4/11/2011

April 11, Monday

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The second month after the shock starts !


one month later -
nothing can erase
these memories




. Remember March 11, 2011, 14:46  
 

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Gabi reports:

It is now one month since the great earthquake, tsunami and reactor crises.

The levels are still sinking :
. Daily Radiation Levels .  

. . . . .

Yesterday we had gubernatorial elections.
In three regions, the former LDP won over the present DPJ.

. . . . .

More charity concerts worldwide:
The Volksoper in Austria held a charity concert on Sunday in support of Japan's struggle to overcome the March 11 disaster.

Goto Masataka won the 9th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition held in the Netherlands. He talked about the victimes and the tsunami which inspired him to play with all his energy, to win and thus bring some joy to Japan.

Even the Paris Marathon had a moment of silence for the victims. 40,000 runners took part.

. . . . . at 6:36
Earthquake M 5.2, off the coast of Ibaraki


. . . . . at 17:16
Earthquake M 7.1, Fukushima Hamadori
(has later been turned down to M 7.0)

. . . . . at 17:17
Earthquake M 6.0, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 17:26
Earthquake M 5.6, off the coast of Fukushima

. . . . . at 17:33
Earthquake M 4.7, Fukushima nakadori

Seems the external power supply to Fukushima plants is out of order because of these quakes. No more cooling water to be pumped right now.
We can't watch TV fast enough to digest all this chaos ...
The announcers speak with fast voices, wearing a helmet ...

. . . . . at 17:45
Earthquake M 4.9, off the coast of Fukushima

We see shaking TV stadiums with scared announcers.
Big gaps in the walls of schools that serve as shelters.

Confusing news about the safety of Fukushima ... all on the anniversary of March 11 . . . where TV reporters are in all shelters, hoping for a "quiet" report, now going for more chaos . . .

. . . . . at 17:51
Earthquake M 4.3, off the coast of Fukushima

Prime minister Kan cancelled all his TV appearances for now because of this earthquake cluster.
My friend from Tokyo sends messages of fear and chaos.

We forget dinner and stay glued to the TV.


. . . . . at 17:58
Earthquake M 5.0, Fukushima Nakadori

The other power plants in Tohoku seem fine for now.
Fukushima seems without power from reactor 1 to 3.

Just as NHK announces the fear of Tsunami is now over,
ping pong, ding dong, another quake warning coming up:

. . . . . at 18:05
Earthquake M 5.2, Fukushima Hamadori


TEPCO announces (18:08) power to the water pumps is now back.
Seems no major damage done so far. The monitoring posts around the plant did not show any change in the values.

. . . . . at 18:05
Earthquake M 5.2, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 18:16
Earthquake M 4.7, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 18:23
Earthquake M 4.2, Fukushima off the coast

. . . . . at 18:26
Earthquake M 4.2, Fukushima off the coast

. . . . . at 18:31
Earthquake M 3.5, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 18:34
Earthquake M 4.6, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 18:45
Earthquake M 4.0, Fukushima Hamadori


It is hard to follow this cluster ... brrr, the poor people in the region, being shaken like this. Power failures, mountain slides down, damaged roads, they are still trying to get a picture of the regions, since it all started at 17:16.
Children in the shelters are screaming, others are hugging, trying to protect their heads in the sports hall of large schools, running outside in the rain ... chaos as we watch.
The TV announcer can's speak fast enough to follow the numbers, while the lamps swing over his head and the desk is shaking . . .
dingdong dingdong, another warning comes

. . . . . at 18:49
Earthquake M 4.5, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:00
Earthquake M 4.7, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:02
Earthquake M 3.8, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:05
Earthquake M 4.2, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:09
Earthquake M 4.0, Fukushima off the coast

. . . . . at 19:19
Earthquake M 4.5, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:25
Earthquake M 4.4, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:28
Earthquake M 4.1, Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 19:31
Earthquake M 4.2, Fukushima Hamadori

Tonight the message on Tokyo Tower reads
Ganbaro Nippon ! Keep Going, Japan!




. . . . . at 19:59
Earthquake M 4.6, Fukushima off the coast

. . . . . at 20:23
Earthquake M 3.7 North Ibaraki


dingdong dingdong another warning on TV

. . . . . at 20:27
Earthquake M 4.6 Fukushima Hamadori

. . . . . at 20:42
Earthquake M 5.9, North Ibaraki

. . . . . at 20:53
Earthquake M 3.8 Fukushima Hamadori


and for now I log off . . .

Continued here:

. Tuesday, April 12 .  


. Aftershocks since April 11 .  


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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Monday, April 11, 2011 02:24
Massive search by Japan, US 1 month after disaster

Monday marks a month since the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the US military conducted a massive search for more than 14,000 missing people on Sunday.
22,000 personnel, about 90 helicopters and about 50 ships were deployed for the mission.
The search was focused on coastal and submerged areas between Iwate and Fukushima prefectures. But areas within a 30-kilometer radius of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not searched.
In the tsunami-hit city of Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, about 400 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force searched for bodies in Omagari District. They removed debris using heavy machinery.
In Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, divers searched waters near a fishing port. Rescuers checked smashed cars in the hard-hit district of Kuwagasaki in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture.
On Sunday alone, 86 bodies were recovered. The Self-Defense Forces plan to keep searching for the missing.


Monday, April 11, 2011 05:16
150,000 taking refuge 1 month after tsunami

On Monday, exactly one month passed since a massive earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan, but about 150,000 people are still living at evacuation centers. Many have lost their homes, jobs and family members, and are facing the challenge of rebuilding their lives.
At 2:46 PM on March 11th, a magnitude-9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan. It was the largest quake on record to hit the country. Areas along the Pacific Coast in the Tohoku Region were devastated by the tremor and the more than 10-meter tsunami waves that followed.
The National Police Agency says 13,014 people are confirmed dead. The total number of deaths and registered missing is 27,621.
That figure includes deaths reported after a major aftershock on Thursday night.
In worst-hit Miyagi prefecture, 7,929 deaths have been confirmed. 3,811 have been confirmed in neighboring Iwate Prefecture and 1,211 in Fukushima Prefecture.
Some coastal areas devastated by the tsunami are still not able to figure out the exact number of missing people.
Search operations within the 20-kilometer exclusion zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are being hampered by radiation in the environment. Many families have not been able to confirm the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Nearly 151,150 people from disaster-hit areas are still living in evacuation centers in 18 prefectures.
A total of 450,000 were taking shelter at one point, with many living in difficult conditions. They faced severe shortages of water, food, heating fuel and other basic supplies, due to disrupted roads, gasoline shortages, and damaged utility facilities. Many evacuees returned to their homes after water, gas, and electricity were restored in their cities.
But those who lost their homes have to remain in evacuation shelters. Their problems include ensuring privacy.
Meanwhile, people are asking for the construction of temporary houses in many parts of the devastated areas.
Japan's land ministry says municipalities in Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima, and other prefectures have requested that a total of 62,000 houses be built. The ministry says construction is underway on 7,800 houses, which is only 13 percent of the number requested. One major obstacle is a shortage of land, especially in submerged areas.
Many evacuees are scattered in cities outside of quake-hit Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures. About 23,000 people are staying at shelters outside the Tohoku Region, such as in Niigata, Saitama and Gunma prefectures.
Most of them fled Fukushima Prefecture after a series of accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. They have no idea when they will be able to return to their homes.


Monday, April 11, 2011 06:48
G20 to discuss Japan's nuclear disaster issues

Finance ministers and central bank chiefs of the Group of 20 nations will likely discuss Japan's efforts to overcome the March 11 disaster and to deal with the nuclear emergency at their next meeting.
The meeting will be held on Thursday and Friday in Washington. Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa will be attending. ...



Monday, April 11, 2011 08:07
Japan wants more Chinese tourists

The head of Japan's tourism agency has urged Chinese to visit Japan as part of the rebuilding effort.
Following the massive earthquake on March 11th, the number of international tourists visiting Japan has dropped dramatically.


Monday, April 11, 2011 10:22
One month since disaster hits nuclear plant

One month after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was crippled by the quake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coast, the plant's operator is still struggling to regain control.
Tokyo Electric Power Company has been striving to restore reactor cooling systems since the March 11th disaster knocked out electricity at the plant. The power station continues to release radioactive substances into the air and sea.
Heavily contaminated water in turbine buildings and a concrete tunnel has been hampering restoration efforts and preventing workers from even inspecting the pumping systems.
On Sunday, TEPCO began removing debris from the plant using unmanned heavy machinery.
It plans to start moving highly radioactive water from the concrete tunnel to another storage facility on Monday.
At a news conference on Sunday, TEPCO said it is studying using air instead of seawater for cooling. It said cooling the reactors' containment vessels with water is also under consideration.
But a TEPCO executive said that at this point, the company is still examining viable options and cannot say when it will be able to achieve stable cooling and control the radiation.


Monday, April 11, 2011 13:05
Disaster's economic effects

Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa says the nation's economy is under downward pressure after the March 11th earthquake and that the bank would support all necessary reconstruction efforts.



Monday, April 11, 2011 13:06
Some dairy farms in Fukushima resume milk shipment

Some dairy farms in Fukushima Prefecture have resumed shipping milk after radiation levels in the milk cleared the government's safety standards.
The shipments are the first since the Japanese government lifted a ban last Friday on milk from 7 cities and towns in the prefecture.
The restriction was imposed by the health ministry last month after unsafe levels of radioactive substances were detected in milk from areas around the quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.
A farmer who owns about 100 cows shipped 1.5 tons of milk on Monday. The farmer says he is glad because the milk he produces doesn't have to go to waste anymore.
He says he will do what he can to help other farmers who remain unable to ship their milk due to radiation contamination.
The prefecture will conduct follow-up radiation measurements once a week on milk shipped from the prefecture.
(Gabi comments: we saw him smile on TV . . .)


Monday, April 11, 2011 14:05
Expanded evacuation considered

The Japanese government is considering expanding its current 20-kilometer evacuation radius around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, taking into account the risks of long-term accumulated radiation exposure.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said on Monday that the government may advise residents in areas between 20 and 30 kilometers from the plant to evacuate, based on accumulated radiation exposure levels. Currently such residents have been advised to remain indoors.
Edano also said the government is considering advising residents to evacuate even from areas outside the zone where cumulative radiation exposure risks are higher.
He said the possibility that the situation at the plant will worsen cannot be ruled out.
Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture could be the target of the evacuation instruction, because high levels of accumulated radiation have been recorded in some areas there. Most of Iitate lies farther than 30 kilometers from the power plant.
Iitate Mayor Norio Kanno 菅野典雄 told NHK that the village learned on Sunday that the government may put the entire village under an evacuation instruction for a certain period of time.
He said he is opposed to designating the entire village as an evacuation zone, because radiation levels in parts of the village remain low. But he said the government is unlikely to listen to him. He added that he wants to remain in the village and deal with the disaster's aftermath.


Monday, April 11, 2011 14:06
Fukushima gov. again rejects TEPCO apology

The Governor of Fukushima Prefecture has again rejected a request by Tokyo Electric Power Company President Masataka Shimizu to meet and offer an apology for the ongoing situation at the company's nuclear power plant.
TEPCO, the owner of the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, says Shimizu hopes to visit Governor Yuhei Sato 佐藤雄平 on Monday, exactly one month after the quake and tsunami struck.
But sources say Shimizu's request was again refused by the Governor, as was a previous such request made shortly after the nuclear accident began last month.
TEPCO says its president is still seeking a chance to make an apology to the central and prefectural governments in Fukushima, and wishes to hold a news conference to offer an update on the accident.

Monday, April 11, 2011 15:51
55% of Fukushima evacuees worry radiation: survey

More than half of respondents of a survey of evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture, say their biggest future concern is the impact of radiation from the troubled nuclear power plant in the prefecture.
NHK interviewed evacuees last week, originally from Fukushima Prefecture, who are staying at shelters within the prefecture and nearby. 251 people responded.
When asked what is most troubling to them now, 55 percent of respondents said they are frustrated with the lack of accurate information about the nuclear plant, and their future housing prospects. This was followed by 36 percent who said they have to stay at shelters without privacy and 11 percent who said they cannot move easily without their own cars or gasoline.
In terms of the future, 55 percent said they are most concerned about the impact of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which has been out of control since the March 11 massive quake and tsunami.
43 percent said they are concerned about future jobs and their livelihood, and 28 percent said they are wondering how to secure a place to live.
One respondent said he has no idea how to stick it out, although everybody tells him to do so. Another person is worried about how he will manage because has lost both his house and land.
For evacuees, anxiety over their future appears to be growing as life at the shelters is dragging on.

Monday, April 11, 2011 15:51
Tokyo liquefaction survey

A geotechnical expert has determined that the March 11th earthquake caused liquefaction in at least 4,200 hectares of land along Tokyo Bay.
Professor Susumu Yasuda of Tokyo Denki University conducted a survey on the extent of liquefaction in areas around the bay. Tokyo lies at a distance of about 370 kilometers from the quake's epicenter.
He says the liquefaction was concentrated in land that was reclaimed relatively recently, or after 1966.
Liquefaction severely damaged residential areas built on reclaimed land in Urayasu and Narashino cities in Chiba Prefecture.
Work to restore sewage systems is progressing quickly, but little has been done to prevent liquefaction itself.
Professor Yasuda says strong quakes could cause further liquefaction in the future unless the underground water is removed and the ground solidified. He says that without such steps, it will take more than 100 years for the ground to stabilize.


Monday, April 11, 2011 16:22
Nuclear safety regrets its response to Fukushima

The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency admitted that it has sometimes failed to properly manage the accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Senior agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama made the statement to reporters on Monday, one month following the quake and tsunami that severely damaged the power plant in northeastern Japan.
Nishiyama said the agency failed to clearly address the problems at the plant, as one emergency followed another.
He said the agency will thoroughly review what it has done so far, so that it can restore the cooling functions of the reactors while preserving the safety of the Japanese people.
The agency is playing a central role in gathering information and overseeing the power plant as the government's nuclear safety regulator. They have dispatched officials to monitor progress at the plant.
But it has been regularly criticized for failing to coordinate media briefings with the power company. They have also been under fire for not providing enough information to the Nuclear Safety Commission, which offers technical advice to the government.


Monday, April 11, 2011 18:02
TEPCO president apologizes, one month later

The president of the operator of Japan's quake-damaged nuclear plant has visited Fukushima and apologized for the nuclear accident overwhelming the area.
Masataka Shimizu, the head of Tokyo Electric Power Company, visited the Fukushima government on Monday, exactly one month after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Shimizu apologized to people in and outside Fukushima Prefecture, saying his company has added to their physical and mental burdens with the nuclear crisis.
He also said he regrets not meeting local residents first of all to offer an apology. He said he failed to do so because he was overwhelmed by handing the accident from Tokyo.
He also said he was sorry that Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato had refused his request to meet and receive an apology directly.
Turning to reparations, Shimizu said he is well aware that a large number of people have suffered damage over a wide area. He said his company will do its utmost to compensate them based on the government's guidelines, when they are compiled.
Shimizu declined to comment on how he himself would take responsibility for the problems, saying he must now concentrate on overcoming the company's worst-ever crisis.
He added that he expects to see the ruined No. 1 through No.4 reactors at the power plant to be decommissioned.


The number of people confirmed dead or missing from the March 11th disaster and aftershocks that hit northeastern Japan stands at 26,848.
The number is likely to increase.


Monday, April 11, 2011 18:46
M 7.0 quake hits northeastern Japan

A strong earthquake struck north-eastern Japan at 5:16 PM, local time, on Monday. The Meteorological Agency at one time issued tsunami warnings for the coastal areas of Ibaraki Prefecture.
The agency said the earthquake's magnitude was 7.0, and that its focus was in Fukushima Prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Intensities of 6 minus on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 were registered in some areas of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, including Furudono Town, Nakajima Village and Hokota City. An intensity of 5 plus was registered in many areas in the southern Tohoku and northern Kanto regions.
The Meteorological Agency lifted the tsunami warnings about fifty minutes later. A tsunami advisory for the coastal areas of neighboring prefectures was also lifted.
Several minor quakes occurred following the major quake at 5:16. The agency is also warning of possible aftershocks with intensities of 6 plus or 6 minus.
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, says radiation figures at monitoring posts around the plant remain unchanged. The utility firm also says outdoor workers had been ordered to temporarily evacuate.
.

Monday, April 11, 2011 18:34
Water injection resumed at Fukushima Daiichi plant

The operator of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says water injection into the crippled reactors was briefly suspended after outside power lines were shut down by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Monday evening.
Tokyo Electric Power Company said that outside power was restored for reactors No.1, 2 and 3. Water injection was resumed for these reactors after a suspension of about 50 minutes.


55% of Fukushima evacuees worry radiation: survey
More than half of respondents of a survey of evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture, say their biggest future concern is the impact of radiation from the troubled nuclear power plant in the prefecture.
.
Monday, April 11, 2011 20:13
Fukushima evacuation zone expanded

The Japanese government has expanded its current 20-kilometer evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant due to the risks associated with long-term radiation exposure.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters on Monday that residents in the expanded zone have been asked to evacuate within about a month.
Edano said annual exposure in the zone is expected to be above 20 millisieverts. The worldwide average exposure from the natural environment is 2.4 millisieverts.
The expanded zone includes Katsurao Village, Namie Town, Iitate Village and some parts of Kawamata Town and Minami Soma City.
Edano added that the government will consult with local municipalities. The residents do not have to evacuate immediately.
People in the areas between 20 and 30 kilometers from the plant are now asked to stay indoors or voluntarily evacuate.
Edano said that residents in other areas of the 30-kilometer zone will be asked to prepare for an emergency evacuation. He also said they will need to evacuate on their own. Vulnerable people, such as the handicapped, should be prepared for any contingency.
Edano urged that children, pregnant women, nursing care recipients and inpatients stay away from the areas, adding that kindergartens, elementary and junior high schools in the area will remain closed.



Monday, April 11, 2011 21:20
Water injection resumes at Fukushima plant

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant says water pumping to cool 3 crippled reactors was briefly disrupted after external power sources were knocked out by a strong aftershock on Monday evening.
Tokyo Electric Power Company said external power was cut to reactors 1, 2 and 3 at 5:16 PM, just after the magnitude 7.0 quake. Water injection was resumed after a suspension of about 50 minutes.
The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is checking the situation at the site, but assumes the interruption in cooling had no major impact. The Agency added that TEPCO is considering installing emergency power sources that automatically kick in when power is cut.
At the time of the latest earthquake, TEPCO instructed workers outside reactors No.1 to No.4 to evacuate. No one was injured. The utility lifted the evacuation order at 6:48 PM.
The company halted the pumping of high-level radioactive water from the No.2 reactor to a nuclear waste processing facility.
It also stopped injecting nitrogen into the containment vessel of the No.1 reactor to prevent a possible hydrogen explosion. The company plans to resume the work immediately after confirming safety at the unit.
TEPCO said no new abnormalities have been detected in radiation readings around the plant.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says no irregularities have been found in external power lines and radiation readings at Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture.
The agency says outside power sources are also maintained at the Tokai Daini nuclear plant in Ibaraki Prefecture and a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture.


Monday, April 11, 2011 21:20
Radiation levels exceed permissible limit

The science ministry says the amount of radiation accumulated over about half a month in some areas of Fukushima Prefecture has exceeded the permissible level for a whole year.
Since March 23rd, the ministry has been measuring radiation levels in 15 locations more than 20 kilometers away from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
At one location, in Namie Town about 30 kilometers northwest of the plant, 14,480 microsieverts of radiation had accumulated over the 17-day period to Sunday.
8,440 microsieverts of radiation were observed in Iitate Village.
In another location in Namie, the amount reached 6,430 microsieverts.
People would be exposed to this accumulated amount of radiation if they had stayed outdoors throughout the entire period.
The level at one location was more than 14 times the 1,000 microsieverts that the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends as the long-term annual reference level for people. The recommended level of 1,000 microsieverts excludes radiation from the natural environment and medical devices.
Hiroshima University Professor Kiyoshi Shizuma says most of the radiation observed in Fukushima is believed to be radioactive cesium that has fallen to the ground.
Shizuma advises residents to wear masks to avoid inhaling radioactive substances mixed with dust.
He points to the need to take samples both from the air and the ground for detailed analyses in order to assess any possible impact on human health.



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Voices from around

. The Daily Reading List .  


Evac area to soon be declared 'off-limits'
End to crisis is years, fortune away
. Japan Times, April 11 .  


. . . . .

quote   
Work begins to remove radioactive water from nuclear plant
Workers at the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Sunday started removing highly radioactive water in the plant that is hampering restoration efforts in the prolonged nuclear crisis, the government’s nuclear agency said.

Toxic water has been found in the basements of the Nos. 1 to 3 reactor turbine buildings, as well as in nearby underground trenches connected to them. Transferring the water, totaling some 60,000 tons, to nearby tanks and other storage places is seen as vital to move ahead with the work to restore the key cooling functions for reactors damaged after the March 11 quake and tsunami.

The workers started pumping out water filling a trench near the No. 2 reactor to a ‘‘condenser’’ inside the reactor’s turbine building, as the level of the water is edging up, apparently because of steps taken to block the water from leaking into the Pacific Ocean, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.
...
As preparations proceeded for transferring the water, a male worker in his 30s was taken to a hospital as he complained of feeling sick around 11:10 a.m. after laying a hose pipe from 9:30 a.m., but is conscious and was found to have no radioactive materials on him, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co said.

The employee was later diagnosed as having ‘‘overworked,’’ according to TEPCO.

Wearing a full-face mask, outerwear upon protective clothing, rubber gloves and high boots, the worker was exposed in the work to 4.84 millisieverts of radiation, which is below the limit of 5 millisieverts set for Sunday’s work.
...
source : www.japantoday.com



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So many logos are coming up with "Help Japan!"

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tsunami victims -
their souls wash ashore
with every wave
 



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32 comments:

  1. Anonymous4/11/2011

    I feel sad about the radioactivity...
    J.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4/11/2011

    Dear Gabi,
    We won't give up on Japan... there's no place to go but to walk with you all through it all...we're all part of the same world. Thank you for posting these.
    I saw those stone markers in another report and it reminded me how much wisdom is in the ancient writings (stone or otherwise) and we abandon them at our peril.
    Thank you, Gabi. Stay well. You are in our hearts and our prayers always.
    M.

    ReplyDelete
  3. tsunami victims -
    their souls wash ashore
    with every wave  


    Gabi, may I use this haiku in the Japan Times? With proper credit, of course! Am writing an article on grass-roots efforts for quake relief and also want to include your blog "After the BIG Earthquake".
    A.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4/11/2011

    I grieve for the victims and their families but wanted to express how powerful I find the haiku to be.
    Daphne

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4/11/2011

    Gabi, your haiku is compelling.
    ACH

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4/11/2011

    deepest sympathy.
    Isabelle

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4/11/2011

    poignant...
    K.K.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Now is a time to plant new seeds in Tohoku.
    And the daily Issa of today has just the right haiku to go:

    柿を見て柿を蒔けり人の親
    kaki o mite kaki o maki keri hito no oya

    looking at persimmons--
    someone's parents
    planted seeds

    (Tr. David Lanoue)
    .

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous4/11/2011

    It is an unimaginable tragedy.
    ZH.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous4/11/2011

    Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Monday the risk of massive radiation leaks from the troubled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture is lower than at the start of the crisis there a month ago.

    "The risk that the situation will worsen and that the...re would be new massive emissions of radioactive materials is becoming considerably smaller," he told a news conference.

    Edano said the government sees the current evacuation order for those within 20 kilometers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station as appropriate.

    (Mainichi Japan) April 11, 2011

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous4/11/2011

    The very sky weeps for them, and so do I. Bless all your souls.
    Lis.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4/11/2011

    Very beautiful and touching haiku Gabi 3.
    Jos.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous4/11/2011

    cluster earthquake ...

    hallo gabi danke fuer die updates und
    i'm praying for japan (wolfgang too)

    ReplyDelete
  14. ah, when it's gona stop??
    nat
    .
    i fear the giant catfish will never return to sleep
    tat
    ... more

    ReplyDelete
  15. "When will all this horror already stop? Enough , nai no kami !
    Thinking of you, dear E. san, Gabi san, and all Japanese friends... keep praying for Japan."
    O.

    ReplyDelete
  16. the catfish
    under the island
    got itchy again

    Origa

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous4/11/2011

    Please all Japan sing "Catfish Lullaby", if that is not a song in Japanese, please quick make up the song.
    Sing althogether every day!
    Chibi

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous4/12/2011

    Gabi, this is frightening!
    I can't believe there can be so many earthquakes of such magnitude one after
    another after another!
    I hope you are OK!
    How serious are casualties? It must be awful. I hate to ask how many have
    died.
    Take care & all my sympathy for you, your family, friends,
    well, for everyone so harshly affected by the quakes.
    A friend from Canada

    I feel quite distressed.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hope it becomes a peaceful night for you all; enough is enough.
    M.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous4/12/2011

    Haunting haiku, Gabi. Very powerful.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous4/12/2011

    Dear Gabi, I'm thinking of you and all my friends in Japan - I heard just an hour ago of another 7.1 quake plus 1 metre tsunami. Seems like it'll never stop :-(

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  22. Your haiku is just brilliant, Gabi - the perfect haiku for the occasion of one month from the tsunami; as Josai says, beautiful and touching.
    G.

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  23. Anonymous4/12/2011

    tsunami-
    rising above waves
    quiet human dignity

    AT from India

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  24. Anonymous4/12/2011

    Dear Gabi San,
    I think it more a man made disaster than natural calamity- otherwise surrounded by sea they are accustomed- what about radiation?
    May be for all these pressures on Nature it reacts- man's efforts to always utilise nature to his favour may be a boomerang- I don't know how many may contribute to this thought-
    I always wish them to overcome danger, wish that no more disaster ruin the life of the Japanese-
    best wishes,
    AM from India

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  25. A stunning haiku, Gabi ... I think this is the finest one I've read about all of this.
    You and Japan remain embraced in my heart and prayers.
    D.

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  26. Wishing you & all Japan, all the very best Gabi.
    That is a very poignant poem you've written.
    K.
    .
    that is heartbreaking Gabi, you are in my thoughts and I wish you and Japan the best.
    GM
    .
    Gabi:
    Thanks for sharing such a heartfelt / heartbreaking poem.
    I hope the resilient people of Japan will overcome this crisis and rebuild their beautiful land of cherry blossoms.
    All the best to you and the Japanese people.
    CU
    .
    Beautifully poignant, Gabi. Thank you for sharing it, as well as up-to-date news on your blog. Take care,
    .
    Gabi, I saw on the news tonight that you had another big tremor but luckily the tsumani warning was cancelled. I don't think Japan needs any more horror at the moment.
    Stay safe Gabi.
    best wishes B.
    .
    There's no way I can imagine this, but thank you so much for posting, Gabi. It's much more realistic and powerful that media reports or government slant.
    Take care,
    .
    Dear Gabi:
    My thoughts and prayers go out to Japan. And to you.
    J.
    .
    Dear Gabi,
    Thank you so much for posting! Your words seem to bring more reality than any of the news reports I am watching. So grateful to you for taking the time to keep us up to date.
    Thanks too! for the haiku. Very touching - very good.
    J.R.

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  27. More from Friends :
    .
    Thank you, Gabi, for taking the time to sign in and share a haiku with us. I think of your often!
    L.
    .
    Ditto, thank you for sharing, this haiku Gabi, so poignant. We so admire how you are all coping with the disaster, you are all in my heart and thoughts. sitting with you in spirit, a one liner for you.

    Japan's spirit rising above life's wreckage
    It really sounds like with all the recent seismic activity and further tsunami warnings you could do with something more futuristic than new housing iin the same place, like people / family pods that can float.
    G.
    .
    Thank you for sharing this powerful haiku.
    My prayers are with the people of Japan.
    M.
    .
    Hi Gabi,
    Thanks for sharing this poem. It touches my heart deeply.
    Best, N.

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  28. Anonymous4/13/2011

    your haiki, a heart wrenching beauty . . .

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  29. Anonymous4/13/2011

    Thank you for sharing the news and your haiku, Gabi san.
    My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours and the people of Japan.
    neko

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  30. Anonymous4/13/2011

    Gabi,
    Can't say anything.
    But I think of Japan and the people I've never met there . . . many times each day.
    I wish so much for so many.
    P.

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  31. Anonymous4/13/2011

    Yes, helpless, nature is the one true artist and teacher.
    R>

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  32. Anonymous4/13/2011

    Gabi, what a poignant haiku.
    I can't even imagine what the people of Japan are going through. I have been praying every day for all the victims, especially those that "survived". I don't think I would be able to endure everything that the Japanese people are enduring.
    Thank you for taking the time and keeping us updated on your blog.

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