May 2012

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May 2012




3.11がんばろう日本パッチ

source : frontline-shop


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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Tourism bouncing back in Tohoku
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120501a5.html


Quakes' long-period motions may damage high-rises
A group of researchers says long-period ground motions will shake high-rise buildings in Japan for more than 20 minutes if massive earthquakes hit off the country's Pacific coast within minutes of each other.
The group led by University of Tokyo Professor Takashi Furumura says such slow but severe swaying could seriously damage high-rises in the capital and elsewhere.
..... Tokyo University of Science Professor Haruyuki Kitamura says vibration control systems installed in high-rises effectively lowered the severity and duration of ground motions caused by the March 11th quake.


Anti-terrorism drill held at Tokyo Sky Tree
Police, firefighters and others have practiced coping with a chemical attack at Tokyo Sky Tree before the opening of the world's tallest broadcast tower in May.
About 2,000 people including Self-Defense Force members and residents of northeastern Tokyo took part in the drill on Monday.

Cool Biz campaign kicks off early
The Japanese government kicked off its annual energy-saving campaign on Tuesday, a month earlier than usual to brace for possible power shortages in summer.
The annual Cool Biz campaign encourages people to set air conditioners higher and wear light clothing to fight global warming. It usually runs from June to September. ...


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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Miyagi Harley floats across to Canada
The owner of a motorcycle that was swept from northeastern Japan by last year's tsunami and washed up on Canada's west coast has been identified.
A Canadian man found the motorcycle last month on a beach of one of the Haida Gwaii islands, 6,500 kilometers from Japan.
The vehicle's license plate helped identify the owner, a 29-year-old man from a coastal town of Miyagi Prefecture that was devastated by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120502a6.html

Kyoto's top crisis manager slams safety explanation for Oi reactors' restart
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120502a7.html

Cesium exceeding new limit detected in 51 food items in nine prefectures
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120502a9.html



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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Utilities gave nuclear plant hosts billions !!!
Power companies, their subsidiaries and related organizations provided over \28.7 billion to local governments, mostly as donations, in the five years through March 31, according to local government sources.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120503a1.html


US firm donates apartment for elderly survivors
A US company has donated a newly-built apartment building in Fukushima Prefecture for use by the elderly who survived last year's March 11th disaster.
Dow Chemical built the house and donated it to the city of Soma on Wednesday. The company has a plant in the city. ...

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Friday, May 4, 2012

Fault near Shiga nuclear power plant said probably active
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120504b2.html

Buddha of 3/11 fame now home
A gold-coated Buddha statue has been returned to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto after being shipped to Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, which supplied uprooted Takata Matsubara pine trees to build it.


The 2.7-meter-tall statue of Dainichi Nyorai, a Buddha signifying the universe, was made of pieces from pine trees uprooted by the March 2011 tsunami.

Kiyomizu Temple had asked the Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto to build the statue before the twin disasters struck, but afterward students decided to build it from pine trees in Rikuzentakata, collecting about 30 pieces of tsunami-wrecked trees.
More than 10,000 people helped to carve the statue by chisel, including Bhutan's royal couple when they visited Kyoto last November.
The statue was sent to Rikuzentakata on April 26 to give disaster-hit residents a lift, as it was made from local pine trees. It is also viewed as a symbol of the shattered town's regeneration.
About 20 of the students, who began building the statue last summer, Tuesday carried it into the main hall of Kiyomizu Temple, covered with a white cloth. Visitors and onlookers applauded as the cloth was removed, and a monk then recited a sutra.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120504f1.html


Japan, China agree to share info on nuclear safety
Japan and China have agreed to cooperate and share information on regulations to make nuclear power safer. ...

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Saturday, May 5, 2012

. Boys' Festival (tango no sekku　端午の節句) .



Japan shutting down last nuclear reactor
Japan's electricity will be nuclear-free for the first time in 42 years this Saturday when the country's last operating commercial reactor is shut down for regular inspections.
Officials at Hokkaido Electric Power Company say they will begin reducing the power output of the Number 3 reactor at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant at about 5 PM. They plan to stop the reactor's generator at about 11 PM and complete the shutdown at about 2 AM on Sunday.　...

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Sunday, May 6, 2012

- - - - at 5:12
Earthquake M 5.1, off Miyagi

Japan nuke-free for first time since '70
Japan finds itself without any nuclear power for the first time in 42 years as Hokkaido Electric shuts down the nation's final active commercial reactor.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120506a1.html


Japan begins to shut down last online nuke plant
The operator of Japan's last operating nuclear power reactor in Hokkaido has begun to shut down the reactor for regular inspections.
Japan's electricity will be nuclear-free for the first time in 42 years with all of the country's 50 commercial reactors off-line by late Saturday night. ...


Japan's last operating reactor completely halts
Japan's last operating commercial reactor has shut down, leaving the country with no nuclear-generated electricity for the first time in 42 years.
Hokkaido Electric Power Company began to shut down the Number 3 reactor at its Tomari nuclear power plant on Saturday for regular inspections. ...


Anti-nuclear activists rally in Tokyo, Sapporo
Anti-nuclear demonstrations have been held in Japan to mark the first time in 42 years that the country's power supply has not derived energy from nuclear plants.
Thousands of people rallied on Saturday in Tokyo and Sapporo in northern Japan near where the country's last-operating nuclear plant at Tomari village is being shut down.
Between 4,000 and 5,500 people are believed to have gathered in Tokyo's Shiba Park. ...


Monk performs calligraphy in disaster-hit city
A Buddhist monk has written the Chinese character meaning "light" 光 for people in the disaster-hit city of Kesennuma in northeast Japan.
Seihan Mori 森清範, the chief priest of Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple, is known for writing annually the kanji that best symbolizes the year. He visited the city on Sunday for a memorial service for victims of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
After the service at Kaizo-ji Temple, Mori drew the character at the request of local residents. He wrote it on Japanese paper measuring 1.5 meters by 80 centimeters, using a calligraphy brush.
Mori said he chose the character because it signifies a ray of hope and that all things in this world are radiant.
He added that it also reflects his wishes for recovery from the disaster.
The calligraphy will be a gift to the temple. The temple says it would put it on public view.


Apparent tornadoes kill one, injure 50
Apparent tornadoes have left one person dead and more than 50 injured in the Kanto region of central Japan.
Police in Ibaraki Prefecture say sudden gusts of wind hit Tsukuba City on Sunday afternoon, damaging more than 100 houses.
The local fire department says a junior high school boy found in a collapsed house died at a hospital and more than 30 people suffered injuries.
Strong winds also left 11 people injured and more than 360 houses damaged in neighboring Tochigi Prefecture.
Police in Saitama Prefecture say an 11-year-old girl is in a serious condition after being struck by lightning. She was taking shelter with her mother from the rain under a tree in a dog park.
(The images on TV looked like a re-run of the tsunami destruction ... incredible!)


Tornado wreaks havoc in Ibaraki, Tochigi
A teenage boy died, around 40 people were injured and up to 500 houses were damaged Sunday after apparent tornadoes hit Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures, north of Tokyo, prompting Ibaraki Gov. Masaru Hashimoto to ask the Self-Defense Forces to be deployed for disaster relief.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120507a1.html

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Monday, May 7, 2012

Another cold morning, expecting more freaky weather during today.


Slow-occurring quakes recorded along Nankai Trough
A group of seismologists has found that earthquakes off Japan's Pacific coast 3 years ago involved slow movements of tectonic plate boundaries.
Researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, and other institutes analyzed data from seismometers placed on the seabed along the Nankai Trough off western Japan.
It's here that the ocean plate sinks under the plate carrying western Japan. Major quakes repeatedly struck along the plate boundary.
The scientists found that a series of quakes with a magnitude of around 4 occurred in the spring of 2009. ... JAMSTEC researcher Hiroko Sugioka says the tremor may have occurred with the same mechanism as the quakes observed in the latest research.
She adds that if a quake with larger magnitude occurs, it could trigger a small tremor, but also a massive tsunami.


Fukushima conducts unannounced tsunami drill
The government of Fukushima has conducted a surprise tsunami drill to make sure that prefectural workers are ready in the event of another disaster.
The drill on Monday was based on the scenario in which a massive tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake hit the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Most of the workers were not given prior notice about the drill. It was rare that such a type of unannounced drill was held before last year's March 11th disaster.
As soon as the drill was announced, officials gathered in the disaster response headquarters next to the prefectural office within 10 minutes. ... A senior official said they will repeat such surprise drills in the future.

Fukui assemblymen to be briefed on reactors
The assembly of Fukui Prefecture has agreed to hold a briefing on the Japanese government's plan to restart 2 reactors at the Ohi nuclear power plant on Wednesday.
This will be the first time that all the members of the assembly will meet to discuss whether to approve restarting the reactors. ...


Job center opens for firms returning to Fukushima
A job center that serves almost all of the evacuation area around the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has opened a new office.


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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Gaga kiss cup nets Yen 6 million for quake relief
Singer Lady Gaga raised \6 million as part of a U.S.-sponsored effort to support Japan's recovery from last year's earthquake and tsunami by auctioning off a teacup with her autograph and a lipstick trace.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120508n1.html

Nagoya mayor protests government moves to restart Oi reactors
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120508a5.html

Ending reliance on nuclear power
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ed20120508a1.html


TEPCO to have new president
Tokyo Electric Power Company will have a new president, promoting an executive in charge of compensation for victims of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
TEPCO plans to select managing director Naomi Hirose as the next president at a board meeting on Tuesday.
The 59-year-old Hirose will officially replace current chief Toshio Nishizawa in June after the company gains approval from shareholders. ...
TEPCO new president vows to promote reform
.....


Local assembly slams reactor restart
A prefectural assembly in central Japan has unanimously adopted a statement saying the state must win residents' support before resuming commercial operation of nearby nuclear reactors.
Gifu Prefectural assembly adopted the statement on Tuesday, in response to the central government's plan to restart reactors at the Ohi plant in adjacent Fukui Prefecture. ...

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Two short but violent thunder-rain-storm attacks today here in our valley!


Sake shipments up after disaster
Shipments of Japanese sake in the last fiscal year grew for the first time in 16 years, thanks largely to more people buying the beverage in support of breweries in disaster-hit northeastern Japan.
The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association says the volume of sake shipped in Japan between April 2011 and March 2012 rose by about 7,000 kiloliters year-on-year, to more than 600,000 kiloliters. That's an increase of 1.2 percent. ...


Government approves TEPCO's restructuring plan
The Japanese government has approved a restructuring plan for the Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, to cover the huge expenses from the Fukushima nuclear plant accident.
Industry minister Yukio Edano conveyed the decision on Wednesday to TEPCO's outgoing President Toshio Nishizawa and Kazuhiko Shimokobe, who was recently chosen to be the Chairman of the utility. Shimokobe currently chairs the steering committee of a state-backed nuclear compensation fund.
The plan, submitted by TEPCO and the state-backed fund on April 27th, is to put the company effectively under state control after its general shareholders' meeting in June. ...

Small businesses call for nuclear plant restart
A group of small and mid-sized Japanese businesses has asked the government to restart the nation's nuclear reactors to ensure a steady power supply.

The chairman of the National Federation of Small Business Associations, Kinya Tsuruta, handed a letter containing the request to industry minister Yukio Edano on Wednesday. ...


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Thursday, May 10, 2012

. . . . . at 9:28
Earthquake M 5.1, off Iwate coast


Yen 1 trillion OK'd for Tepco rehab
The government approves a 10-year restructuring plan for Tepco that will see the ailing utility receive \1 trillion in taxpayer funds and be placed under temporary state control.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120510a2.html

Kepco to delay regular checks at 13 thermal plants
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120510a6.html

Fukushima farmers plant rice, pray, too
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120510a8.html

Asteroids named after Japan's disaster-hit cities
Newly discovered asteroids between Mars and Jupiter have been named after parts of Japan's disaster-hit northeast. . . .


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Friday, May 11, 2012

Active fault may lie directly beneath Mount Fuji: researchers
A research group led by Professor Hiroshi Sato at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute says the 30-kilometer-long fault runs along the southeast side of the mountain.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120511a3.html

City of Fukushima elementary schools to hold outdoor sports festivals
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120511a4.html


Sendai to relocate tsunami-hit neighborhoods
Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture plans to relocate about 1,700 households in the tsunami-stricken communities to higher ground inland.
The collective relocation will be the largest so far in a government-sponsored program to help rebuild such communities.
Coastal areas in the city's Miyagino and Wakabayashi wards were devastated in the March 11th disaster.


TEPCO applies for household power rate increase
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has sought government permission to raise household power charges, to cover massive costs associated with the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Under an application submitted by TEPCO President Toshio Nishizawa on Friday, the utility plans to raise electricity charges by an average of 10.28 percent.
Household power rates would go up incrementally according to the amount they consume, in 3 stages of about 4, 10 and 20 percent.
TEPCO says the system is aimed at encouraging consumers to use power sparingly. ...

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Saturday, May 12, 2012

Another icecold morning . . .


Simultaneous tornadoes in northern Kanto
Japanese weather experts say three tornadoes that occurred at about the same time last Sunday were likely caused by huge thunderclouds called super cells.
The tornadoes killed one person, injured more than 50 others and damaged more than 2,000 buildings northeast of Tokyo.
Researchers at the Japan Meteorological Agency say one tornado that hit Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures left damage over an area about 31-kilometers long and 650- meters wide. This is the second-largest swath of destruction since the agency began taking statistics 50 years ago. ...



Fukushima school meets outdoors
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120512b4.html

Elderly accounted for 90% of indirect 3/11 death toll, government says
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120512b9.html

Tepco asks for permission to hike household rates 10.3% from July 1
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120512a5.html

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Sunday, May 13, 2012

Today was only 5 degrees centigrade, the coldest morning of this cold spell.
And hopefully the last one.

Imperial couple encourage tsunami-affected people
Japan's Emperor and Empress have visited a temporary housing complex in northeast Japan to encourage people displaced by last year's earthquake and tsunami.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko walked through the Sendai City complex on Sunday to talk to residents one by one. Nearly 400 people live there.
The Emperor told an 87-year-old woman who lost her son and daughter in the tsunami to take good care of herself. The Empress asked an 85-year-old woman about her life, acknowledging her strength to endure the hardships.
The Emperor, who is recovering after heart surgery, is to leave for Britain with the Empress on Wednesday to attend events celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne.


Pine saplings planted in tsunami-hit area
Pine saplings have been planted in the city of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, as part of an effort to restore the once-beautiful coast line.
The tsunami in March of last year swept away all but one of the 70,000 pine trees in the area. ...


Residents briefed on contaminated soil storage
The government has asked people from near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to accept the setting up of an intermediate storage facility to keep contaminated soil removed from the area around the plant.
Environment Minister Goshi Hosono met, on Saturday, more than 200 residents of Okuma Town that hosts the damaged nuclear plant. Since the nuclear disaster, all of the towns residents, numbering over 10-thousand, have been evacuated.


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Monday, May 14, 2012

Extra work jacking up disaster housing costs
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120514a5.html
. see reconstruction


Town assembly to accept Ohi nuclear plant restart
The Ohi Town assembly is set to approve a resumption of nuclear reactors at the Ohi power plant.
Assembly members have agreed that restarting the plant is necessary to help maintain jobs and the town's finances. The decision will become official when assembly members meet on Monday. They also plan to convey their decision to Mayor Shinobu Tokioka. ... Some local residents expressed their concerns over resumption. Assembly members of the township were asked to consider opinions of local people as well as those in other municipalities....

Kawauchi Village planting rice on test basis
Rice planting on a test basis has begun in a village near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
This comes after the central government lifted its ban on entering Kawauchi Village in April. Rice planting had been banned at all paddies following last year's nuclear accident in March.
On Sunday, farmers began planning rice on a test basis at 30 rice paddies. The purpose of this year's harvest is to verify the product's safety. ...

High cesium levels detected in rats near Fukushima
High levels of radioactive cesium have been detected in rats caught in forests near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Researchers from the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute analyzed the rat samples collected from remote areas of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures in October and December last year.
The institute says about 3,100 becquerels of cesium per kilogram was detected in rats captured near Kawauchi village, which is 30 kilometers from the plant. About 790 becquerels per kilo was found in rats from around Kita-Ibaraki city, 70 kilometers away.
Aerial radiation levels were 3.11 microsieverts per hour in Kawauchi and 0.2 microsieverts in Kita-Ibaraki.
... Kubota stressed the importance of maintaining ongoing studies into the effects of radioactive substances on wild organisms.


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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Oi assembly says yes to restarting reactors
The Oi Municipal Assembly endorses the restarting of two reactors at Kansai Electric's nuclear power plant there because of the damage a prolonged suspension could cause to the local economy.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120515a1.html

Kepco area faces 20% power-saving request
The government plans to ask residents and businesses who buy power from Kansai Electric to voluntarily cut power usage by up to 20 percent this summer to prevent blackouts.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120515a1.html

Tepco pays dearly for disastrous year
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120515a2.html

Exporting culture via 'Cool Japan'
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120515i1.html


Anti-nuclear local leaders seek shutdown of plants
A group of local government leaders opposed to nuclear power plants have urged the government to scrap all of Japan's reactors.
The heads of 66 municipalities set up a group last month aimed at ending Japan's reliance on nuclear energy.


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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

NISA, Tepco knew in '06 of Fukushima tsunami threat
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120516a5.html

Pushing back, Fukui governor calls for clear nuclear policy
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120516a6.html

Tsuruga nuke plant active fault faces study
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120516a8.html


Radioactive sludge disposal stalled
More than 32,000 tons of radioactive sludge from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident remain at initial storage sites, even though the government says its radiation levels are within safety limits.
NHK asked the prefectural office and 26 municipalities and other bodies in Fukushima how they are handling the sludge at their sewage facilities. The sludge in the area contains radioactive fallout from the nuclear accident.
NHK learned that about 80 percent of the 39,000 tons of sludge being kept at initial storage sites is within government safety limits and safe to process for more permanent disposal. But the sludge remains untouched due to fears among the local people. ...

Radiation-proof SDF vehicle unveiled
A vehicle that can be driven in radioactively contaminated areas has been shown to media.
The nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicle was unveiled on Wednesday at a Ground Self-Defense Force post in Saitama City, north of Tokyo.
SDF officials say the vehicle has highly airtight armor and an air cleaning device, and can also be used in areas contaminated by toxic gases and bacteria. ...

Japan's nuclear panel reviews fuel recycling
A working group of Japan's Atomic Energy Commission has laid out 3 options regarding recycling of spent nuclear fuel.
The commission has been reviewing the country's nuclear energy policy in the wake of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March last year.
Nuclear fuel recycling had been a pillar of Japan's nuclear energy policy. It entails reprocessing plutonium from spent nuclear fuel into a uranium-plutonium mix called mixed oxide fuel, or MOX. ...

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Tepco halts dividends, so metro buses to run red ink
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's bus operations, running in the black since 2003, probably lost money for the first time for fiscal 2011, and the major reason is the dividends from Tokyo Electric Power Co. shares have dried up.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120517a1.html

Kansai power crunch just political rivalry?
The confrontation between the central government and Kansai area leaders over the restart of two nuclear reactors in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, has more to do with the growing power struggle between Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda than with safety or objective attempts to determine how much electricity will be available this summer.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120517a2.html

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Friday, May 18, 2012

METI boss fired for nuclear crisis regrets underestimating tsunami threat
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120518a2.html

Government doesn't plan to issue mandatory power-saving order to western Japan
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120518a3.html

Firms say new gear visually detects radiation hot spots
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120518b1.html

Bracing up for power savings
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ed20120518a1.html



Nuclear watchdog pressured on nuclear safety
Japan's industry ministry was found to have pressed the Nuclear Safety Commission to present a view that old nuclear power plants posed no safety risks in spite of stronger earthquake-resistance guidelines.
Six years ago, the commission made its earthquake-resistance guidelines for nuclear power plants more stringent.
On that occasion, the ministry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency asked the commission to present a view that the existing nuclear plants built under old guidelines have no problems with earthquake-resistance.
The agency's written request states that unless this is done by the commission, serious problems will arise. ...

Daiwa House to install 1,000 batteries
Businesses based in western Japan are hastily preparing to meet the government's power-saving target for this summer.
Osaka-based Daiwa House Industry is planning to install 1,000 batteries at its offices and factories nationwide.
The batteries are to be charged overnight from 11 PM to 7 AM. They will be used from one PM to 6 PM when demand for electricity peaks. ...

Nuclear watchdog pressured on nuclear safety
Japan's industry ministry was found to have pressed the Nuclear Safety Commission to present a view that old nuclear power plants posed no safety risks in spite of stronger earthquake-resistance guidelines.
Six years ago, the commission made its earthquake-resistance guidelines for nuclear power plants more stringent. ...


Relatives of suicide evacuee sue TEPCO
The family of a woman who committed suicide following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, has filed a lawsuit. They are seeking over one million dollars in damages from the Tokyo Electric Power Company. ...
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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Summer voluntary power curbs set
The government releases its summer power-saving plan, asking households and businesses served by seven utilities to voluntarily cut consumption by 5 to 15 percent to deal with an expected shortage amid the nationwide atomic plant shutdown.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120519a1.html

Iwate disaster debris on its way to Shizuoka
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120519a4.html

Reasons I don't buy a nuclear restart - AMY CHAVEZ
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120519cz.html

Imperial couple thanks UK for disaster help
Japan's Emperor and Empress have expressed gratitude to those British people who participated in relief activities following last year's earthquake and tsunami.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko invited about 100 people to a reception at the Japanese Embassy in London on Thursday. The Imperial couple is visiting Britain for the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

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Sunday, May 20, 2012

quite a few earthquakes of M 5 and even one of M6

2012年5月20日　4時11分 三陸沖 5.8
2012年5月20日　4時20分 三陸沖 5.4
2012年5月20日　4時24分 三陸沖 4.8
2012年5月20日　16時32分 三陸沖 6.2
2012年5月20日　16時38分 三陸沖 5.7
2012年5月20日　17時27分 三陸沖 5.4
2012年5月20日　17時50分 三陸沖 5.1

2012年5月21日　7時26分 三陸沖 5.0
2012年5月21日　9時51分 三陸沖 5.1
2012年5月21日　12時22分 沖縄本島北西沖 5.0 Okinawa
2012年5月21日　19時22分 三陸沖 5.0


Japan faces a long, hot, nuclear-free summer
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fd20120520bj.html


Govt discussing ways to dispose of drifted debris
Japan's government is discussing what to do about debris drifting across the Pacific Ocean from last year's disaster in Japan.


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Monday, May 21, 2012

eclipse morning -
the paddies as quiet
as ever

Look at my valley in Okayama.

- Details about the solar eclipse -

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Strong earthquakes rattle Italy.
M 4.0, M 6.1, M 5.2, M 4.4 ...


New building material to absorb cesium developed
A Japanese research group says they have succeeded in developing a building material that could filter most radioactive cesium from contaminated water.
A research group at Kinki University's Faculty of Engineering in Hiroshima Prefecture applied a method using plaster found in traditional Japanese architecture.
The traditional material called "Shikkui" usually mixes lime with sand, but the group used zeolite powder instead of sand. ... Researcher Atsushi Taga says the result was unexpected. He says he hopes the material will be used to store contaminated debris from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.



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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

World's tallest Tokyo Sky Tree to open
The world's tallest tower, Tokyo's 634-meter Sky Tree, opens on Tuesday.
The tower has two panoramic observation decks, at 350 and 450 meters above ground. On a clear day, it offers a view of Mt. Fuji on the horizon.

. My Sky Tree Special 東京スカイツリー .

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Tepco to be nationalized on July 25 with Yen 1 trillion transaction
The government will effectively nationalize Tokyo Electric Power Co. on July 25 by injecting ¥1 trillion in taxpayers' money into the nation's biggest utility, which has been swamped by liabilities related to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Tokyo Electric said Monday.
The government will initially acquire 50.11 percent of Tepco's voting rights, which will allow it to choose the utility's board members. It also will be able boost its stake to 75.84 percent should it want even stronger control to push through reforms.
Tepco plans to change its articles of incorporation at its annual shareholders' meeting on June 27 to allow for the increase in authorized shares, which now stand at 1.8 billion.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120522b5.html


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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Fukushima reactor vessel may be leaking water
Japanese scientists say cooling water may be leaking from a second reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. They say the water level of the reactor's containment vessel is much shallower than previously thought.
Researchers at the government-backed Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization analyzed the internal pressure and other data from the No.1 reactor.
They say the water in the vessel is about 40 centimeters deep. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, says the water should have a depth of about 2 meters.
They say water may be leaking from a hole in a pipe 40 centimeters from the bottom of the vessel. The pipe is connected to the suppression chamber below. The hole is estimated to be 2 centimeters across.
The power company says that despite the low water level, the nuclear fuel in the vessel is sufficiently cooled at about 30 degrees Celsius.
In March, the utility used an endoscope to find that the water level inside the No.2 reactor had fallen to 60 centimeters.
The water leaks at the two reactors could make the task of decommissioning the plant more difficult. The utility plans to fill the containment vessels with water to remove melted fuel.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

2012年5月24日　0時07分 青森県東方沖 6.0
Earthquake M 6.0 in Aomori, felt as weak 5
A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of northeastern Japan, but no tsunami is expected.
The Meteorological Agency says the quake occurred off the Pacific coast at around midnight. The quake's focus was estimated at a depth of 50 kilometers. The agency says there is no danger of tsunami.
It registered 5 plus on the Japanese scale of 7 in Tohoku City, and 5 minus in Noheji City and Higashidori Village. The quake was also felt in Hokkaido and other areas.
Police say no damage was reported, but the Metrological Agency says aftershocks are likely to continue.

TEPCO: 900,000 TBq emitted from Fukushima plant
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant estimates that 900,000 terabecquerels of radioactive material have been emitted from the facility.
Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, say fuel rods inside the plant's No.1 to No.3 reactors melted down shortly after the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th last year. ... The figure is 50 percent to 80 percent higher than those released separately by the Nuclear Safety Commission and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, but less than 20 percent of the amount emitted after the Chernobyl accident.
.
Fukushima meltdowns' March 2011 fallout higher than estimated, near 900,000 terabecquerels: Tepco
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120525b6.html


Police report PTSD symptoms after disasters
The National Police Agency estimates that around 4 percent of police officers working in 3 disaster-hit prefectures in northeastern Japan are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
The agency surveyed more than 10,000 officers and other workers based in police headquarters in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures between January and February. The 3 prefectures were particularly hard hit by last year's earthquake and tsunami.


Kanagawa Gov. protests against US landing practice
The Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture has criticized the US Navy's refusal to end nighttime flight practice at its Atsugi base in the prefecture, despite protests from local communities.
The navy began the 3-day landing and taking-off practice on Tuesday after the aircraft carrier USS George Washington's departure from Yokosuka base was postponed.
The navy said it would field the flight drills to maintain the technical capability of its pilots. ...


Govt. to set up marine power generation test sites
The Japanese government plans to set up test sites as early as fiscal 2014 for firms and other organizations to experiment with marine power generation.
This form of renewable energy harnesses the pull of ocean waves and tides to move generators. Western nations have been leading research in this field in recent years.


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Friday, May 25, 2012

Radiation didn't cause Fukushima No. 1 deaths: U.N.
Radiation exposure was not responsible for the deaths of six workers helping to contain the Fukushima nuclear crisis, according to a U.N. committee's preliminary assessment.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120525a2.html

Nuclear panel held meetings with non-members
A Japanese government advisory panel reviewing the nation's nuclear fuel recycling policy held many closed-door meetings with representatives of the nuclear industry.
The 6-member panel of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission submitted a report on nuclear fuel recycling last week after holding open study meetings since January.
But the panel also held more than 20 closed-door sessions between December and April with officials of the Natural Resources and Energy Agency and the Federation of Electric Power Companies. ...


Deep drill finds possible March quake fault
An international team of researchers has found an undersea layer of crushed rocks off northeastern Japan. The team says the layer may be part of a giant fault that caused the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.
Experts from Japan, the United States and 8 European nations announced on Friday the findings of a month-long survey near the focus of the quake.
The team used the Japanese deep-sea survey vessel Chikyu and sent a drill to the seabed 6,900 meters deep.
The drill dug 850 meters into the seabed and hit a layer of crushed rocks.

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Fukushima No.4 reactor building opened to media
The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant has for the first time allowed media representatives inside a building housing one of the reactors.
To limit exposure to radiation and safety management, 4 journalists and cameramen were chosen from among media teams accompanying nuclear crisis minister Goshi Hosono. The 4 went inside the Number 4 reactor building for observation that lasted about 30 minutes.

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Pine trees burned in ceremony for tsunami victims
The historic tsunami last year devastated Rikuzen-takata City and uprooted many pine trees. To pray for the recovery of disaster-hit areas, the pine trees were burned in a religious ceremony.
At Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, east of Tokyo, pine tree wood was burned together with pieces of sacred wood.


Tohoku summer festivals end in Morioka
Thousands of visitors in northeastern Japan have enjoyed the final day of a 2-day event that combined 6 summer festivals from the region.
The event was first held last year to promote tourism in areas severely affected by the March 11th disaster.
Sunday's event started with a parade in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture.


Edano regrets govt's response to nuclear accident
Japan's industry minister has admitted that the government failed to provide sufficient information to the public after last year's accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Yukio Edano was the government's spokesperson at the time.
Edano told a Diet-appointed panel on Sunday that he regrets the government was unable to collect information and anticipate events.
He said he regrets the fact that there was a huge gap between him and the people in the affected areas concerning the effects of radiation.
Edano said no one had expected that people would have to be evacuated for a long time, and he deeply regrets the hardship that this caused.
He also said he is deeply ashamed that his instruction to government and TEPCO officials to submit all relevant information was not thoroughly followed.
Edano said he advised former Prime Minister Naoto Kan not to visit the Fukushima plant soon after the accident, but agreed that Kan could do so if he was aware of the potential political risks.
Edano said he only found about the SPEEDI system for predicting the spread of radiation 15 or 16 days after the disaster. He said the fact that the system was not used was a major cause of the public's loss of trust in the government.
On the US government's request to have members based full-time at the Prime Minister's residence, Edano said the United States was frustrated by the lack of information.
He said the Prime Minister's residence is where Japan makes decisions as a sovereign state, and it is unthinkable to have members of foreign governments involved in the process. Edano said he sought the US government's understanding for Japan's stance on this issue.
The panel is scheduled to hear from Kan on Monday.


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Monday, May 28, 2012

Edano alleges Tepco planned No. 1 pullout
Trade minister Yukio Edano testifies in the Diet that Tepco seriously thought about abandoning the Fukushima No. 1 power plant at the height of the nuclear crisis and was only thwarted after the Cabinet got wind of the plan.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120528a1.html

Former PM calls for Japan to end nuclear power
Former Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan says the nuclear accident at Fukushima convinced him that, for safety's sake, Japan must end its dependence on nuclear energy.
Kan on Monday attended a hearing of a panel appointed by the Diet to investigate the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that began on March 11th of last year. He blamed the government for promoting nuclear power as a national policy. He apologized for failing to prevent the accident as the head of government at the time.
Kan said a nuclear safety agency said nothing about what would happen in such an accident, nor did the government receive information from other sources. He added that he feared the situation could get out of control.
Kan acknowledged that the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, consulted the government about evacuating plant workers.
He said that when the industry minister informed him of the workers' possible withdrawal, he thought it was out of the question.
Kan said that he told Tokyo Electric President Masataka Shimizu that the government would not allow the workers to leave, and Shimizu complied.
The former prime minister criticized what he calls an inner circle of nuclear policymakers, experts and businesses for trying to hold on to their power without doing any soul-searching after the accident.
He said disbanding the circle is the first step in a comprehensive reform of nuclear policy.
He also said the accident could have jeopardized state functions, and that he is convinced that the safest way forward for Japan is to end its nuclear power generation.
The panel plans to compile a report on its investigation by next month at the earliest, and submit it to the heads of both chambers of the Diet.
- - - - and here
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120529a1.html



TEPCO to remove unused fuel from No. 4 reactor
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has decided to remove 2 unused fuel rods from a storage pool at the No. 4 reactor to look for damage.
This is in preparation for the removal of a large number of the 1,535 used and unused fuel rods stored in the pool, which could pose a threat in the event of another earthquake.
Tokyo Electric Power Company intends to remove the 2 fuel rods from the pool in July. Removal of unused fuel is not as dangerous as taking out used fuel.
If successful, TEPCO plans to start to remove the remainder of the fuel next year. .....


Fukushima fallout spread globally in 40 days
Japanese scientists say radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may have been dispersed all around the globe in about 40 days.
A research team led by Akira Watanabe, a Fukushima University professor and meteorologist, measured the daily concentration of airborne radioactive substances in Fukushima City since May last year, about 2 months after the nuclear disaster occurred.
The research results show that the concentration of radioactive materials in the air during the first month of the survey was on average 0.0048 becquerels per cubic meter.
About 10 months later, in March this year, the figure decreased by around 85-percent.
The researchers say the overall density is declining, but continues to rise and fall alternately in a 40-day cycle.
They say radioactive materials from the Fukushima plant fell to the ground in various parts of the world, carried by atmospheric air flows, and then gradually decreased.
The findings will be presented on Tuesday at a meeting of the Meteorological Society of Japan in Ibaraki Prefecture.


Composer writes tsunami safety song for children
Children in Iwate prefecture now have a song to help remind them what to do when a tsunami hits.
"Go up the hill" by Akira Senju, a classical composer who also writes film scores in Japan, teaches toddlers that they should run to higher ground. Senju was asked by the head of an Ofunato city nursery school to compose an instructive song for children when he visited the area last year after the March 11th disaster. ...


Fmr manager caught for mislabeling Fukushima beef
Japanese police have arrested a man on suspicion of putting false labels on beef products from Fukushima Prefecture. The prefecture hosts the damaged nuclear plant.
Hiroshi Kutsukake is accused of selling mislabeled beef at a supermarket meat shop in Osaka, western Japan, in February. ...
and here
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120529a2.html


Outdoor swimming to resume in much of Fukushima
About 80 percent of municipalities in Fukushima prefecture plan to resume outdoor swimming at their elementary and junior high schools this summer.
Last summer, following the March 11th disaster at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 31 cities, towns and villages in the prefecture did not have outdoor swimming classes. ...

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Your haiku: the good, the bad and the ugly of Japan
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120529hs.html

Fukushima cesium isotopes found in tuna caught off U.S.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120529b7.html


Environment report urges nuclear decontamination
A government report says a more solid system to decontaminate the fallout from the nuclear accident last year must quickly be put in place.
The annual white paper on the environment referred to the effects of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time.
It says the accident has made it clear that that pollution from nuclear substances is the largest problem concerning the environment.
It says the fallout is worrying people not only in Japan but also around the world, so quickly reducing the effects it will have on human health and on the environment is an urgent task. ...


Review of Japan's nuclear policy suspended
The Japan Atomic Energy Commission has decided to suspend a review of the country's nuclear policy guidelines currently being conducted by an expert panel.
In a meeting on Tuesday, some of the panelists expressed concerns over the selection of some of the panel, which includes members from power companies and research institutes that are promoting nuclear power.
- and
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120530a3.html



Smartphone with radiation detector announced
- - - see radiation problems


Researchers develop cloth that draws cesium out of toxic water
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120530a5.html

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Restart of Ohi plant may be declared next week
Japan's government says it hopes to announce the restart of Ohi nuclear plant as early as next week, if it can win the final consent of host municipalities.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met his cabinet ministers in charge of nuclear issues on Wednesday: Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, Economy and Industry Minister Yukio Edano and Nuclear Crisis Minister Goshi Hosono.
The ministers agreed that most municipalities near the offline facility support the restart, though with reservations.

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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Kansai governors: Oi reactors restart is state's call
The Union of Kansai Governments announces it will accept any government decision on restarting two reactors at the Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture, effectively approving a resumption of operations.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120531a3.html


Panel likely to delay start of 10% price hike by Tepco
Tepco's hoped-for 10 percent price hike for households probably won't kick in July 1 because no decision deadline has been imposed on a government panel examining the proposal.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120531a4.html

Alleged plan to pull No. 1 plant workers returns to haunt Tepco
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120531a6.html

Tokai mayor at front of antinuclear drive
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120531f1.html

Facebook emerges as marketing medium
Kyodo
Ryohin Keikaku Co., the company that operates the Muji retail brand selling clothing and household items both domestically and overseas, opened its official page on the U.S. Internet social networking site Facebook in 2010.

An extensive range of products and events it hosts are uploaded on the page along with columns, with titles such as "We would like to introduce you to our 'support kit for going home in the event of an emergency,' " and "This is a simple kit for you to start growing vegetables."

It may look like just another product advertisement on a blog or corporate website, but one of Facebook's advantages for businesses lies in its commenting feature and the "like" icon that gives users the chance to make their own endorsements. Those comments and endorsements are shared by other members on the world's biggest social networking site, which had more than 900 million users as of the end of March.

On Facebook, which listed as a public company in the United States on May 18, people typically register using their real name. For businesses, this network of "real" people serves as a powerful tool when people recommend products. Those endorsements are not made anonymously but often by friends or other people they may know well and trust.
Businesses also say they can make better use of feedback from these "real" people rather than from someone nameless on other commercial websites.

Ryohin Keikaku has more than 700,000 "fans" on its page. Takashi Okutani, director of the company's Web business division, says Facebook's attraction lies in "the ability for us to come into direct contact with consumers."
http://ryohin-keikaku.jp/

Like Ryohin Keikaku, an increasing number of Japanese businesses are using this social media, set up in 2004, that has been making strong inroads into Japan.

In filing for its initial public offering, Facebook identified Japan as one of the select "relatively less-penetrated, large markets" where it focuses on growing its user base.

It estimates a penetration rate of less than 15 percent in the country, where it faces competition from the homegrown Mixi social networking site.

Tokyu Hands Inc., which retails a variety of household goods through its street and online shops, also has around 180,000 fans. With around 600,000 products on offer, the company uses Facebook to display some it cannot display on its store shelves or in print ads.

Tokyu Hands also responds to customer queries. "We are hoping to get customers interested in our products and give them a push when they are buying something," said Kei Ogata from the company's information technology commerce division.

Not only big retailers but also local governments are jumping on the Facebook bandwagon to promote products and small businesses in their regions.

Last November, the city of Takeo in Saga Prefecture opened F&B Ryohin Takeo, where it sells rice and vegetables grown by local farmers as well as porcelain ware. It also handles reservations for rooms at luxury Japanese-style inns.

"We want to support local small businesses that are handling quality products," a city official said.

Those who want to sell products on the city's page need to pay 5-9 percent commission on their sales. But city officials post information and photos to show how these products were made or how they are used. They also reply to questions frequently. The online shop generates around ¥300,000 in average monthly sales, the officials say.

Oirantan, a popular, 30-year-old curry restaurant in Takeo, has started selling curry products on the page. "We think it's safe because it's operated by the city," said Kazuko Kishikawa, an employee of the restaurant. "Our curry has many fans outside the prefecture and we needed a marketing tool," she said.

Bilcom Inc., a digital marketing company, has set up a page dubbed Tohoku Hyakkabu to support businesses rebuilding their operations in the northeast after last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The site introduces businesses selling specialty goods of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.

The company developed software for these businesses to quickly set up "shops" on Facebook. The software is offered free of charge.

Ishiwatashoten Co., which sells shark fin soup in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, is among the shops that have made use of the software. "We believe more and more people will buy merchandise on Facebook," a shop official said.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120531f2.html



Massive quake expected off Boso Peninsula
Japanese researchers say a massive earthquake could occur off a peninsula to the east of Tokyo, in an area separate from the one that triggered the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.


Restart of Ohi plant may be declared next week
Japan's government says it hopes to announce the restart of Ohi nuclear plant as early as next week, if it can win the final consent of host municipalities.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met his cabinet ministers in charge of nuclear issues on Wednesday: Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, Economy and Industry Minister Yukio Edano and Nuclear Crisis Minister Goshi Hosono.
The ministers agreed that most municipalities near the offline facility support the restart, though with reservations.
But they noted that the plant's host Ohi Town and Fukui Prefecture remain undecided. The government says it will also send a senior official to Fukui to again explain its commitment to safety.
Noda weighed into the controversy this week by saying he would take personal responsibility for the Ohi restart, if the prefecture and Ohi Town agree to it. The agreements from local governments are essential for the restart.
In an effort to convince the hosts, the government will propose linking the Ohi plant directly to its operator and the Prime Minister's office in a three-way teleconference system. A senior government official would also be stationed in Ohi Town.
Once the local agreement is won, the Noda cabinet will meet again next week for a final decision on the resumption. All 50 nuclear reactors across Japan are currently offline.


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sources
. . Bulletins from NHK WORLD . .
. . Japan Times - JT . .



April 2012

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