May 08, Sunday

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Gabi reports:

. . . . . at 5:52
Earthquake M 5.7, off the coast of Iwate

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The Hamaoka Power Plant closure is still under discussion.

. Hamaoka Power Plant .

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Today is Mother's Day.
Many people put white carnations on the graves, on the ruins of their homes or threw them into the sea. A carnation grower near the beach was washed away by the tsunami, but many flowers survived. After washing them thoroughly he sold them for a cheap prize.

Mother's Day -
white carnations float
in the waves

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Saving energy
We saw a company offering a kind of paint for roofs of homes or parking areas in towns, ... anywhere ... that would transform the heat into kinetic energy, thus keeping the homes cool and spaced much cooler in summer.
They did not say how much this paint costs.
Keep Cool With Heat Reflective Paint
. Reference .


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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp


Sunday, May 08, 2011 01:25
Doors of NO.1 Reactor building to open on Sunday
The Tokyo Electric Power Company is preparing to open the doors of the Number 1 reactor building at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The move is necessary to restore the reactor's cooling system and may take place as early as Sunday afternoon.
TEPCO says a small amount of radioactive substances are expected to be released into the air for about one hour.
The company says it will first obtain approval from the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and confirm that there will be very little impact on the surrounding environment. Then it will open the two-tired doors of the reactor building.
On Thursday, TEPCO activated a new air-filtering system in the Number 1 Reactor building, which was installed to remove radioactive substances.
The utility says that by early Saturday morning, the density of radioactive material in the air had fallen to about 10 percent the target level.
TEPCO says after opening the doors, possibly on Sunday afternoon, it plans to remove highly radioactive contaminated debris.
Then, workers will enter the building to begin restoring the Number 1 Reactor cooling system.


Sunday, May 08, 2011 10:57
Radiation levels fluctuate in Fukushima schools
The government has been closely monitoring radiation levels at schools in Fukushima since the troubles began at a nuclear power plant there. The latest measurements show that radioactivity has fallen below the safety limit at 2 schools, but one school saw it rise again.
In April, the education ministry advised 13 childcare centers, kindergartens, and elementary and junior high schools in Fukushima Prefecture to restrict outdoor activities as their radiation levels exceeded the government-set safety limit of 3.8 microsieverts per hour.
The radiation level later declined below the permissible level in 11 facilities, except for 2 elementary schools in Date City.
The ministry's latest measurements on Friday and Saturday showed radioactivity under the safety limit at these schools as well.
The education ministry says 2 straight days of declines in radiation levels allow schools to lift restrictions although the decision is up to the Fukushima education board and school principals.
Meanwhile, the radiation level at the Watari Junior High School rose again to 3.9 microsieverts per hour, after it dropped to below the permissible level last month.
The ministry says the school kept activity restrictions in place even after it was considered safe from radiation threats.


Sunday, May 08, 2011 12:44
Doors of No. 1 reactor building to open soon
Tokyo Electric Power Company is set to open the doors of the Number 1 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It says radiation levels inside the building are now low enough for workers to enter.
TEPCO says it will open the doors of the Number 1 reactor on Sunday if it can gain approval from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
On Thursday, the company activated a new air-filtering system in the Number 1 reactor building which was installed to decontaminate the facility.
It says data as of Saturday evening show the density of radioactive iodine and cesium are at a level that allows workers wearing full-face masks to enter.
The utility is now discussing the environmental impact with the nuclear safety agency, as traces of radioactive materials may leak out for about 8 hours.
TEPCO says a possible radiation leak would barely have an impact on the environment.
It says it hopes to open the doors as early as this afternoon after notifying the Fukushima prefectural government.
Workers are expected to enter the building and start to restore the No. 1 reactor's cooling function. The work includes recalibrating the water level gauge used for the containment vessel and examining pumps for the circulating cooling system.


Sunday, May 08, 2011 12:32
Japanese firms move up rechargeable battery sales
Japanese electronics firms are moving up their schedule for sales of home-use rechargeable batteries, expecting power shortages in the summer linked to the nuclear plant accident.
The batteries can be recharged from household mains circuits and used as an emergency power source in the event of an outage.
Toshiba Corporation decided to start selling rechargeable batteries in June. Its initial schedule was sometime during the next business year.
The firm will sell batteries originally designed for use in electric vehicles for household use. It says a battery that can provide one kilowatt per hour can cool a medium-sized refrigerator for about 10 hours.
Panasonic Corporation also plans to bring forward sales of household rechargeable batteries to before the summer. The company is developing the batteries based on its lithium-ion ones for personal computers.
The manufacturers say power shortages could boost the use of rechargeable batteries at home, in addition to use at factories and shops. Some mass retailers have already begun handling the products.
Electricity can be stored in the batteries during the night when there's an abundant supply.


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Voices from around


. Daily Radiation Levels . 　

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Japan Times :

Decision to suspend Hamaoka power plant delayed Chubu Electric puts off a decision on suspending the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture while it weighs the consequences of Prime Minister Kan's request.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110508a1.html


Shut down being considered for Fukushima No. 2
The government signals it is thinking of decommissioning the sister facility of a radiation-spewing power plant in Fukushima Prefecture amid plummeting public trust in nuclear energy.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110508a2.html


Nuke plant workers finally get checkups
Hundreds of nuclear workers finally receive medical checkups after spending well over a month battling the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110508a3.html

Kan's attempt to shut down Hamaoka lacks legal basis
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110508a4.html

Late expert gave forewarning of Fukushima nuke plant disaster draws attention on Net
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110508a6.html


Kashima's ancient rock of faith
The god of quake prevention offers some age-old comfort in these unsteady times
Long before the theory of plate tectonics emerged in the 20th century to explain the mechanism behind earthquakes, Japanese folklore had attributed the terrifying phenomenon to the thrashings of the o-namazu — a giant catfish that inhabited the bowels of the Earth.

"As long as Kashima's deity is with us,"
says a verse from the eighth-century book of Japanese poems, the "Manyoshu,"
"the pivot stone may wobble but it will not break."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20110508x2.html

万葉集
ゆるげども よもや抜けじの要石 鹿島の神のあらん限りは
（鹿島の神さえいれば、要石は緩むことはあっても抜けてしまって、大地震が起こることはないだろう）
BTW, this poem is not from the Manyo-Shu, but from another book publishes most probably in 1663.

source : PMJS discussion group

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