non-consumption purposes, such as bathing and laundry.
Muramatsu urges continued monitoring to see if the high levels of radiation are sustained and whether the contamination spreads over a wider area.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 17:41
High-level radiation in Fukushima water
High-levels of radiation have been detected in tap water at municipalities across Fukushima Prefecture, where the troubled Dai-ichi nuclear power plant is located.
Water sampled in Iitate village on Sunday contained 965 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 per liter, more than 3 times the government safety limit of 300 becquerels per liter.
Water sampled in Tamura city last Thursday contained 348 becquerels of iodine, but the level was down to 161 becquerels 2 days later.
Water from 4 other cities in the prefecture had iodine levels above the 100-becquerel per liter safety limit for infants as of Monday.
Japan's science ministry has been monitoring radiation levels in all 47 prefectures, and prefectural governments in Niigata, Kanagawa, Ibaraki and Gunma have been taking their own measurements. But none have reported radiation levels above the government safety limit.
The health ministry ordered all prefectural governments on Sunday to test their tap water.
The ministry will look into why high levels of iodine were detected in tap water in Tokyo, which is roughly 200 kilometers away from Fukushima Prefecture.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 18:55
Tokyo shoppers rush for mineral water
Supermarkets in Tokyo are crowded with shoppers buying mineral water after a radioactive substance in unsafe levels for infants was detected in Tokyo tap water.
At a supermarket in eastern Tokyo, stocks of plastic 2-liter mineral water bottles sold out in 20 minutes, immediately after the Tokyo Metropolitan government's announcement on Wednesday about the detection of iodine in tap water.
Shoppers who came later bought up smaller water bottles or bottles of barley tea.
A housewife with 3 children said she was worried because she heard children are more vulnerable to radioactivity. She said she believed it is not known how long such substances remain in water.
A woman in her 60s said she had visited 4 supermarkets for water. She was concerned about absorbing water through cooked meals.
The store manager called on customers to stay calm, saying additional water deliveries were expected soon.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011 18:55
Radiation could affect people outside 30km zone
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says computer forecasts show that radiation leaking from a nuclear plant could pose a hazard to people outside its 30-kilometer zone.
Edano said at a news conference on Wednesday that a computer forecast system has shown that radiation levels in some areas outside the 30-kilometer zone would exceed 100 millisieverts, which is the level that could affect the human thyroid if a person is exposed to it outdoors for 24 hours.
Edano cited a lack of data and the need for more precise calculations, and said there is no need for immediate evacuation or to seek shelter indoors.
At the same time, he urged people living downwind from the plant to stay indoors as much as possible and keep the windows shut as a precaution.
The computer system, called SPEEDI, predicts how radioactive substances will spread in case of radiation leakage from nuclear power plants, based on measurements taken at various locations, prevailing winds and other weather conditions.
SPEEDI data can be used to draw up evacuation plans for residents around power plants in case of accidents.




Wednesday, March 23, 2011 19:02
Extremely high radiation found in soil
Japanese authorities have detected a concentration of a radioactive substance 1,600 times higher than normal in soil at a village, 40 kilometers away from the troubled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
The disaster task force in Fukushima composed of the central and local governments surveyed radioactive substances in soil about 5 centimeters below the surface at 6 locations around the plant from last Friday through Tuesday.
The results announced on Wednesday show that 163,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium-137 per kilogram of soil has been detected in Iitate Village, about 40 kilometers northwest of the plant.
Gakushuin University Professor Yasuyuki Muramatsu, an expert on radiation in the environment, says that normal levels of radioactive cesium-137 in soil are around 100 becquerels at most. The professor says he was surprised at the extremely high reading, which is 1,630 times higher than normal levels.
He warns that since radioactive cesium remains in the environment for about 30 years it could affect agricultural products for a long time. He is calling on the government to collect detailed data and come up with ways to deal with the situation.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011 19:13
TEPCO: Black smoke rises from No.3 reactor
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says black smoke was seen rising from the No.3 reactor building at the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant at around 4:20 PM on Wednesday.

TEPCO told reporters that it received a report 1 hour later that the smoke had gradually cleared.
The company said that the level of radiation near the main gate of the plant, 1 kilometer west of the No.3 reactor, was 265.1-microsieverts-per-hour at 5 PM. They added there had been no major change in the levels after the smoke was observed.
On Monday afternoon, gray smoke was seen rising from the same reactor building. TEPCO said that the plumes turned white before disappearing.
The power company evacuated workers from the control room of the No. 3 reactor, as well as firefighters from Tokyo and Yokohama preparing for a water-spraying operation.
The firefighters had to abandon their planned water spraying operation for the day.



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Voices from around



source :　だるまのブログ Daruma Blog
Japanese Prayer for the Victims

. . . . .


quote
The government will shortly issue instructions to municipal governments to collect vehicles destroyed by the tsunami that followed the Tohoku earthquake and scrap them after a certain undefined period of time, according to government sources.
As owners of wrecked cars are eligible to claim refunds based on the automobile weight tax when they scrap their vehicles in certain cases and also collect insurance if their cars are covered, it will be difficult for local governments to act on their own initiative to scrap the cars, according to the Cabinet Secretariat and the Environment Ministry.
source : www.yomiuri.co.jp



quote
Oil distributors have been working overtime to resolve serious shortages of gasoline and heating oil in areas of eastern Japan struck by the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami.
Cosmo Oil Co. announced Monday that fires that broke out the day of the earthquake at its refinery in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, had been extinguished.
source : www.yomiuri.co.jp


. . . . .

quote
All 6 Fukushima reactors reconnected to external power
All six reactors at the quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been reconnected to external power, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Tuesday, although smoke detected at the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors the day before had temporarily hampered efforts to restore power and cool down spent nuclear fuel pools.

Tokyo Electric Executive Vice President Sakae Muto said, "I think the situation will head toward a better direction, but it is too early to say that things have stabilized sufficiently."

source : mdn.mainichi.jp

. . . . .


quote
Sake brewer vows to rebuild after tsunami
This was his sake brewery, one of the best in Japan, with a history that goes back hundreds of years. A week after he barely escaped a tsunami that flattened it and nearly everything else in sight, he's come back for the first time, and it takes him a second to collect his thoughts.


Konno, 64, is a respected man in this town on Japan's eastern shore, and others bow as they pass him amid the wreckage. As the initial shock and sorrow of their tragedy fades, the small towns hit hardest by the disaster are beginning to think about the future, and it will be men like Konno who lead the way.
MORE
source : japantimes.co.jp


. . . . .

quote 　　
With Help From Jewish Community,
Free Bakery Up and Running in Sendai
source : www.chabad.org


. . . . .

quote 　　
Matsushima ... Japanese, with photo
「松島が守ってくれた」対岸の町
Zuiganji temple storehouse is damaged. THe red bridge is heavily damaged.
Now the scene does not look so much different than before the tsunami hit, but the oyster farming is destroyed.
source : yahoo.co.jp


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


天下泰平と居並ぶ蛙かな
tenka taihei to i-narabu kawazu kana

sitting in a row
for peace on earth...
these frogs

Kobayashi Issa
Tr. Gabi Greve



source :　www.crafty-games.com


I can pray ... and I do ... with every breath in every day.

ringing
with the temple gong ...
my heart

I'm thinking of you and yours ... and the folks of Japan.
And, I want you to know that.

A friend from USA.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]

[ . BACK to TOP of this BLOG. ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::