4/03/2011

April 3, Sunday

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Gabi reports:

Tokyo is down to 0.099 .
. Daily Radiation Levels  


The tap water in the Kanto region is now safe again,
NHK announced late last night.
The ban on tap water was lifted by March 27.
. Saturday, April 2 .  


West Japan Railway Company (西日本旅客鉄道株式会社, Nishi-Nihon Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) will run fewer trains, so save on spare parts they can not supply now from the Tohoku region.
The Osaka Loop Line, Sagano Line, and Nara Line will also see fewer train runs.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Japan's disaster in figures .

More than 12,000 people have been confirmed dead by April 03, 2011 12:50.

. . . . .


Matsubara ya
one pine left standing
in the rubble




At Rikuzen Takata there has been just one pine left from the famous pine grove, a windbreaker of sorts since the 17th century. There have been about 70.000 pine trees, but last night on TV we saw them broken like matches, scattered in the debris.
This strong tree will become the symbol of restoration for the villagers, a memento to the tsunami and the will to survive.
陸前高田 Takata Matsubara 高田松原


Matsurin from Takata 松りん
. Matsurin the Pine - three months later .   
June 22, 2011.

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Donald Keene and Kimiko Hahn give some useful advise:
. Books To Help You Understand Japan  

. . . . .

It seems the government is now considering buying all the devastated land along the coast to prevent people from living there. The state will then provide housing at least 30 meters higher on the ground.

There is a new advisor to the prime minister, named Hosono Goshi (Gooshi) 細野豪志 Democratic Party of Japan.

. . . . . at 16:30
Earthquake M 5.3, off Fukushima coast

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Saturday, April 02, 2011 21:13 (last night)
Efforts to remove radioactive water stepped up
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is stepping up efforts to remove radioactive water that has been hindering its attempts to contain the ongoing problem at the power plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Company is trying to remove contaminated water from the basements of the turbine buildings of the No.1, 2, and 3 reactors.
TEPCO hopes to move the radioactive water into storage tanks in the turbine condenser. But before that can be done, work began on Saturday to empty the storage tanks at the No. 2 reactor.
TEPCO has been attempting to recover the reactors' cooling systems. It has been injecting seawater in order to prevent the reactors from overheating caused by the nuclear fuel. But it decided to use fresh water instead because seawater is corrosive.
On Saturday morning, a docked US military barge began pumping fresh water to cool the reactors. Another US barge carrying about 1,300 tons of fresh water has arrived at the site.
8 monitoring posts to measure radiation levels on the border of the compound started functioning again on Friday for the first time since the quake struck 3 weeks ago.
However, as the automatic data transmission system is still out of order, workers will make daily visits to collect the radiation data which TEPCO will then post on its website.



Sunday, April 03, 2011 01:41
Radioactive water continues to leak into sea
Highly radioactive water continues to leak into the sea through a crack in a pit at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi power plant, despite ongoing work to pour concrete into the pit to stop the leakage.
The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, found water between 10 and 20 centimeters deep in the pit on Saturday morning. The pit is located near the water intake of the No.2 reactor and contains power cables.
The surface of the water in the pit was found to have a radiation level of over 1,000 milisieverts per hour. To fill in the crack in the pit, the utility firm began pouring in concrete at 4:30 PM on Saturday.
But even more than 6 hours later, the amount of water flowing into the pit was so large that the injected concrete had not solidified yet, allowing radioactive water to leak into the ocean.
The power company will try other measures on Sunday morning to stop water from entering the pit. It will use a particular kind of polymer which will absorb the water.
The power firm says the pit is connected to the trench of the No.2 reactor's turbine building.
Last Sunday, the radioactive density of water in the reactor's turbine building was found to be about 100,000 times higher than the normal level.
A high concentration of radioactive elements was also found in puddles in the trench.
Analysis on Saturday showed that the radioactive density of the water in the pit was around 10,000 times above the usual level.
On Saturday, the firm expanded its study of the radioactive level of seawater by analyzing samples collected about 15 kilometers from the plant in addition to samples taken near the Daiichi and Daini plants. The Daini plant sits about 10 kilometers south of the crippled Daiichi plant.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 05:46
Radioactive levels measured within 20km of plant
The Japanese government and the operator of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power plant have started to gauge radioactive levels in the air within a 20 kilometer radius of the plant.
The government and Tokyo Electric Power Company have already been measuring radioactivity in the air outside the 20-kilometer exclusion zone that residents have been instructed to leave.
But they have not conducted any detailed assessments within the zone, saying that most residents have already evacuated the area and that there would be an increased risk of workers conducting the tests being exposed to radiation.
At a meeting of Japanese and US nuclear experts, the US side claimed more research is needed to determine the extent at which radioactive substances are spreading.
After the gathering, the Japanese government and the power company began studying radioactive levels in the air at about 30 locations inside the exclusion zone.
The results available so far show that radioactive levels vary considerably, ranging from less than one microsievert to over 50 microsieverts per hour.
The government says it hopes to determine more detailed data and share it with the US side in a bid to devise measures to tackle the spread of radioactive elements.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 11:16
Japan relief events held in NY, California
A special sale of designer clothing has been held in New York City to support the relief effort for the survivors of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
The event was organized by Japanese women working in the city's fashion industry. More than 100 designers contributed about 6,000 items, such as an evening dress normally priced at thousands of dollars.
The retail price of all the items would total more than 1.1 million dollars but they were discounted by 50 percent or more. People formed a long line at the venue from the morning.
One woman said the sale was a good idea as she could buy wonderful items and support the relief effort at the same time.
Kyoko Kageyama, the clothing company employee who coordinated the event, said she contacted designers she knew. She said this was the best she could do for now.
Proceeds from the sale will go to Japan through the Red Cross and other organizations.
In California, a high school student band performed in a charity concert to raise funds for the quake-hit city of Sendai in northeastern Japan.
The city of Riverside hosted the event for Sendai, its sister city, on Friday. About 500 people attended.
The concert opened with a specially composed song for the occasion, "Sendai Fanfare 2012," followed by movie and TV drama music.
One student said the band wants to help Japanese people through its performance and other efforts.
Riverside has also organized other events to raise funds. Mayor Ronald Loveridge said the city's residents are thinking of the people of Sendai and their activity is proof of their friendship and respect.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 12:50
PM advisor: effort to stop radioactive leakage
An advisor to the prime minister has pledged an all-out effort to contain the leakage of radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex within a few months.
Goshi Hosono told reporters on Sunday that environmental contamination caused by the leakage of highly radioactive water from the damaged plant to the ocean is very serious.
Hosono said it is urgent to assess the impact of the leakage on the sea and assured that the results will be made public.
The prime ministerial aide also said that the large amount of radioactive water which accumulated in the basement of the Number 2 reactor's turbine building must be removed as soon as possible.
Hosono said the deepest concern for residents is when the radioactive leakage from the plant will end.
He said the crisis at the plant has been continuing, but the situation is stabilizing.
He added that the main task for now should shift to halting the leakage of radioactive elements within a few months.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 12:50
G7 to discuss responses to Japan disaster
The Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors are to discuss next week Japan's efforts to recover from the March 11th earthquake and coordinated response among the member nations.
They will meet in Washington on April 14th. This will be the first G7 meeting since the disaster.
On March 18th, the finance chiefs agreed in an emergency conference call on a coordinated intervention in the currency market to stem the yen's surge.
The disaster in Japan has gradually been impacting the world economy. Factories in the United States and other countries have been forced to suspend their operations due to shortfalls in the supply of parts from the quake-hit area of Japan.
The prolonged trouble at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and ensuing electricity shortages are also raising concern about the prospect for the Japanese economy and its impact on the global economy.
The natural disaster is also expected to be on the agenda of the Group of 20 finance ministers' meeting to be held after the G7 talks. Japan is to explain its disaster response for the first time.


Sunday, April 03, 2011
SDF, US forces continue search operations
Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel and US troops are continuing an extensive search for missing people in quake-hit coastal areas of northeastern Japan.
About 120 aircraft and 60 warships are assisting in the search of coastal areas of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures on its third day, together with Japanese coast guard staff and police.
The search is not being done within 30 kilometers of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
In the Kamaya district of Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, about 50 Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force troops are trying to find missing people in waist-deep water, while removing debris.
Major Takayoshi Tsushima said they are facing hard and tough work, but are determined to find missing people as soon as possible.
The search operation found 66 bodies on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, a Coast Guard helicopter found a dog on a drifting roof in the sea about 1.8 kilometers off Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, 3 weeks after the quake. The Coast Guard's special rescue team recovered the dog. The dog is in good health and is now at an animal center. If the owner of the dog cannot be located, a Coast Guard officer has applied to take care of it.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 13:02
2 TEPCO workers at Fukushima plant found dead
Tokyo Electric Power Company has said two employees who had gone missing since the March 11th disaster were found dead at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The bodies of Kazuhiko Kokubo and Yoshiki Terashima, both in their 20s, were found in the basement of the turbine building for the Number 4 reactor on Wednesday.
They had been carrying out a regular check-up at the plant.
The chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Tsunehisa Katsumata, said in a statement that the company is extremely sorry about losing two young employees who had tried to maintain the plant's safety in the midst of disaster.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 14:50
TEPCO to stop radioactive water leak from plant
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will start injecting water-absorbing polymers into a cracked pit to stop radioactive water from leaking into the ocean.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says it will start the emergency operation on Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, TEPCO found radioactive water was seeping into the ocean from a crack in a concrete pit that contains power cables near the Number 2 reactor's water intake. The level of radiation on the surface of the pit's water was measured at over 1,000 milisieverts per hour.
An attempt to pour concrete into the pit, connected to the turbine building, failed to fix the leak on Saturday.
TEPCO hopes to collect overflowing water into a tank and other facilities in the complex.
The radioactive intensity of water in the reactor's turbine building was about 100,000 times that of water inside a normally operating reactor.
Water in a tunnel outside the turbine building also had high levels of radiation.
TEPCO says it has not detected water leaking from the pits of other reactors and is checking other locations.
The company added that it began reducing the amount of water being injected into the Number 1 and 2 buildings to cool their reactors on Saturday night, saying temperatures and pressures there had stabilized.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 14:50
Song contest held in Hanoi for quake survivors
Vietnamese high school students studying Japanese held a song contest to raise funds for survivors of the earthquake that hit northeastern Japan last month.
...


Sunday, April 03, 2011 14:58
A memorial service has been held in Virginia for an American woman who died in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Taylor Anderson had been teaching English in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, for three years. She was killed by the tsunami last month. Her father, Andy Anderson, brought her cremated ashes back to her hometown in Virginia.
Words of gratitude she wrote in her diary to people supporting her work in Japan were read out.
The Andersons plan to launch a fund to help rebuilding efforts in disaster-affected areas in accordance with the wishes of Taylor, who loved Japanese children.
(Gabi comments:
We saw a Japanese feature of Taylor, it was very moving to see her former students remember her helping hand so fondly.)


Sunday, April 03, 2011 16:02
Checkups find no problems in children's thyroid
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has said that recent checkups have found no problems in the thyroid of children in the area near the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Edano announced the finding at a news conference on Sunday. 900 children from newborns to those of 15 in Kawamata Town and Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture underwent tests for radiation exposure to their thyroid glands for 3 days through last Wednesday. He said none of them had exposure readings exceeding the safety level.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 17:46
Fukushima to check industrial goods for radiation
The government of Fukushima Prefecture will begin free monitoring of local industrial products for radiation following the leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The prefecture said on Sunday that there is growing public concern about the impact of radiation on industrial products as well as farm and marine produce.
It said more countries are moving to restrict imports from Japan even though they are free from radioactive contamination.
The radiation monitoring will start on Monday in an industrial park in Koriyama City and will cover all industrial products made in the prefecture.
Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato urged the central government to quickly lift shipping restrictions on farm and marine products when radiation levels fall below the government-set limits. He said the government was slow in responding even after radiation levels declined.
A central government official said it will increase the number of organizations monitoring radiation, and will instruct the related ministries to take quick action when lifting shipping restrictions.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 18:39
Edano wants inquiry into Fukushima accident
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has indicated that an independent body should be set up to investigate the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The top government spokesperson was asked about the accident at a news conference on Sunday. Edano replied that an objective investigation should be carried out as soon as possible to prevent a recurrence.
He said experts from the Nuclear Safety Commission and other Japanese organizations have been working on the problem. He added that the government wants to quickly launch an inquiry that will not interfere with the efforts to bring the situation under control.
Edano said he believes that the inquiry should be conducted by a third-party institution with a high level of objectivity and independence. He said it should involve the government, the plant's operator and the Nuclear Safety Commission.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 19:12
Miyako City hit by 37.9-meter tsunami on March 11
Japanese scientists say that a tsunami nearly 38 meters high hit a coastal city in Iwate Prefecture after the earthquake on March 11th.
University of Tokyo Associate Professor Yoshinobu Tsuji and his team conducted a survey of tsunami damage in the Taro district of Miyako City.
They found that the tsunami reached a height of 37.9 meters about 200 meters inland.
This is the highest tsunami to be triggered by the March 11th earthquake. Japan's largest tsunami of 38.2 meters struck another coastal city in the same prefecture in 1896.
Tsuji said the tsunami was as massive as the one that occurred more than a century ago, and the waves may have been even bigger at other locations. He added that he wants to work with other researchers to carry out similar surveys.



Sunday, April 03, 2011 19:38
Radioactive water continues to leak
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says there has been no change in the amount of radioactive water seeping from the Fukushima nuclear plant after a polymer absorbent was injected into a cracked pit.
Tokyo Electric Power Company found on Saturday that contaminated water was leaking into the ocean from the 20-centimeter crack in the concrete pit.
On Sunday, the utility firm used a polymer absorbent to try to stop the leak of radioactive water.
The government's nuclear agency said the injection of the chemical began shortly after 1:40 PM, but it cannot confirm if there has been a decline in the amount of contaminated water leaking into the ocean.
The agency added that sawdust and newspapers were also used, but the absorbent did not reach the pipe. Engineers are now trying to mix the substance with the water.
The agency plans to continue monitoring the situation until Monday to see if there is a positive result.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 20:15
Radiation levels gradually decreasing
Radiation levels on the ground have gradually decreased or have stabilized in many locations around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Experts say these readings do not pose a threat to human health.
The highest reading in Fukushima City, 65 kilometers northwest of the plant, was 2.56 microsieverts per hour on Sunday morning, and 2.28 microsieverts per hour in Koriyama City, to the west of the plant.
These are higher figures than the normal levels of 0.04 to 0.06 microsieverts per hour.
At Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture, a reading of 0.08 microsieverts was detected on Sunday afternoon.
In Ibaraki Prefecture, the highest readings were 0.52 microsieverts per hour in Kita-ibaragi City and 0.17 microsieverts per hour in Mito City.
Experts say these levels are not harmful.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 22:05
190,000 buildings damaged by March 11 quakeJapan's National Police Agency says more than 190,000 buildings were destroyed or partially damaged by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th.
The agency said on Sunday that nearly 29,500 structures in Miyagi Prefecture, 12,500 in Iwate Prefecture and 2,400 in Fukushima Prefecture were destroyed.
A total of 45,700 buildings in 9 prefectures were destroyed.


Sunday, April 03, 2011 21:12
Over 2,000 care home residents evacuated
NHK has learned that more than 2,000 elderly people were evacuated from nursing homes damaged by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
NHK asked local governments of Tohoku and Kanto regions in northeastern Japan about the number of nursing home residents they have accepted from Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.
Five-hundred and 20 people have been transferred to other facilities in the same prefectures.
Nearly 1,500 have been moved to 9 neighboring prefectures, including Chiba, Ibaraki and Yamagata.
A number of evacuees were not given proper care and died. The facilities didn't know their identities amid the confusion that followed the disaster. Symptoms of dementia have worsened in some cases.
The high number of evacuees has increased the burden on nursing home staff.
The head of a non-profit organization that supports nursing care for the elderly in disaster-affected areas says facilities and workers across the country should cooperate to help the elderly evacuees.
He also says they should be returned to areas they are familiar with after the reconstruction work is completed.

(Gabi comments:
we saw some nursing homes overflowing with the evacuees and they could not provide enough good care with the same personell. )

...

Sunday, April 03, 2011 21:32
Okada pledges to submit disaster-relief budgets
The Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Japan says his government will submit the first draft of a supplementary budget to the Diet before the end of this month and another one by June or July to help regions hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
Katsuya Okada made the comment in Fukushima City on Sunday.
He said the government will use a reserve fund of over one trillion yen, or 12 billion dollars, from fiscal 2010 to remove debris and build temporary housing in the affected areas, but more funds will be needed.
Okada said the government will do its best to submit the first supplementary budget this month, revise the related laws and enact a special law for implementing reconstruction policies.
He said the government will submit another supplementary budget by June or July to provide further support.
Okada said Prime Minister Naoto Kan suggested on Friday that the government could purchase land in the hard-hit areas and relocate the residents to higher ground.
He also expressed hope that experts and local authorities will help to create a vision of a new Tohoku region for the 21st century.



Sunday, April 03, 2011 22:14
GE chief promises support for TEPCO
The chief executive of General Electric has agreed to offer maximum support to Tokyo Electric Power Company, the owner of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Jeffrey Immelt met TEPCO chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata in Tokyo on Sunday.
TEPCO told reporters that this is Immelt's first visit to Tokyo since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
TEPCO said Immelt offered assistance as a representative of the company that provided the basic design for the plant's Number One reactor so the Japanese company can handle the situation better.
Katsumata told Immelt that the Tokyo area faces electricity shortages this summer. He sought help from the US side to restore damaged thermal power plants and to build more facilities to supply enough electricity.
TEPCO said Immelt agreed to help the company.
Immelt will meet Economy minister Banri Kaieda on Monday to discuss the Fukushima plant problem.



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Voices from around

. The Daily Reading List .  


. Japan Times - April 03  

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quote (from March 25)
Fewer JR train runs in Shiga
From April 2011, JR trains in Shiga and the Kansai area will be running less frequently. West Japan Railway Co. announced that factories in Tohoku and Ibaraki Prefecture which make train motor parts are inoperative. They still do not know when the parts can be procured again.
Without these parts for train motors, JR West is unable to maintain their trains properly. Therefore, to reduce the trains’ maintenance requirements, they will run trains less frequently from April.
... The Osaka Loop Line, Sagano Line, and Nara Line will also see fewer train runs.
source : shiga-ken.com

and

quote
Shiga’s nuclear backyard
Shiga Prefecture is next to Fukui Prefecture in the north, where a string of eleven nuclear power plants dot the coast of Wakasa Bay in three locations. This is one of Japan’s highest concentrations of nuclear power plants. The closest nuclear reactor is only 13 km (8 mi.) from Shiga Prefecture’s border in Yogo (northern Nagahama).

The nuclear plants in Fukui are operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) which supplies electricity to most of the Kansai and Kinki regions, including Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and parts of Mie, Gifu, and Fukui Prefectures. About 48% of KEPCO’s power is generated by nuclear plants, all in Fukui.

... However, evacuating Shiga residents within 80 km would be extremely disruptive and very difficult as it would include heavily populated areas.
source : shiga-ken.com


and

quote
Chugoku shuts Matsue nuclear plant
MATSUE--
Chugoku Electric Power Co. 中国電力株式会社 on Wednesday started a shutdown of its nuclear plant in this western region of Japan a day after it acknowledged that 123 safety checks had been missed.
Among the unchecked items was a motor considered crucial in case of emergency.

The Hiroshima-based power utility, which covers the Chugoku region, said Tuesday that its failure to complete inspections was not intentional. It added that the safety of the reactors had not been compromised.

As directed by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, it initiated a shutdown of the No. 1 reactor of the Shimane Nuclear Power Station in Matsue on Wednesday. Its No. 2 reactor has been offline for regular inspections.
The company confirmed in January that despite a previous report, a motor needed to pump water into the No. 1 reactor core during emergencies was not replaced as required during regular 2006-2007 maintenance checks.
source : www.asahi.com

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quote
Japan nuclear struggle focuses on cracked reactor pit
TOKYO (Reuters) –
Japanese officials grappling on Sunday to end the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl were focusing on a crack in a concrete pit that was leaking radiation into the ocean from a crippled reactor.
... "With radiation levels rising in the seawater near the plant, we have been trying to confirm the reason why, and in that context, this could be one source," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy head of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), said on Saturday.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan ... entered the 20-km (12-mile) evacuation zone and visited J-village just inside the zone, a sports facility serving as the headquarters for emergency teams trying to cool the six-reactor Fukushima Daiichi plant.
source : news.yahoo.com

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quote   
Radiological Impact of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
Please support this petition by Japanese citizens.
It was submitted to the Japanese government on March 28th at a meeting backed by 168 citizen organizations. It addresses the radiological impact of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster and the need to extend the exclusion zone around the plant.
source : fukushima.greenaction-japan.org/petition

. . . . .

quote   
Japan's dim capital faces further power crunch
Running on eco-mode in the cool spring invites few complaints as citizens bundle up, leave work early and even go to bed around sundown. Escalators are still, trains run without air conditioning, and popular night time baseball games have been suspended. Many say any complaints are hollow compared to the deprivation and destruction further north.

"Shikata ga nai," a popular stoic phrase meaning
"it can't be helped," is frequently on people's lips.

About 9 million kilowatts of capacity may be gone forever as the radiation-leaking Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant is likely to be scrapped and the future of the halted Dai-ni plant is uncertain. That suggests chronic shortages until new power plants are built. A government plan for the power supply that may include new plant construction is to be announced at the end of April.

source : news.yahoo.com

. . . . .

quote   
Engineers fail to seal leak at Japan nuke plant
The first deaths at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant itself, though, were confirmed Sunday by the operator. A 21-year-old and a 24-year-old were believed to be conducting regular checks at the complex when the 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit March 11.
It was unclear why the men did not evacuate when the quake hit.
The bodies were not discovered until Wednesday and had to be decontaminated. The announcement was delayed out of respect for the victims' families, TEPCO spokesman Naoki Tsunoda said.

... Workers flooded the pit with concrete in an effort to seal the crack but couldn't get it to dry.
... A search of the plant found no other similar leaks leading directly to the ocean. "We believe that's the only crack," said Tsunoda.
source : news.yahoo.com


. . . . .

quote
Amazing viedo to watch the Japanese TV stations tune in life to the development of the tsunami
東北地方太平洋沖地震発生時の全テレビ局同時マルチ映像
8 minutes from the announcement of an earthquake until the tsunami rolls in ...
source : www.youtube.com

. . . . .

quote
Honyaku-Genpatsu
Translators Forum to discuss the Fukushima accident
source : groups.google.com/group/honyaku-genpatsu


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Japan, the catastrophe and the suffering people have been in my thoughts almost in every haiku moment.
I am sending you one photo in which I saw sorrow ... and hope.



Haiga by Alenka Zorman


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in the full swing
God hears the prayers
have mercy on Japan


longinng made of frost
the soul of soil is rubble
the face is proud


Tatjana Debeljacki


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Another haiku for the symbolic strong tree


spring tremor...
the last sturdy tree stands tall
and mighty


Willie Bongcaron, Philippines

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9 comments:

  1. Anonymous4/03/2011

    What happenes now in Japan can happen to any of us !

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4/03/2011

    Buddha's grace, oceans water turns green.
    My sadness begins.

    Daniel De La Cruz

    ReplyDelete
  3. folded cranes
    one thousand and one wishes
    for japan

    John Tiong Chunghoo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4/03/2011

    Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 3
    "We know that in all creation, only the human family has strayed from the Sacred Way."
    -- OJIBWA Prayer

    How have we gotten so far off track?
    What has happened to us? What is happening to our family? How did it happen so quickly? Every individual needs to answer these questions for themselves.
    What do we need to do to start living the Sacred Way again? Pray!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I saw the pine tree on the blog!! It is candidate for kigo, I feel. It is a strong image for restoration and focus of realization. Gabi sama, thank you always.
    Chibi

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4/04/2011

    i take this chance to say sorry to all Japanese and victims involved in the earthquake.God is with them
    a friend from Kenya

    ReplyDelete
  7. .. one pine left standing ..

    Wow..... what an image! And, a perfect poem regarding it. Thanks for sharing, Gabi ...
    D.

    ReplyDelete
  8. . . . one pine left standing . . .

    piercing
    eternity . . .
    this pine

    robert d. wilson

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tsunami -
    all the world flooded
    with waves of tears

    ReplyDelete