May 11, Wednesday

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The third month after the shock starts !

two months later -
nothing can erase
these memories





. Remember March 11, 2011, 14:46 　


24,829 people are dead or missing.
14,949 people are confirmed dead:
- 8,941 in Miyagi,
- 4,400 in Iwate,
- 1,544 in Fukushima.

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Gabi reports:

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

It has been raining all night, more or less strong, and will continue to do so until tomorrow as Typhoon Nr. 1 still lingers in Okinawa.


this long day -
only the pounding rain
on my tin roof

. . . . .

Shimane Prefecture Governor Zenbe Mizoguchi and Saga Prefecture Governor Yasushi Furukawa said the power plants in their prefectures will remain shut down until more clear guidance about safety measures from the government is gained.

America is stepping up its efforts to inspect the nuclear reactors and improve safety regulations.

To combat the shortage of energy in summer, some auto firms now plan to work during the weekends and close on two days during the week, probably from July to September.
Other industries are also aiming at a rotating system.


. . . . . at 19:00
I have to log off. A thunderstorm is coming our way.
More rain. More rain.


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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Govt demands financial efforts of TEPCO
The government has demanded Tokyo Electric Power Company make as much effort as it can if the company is to receive state financial help in paying compensation over the accident at its nuclear plant in Fukushima.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda and other related ministers discussed on Tuesday what efforts TEPCO needs to make.
The government called for the company's utmost efforts to streamline its operations and cut costs, except for expenses necessary for a stable supply of electricity.
It also called on the utility to allow an independent panel to carry out a survey on its management finance for tighter asset assessment and a review of its expenses.
The demand was conveyed to the company on Tuesday evening.
Earlier in the day, TEPCO asked the government for its financial help to make sure the company can offer compensation.
The company said its chairman, president and other board members will decline their salaries and bonuses for the time being. It also said it will sell securities, properties and other assets to raise funds.


Wednesday, May 11, 2011 04:28
TEPCO slipping behind schedule to contain accident
Nearly one month has passed since the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant announced a schedule to contain the accident. But Tokyo Electric Power Company is finding it difficult to stick to the plan.
TEPCO announced the schedule on April 17th, detailing 51 measures to be implemented over the next 3 months for the 1st stage.
The most important steps involve the cooling of the reactors. These include pumping water into the reactors, injecting nitrogen into the containment vessels to prevent a hydrogen blast and filling them with water, as well as a study on the possible installation of heat exchangers.
Workers have entered the No.1 reactor building to prepare to inject water into the containment vessel. On Tuesday, they started calibrating the water gauges, and a plan has been drawn up to install a heat exchanger.
However, none of these measures have been carried out at the other reactors, apart from pumping water into them.
The high levels of radiation detected inside the No.1 building could force TEPCO to change its work plan.
A clear strategy for containing the problem is yet to be seen 2 months after the nuclear accident occurred.


Wednesday, May 11, 2011 07:02
Gov't: Burying contaminated soil into ground works
The Japanese government plans to inform schools in Fukushima Prefecture that burying radiation-contaminated topsoil into the ground is an effective way to reduce its radiation level.
The education and science ministry concluded this after conducting an experiment at a school in Fukushima City on Sunday. The ministry says that burying contaminated soil 50 centimeters underground reduced the overall radiation level by 90 percent.
After the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, schools in the prefecture have been restricting outdoor activities. Radiation levels in soil at all the schools, except for one, remain within the official limit for children playing outdoors.
Schools in the cities of Koriyama and Date have removed the topsoil in their schoolyards as a precaution. But schools have not been able to get the soil transported away from the premises because of the lack of government disposal guidelines for irradiated soil.
The government will report its latest findings to the prefecture's education board and the Nuclear Safety Commission on Wednesday.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 09:43
Survivors' lives two months on
Survivors of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan say they still face difficulties in their daily lives 2 months on.
NHK surveyed 435 people living in evacuation centers and elsewhere in the hardest-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
More than 450,000 people were living in shelters just after the quake, but the number has now dropped to about 120,000. Many evacuees left the shelters saying they were tired of living in groups. Some facilities were closed or merged.
Asked what bothered them the most, 38 percent of those in the shelters cited a lack of privacy.
32 percent of the people living in their homes cited not being able to bathe and a lack of utilities as their main concern.
34 percent of those staying with relatives or living in apartments said the lack of access to information, including notices from their municipalities, is a problem.
One woman in Rikuzentakata city, Iwate Prefecture, said she is living at home because her father refused to stay in a shelter. She said the water and electricity are still off and that she can only bathe once every 4 or 5 days at facilities provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.


Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:21
60% of reactors off the grid

Almost 60 percent of the commercial nuclear reactors in Japan are currently shut down due to the March 11th disaster or routine inspections.
The unusually high figure will have a significant impact on the nation's power supply this summer.
Japan operates 54 reactors, 32 of which were not operating as of Wednesday. 14 were suspended after March 11th and 18 are undergoing regular inspections.
Kyushu Electric Power Company postponed the restarting of 2 reactors at its Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture after the accident in Fukushima. And the utility began a periodic inspection on Tuesday of another reactor at the Sendai nuclear complex in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
The company is now working out measures to ensure a stable power supply during the summer, despite the fact that half of its 6 reactors are suspended.
Chubu Electric Power Company is expected to halt the operation of 2 reactors at the Hamaoka plant in central Japan as early as this weekend. The move follows a government request to shut them down due to the risk of a major earthquake.
Six other reactors in the county are also scheduled to undergo routine inspections by the summer.
Decisions by power companies and local governments on whether or not to resume reactor operations are likely to have a significant impact on the nation's power supply this summer.


Wednesday, May 11, 2011 12:49
TEPCO apologizes again 2 months after accident
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant has apologized again, 2 months after the massive earthquake and tsunami that crippled the nuclear facility.
On Wednesday, senior official of Tokyo Electric Power Company or TEPCO, Junichi Matsumoto, told a news conference the firm regrets that those forced to evacuate the area around the plant have not been able to return home.
Matsumoto admitted to some delays in implementing the utility's plan to bring the troubled plant under control. But he said no major obstacles have arisen so far.
He said TEPCO will announce its assessment of the progress it has made on May 17th, one month into its restoration plan.
At the No. 1 reactor, where the most progress has been made, work to calibrate the water gauges continued on Wednesday. Similar work on the pressure gauges is expected to start the same day.
This work is part of preparations to fill the reactor's containment vessel with water, leading to a stable cooling of the reactor.


Wednesday, May 11, 2011 14:19
TEPCO accepts conditions for state support
Tokyo Electric Power Company has accepted government conditions for state support in compensating people affected by the accident at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
TEPCO reached the decision on Wednesday at an extraordinary board meeting, and the same day conveyed it to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The government had earlier asked the utility not to set a ceiling on compensation payments in advance, to make thorough streamlining efforts, and to accept a third-party investigation of its finances among other conditions.
The government now plans to finalize a framework for compensation this week.
It aims to establish a new entity to help TEPCO pay damages by seeking financial contributions from all nuclear power plant operators.


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Voices from around


Japan Times :

Evacuees briefly return home in no-go zone
Residents of the village of Kawauchi, which sits in the no-go zone surrounding the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, briefly return home to pick up personal belongings.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511a1.html

Tepco turns to government for cash
Embattled Tokyo Electric Co. President Masataka Shimizu officially asks the government to help shoulder the burden of compensating people affected by the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511a3.html

Hamaoka impact will be far-flung
The decision by Chubu Electric Power to shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture is testament to the long-lasting and far-reaching impact of the March 11 megaquake.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511a4.html


Suspension without a vision
Chubu Electric Power Co., which serves central Japan around Nagoya, decided Monday to suspend all operations at its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture in response to Prime Minister Naoto Kan's call Friday for the suspension for safety reasons.
...
Although Chubu's decision will cause power shortage, serious discussions must be held over whether the construction of the bulwark can justify resumption of the Hamaoka plant operations. Hamaoka is Chubu's only nuclear power plant and has provided about 12 percent of the utility's total power supply.
...
Chubu's decision will cause power shortages and may affect the whole Japanese economy. Still the power shortage problem should not distract attention from safety questions.
...
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/ed20110511a1.html


Naoto Kan to give up executive salary
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511a2.html

Opposition rejects Kan's recovery efforts
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511a5.html

High tides inundate sunken towns
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511a7.html

'No plan to dump N-waste overseas'
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511b2.html

Mayor to approve Onagawa restart
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110511b3.html

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The Japanese Embassy in Denmark arranges a lively and succesful Sakura festival in late April/early May when the cherry trees blossoms (sakura means cherry flower).
After the devastation of the earthquake and following tsunami, great consideration has been given as to whether to hold the 4th Copenhagen Sakura Festival or not.
http://www.sakurafestival.dk/index.php

Taking place at a green lawn full of cherry trees, placed in Copenhagen at the waterside very close to the little mermaid.

I've been there a couple of years doing origami together with the Danish-Japenese Society (http://www.dansk-japanskselskab.dk/).

This year we have been folding 1000 cranes for Japan. This made it into the Danish TV news Sunday evening, look here:
http://www.tv2lorry.dk/arkiv/2011/5/8?video_id=51774

Hans from Denmark



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May 10, Tuesday

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Gabi reports:

I woke up to the pounding rain on the tin roof ... whow, the typhoon is approaching!
Three days of heavy rain in the forecast.



rainclouds racing
all over Japan -
first typhoon

In the evening, it was not as bad as predicted, just a rainy day with some strong bouts inbetween. For now, good night.


. . . . . at 19:15
Earthquake M 5.4, off the coast of Ibaraki

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Chubu Electric is now preparing for summer
. Hamaoka Power Plant .

. . . . .

Some English language teachers are coming back to Tohoku, especially Tamura, Fukushima. They carried messages and paintings from children of their homeland to the disaster zone.

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Govt to monitor radioactive strontium levels
An advisor to Japan's prime minister says there needs to be close monitoring of radioactive strontium levels around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Goshi Hosono made the remark to reporters on Monday, one day after Tokyo Electric Power Company detected high concentrations of strontium-90 in soil samples taken on April 18th inside the plant's compound. The amount is about 130 times higher than the maximum level observed within Fukushima Prefecture after past foreign atmospheric nuclear tests.
Hosono serves as the secretary general of a joint nuclear accident task force set up by the government and the operator of the plant.
Noting the danger of strontium to human health, he said a detailed investigation is needed, including analysis of past data, to determine how the radioactive substance was scattered.
Once inhaled, radioactive strontium accumulates in bones, like calcium, and could cause cancer.
On April 13th, the science ministry announced that 3.3 to 32 becquerels per kilogram of strontium-90 was detected in soil samples from 3 locations in Namie Town and Iitate Village, 30-kilometers from the Fukushima plant. It also said an extremely small amount of strontium was found in plants taken from Motomiya city, Ono Town and Otama and Nishigo Villages, which are 40 to 80 kilometers from the Fukushima plant. The samples were taken on March 16th and 19th, 5 to 8 days after the accident at the plant.
Until now, the government has not checked strontium levels regularly or in wide areas as it's not easy to distinguish from other radioactive materials and takes time and labor to measure.
The science ministry plans to determine the best method for monitoring strontium.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 07:43
High radiation may slow down TEPCO's repairs
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it may need to slow down some repairs at the Number one reactor due to elevated radiation levels.
Tokyo Electric Power Company measured the levels at several spots in the reactor building on Monday as part of its preparation to fill the containment vessel with water and restore a circulating cooling system.
The company is concerned that the reactor's pipes are leaking radioactive water, contaminating the area.
The tests yielded a maximum of 700 millisieverts per hour, thus workers can only stay in the vicinity for around 20 minutes.
However, employees spent half an hour doing the tests and were exposed to as much as 10.56 millisieverts of radiation.
TEPCO says the figures are higher than acceptable for worker safety.
On Tuesday the firm will attempt measures to reduce radiation levels, including laying down sheets containing lead to insulate the radioactive substances.
It will continue checking the levels but is worried that it may need to change plans depending on the results.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 07:43
Aerial fallout map confirms soil radiation levels
Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission says a new aerial map of radioactive fallout contamination has confirmed the radiation levels in the area near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The commission's chairman, Haruki Madarame 班目春樹, told reporters on Monday that the map will reinforce the agency's system to monitor contamination and will help find ways to lower radiation levels.
The Japanese Science Ministry and the US Energy Department conducted a joint aerial survey from April 6th to the 29th of the area within an 80-kilometer radius of the plant.
The map shows the density of radioactive cesium in red or yellow, depending on the concentration in the soil.
The high density area lies northwest of the plant, coinciding with data collected on the ground.
Madarame also said the situation at the power plant is stabilizing and that it is about time to review ways to carry out daily surveys on the ground. He said the soils could be tested fewer times but more meticulously with the aid of aerial mapping.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 10:43
Fukushima evacuees begin brief home-visits
People forced to evacuate from the 20-kilometer no-entry zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are being allowed to make brief home visits for the first time.
93 representatives of 54 households from Kawauchi Village were bused to a gymnasium on Tuesday morning.
There, they will put on protective clothing and receive radiation dosimeters and walky-talkies before they are taken to their homes.
They will be allowed to spend about 2 hours gathering personal belongings.
The residents will then be returned to the gym to undergo screenings for radiation exposure.
The home visits were arranged at the request of the evacuees. Many people in the no-entry zone enforced by the government on April 22nd had fled the area before then, under an evacuation advisory in place since the nuclear accident.
In total, residents of 9 municipalities are expected to make brief home-visits by the end of May. But those who live within 3 kilometers of the nuclear plant will have no such chance, due to higher radiation levels.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 10:43
Nuclear experts seek single regulatory body
Japanese nuclear scientists are calling or the creation of a single professional nuclear watchdog, similar to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the United States.
15 scientists at the Atomic Energy Society of Japan analyzed the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Their report says the existence of multiple supervisory bodies made responsibilities unclear and hampered smooth communication in the wake of the accident.
The report calls for a unified command and for reviewing the roles of the Nuclear Safety Commission, the industry ministry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and the science ministry.
The scientists also recommend reviewing the presumed scale of tsunami that a nuclear plant could face.
They say that the plants should be equipped with heavy machinery to remove debris in case of a tsunami, in addition to devices to protect key safety instruments.
The scientists warn that existing contingency plans do not fully address disasters like tsunamis, which are less frequent but have a far-reaching impact.
They add that regulators and plant operators rely too much on precedent in their risk analysis, without making sufficient effort to reflect the results of the latest studies.
University of Tokyo Professor Koji Okamoto, who was involved in the analysis, said contingency plans should be drawn up on the premise that accidents do occur.
He says he hopes the lessons learned in Fukushima can be shared at more than 400 reactors across the world.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 12:44
TEPCO to begin pipe work for No.3 reactor
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is to begin construction work on pipes for the No.3 reactor to make sure that all cooling water being pumped in is actually reaching the reactor.
Tokyo Electric Power Company has been pumping 9 tons of water per hour into the reactor since last Wednesday after its temperature began rising earlier this month.
That was an increase from 7 tons per hour. But the temperature at the bottom of the reactor stood at 150.6 degrees Celsius as of 5 AM Tuesday, marking a rise of 34.1 degrees over the past 10 days.
The power company suspects that not all the water was reaching the reactor because some of it may have been entering a pipe that branched off.
So it decided to pump water through another pipe that had been used to inject water into the reactor before.
The construction work to change pipes for water injection is to begin on Tuesday afternoon. If all goes smoothly, the water will be pumped through the pipe starting on Thursday.
The water level inside a tunnel connected to the reactor was 76 centimeters from the tunnel opening on the ground surface as of 7 AM Tuesday--a 16 centimeter rise over the past 10 days.
The level continues to exceed the 1 meter mark, which the utility firm has set as the benchmark to begin transferring contaminated water.
The firm plans to quickly prepare to transfer contaminated water from the No.3 reactor turbine building and the tunnel.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 13:11
.TEPCO seeks govt help to pay compensation
The president of Tokyo Electric Power Company has asked the government for financial help in paying compensation over the accident at its nuclear plant in Fukushima.
TEPCO President Masataka Shimizu handed a letter of request to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda on Tuesday.
According to the letter, in the current business year TEPCO expects to spend an extra 1 trillion yen or about 12.5 billion dollars for thermal power generation and 9.3 billion dollars to redeem its bonds and repay debts.
The utility says it is afraid that the expenses will make it hard to offer just and speedy compensation while maintaining stable power supplies.
TEPCO also says its chairman, president and other board members will decline their salaries and bonuses for the time being. It says it will sell securities, properties and other assets to raise as much funds as possible, and restructure its management.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 16:04
.Govt to promote use of renewable energy
Japan's environment minister says the government will push for the introduction of renewable energy, now that a utility has agreed to suspend operations at its nuclear plant in central Japan.
Chubu Electric Power Company said on Monday that it would temporarily shut down the Hamaoka nuclear plant, at the request of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Kan had said the plant wasn't sufficiently prepared for a major earthquake expected to hit the region.
Environment Minister Ryu Matsumoto told reporters on Tuesday that the utility's decision would have a huge impact on the government's environment and energy policies. Matsumoto said he'd been instructed by the prime minister to promote the use of renewable energy sources.
He said that because the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan is well suited for solar and wind power generation, the government hopes to incorporate such systems in housing for tsunami survivors.
The Environment Ministry estimates that the maximum amount of electricity possible from wind power generation in northeastern Japan would exceed the energy now being generated by domestic nuclear plants.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 16:04
Fukushima city to remove topsoil from schoolyards
The mayor of Fukushima city has agreed to a demand from parents and teachers to have radiation-contaminated topsoil removed from schoolyards.
Outdoor radiation levels temporarily exceeded safety limits last month at 10 kindergartens, nurseries, and elementary and junior high schools in the city.
The municipal board of education says most elementary schools continue to have students play and study indoors.
On Tuesday, members of a federation of local parent-teacher associations met with Mayor Takanori Seto.
They presented him with a request in writing seeking the removal of surface soil from schoolyards to prevent children from being exposed to radiation.
They also demanded a briefing for parents by municipal officials and radiation experts.
PTA federation chairman Tomoki Akiyama said conflicting information about how much radiation is safe has made parents increasingly concerned about the health of their children.
Mayor Seto said the city will start removing soil from schoolyards as soon as it decides on the most effective method.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 16:04
Officials ease radiation concerns in Russia
Officials from Japan's trade and industry ministry are visiting Russia's Far East to explain that products from Japan are safe.
As problems continue at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, minute levels of radiation have been detected on used cars exported from Japan to Russia.
Trade ministry officials in charge of Russian affairs visited Vladivostok and met with a vice provincial governor on Tuesday.
They presented a Russian translation of Tokyo Electric Power Company's plan to bring the crisis under control and explained that the Japanese government is making an all-out effort to stabilize the troubled Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The Japanese officials also noted that radiation checks are being tightened on Japanese products slated for export.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 17:32
Evacuees return from brief home visits
Evacuees from a no-entry zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have briefly visited their homes.
The 92 members of 54 households from Kawauchi Village on Tuesday became the first among evacuees from 9 municipalities in the zone to be allowed such visits.
The government set up the 20-kilometer zone on April 22nd, 6 weeks after the start of the nuclear accident at the plant.
The evacuees, aged from 21 to 85, put on protective clothing and received dosimeters and walkie-talkies at a gymnasium before entering the zone in 5 groups by bus.
During the visits, they collected valuables and checked on livestock. They then returned to the gymnasium and underwent radiation checks.
The visits were arranged at the request of the evacuees, many of whom left the area in response to an advisory.
Evacuees from Katsurao Village are to make similar visits on Thursday.
Such visits are to be allowed until the end of May, except in areas within 3 kilometers of the plant.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 19:13
Kan to focus on natural energy, energy saving
Prime Minister Naoto Kan says that from now on the government will focus on use of natural energy and measures to save energy, rather than on nuclear power.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Kan thanked Chubu Electric Power Company for its quick decision to accept his request that operations be suspended at the Hamaoka nuclear plant in central Japan.
Kan said that although the decision has raised fears of a power shortage, the problem could be avoided with help from other utilities and through power-saving efforts in the private sector and among the public.
The prime minister said Japan's energy policy has relied on nuclear power and fossil fuels, but that he would shift focus to natural energy, such as solar and wind power and biomass fuels. He also pledged efforts to create a more energy-efficient society.
Kan admitted that the government shares responsibility for the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, along with its operator Tokyo Electric Power Company, as the government had promoted nuclear power generation as a national policy.
He added he would give up his salary as prime minister until the crisis has ended.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 19:13
TEPCO starts adjusting gauges at Unit 1
Workers at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeast Japan have started adjusting gauges at the plant's Number 1 reactor to ensure stable cooling.
The 9 workers started the work on Tuesday morning as part of a plan to fill the reactor's containment vessel with water.
The plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, says it hopes to determine the level of water inside the vessel, which the firm plans to fill with water.
The firm installed radiation-proof mats containing lead at the site after a survey on Monday detected radiation levels of 7 to 12 millisieverts per hour nearby.
But the firm says the mats have reduced radiation by only about 10 percent, and that it must work out how to protect workers from exposure.
The firm also says the temperature of the plant's Number 3 reactor has been rising this month, and that work to pump water to cool the reactor may be insufficient.
The company says it is installing new pipes at the reactor and hopes to start pumping water through them on Thursday.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 19:13
Japan stresses food safety to foreign media
Japan's government has stressed the safety of Japanese food at a luncheon held for about 50 foreign journalists in Tokyo.
The event at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Tuesday follows moves by a number of countries to impose bans on food imports from Japan due to concerns over radioactive contamination.
Food served at the meal included fish caught off the coast of northeastern Japan and vegetables from the eastern prefecture of Ibaraki, which is close to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
A government official told the assembled reporters that more than 40 countries and territories have implemented various kinds of import restrictions, even though Japan's food safety standards are among the toughest in the world.
He said unfounded rumors about food safety are plaguing farmers in the disaster-stricken areas, and expressed hope that countries would buy more Japanese food.
One of the reporters cited the recent food poisoning at a barbeque restaurant chain in Japan that killed 4 people, and asked if the country's food safety standards are sufficient. Another reporter said that Japan's safety criteria for food shipments are not clear.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 20:22
Radiation high at No.3 reactor pool
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has detected high levels of radioactive materials in the spent fuel pool of the No.3 reactor at the plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Company examined a water sample from the pool on Sunday. The sample contained 140,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium-134 per cubic centimeter, 150,000 becquerels of secium-137, and 11,000 becquerels of iodine-131.
None of these substances were detected during an inspection on March 2nd, before the accident triggered by the March 11th disaster.
TEPCO says these substances may have come from damaged fuel rods in the reactor rather than the damaged spent fuel rods in the pool, because it has detected radioactive iodine, which has a short half-life. Radioactive substances such as iodine are generated during nuclear fission inside a reactor.
The company says the radioactive substances may have become attached to debris and entered the pool together.
Footage from the pool at the No.3 reactor on Sunday showed debris, believed to have been caused by a hydrogen explosion, scattered all over the interior of the reactor building.
The levels of radiation detected are almost the same as those detected in April in water samples in the fuel pool of the No.2 reactor.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011 20:22
Governors cautious on resuming reactors
The governors of 2 Japanese prefectures say they need more information from the government before they can agree to resume operations of reactors at nuclear power plants in their prefectures.
The governors made such remarks on Tuesday, one day after the utility operating the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture agreed to suspend operation of the plant's reactors. The remarks also followed a statement by Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda that all other nuclear plants have no problems in terms of continuing or resuming operations.
Shimane Prefecture Governor Zenbe Mizoguchi said he cannot yet judge whether he can restart operations that were suspended for a regular check at a reactor at a plant in Matsue, the prefecture's capital. Mizoguchi said he first has to confirm with the state various situations surrounding nuclear plants, including the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, as well as power supply and demand.
Saga Prefecture Governor Yasushi Furukawa said he cannot authorize restarting 2 reactors at the Genkai power plant in his prefecture without learning how the government assessed emergency safety measures taken for plants in Japan.
Operations at the 2 reactors were suspended for a regular inspection, and their resumption has been delayed following the start of the accident at the Fukushima plant.


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Voices from around


. Daily Radiation Levels . 　

. . . . .

Japan Times :

Chubu Electric OKs Hamaoka shutdown
Chubu Electric answers an urgent request by Prime Minister Naoto Kan bydeciding to shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power station in Shizuoka Prefecture.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110510a1.html

Radiation to restrict work on No. 1
Radiation readings in the Fukushima power plant's No. 1 reactor building are as high as 700 millisieverts per hour, which means workers need shielding to proceed with critical repairs.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110510a2.html

Osaka day laborer duped into reactor cleanup
An Osaka day laborer responding to an ad for a truck driver in Miyagi Prefecture finds himself beside the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, cleaning up debris.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110510a3.html


More Fukushima veggies banned
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110510a6.html

Kansai bids to be 'backup capital'
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110510f1.html

Tepco, nine other utilities skip April bond issue
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110510a1.html

Nuclear regulators leave Kan to fill in the blanks
... A blank piece of paper is kind of what the minutes of a special March 11 Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) meeting looked like. The meeting was held in response to the series of devastating events that occurred that fateful day.
If I've read those meeting minutes correctly, the NSC commissioners met for just five minutes. The document doesn't say who was at the meeting, but if all five commissioners attended, that would leave one minute of brainstorming time for each of them. You'd think they would have spent just a little more time putting their heads together to figure out a solution to one of the worst nuclear power plant accidents ever. I guess they thought it best just to leave the fate of the nation in the hands of Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power Co.) for a while.
...
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20110510hn.html

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May 09, Monday

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Gabi reports:

Protesters demand to stop the Hamaoka Plant:
. Hamaoka Power Plant .

. . . . .

first typhoon -
Tohoku braces for more
disaster

. Typhoon Nr. 1 台風1号
Aere（アイレー）

. . . . .

When setting up temporary housing in Tohoku, they have to consider that a lot of the inhabitants will be elderly. So they need a hospital and nurses in each center. Finding doctors willing to work in Tohoku has been a problem already before the earthquake and tsunami.

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

TEPCO releases footage of No.4 reactor pool
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has released footage of the spent fuel pool in the Number 4 reactor.
The video was taken on Saturday by a camera on the tip of a mechanical arm used to pour water to cool the reactor.
The footage shows 1,535 spent fuel rods stored in racks and covered by water. It also shows debris and ladders damaged by an explosion that occurred after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. The shelves on the side wall have been destroyed.
Bubbles are occasionally visible, as the water is boiling at a temperature of 84 degrees Celsius.
After analyzing the amount of radioactive materials in the water, Tokyo Electric Power Company has concluded that the spent fuel rods are not seriously damaged.
The Number 4 reactor was not operating at the time of the quake. The reactor building was severely damaged by a hydrogen explosion on March 15th.


Monday, May 09, 2011 06:04
Fisheries: No radiation risk beyond exclusion zone
Japan's Fisheries Agency has told fishermen it's safe to conduct regular fishing in waters beyond the 30-kilometer restricted zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The agency sent out a notice to the fisheries industry and municipalities near the plant after the Nuclear Safety Commission conducted a safety assessment requested by the government's nuclear taskforce.
The commission studied underwater radiation levels beyond the restricted zone. It concluded that a person operating far out at sea would be exposed to a maximum of 1.13 millisieverts of radiation per year. The commission also found that a person fishing along the coast more than 30 kilometers from the plant would be exposed to a maximum of 1.43 millisieverts.
The amounts are higher than the annual 1 millisievert exposure limit for regular people, but the commission said they would not cause health problems.
The commission advises that people measure radiation levels while fishing, and avoid exposing skin, in order to reduce exposure levels.
The notice came after fishermen requested confirmation that activities at sea would be safe. These fishermen stopped fishing due to radiation concerns but are considering going back to work.
Following the accident at the nuclear power plant, the government restricted shipping within the 30-kilometer zone around it. Fishing activities are restricted in some areas due to radiation leaking into water.
Separately, the fisheries agency will work with local fishing associations to check the radiation levels of fish and shellfish in waters above the latitude of Kanagawa Prefecture.


Monday, May 09, 2011 06:04
Workers enter No. 1 reactor building
Workers entered the Number 1 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant early on Monday morning. They will start work to restore the cooling functions.
Tokyo Electric Power Company removed a special tent installed by the door and its workers entered the building at about 4:20 AM. They stayed in the building for about 30 minutes to measure the radiation level under the supervision of staff from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
A new filtering system started operating on Thursday. By Sunday, the density of radioactive substances in the reactor building had fallen to a level that allows staff wearing full face masks to work inside.
Shortly after 8 PM on Sunday, Tokyo Electric Power Company opened the door of the Number 1 reactor building after receiving government approval.
The company says it made efforts to minimize the leakage of substances using the tent, while removing some of the vent pipes and changing the air inside the building over an 8-hour period.
After confirming there are no problems inside the reactor building, workers will check the cooling system pipes and adjust the water gauge to be used in the filling of the containment vessel.


Monday, May 09, 2011 06:04
Radioactive strontium detected at Fukushima plant
Tokyo Electric Power Company has detected high levels of radioactive strontium in soil inside the compound of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Strontium can cause cancer and like calcium it tends to collect in bones once humans inhale it.
Up to 570 becquerels of strontium 90 per kilogram of dry soil were detected in samples taken from 3 locations. They were taken on April 18, about 500 meters from the Number 1 and 2 reactors, between the surface and about 5 centimeters deep. The level detected is about 130 times higher than the previous high, which was measured in Fukushima Prefecture after nuclear tests in the atmosphere, and before the accident at the nuclear plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Company also said it found 4,400 becquerels of radioactive strontium 89 per kilogram of dry soil taken from the same location.
Earlier in March, strontium was detected in soil and plants outside the 30-kilometer zone around the Fukushima plant.
A director of the Japan Chemical Analysis Center, Yoshihiro Ikeuchi, says humans could inhale strontium when wind stirs up the radioactive substance, but the amounts would be very limited. He says the current levels won't be a health hazard to plant workers wearing face masks, but monitoring of strontium levels in the air is needed.


Monday, May 09, 2011 13:10
Preparations underway to restore cooling functions
Preparatory work has begun to restore the cooling functions of the No.1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Company workers opened the door of the reactor building at around 8 PM on Sunday. They measured radiation levels inside the building for about half an hour early Monday morning.
The utility firm says it initially expected that a small amount of radioactive substances would leak for about 8 hours once the door was opened.
However, the firm says radiation levels near the plant have not risen. It says the reading near the west gate of the plant was 18.1 microsieverts per hour after the door was opened while the previous figure was 18.2 microsieverts per hour.
After the radiation levels were monitored, workers entered the reactor building again to remove a special tent set up by the door for air purification and vent pipes.
They will check the cooling system pipes and adjust the water gauge which is necessary when filling the containment vessel to cool down the reactor in a stable manner.
The utility says that decontamination is necessary because radiation levels remain high in some areas in the building.


Radiation tests underway for debris near plant
The Japanese government has begun checking debris for radioactive contamination in areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The Environment Ministry and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency began the tests on Monday at about 120 sites in Fukushima Prefecture.
The debris from the March 11th quake and tsunami could be contaminated with radioactive substances that have leaked from the nuclear plant.
Workers placed radiation monitors near the surface of the piles of debris. They also took samples for testing at laboratories.
As there are no laws covering this type of disposal in Japan, the ministry and the agency will decide how to dispose of the debris after analyzing data and consulting experts.
Debris has been left untouched in the no-entry zone within 20 kilometers of the plant and in the planned evacuation zone outside the 20-kilometer radius.


Monday, May 09, 2011 14:46
Photos show workers inside reactor building
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has released photographs showing workers inside one of the reactor buildings.
Tokyo Electric Power Company released 2 photos taken inside the No.1 reactor building early on Monday.
One shows workers entering the second floor of the building for the first time since a hydrogen blast occurred one day after the March 11th earthquake. TEPCO says radiation readings were between 40 and 100 millisieverts per hour.
The other photo depicts a masked worker walking on the first floor. A unit to the worker's right in the picture drives control rods to adjust the output of the reactor.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says there needs to be a way to block radioactive substances from people working inside.
It says radiation readings inside this reactor building as of Monday morning hit 700 millisieverts per hour at one spot. It says other areas logged about 10 millisieverts per hour.


Monday, May 09, 2011 16:39
Shipment ban placed on some mountain vegetables sansai
The Japanese government has banned shipments of 2 kinds of mountain vegetables from several parts of Fukushima Prefecture that contained levels of radioactive substances above the legal limits.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters on Monday that he had instructed the Fukushima governor to stop shipments of bamboo shoots from 6 municipalities and "kogomi", or ostrich ferns, from 2 municipalities.
Samples of ostrich ferns taken in Kori Town last Thursday had nearly 3 times the permitted amount of radioactive cesium. Cesium levels in samples of the same vegetables taken earlier this month in Fukushima City also exceeded the safety standards.


Monday, May 09, 2011 21:41
High radiation in reactor building
High levels of radiation detected in the No. 1 reactor building at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may disrupt work to cool the reactor.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, continues preparatory work to fill the containment vessel with water and to create a circulating cooling system in the reactor.
The utility firm opened the door of the reactor building on Sunday.
TEPCO measured radiation levels in the reactor building on Monday, concentrating on places where workers will be.
But 700 millisieverts per hour were detected near the first floor, the largest of the places to be checked.
After the plant became contaminated, the government raised the permissible limit of one-time radiation exposure for workers from 100 to 250 millisieverts.
The detected figure shows that workers would be exposed to a level that would exceed even this raised level in about 20 minutes.
The firm says it must work out ways to block radiation exposure so that workers can stay inside the reactor building for longer periods.


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Voices from around


. Daily Radiation Levels . 　

. . . . .

Japan Times :

Tepco opens doors at reactor for ventilation
Tokyo Electric opens up the No. 1 reactor building at the crisis-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, paving the way for efforts to stabilize the facility's most damaged unit.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110509a1.html

Tepco also must pay redress for unfounded radiation fears: Kan
In a boost for farmers, Prime Minister Kan says that any compensation for the nuclear plant crisis paid by Tepco should also cover damages caused by unfounded radiation fears.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110509a3.html

Cabinet wants deeper Tepco restructuring
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110509a4.html


Utility eyes LNG for Hamaoka decision
Chubu Electric prepares to hold another extraordinary board meeting on the fate of the Hamaoka nuclear power plant as its chairman flies to the Middle East to shop for LNG.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110509a2.html


Clinics to be built in all temp housing clusters
The health ministry will set up a clinic for each of the temporary housing facililties built for quake and tsunami evacuees in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, sources said Sunday.
Since doctors and nurses are expected to be short supply, the ministry will also ask the Japan Medical Association, a doctors' association and other bodies to send health care specialists for medium- to long-term stays in an attempt to have around 1,000 specialists on call at all times, the ministry sources said.
In the northeast, however, many areas were struggling to deal with doctor shortages even before the quake and tsunami struck.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110509a5.html

90% of foreigners to stay put: poll
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110509a7.html

. . . . . . . . . .

quote
Japan, U.S. plan nuclear waste storage in Mongolia: paper
Japan and the United States plan to jointly build a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Mongolia to serve customers of their nuclear plant exporters, pushing ahead despite Japan's prolonged nuclear crisis, the Mainichi daily said on Monday.

A Trade Ministry official said Japan, U.S. and Mongolia officials, at a meeting shortly before Japan's March 11 earthquake, informally discussed possible construction of a nuclear waste storage facility for countries with nuclear power plants but no spent fuel storage capability of their own.

The Mainichi said the facility would allow Japanese and U.S. nuclear plant exporters, which include joint ventures and units of General Electric, Hitachi and Toshiba, to better compete with Russian rivals that offer potential nuclear plant customers spent fuel disposal in a package.
source : news.yahoo.com


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May 08, Sunday

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Gabi reports:

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

. . . . .

The Hamaoka Power Plant closure is still under discussion.

. Hamaoka Power Plant .

. . . . .



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

. . . . .

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 . 　

. . . . .

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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May 07, Saturday

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Gabi reports:

On 7 May, 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant be shut down in light of the fact that an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher is estimated 87% likely to hit the area within the next 30 years.

my Special :
. Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant .

. . . . .

Hiraizumi, which was damaged during the earthquake, has become a UNESCO world heriage site now !
Hiraizumi features Buddhist temples and gardens built by the 12th-century Oshu Fujiwara clan.
The Ogasawara Islands are about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo are also added to the list of UNESCO world heriage sites.

. . . . .

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Saturday, May 07, 2011 03:14
Government to assist auto parts makers
The Development Bank of Japan is planning to work with an auto parts organization to extend funding to its members. The bank wants to help manufacturers get back on their feet after the natural disaster in March.
Many parts makers were damaged in the quake, and have had difficulty rebuilding their businesses. Automakers have had to reduce output due to supply chain problems and production is not expected to recover before autumn.
The government-affiliated bank is planning to set up a joint fund with the Japan Auto Parts Industries Association, which has 440 member firms. The fund will help them rebuild their b


Saturday, May 07, 2011 14:52
TEPCO hopes workers enter building for cooling
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant expects that workers can enter the No. 1 reactor building on Sunday to step up efforts to restore the cooling system there.
A new filtering system that Tokyo Electric Power Company installed on Thursday continues to draw air from the No. 1 reactor building to remove highly radioactive substances and send it back into the building.
TEPCO says the level of radioactive cesium in the air began to drop on Friday morning, and that it fell to about one-tenth the target level within one day.
The utility firm says it will keep operating the ventilation system on Saturday to lower the radiation level as much as possible.
The company hopes that the workers can enter the building on Sunday to install a water level monitoring device.
The workers are also expected to check piping inside the building as preparation for creating a cooling water recycling system in the reactor.


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Voices from around


. Daily Radiation Levels . 　

. . . . .

Japan Times :

Tepco starts flooding No. 1 reactor vessel
Tepco increases the water being pumped into the No. 1 reactor at the crippled Fukushima power plant to submerge its damaged fuel and provide a stabler way of cooling it.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110507a1.html

Kan requests full closure of Hamaoka power plant
Prime Minister Naoto Kan instructs a utility to shut down a nuclear power plant in central Honshu because a major quake or tsunami is widely expected to hit the region.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110507a2.html

DPJ crisis exec found playing golf
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110507a6.html

In search of a nuclear disposal site
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110507f1.html

Survivors comforted by retrieved family photos
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110507f3.html


Worries about Hamaoka plant
...Chubu president Akihisa Mizuno says that the plant is sufficiently safe. One cannot but see he is overconfident. One question is whether the bulwark can withstand a tsunami.

Also a tsunami could hit the plant from two rivers flowing on either side of it. The fact remains that the Hamaoka plant, which has five reactors, sits above a fault that could cause a major quake.
...
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20110507a1.html

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May 06, Friday

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The third month after the shock starts !


two months later -
nothing can erase
these memories





. Remember March 11, 2011, 14:46 　


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Gabi reports:

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

. . . . .

In New York at the foreign exchange market, the dollar fell below the 80-yen-level for the first time in nearly 7 weeks.

China again urges Japan to guarantee the food safety of exports.

. . . . .

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited shelters in Iwate today. Kamaishi and Miyako were on their route.

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Friday, May 06, 2011 03:02
TEPCO says a flooding operation will be safe
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will be able to safely conduct an operation to cool the number one reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. TEPCO is planning on filling the reactor's containment vessel with enough water to bring the temperature below 100 degrees Celsius.
It reported its assessment on Thursday to Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. The company says it hopes to start the work as soon as the agency approves the plan.
TEPCO says about 7,400 tons of water will have to be pumped into the containment vessel for the cooling process. It says the vessel and the reactor building will both be able to withstand the weight of the water.
But TEPCO's calculation for risk to the reactor did not factor in another magnitude-9 earthquake in the foreseeable future.
Should radioactive water leak from the containment vessel, the utility says it would flow into the building's basement, and then into the basement of a nearby turbine building. But TEPCO says it does not expect the water to get into the environment.
Pending regulatory approval of the operation, the company plans to increase the amount of feed-water into the reactor to 8 tons per hour, from the current 6 tons, in hopes of filling the containment vessel in 20 days.
.
Ventilators installed at No.1 reactor
Tokyo Electric Power Company workers have entered the Reactor Number One building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for the first time since a hydrogen explosion in March. They installed a system to clean the highly radioactive air inside.
Twelve workers wearing oxygen tanks entered the building on Thursday. A hydrogen blast the day after Japan's March 11th quake and tsunami left it badly damaged.
TEPCO says the team managed to install a total of 8 air ducts inside the highly radioactive building after one-and-a-half hours of work.
TEPCO says the purifiers are now working, and it will take about 3 days to vent the air, filter it, and return clean air.
It hopes to lower radiation levels enough to allow workers to remain inside for longer periods of time.
If everything goes according to plan, workers will enter the building as early as Sunday to check for damage to the pipes and valves. About a week later, in mid-May, TEPCO hopes to start building an external system to circulate cooling water into the reactor.


Friday, May 06, 2011 07:29
TEPCO: Temperature rises at Number 3 reactor
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima, says it has increased the cooling water flowing into the Number 3 reactor after an increase in temperature occurred over the past week.
On Tuesday, TEPCO increased the flow of cooling water from 7 tons to 9 tons per hour for the Number 3 reactor. The temperature at the bottom of the reactor was 143.5 degrees Celsius at 11 AM on Thursday, about 34 degrees higher than Wednesday last week.
TEPCO has been using temporary pumps to inject cooling water into reactors Number 1, 2 and 3. Their fuel rods are believed to have partially melted down after the tsunami disrupted normal cooling functions.
The operator says the temperature rise was apparently caused by a temporary decline in the amount of cooling water flowing into the Number 3 reactor.
TEPCO increased the amount of water of flowing into the Number 1 reactor for 2 days starting on Wednesday last week, the day when the temperature of the Number 3 reactor began to rise. The company says it continues to carefully monitor temperature changes.


Friday, May 06, 2011 07:30
Monju nuclear reactor requires safety checks
Friday marks one year after the Monju experimental fast-breeder nuclear reactor resumed operations in Japan.
However, there is no clear prospect for a research and development program involving the reactor, amid growing safety concerns following the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
The reactor, located in Tsuruga-City, Fukui Prefecture, resumed operations on May 6th last year after a 14-year shutdown due to a sodium leakage accident and fire in 1995.
Resumption of operations appeared to support research and development at the reactor as a main pillar of Japan's nuclear fuel recycling policy. However, when the reactor was stopped for inspections last August, a 3-ton fuel exchange device fell into it and got stuck.
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency plans to resume test operations by March 2012. However, the exchange device accident has delayed the research and development program by more than 6 months.
Like other nuclear plants in Japan, a drill for responding to a possible loss of emergency power has been held for Monju following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Fukui Prefecture has also asked the Education, Science and Technology Ministry to ensure the safety of the Monju reactor and to set up a panel of experts for verification.


Friday, May 06, 2011 09:25
High radiation levels detected on seabed
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant says it has detected high levels of radioactive materials on the seabed near the crippled nuclear complex.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, known as TEPCO, collected soil samples on April 29th from the seabed 20 to 30 meters deep near a port attached to the plant.
The samples contained 90,000 becquerels of cesium-134 and 87,000 becquerels of cesium-137 per kilogram.
52,000 becquerels of iodine-131 per kilogram was also detected.
There are no government standards for radioactive contamination of the seabed. But the reading of cesium-137 is 38,000 times higher than the level registered in TEPCO's previous survey of the same location.
Cesium-134 and iodine-131 were not detected in the past survey.
The utility believes the radioactive substances in the seabed originate from highly contaminated water leaked from the plant's number 2 reactor.


Friday, May 06, 2011 10:51
IAEA: Contaminated water may reach US West Coast
The International Atomic Energy Agency says radioactive water leaked from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan may reach the West Coast of North America in one or 2 years.
The IAEA said that, based on an analysis of data provided by Japan and other sources, the contaminated water may spread across the Pacific on the Kuroshio current, and reach the coast of North America by next year at the earliest.


Friday, May 06, 2011 11:32
Decontaminating farm in Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan's agriculture ministry plans to plant sunflowers and rape on irradiated farmlands around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The crops are known for their abilities to decontaminate soil.
The ministry will plant sunflowers on a trial basis by the end of May on farms in Fukushima Prefecture where rice planting has been halted due to radioactive contamination.
Sunflower and rape are grown around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine, the scene of a nuclear disaster in 1986. The plants are reported to be effective in absorbing radioactive substances from soil.
In April, senior agriculture vice-minister Takashi Shinohara visited Chernobyl to learn about these decontamination efforts.
The Japanese ministry will examine the sunflowers grown in Fukushima to assess their level of absorption, and start full-scale planting if the method proves to be effective.

Friday, May 06, 2011 12:52
TEPCO starts raising water volume
Tokyo Electric Power Company has begun pumping more water into the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
It's part of a new strategy to submerge the containment vessels and cool down the reactors in a stable manner.
The amount of water pumped into the containment vessel of the reactor was raised on Friday from 6 to 8 tons per hour.
TEPCO's cooling plan was approved on Thursday by Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. The utility says both the vessel and the reactor building can withstand the weight of the extra water.
TEPCO says it expects the added feed-water to cool and decrease pressure in the containment vessel.
The company says it is working on keeping the right pace for adding water. It wants to prevent pressure from falling too low, which could allow air to get inside and risk a hydrogen explosion.


Friday, May 06, 2011 13:55
TEPCO releases photos of reactor building
Tokyo Electric Power Company has released photos of the interior of the crippled Number 1 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
They were taken on Thursday by one of the workers who installed an air filtering system.
A photo, taken at 11:45 AM, shows workers in protective clothing carrying a gauge with a radiation monitor at the tip of a stick. This allowed them to check radiation levels to keep their exposure to a minimum.
TEPCO says the maximum radiation reading inside the building was 93 millisieverts per hour. This means that a worker would be exposed to 250 millisieverts of radiation -- the legally permissible limit -- after 2 hours and 40 minutes.
TEPCO says it will continue to do its utmost to protect workers from high levels of radiation.
Another photo of 4 air ducts was taken around 2 PM. The pale green door behind the ducts is part of a double door leading to the exit.
The ducts take in air from the reactor building and send it to the air-filtering equipment.
TEPCO said 4 other ducts for recycling filtered air were installed later on Thursday.


Friday, May 06, 2011 18:01
TEPCO pumping more water into No.1
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is pumping more water into the No.1 reactor in continuing attempt to safely cool the facility.
TEPCO raised the flow of water from 6 to 8 tons per hour on Friday in order to submerge the reactor containment vessel.
The utility says pressure inside the vessel has not changed much. A spokesperson for the company says it aims to prevent pressure from falling too low, which could allow air to get inside the reactor and cause a hydrogen explosion.
Meanwhile, a new ventilation system installed on Thursday to purify the highly radioactive air inside the reactor building is reportedly working well.
TEPCO says it plans to halt the system on Friday evening to check radiation levels. If they have fallen, workers will enter the building as early as Sunday to install new devices and inspect damage.


Friday, May 06, 2011 18:51
Govt panel was preparing to warn of major tsunami
A Japanese panel of seismologists knew about the risk of a major tsunami in northeastern Japan before disaster struck on March 11th. The group had put together a report in February and was planning to release it in April.
NHK obtained a copy of the report drawn up by the government's Earthquake Research Committee. It focuses on quakes and tsunamis off the Pacific coastline of northeastern Japan.
The document includes the committee's analysis of an earthquake that is known to have struck the region more than 1,140 years ago.
Citing recent studies, the report estimates that the ancient earthquake was caused when 3 sections of the seabed shifted simultaneously.
It says the quake probably measured around Magnitude 8.3, triggering enormous tsunamis that flooded vast areas of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
The report concludes that the region should be alerted of the risk of a similar disaster striking again.
The March 11th earthquake measured Magnitude 9.0 and involved the shifting of multiple sections of seabed. Tsunami waves devastated wide areas of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures.
One of the experts involved in the study says he regrets the committee's failure to warn of the risk as soon as it was discovered -- no matter how low the probability was.
Associate Professor Yoshinobu Tsuji at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute says the committee needs to further review past disasters to reassess future risks.


Friday, May 06, 2011 19:47
Kan calls for halt of Hamaoka nuclear reactors
Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he has asked a utility company in central Japan to halt operations of all active reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, due to the risk of earthquakes.
Kan announced the decision on Friday, citing the need to better secure the plant against earthquakes and tsunami in the wake of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The prime minister says he has asked the plant operator, Chubu Electric Power Company, to halt reactors No.4 and No.5, and not to restart reactor No.3, which is now offline for regular inspections.
The Hamaoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture has 5 reactors. Reactors No.1 and 2 are permanently shut down for decommissioning.
The reactor complex sits directly above the projected focus of a magnitude-8 class earthquake that experts have long warned of.
The plant's safety risks have been repeatedly pointed out by lawmakers during Diet debates.
.
Kan: Safety plans must be implemented
Prime Minister Kan says in requesting the shutdown of the Hamaoka plant, he considered the impact a serious accident there would have on the country and its people.
Kan said the plant operator needs to draw up and implement medium- to long-term plans to ensure the reactors can withstand the projected Tokai Earthquake.
He said that until the power company's long-term contingency plans are in place, all active reactors at the complex should be stopped, for the sake of public safety.


Friday, May 06, 2011 21:02
Hamaoka plant sits in Tokai quake focal zone
The Hamaoka nuclear power plant is located above the projected focus of a magnitude-8-class earthquake that could strike Shizuoka Prefecture.
Seismologists have long been warning that the likely Tokai earthquake could occur any time.
They say massive earthquakes have hit the region every 100 to 150 years, but no major quake has occurred there since the one that struck in the 19th century.
The government predicts that the focus would stretch inland from the southern edge of Yamanashi Prefecture to the central and western parts of Shizuoka Prefecture, and to the prefecture's Pacific coastal area as well.
All areas in Shizuoka would feel a jolt with an intensity of 6-minus to the maximum 7 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7.
It also projects that a major tsunami of more than 5 meters will strike the coastal area and in some places, the waves could top 10 meters.


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Voices from around

. The Daily Reading List . 　

. . . . .

Japan Times :

Workers enter No. 1 reactor building for first time since explosion
In a bid aimed at restoring a cooling system, nine workers install ventilating equipment at the damaged No. 1 nuclear reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110506a1.html

Edano urges Tohoku Electric to ensure safety at Onagawa plant
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano on Thursday urged Tohoku Electric Power Co. to ensure safety measures at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture so that it would be acceptable to people living near the facility, officials of the utility said.
... Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda visited Chubu Electric Power Co.'s Hamaoka atomic power station in Shizuoka ...
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110506a5.html

Noda names disaster prevention as one of Asia's most important development issues
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110506f1.html

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May 05, Thursday

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Golden Week in Japan



Carp Streamers (koinobori) to support Tohoku

. Boys' Festival (tango no sekku) . 　　



carp streamers -
so much debris still
by the riverside


. . . . .

There is a small village with about 100 inhabitants, most are 65 or older, on the coast of Miyagi. None of the villagers was victim to the tsunami.
Well, this village is a striking example of precautions. For years, they have bi-annual exercises for tsunami evacuation to an elevated place above the village, where all can run on foot. In the house, there are blankets and pillows for each one, brought from their own homes.
There is food for 3 days and containers to keep drinking water fresh for three years. Each time they eat the old food and bring new rations, so the food is always fresh.
This time, they all run up to the shelter and lived quite happily, since they were not dependent on electricity. They could use firewood from the nearby forest and water from the river for washing.
This is an example that showed how proper preparedness over many years can save so many lives.

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Thursday, May 05, 2011 01:24
TEPCO to set up device to cool reactors
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will start setting up a system around mid-May to help cool the facility's No.1 reactor.
Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to circulate water in the reactor's containment vessel with the use of tubes that are already in place.
The water will be sent to a heat exchanger that will be installed near one of the reactor building's entrances.
Then the water will be pumped through a cooling tower outside the building before being returned to the containment vessel via the tubes.
TEPCO will first start purifying the radioactive-tainted air in the building on Thursday at the earliest. Then it will carry out a visual check on the tubes on Sunday.
The utility says it is uncertain how long the air-purifying work will take and how much damage will be found in the tubes.
The company says the system is expected to circulate about 100 tons of water per hour to cool down an estimated 1,500 kilowatts of heat radiating from fuel rods in the reactor.
It says once the new system is put into operation, it should lower the temperature of the fuel in the reactor to below 100 degrees Celsius within a few hours to a few days.


Thursday, May 05, 2011 01:30
Govt to decide on evacuees return in early 2012
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says his government will determine early next year whether evacuees who live around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will be able to return home.
Kan visited a facility in Kazo, near Tokyo, on Wednesday where residents from Futaba are taking shelter. The town is located in the 20 kilometer no-entry zone around Fukushima Daiichi.
The Prime Minister told Futaba Mayor Katsutaka Idogawa that he understands the residents are suffering great hardships.
Kan also said Fukushima Daiichi is expected to be brought under a certain level of control early next year if Tokyo Electric Power Company's plan works.
TEPCO announced in April it aimed to achieve a steady reduction of radiation at the nuclear plant within 3 months. In 6 to 9 months, workers will get the release of radioactive materials under control and cool down the reactors.


Thursday, May 05, 2011 01:30
Japan wants import restrictions lifted
Japan's Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has urged China and South Korea to lift their import restrictions on Japanese farm products.
Noda made the request on Wednesday when he met China's Vice Finance Minister Li Yong and South Korea's Minister of Strategy and Finance Yoon Jeung Hyun. They spoke in Hanoi during a meeting of finance ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations and their countries.
Noda said that since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Japan has only shipped products that have been confirmed safe by radioactivity tests.
After the meeting, Noda told reporters he believes his request was understood. He said China's Li nodded and South Korea's Yoon assured him his country will not impose any excessive regulations.
Noda also spoke about the economic outlook in Japan. He noted there are still power shortages and that supplies for some industries, especially the auto sector, are low.
But he said the economy is expected to recover following a brief slump as reconstruction projects begin.


Thursday, May 05, 2011 09:12
Stabilizing cooling systems in Daiichi not easy
A team of workers will enter the No. 1 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday for the first time since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
The workers will set up a purifier for the radioactive-tainted air in the building. This is being done ahead of work to build a system to restore the cooling functions in the reactor.
Earlier, Tokyo Electric Power Company disclosed plans to restore the cooling system by circulating water in the reactor's containment vessel with the use of tubes that are already in place. It hopes to begin the work inside the reactor building by mid-May.
However, the company faces many challenges before the work to set up the system can begin.
They include whether the purifier will be able to filter the air to a level that will allow workers to remain inside for long periods.
Even if workers manage to enter, radiation levels may remain high near where a water circulating system is to be installed. The workers may need to clean the pipes with water and contain radiation with lead sheets. They may also have to change some damaged pipes and valves, which could be time-consuming.
Also, to circulate water inside the containment vessel, the water must reach the height of the fuel rods. But if pressure within the vessel is eased too much, another hydrogen explosion may occur.
TEPCO says the announced plan is the most promising one, even though there are still many problems. The company says it wants to restore the cooling system at the No.1 reactor by settling the issues one by one.


Thursday, May 05, 2011 09:14
TEPCO president visits Fukushima
The president of Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has again apologized to communities affected by the emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Masataka Shimizu visited officials in Hirono in Fukushima Prefecture on Wednesday.
The town has set up a disaster relief headquarters in neighboring Iwaki city. Shimizu apologized to Hirono Mayor Motohoshi Yamada.
Shimizu promised to bring the situation at Fukushima Daiichi under control as soon as possible so people can go home.
Shimizu also visited the mayor of Namie, north of the nuclear plant.
Mayor Tamotsu Baba told the TEPCO President he cannot understand why it has taken so long for him to visit and apologize.
One of evacuees said he wants to know exactly how high radiation levels are in Namie Town.
President Shimizu later told reporters he will try to provide local people with more radiation data.


Thursday, May 05, 2011 12:56
Workers enter reactor building
A team of workers has entered the Reactor Number One building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time since the hydrogen explosion the day after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
On Thursday morning, two workers entered the building to install a purifier for the radiation-contaminated air.
Workers will be divided into groups of three, and each group will work for about 10 minutes to install eight air ducts. The workers wear 13-kilogram air tanks, as high levels of radioactive substances have been detected in the building.
Their work precedes the installation of a system to circulate cooling water within the reactor.
Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to begin operating the air purifier later in the day.
The operator says it will take about three days to vent the contaminated air, filter it, and return purified air to the building. It hopes to lower the radiation level so that workers can remain inside for longer periods.
According to the utility's plans, workers will enter the building as early as Sunday to check for damage to the pipes and valves to be used in a cooling system. The company hopes to launch work to circulate water and remove heat from the reactor by May 16th.

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Voices from around


. Daily Radiation Levels . 　

. . . . .

Japan Times :

Workers set to enter reactor 1 building
Eight workers are scheduled to be the first to enter the reactor 1 building of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant since it was ripped apart by a hydrogen blast the day after the March 11 tsunami, Tokyo Electric Power Co. says.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110505a1.html

Worst case feared in early hours of Fukushima crisis
The government assumed a worst-case scenario of "significant public exposure" to radiation when workers were struggling to bring a nuclear reactor under control at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant a day after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110505a2.html

U.S. official urges beefed-up disaster teamwork
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110505a3.html

Realistic safety debate not nuke sector, regulator forte
Nearly 10 years after Tokyo Electric Power Co. first assured the government the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was safe from any tsunami, regulators were just getting around to checking out the claim. The move was too little, too late.
But even if there had been scrutiny years before the fury of the earthquake-powered wave swamped the six atomic reactors at the power plant on March 11, it is almost certain the government wouldn't have challenged the unrealistic analysis that Tepco had submitted in 2001. A review of the nation's approach to nuclear plant safety shows how closely intertwined relationships between government regulators and industry have allowed a culture of complacency to prevail.
Regulators simply didn't see it as their role to pick apart the utility's raw data and computer modeling to judge for themselves if the plant was sufficiently protected from tsunami.
The policy amounted to this: Trust plant operator Tepco — and don't worry about verifying its math or its logic.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110505f1.html

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