Japan - News/General Discussion

Takoyama wrote:
This made me cry.

You're not the only one. Did you notice that in her name –¢Šó for the "ki" character she has the same as in Šó–] (kibo - hope)? Looks like her parents gave her the right name.

gaijinmark wrote:Miki Endo is my hero:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQufHbG27E

And people say vocational students never amount to much. :shakehead: We need more people like her. It's just a shame that we have to lose the ones we have.

Hopefully she's not lost.

More amazing tsunami footage. Scary!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOfy1CoxrMo&feature=aso

Takoyama wrote:More amazing tsunami footage. Scary!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOfy1CoxrMo&feature=aso

Dayem. :sweat: :sweat: :sweat:

It doesn't look like much and then before you know it, everything is underwater. :sweat:

Takoyama wrote:More amazing tsunami footage. Scary!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOfy1CoxrMo&feature=aso

depressing :shamefulcry:

Just got requested to buy iodide tablets. Shall I get a paper bag over my head before i walk into a chemist? :ashamed: or :drink:

bmwracer wrote:
Dayem. :sweat: :sweat: :sweat:

It doesn't look like much and then before you know it, everything is underwater. :sweat:

first cars swept away, then buildings, some amazingly scary footage from the Tsunami!

Just what they need, another 6.5 off the coast of Miyagi. :sweat:

Radioactive water leaking from Japan reactor building

By North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy, wires

Work to remove highly radioactive water from inside buildings at the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant is continuing, while high radioactive concentrations have again been detected in the nearby sea.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said the concentration of radioactive substances of a pool at the No. 2 reactor was 100,000 times higher than usual for water in a reactor core, correcting its earlier analysis of 10 million times higher.

Chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano told a press conference the highly radioactive water found at the basement of the No. 2 reactor's turbine building is "believed to have temporarily had contact with fuel rods (in the reactor's core) that have partially melted".

Mr Edano also criticised the operator for announcing the wrong radiation reading.

He said such errors "can never be allowed" as radiation measurement data "serve as the major premises to ensure safety".

Removal of highly radioactive water in the reactors at the plant is necessary to reduce the risk of more workers being exposed to radioactive substances.

The number of workers who have been exposed to radiation exceeding 100 millisieverts at the plant came to 19 as of Monday, the company said.

Mr Edano also urged evacuees from the 20-kilometre exclusion area around the plant not to temporarily return home to collect household belongings, citing ''great risks of radiation contamination'' in the zone.

Radioactive iodine levels in the sea off the plant have been found to be more than 1,100 times the legal limit.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japan's nuclear safety agency, said there were no health concerns so far because fishing would not be conducted within the 20km exclusion zone and radioactive materials would be "significantly diluted" by the time they are consumed by marine species and then by people.

Meanwhile, TEPCO officials say the core pressure vessels of reactors 1, 2, and 3 may all be damaged.

It has also emerged TEPCO's president was off sick for several days during the crisis.

The number of people confirmed dead or listed as missing following the 9.0-magnitude quake and monster wave has climbed above 28,000, with 10,901 confirmed dead.

- ABC/Kyodo

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/28/3176037.htm

How are they going to fix this now? I don't know. This is getting desperate but no one seems to have the answer.

From HuffPo:

Fish From Japan: Safe To Eat?

In the wake of the Japanese tsunami, the Japanese government has emphasized that consumption of food and water would not cause an immediate health risk. Though there has been no official statement on marine life, many consumers remain concerned that fish in nearby waters may contain high levels of radiation. These concerns may be unfounded, believes sushi expert Trevor Corson, since gan ocean churning with movement and dispersal might turn out to be less of a concern than agricultural products that are exposed and stationary.h Though, there hasnft been any radiation testing on fish in the Tsukiji market since 1954.

Beyond the fears of radiation, the northern Japan seafood market has essentially collapsed and the New York Times reports that gfishermen in the area are living in shelters, transportation to the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo is not possible, and there is no ice to keep fish fresh.h

Consequently, sushi restaurants that typically source their products from Japan are seeking new sources, both from further south in Japan and around the globe. This practice is rather common; as sushi restaurants have become ubiquitous both in the United States and around the world, Japan is no longer the only provider for sushi-grade fish. Chef Tadashi Ono of Matsuri restaurant in Manhattan explains, gToday fish comes from all over the world, so wefre O.K.h

Even if the fish in Fukushima are radiation-free, another serious threat is the potential gbrand damage.h If people are concerned about radiation, they will not eat fish from Japan. As a result, Corson wonders if the global brand of sushi can survive the publicfs perception. He argues that sushi has gbeen facing an existential crisis for some timeh as it is far from a sustainable food choice, and already has a lot of health risks (mercury, chemical pollutants, etc.) associated with it.

The spotlight is now on the future of Japanfs fish and moreover, the future of a much-revered form of cuisine that is now forced to be up for review.

Lady Gaga Donates $1.5 Million to Zynga's Fundraising Campaign For Japan
Brenna Ehrlich Mon Mar 28, 7:56 am ET

Lady Gaga is apparently on top of it when it comes to donating money to those affected by the March 11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Today, it was announced that the pop star donated $1.5 million to Zyngafs fundraising initiative with Save the Children, as well as to the American Red Cross.

Gaga raised these funds via sales of her Japan Prayer Bracelets. gIfm inspired that my little monsters banded together to help those affected by the terrible tragedy,h she said in a release.

Last week, the singer also participated in a benefit album called Songs for Japan, which also features popular tunes in original, remastered, live or acoustic formats from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Katy Perry and more. Worldwide proceeds from album downloads will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Zynga, for its part, donated more than $2.5 million in the last two weeks for Save the Childrenfs Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund via its social games (Café World, CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille, Words With Friends, Vampire Wars, YoVille and Zynga Poker). Players donated 100% of the purchase price of virtual goods to the relief effort.

bmwracer wrote:It has also emerged TEPCO's president was off sick for several days during the crisis.

If this weren't such a serious situation, that would be funny. As soon as I read that line, I thought, "This is just like Shomuni! Everytime something bad happened to the company, the boss would disappear!!"

gaijinmark wrote:If this weren't such a serious situation, that would be funny. As soon as I read that line, I thought, "This is just like Shomuni! Everytime something bad happened to the company, the boss would disappear!!"

Haha.

The dude's probably sick because he's stressed out from the nuclear crisis. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:From HuffPo:

Fish From Japan: Safe To Eat?

In the wake of the Japanese tsunami, the Japanese government has emphasized that consumption of food and water would not cause an immediate health risk. Though there has been no official statement on marine life, many consumers remain concerned that fish in nearby waters may contain high levels of radiation. These concerns may be unfounded, believes sushi expert Trevor Corson, since gan ocean churning with movement and dispersal might turn out to be less of a concern than agricultural products that are exposed and stationary.h Though, there hasnft been any radiation testing on fish in the Tsukiji market since 1954.

Beyond the fears of radiation, the northern Japan seafood market has essentially collapsed and the New York Times reports that gfishermen in the area are living in shelters, transportation to the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo is not possible, and there is no ice to keep fish fresh.h

Consequently, sushi restaurants that typically source their products from Japan are seeking new sources, both from further south in Japan and around the globe. This practice is rather common; as sushi restaurants have become ubiquitous both in the United States and around the world, Japan is no longer the only provider for sushi-grade fish. Chef Tadashi Ono of Matsuri restaurant in Manhattan explains, gToday fish comes from all over the world, so wefre O.K.h

Even if the fish in Fukushima are radiation-free, another serious threat is the potential gbrand damage.h If people are concerned about radiation, they will not eat fish from Japan. As a result, Corson wonders if the global brand of sushi can survive the publicfs perception. He argues that sushi has gbeen facing an existential crisis for some timeh as it is far from a sustainable food choice, and already has a lot of health risks (mercury, chemical pollutants, etc.) associated with it.

The spotlight is now on the future of Japanfs fish and moreover, the future of a much-revered form of cuisine that is now forced to be up for review.

I haven't had sushi for a while, but that's because I'm scaling back on the eating out these days at the super delicious spots in an effort to make up for a long absence from the gym. I will admit that I might think about where a sushi restaurant sources its fish these days in light of the current crisis.

I guess that's just a knee jerk reaction but you have to wonder how much business the Tsukiji fish market is doing these days in light of Fukushima problem.

Tu_triky wrote:I guess that's just a knee jerk reaction but you have to wonder how much business the Tsukiji fish market is doing these days in light of Fukushima problem.

Total knee jerk reaction... And that's how the media's been playing the crisis in Japan since the get-go. :shakehead:

bmwracer wrote:
Total knee jerk reaction... And that's how the media's been playing the crisis in Japan since the get-go. :shakehead:

Definitely.

President, TEPCO.
[image]

Well, if this image turns blank one day, we know his head is already on the chopping board. I'm surprised we haven't seen resignations or seppuku yet.

Months down the road, someone will lose their parent to radiation sickness....and it's a slow death.

A plea for help!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ZHQ--cK40&feature=aso

depressing.

I must say that the japanese politics and the TEPCO officials are below everything. A few days ago they refused robots send by France to help work in the radioactive areas. Now they're asking for help from the french nuclear technicians. In Tokyo they have ordered people to take Iodine tablets after the radiation increased when those pills must be taken before, etc... etc...etc...

Takoyama wrote:More amazing tsunami footage. Scary!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOfy1CoxrMo&feature=aso

It was so sad to watch the tsunami devastate the area. It started so slow then became a huge flood. I'm wondering where the person was standing shooting the video.