Bank group buys booze to help quake-hit brewery (by Asahi Shimbun)

Ichinokura Co.'s sake (Provided by Sakura Card Co.)

The Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. group is buying sake made by a brewery in Miyagi Prefecture to help it rebuild after the Great East Japan Earthquake.


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105300193.html

Japan could face overseas lawsuits from nuclear crisis (by Asahi Shimbun)

The anti-nuclear sentiment is strong in Germany where demonstrations, such as this one in September 2010, are a common sight. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105300181.html

Photos show tsunami slamming into nuke plant (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of troubled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, on May 19 released a total of 17 photographs taken by plant workers in the midst of the tsunami triggered by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/photospecials/graph/plant/

News Navigator: What kinds of donations are given to Japan disaster victims? (by Mainichi Shimbun)

The Mainichi answers common questions readers may have about donations to victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Question: What are the different types of donations that can be given to victims of the disaster?

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110528p2a00m0na022000c.html

Regulators never questioned one-page document: Memo emblematic of disaster plan flaws (by Japan Times)

Nuclear regulators trusted that the reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 complex were safe from the worst waves an earthquake could muster based on a single-page memo from Tokyo Electric Power Co. nearly a decade ago.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110528x1.html

Kan unveils N-safety proposal (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

DEAUVILLE, France--Prime Minister Naoto Kan made a five-point proposal to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants at the two-day summit meeting of the Group of Eight nations that opened Thursday.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110527005777.htm

Japan Tries to Ease Fury of Parents Near Plant (by NYT)

TOKYO — Responding to fury among parents in Fukushima, Japan’s education minister said Friday that the country would set a lower radiation exposure limit for schoolchildren in areas around a stricken nuclear plant and pay for schools to remove contaminated topsoil from fields and playgrounds.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/world/asia/28japan.html?_r=1&ref=world

Softbank CEO Son morphs into advocate of nuclear phaseout (by Asahi Shimbun)

Masayoshi Son visits a gymnasium in Tamura, 11 days after the Great East Japan Earthquake, that served as an evacuation shelter for inhabitants of neighboring municipalities, including Okuma, partial host to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. This visit is said to have changed the Softbank CEO's views on nuclear power. (Provided by Softbank)

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105270192.html

Nuke plant manager ignores bosses, pumps in seawater after order to halt (by Asahi Shimbun)

TEPCO Executive Vice President Sakae Muto fields questions at a news conference in Tokyo on May 26 on the continued pumping of seawater into a reactor. (The Asahi Shimbun)

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105270183.html

Crippled nuke plant not prepared for heavy rain, wind (by Mainichi Shimbun)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is not fully prepared for heavy rain and strong winds forecast due to a powerful typhoon moving Saturday toward disaster-affected areas of northeastern Japan, according to the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co.


http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110528p2g00m0dm013000c.html

Unclear future prospect and unsettled nuclear issue makes me feel insecure

(by Mr. Koji Endo (40) from Minami Souma City, now in Sado City)
As my work place is located within 3 kilometers from the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant, I am not able to go to work. The life without the future prospect really makes me feel insecure. My house is located within 30 kilometers radius of the nuclear power plant. I hesitate to go back considering the future of my son who is 11 years old. He is getting used to the elementary school here, but says sometimes that he wants to go back. I have a mixed feeling as a parent. We could live a normal life only if there were no issue of nuclear power plant. I’d like the government to make it clear as soon as possible if the compensation will include the expected income during the period that I cannot work.

Niigatqa Nippo, Voices of Evacuees in the prefecture, May 25th, 2011
http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/23345.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Hoping to go back to our house, though very concerned about the effect of the radiation on our grandchildren

(by Mr. Yasuo Itsuga (72)  from Minami Souma City, Fukushima Prefecture, now in Niigata City)
My original house located 2 kilometers from the coast was washed away, and I lost my sister, brother, and his grandson. I hate earthquake and tsunami, but I detest nuclear power plant. I am staying at this evacuation center with my grandchildren since March. Since their house is located outside of 20-kilometer restricted zone from the nuclear power plant, we could go back, if we all want, but I am scared to do so considering the effect on our young grandchildren with future. My son is staying at the house taking care of the business, and came to Niigata to check on us yesterday. We discussed “going back home by the end of summer break.” I hope the nuclear power plant issue would be settled by then.


Niigatqa Nippo, Voices of evacuees in the Prefecture, May 25th, 2011
http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/23345.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

The unemployed totaled 110 thousand after the earthquake disaster among three prefectures

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported that the number of the unemployed has climbed up to about 111.5 thousands among Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture where the Great East Japan Earthquake hit most severe and the people there either lost their jobs or got on suspension due to the temporarily close down and filed for unemployment benefit. Many are considered “Job loss related to the disaster”, and even 5,112 were added past nine days after May, 13th, 2011.


Statistics are based on the number of people who came to “Hello Work” – unemployment office to file for the benefits between the next day after the disaster and May 22, 2011. The prefectural breakdown shows that Iwate had 23,640 (1.9 times more compared to the last year), Miyagi had 48,496 (2.4 times), and Fukushima, 39,437 (2.8 times); the total number summed up to 111,537 (2.4 times).

The figure included the people who left jobs voluntarily and retired due to the age, but the most of the portion of increase were attributed to the job loss due to the disaster. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare expects low possibility for a sudden increase after this.

Yomiuri News Paper May 25, 2011

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/feature/20110316-866918/news/20110525-OYT1T00857.htm

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

G8 leaders to call for strengthening of nuclear plant safety treaty (by Mainichi Shimbun)

G8 leaders meet in Deauville, France, on May 26. (AP)

 

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110527p2a00m0na018000c.html

Cabinet's nuclear safety chief totally confused after TEPCO reversal on water injection (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Nuclear Safety Commission Chairman Haruki Madarame. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110527p2a00m0na005000c.html

Kan Promised to Increase the Share of Natural Energy to 20% in the 2020's

On May 26th before dawn in Japan time, Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended the event in Paris that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, where he talked about Japan's energy policy. He announced he would increase the share of reusable energy in an entire output from current 9% "to 20% by as early as possible in the 2020's."

Kan emphasized that he aims to reduce the cost of power generation to one third of the current level by 2020 and to one sixth by 2030. He has indicated his intention to expand the usage of reusable energy such as solar and wind power, in response to the event at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, but this is the first time that he referred to specific numbers. The timing of the implementation presented this time is accelerated by about a decade compared with that of the Basic Energy Plan the government adopted in June last year. By announcing at an international meeting, Kan's words are deemed as de facto public pledge.


http://www.asahi.com/eco/TKY201105250658.html

Asahi Shimbun, May 26, 2011

Translated by Yuka Yamashita

Miyagi gov't wants Tohoku region to carry out capital's crisis management functions (by Mainichi Shimbun)

SENDAI -- The Miyagi Prefectural Government is set to urge the national government to relocate some of Japan's capital functions to the quake- and tsunami-hit Tohoku region in northeastern Honshu as part of its restoration plan, local government sources said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110525p2a00m0na005000c.html

EDITORIAL: Independent panel needed to investigate Fukushima nuclear crisis (by Asahi Shimbun)

Few days pass without news that makes us wonder if the government is telling the truth about the disastrous nuclear accident triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake.


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105240193.html

Elderly volunteers seek to stabilize nuclear plant (by Asahi Shimbun)

More than 160 elderly people have volunteered to brave high radioactivity and help stabilize the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in response to a call from a former engineer in an effort a government official calls a "suicide corps."


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105240134.html

Tokyo urges APEC economies to buy Japan products despite disaster (by Mainichi Shimbun)

BIG SKY, Montana (Kyodo) -- Japan urged fellow Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum members to trade with it as usual despite its prolonged nuclear crisis, as their trade ministers began a two-day meeting Thursday in Montana.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110520p2g00m0in011000c.html

Gov't attempt to promote clean energy a test of electric power policy reform (by Mainichi Shimbun)

The government's attempt to promote clean energy to replace nuclear power following the crisis at the tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is widely viewed as a litmus test of electric power policy reform.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110519p2a00m0na001000c.html

How one village defied the tsunami (by Japan Times)

Well prepared: Players and their coach at Fudai Junior High School clean a tennis court against the backdrop of the floodgate in the village of Fudai, Iwate Prefecture, on April 26. AP

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110518f1.html

Quake seen as 'teachable moment' in U.S. (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

Earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear power technology have become trending topics in middle and high school classrooms in the United States in the wake of the March 11 disaster in Japan.


http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/T110419004251.htm

Radiation tests lacking / Nuclear plant workers unsure of internal exposure levels (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

Nearly two months after the start of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, only 10 percent of workers there had been tested for internal radiation exposure caused by inhalation or ingestion of radioactive substances, due to a shortage of testing equipment available for them.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110518006065.htm

In Japan Reactor Failings, Danger Signs for the U.S. (by NYT)

TOKYO — Emergency vents that American officials have said would prevent devastating hydrogen explosions at nuclear plants in the United States were put to the test in Japan — and failed to work, according to experts and officials with the company that operates the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant.

The failure of the vents calls into question the safety of similar nuclear power plants in the United States and Japan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/world/asia/18japan.html?hp

Levees need reinforcing to prevent tsunami damage, say researchers (by Mainichi Shimbun)

A levee destroyed by the March 11 tsunami is pictured along the Kitakami River. (Photo courtesy of Kyuichi Maruyama)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110518p2a00m0na010000c.html

Osaka to designate evacuation facilities for 850,000 people in case of large tsunami (by Mainichi Shimbun)

OSAKA -- City officials here will designate facilities capable of temporarily holding 850,000 evacuees should a large tsunami strike the city, it has been announced.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110518p2a00m0na008000c.html

Fresh Tales of Chaos Emerge From Early in Nuclear Crisis . (by WSJ)

This DigitalGlobe handout image shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on March 14, three days after the quake and tsunami.
.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704322804576302553455643510.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop

TEPCO admits nuclear meltdown occurred at Fukushima reactor 16 hours after quake (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) admitted for the first time on May 15 that most of the fuel in one of its nuclear reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant had melted only about 16 hours after the March 11 earthquake struck a wide swath of northeastern Japan and triggered a devastating tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110516p2a00m0na028000c.html

Tokyo restaurant group to hold sake tasting event to support disaster area (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Tatsuo Iida, chair of the Asakusa restaurant cooperative, displays sake brands on May 12 in Asakusa, Tokyo, which will be offered at a tasting event. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110516p2a00m0na039000c.html

Over 60 percent of public supports suspension of operations at Hamaoka plant: Mainichi poll (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Over 60 percent of Japanese support the government's decision to suspend operations at the Hamaoka nuclear power station in Shizuoka Prefecture in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, a Mainichi poll suggests.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110516p2a00m0na035000c.html

Nuclear power plant disaster highlights importance of diverse safety measures (by Mainichi Shimbun)

In this March 20, 2011 aerial file photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by Air Photo Service, the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is seen in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture. From top to bottom: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3 and Unit 4. (AP Photo/Air Photo Service)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110516p2a00m0na022000c.html

Fleeting visit home in the evacuation zone and sad reunion with pet dogs.

There were the signs of summer, like rape flower fields and a wealth of mountain vegetables, in Kawauchi Village (Fukushima Pref.). Surrounded by peaceful landscape, the residents in protective clothing were collecting and stuffing their personal belongings, such as bankbooks, photographs, summer clothing, etc., into a plastic bag, feeling it was too much to bear.

Five buses carrying evacuees from Kawauchi Village who had been permitted short home visits left the Kawauchi Village Sonmin Taiiku Center (physical education facility) past 11 a.m. Another bus with about 20 members of the press in protective suits on board followed them.

They were breathless in the heat due to hermetically sealed protective suits and their goggles fogged due to perspiration. A 30-minute bus ride in the fresh green of the mountain range brought them to the Yoshinodawa region. Seventeen people from 10 households returned to their home in this area.

Mr. Shoichi Akimoto (60), taking shelter in Yabuki-machi of the prefecture, paused in front of his house and nervously got near the dog house. After the earthquake and tsunami, he returned to home to feed his two dogs a few times, but he hasn't been able to take care of them for the past 40 days. The purpose of this visit was to check upon the dogs.

“John,” he quietly called the name of one of his dogs, but had no response. When he got near, he found that the two dogs were dead with their body curled up. “You could have been saved. I’m truly sorry…” Mr. Akimoto was shaken by sobs as he was taking the remains of his dogs in his arms. He buried them in a straw-spread hole.

The Yomiuri Shimbun, Mary 10, 2011
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20110510-OYT1T01063.htm?from=main4

Translated by Mikiko Yamashita

Serious inequalities emerge in disaster relief donation distribution in 3 prefectures (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Serious inequality has emerged in the allocation of citizens' donations for the surviving family of those who died in the March 11 quake and tsunami because the range of relatives entitled to payments is different in the three hardest-hit prefectures.


http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110514p2a00m0na015000c.html

Man dies after collapsing during Fukushima plant work (by Mainichi Shimbun)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A worker at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant died Saturday after collapsing while carrying materials as part of crisis-fighting operations, the operator said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110514p2g00m0dm011000c.html

Evacuation begins from widened no-go zone near Fukushima plant (by Mainichi Shimbun)

FUKUSHIMA (Kyodo) -- Residents in Kawamata and Iitate began leaving their homes Sunday after their living areas were included in an evacuation radius the government widened last month around the radiation-leaking Fukushima nuclear power plant.


http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110515p2g00m0dm013000c.html

City in Iwate to hire private firm to remove rubble in bid to speed up restoration (by Mainichi Shimbun)

OFUNATO, Iwate -- The municipal government here is set to consign the disposal of rubble and debris from the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami to a private business in a bid to accelerate the restoration of the city.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110513p2a00m0na003000c.html

Japan to cull livestock in no-go zone near Fukushima plant: Edano (by Mainichi Shimbun)

A cow lies dead on the floor of a cattle shed after residents were forced to evacuate from the deserted city of Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, on April 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110513p2g00m0dm006000c.html

Nuclear crisis to increase Japan's short-term reliance on thermal power (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Reactors at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant are pictured in this photograph taken from a Mainichi helicopter in February 2011. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110511p2a00m0na017000c.html

Radiation in soil near troubled Japan nuclear plant exceeds Chernobyl evacuation level (by Mainichi Shimbun)

In this Friday, March 18, 2011 satellite image released by DigitalGlobe, the Fukushima Dai-ichi is shown. (AP Photo/DigitalGlobe)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110511p2a00m0na018000c.html

Suspension of Hamaoka nuke plant sparks battle between common sense and outdated thinking (by Mainichi Shimbun)

The Hamaoka nuclear power plant operated by Chubu Electric Power Co. is pictured in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, from a Mainichi helicopter in this February 2011 photo. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110511p2a00m0na001000c.html

“Bureaucratic nonsense,” the residents object signature requirement for a brief visit to homes inside Japan's nuclear no-go zone.

The government asked the residents of the village of Kawauchi who had briefly returned to homes on May 10 to sign an agreement stating that they fully understand the risk of entering the no-go zone and they take personal responsibility for entering the area.

This signature requirement sparked off opposition from some residents and Village Mayor Yuko Endo criticized the government for its bureaucratic nonsense, saying that the residents would visit their home by agreement and no signature would be necessary.

Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Motohisa Ikeda, the head of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, explained to the press that the signature requirement had been meant to ensure the residents understand that they should act safely and responsibly in the no-go zone.

The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 11, 2011

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20110511-OYT1T00047.htm?from=main1

Translated by Mikiko Yamashita

Hometown I long to go back

(by Ms. Mitsu Shiotani (67), Minami Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, at Joetsu City)

A chorus group came to visit us and we sang “Furusato(Hometown)” and “New Soma Song” together. It was hard for me to be honest, because it reminded me of the hometown where I grew up and lived all my life. I do not have much complaint about the life at the evacuation center, but still there are things that we need to be patient with when living in a group setting. It is pitiful to watch many children trying to control themselves as they understand the situation though they are at the stage of being very active and high spirited and usually horsing around. I don’t know how much longer we must stay here. I really would like to go home.

Niigata Nippo, Voices of the evacuees in Niigata Prefecture ~ Victims of Great East Japan Earthquake Who Evacuated to Niigata Prefecture

http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Agony over the nuclear power plant accident

(by Mr. Mitsuaki Watanabe (58), Naraha-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, at Niigata City)

Due to the accident at the nuclear power plant, the family grave of generations was torn, and so were the family ties that we lived close together. My hometown is now polluted and I will never be able to go back. We never know when the earthquake will occur. In order not to repeat the accidents in Fukushima, it is better to stop the operation at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant until the safety is confirmed. I decided to live in Niigata City, and I signed an apartment contract. I am moving there from this evacuation center sometime this month. I am starting over at the new place.

Niigata Nippo, Voices of the evacuees in Niigata Prefecture ~ Victims of Great East Japan Earthquake Who Evacuated to Niigata Prefecture 

http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Japan Scraps Plan for New Nuclear Plants (by NYT)

Evacuees cleaned their house during a brief visit that was their first time since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami located near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Tuesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/world/asia/11japan.html?_r=1&ref=world

With no car, road to recovery rough / Aged and ill robbed of mobility; workers face grueling commutes by bicycle (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

A mechanic checks a vehicle in a used car lot in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 30.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110508002265.htm

Evacuees longing for hot meals (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

SENDAI--Nearly two months after the March 11 disaster, many evacuees are growing frustrated with the constant menu of cold meals, with some suffering health problems due to the bland diet.


http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110508002322.htm

Osaka day laborer duped into reactor cleanup (by Japan Times)

OSAKA — An Osaka day laborer who responded to an ad for a truck driver in Miyagi Prefecture found himself working beside the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station, it was learned Monday.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110509x3.html

Workers measure large radiation drop after replacing surface soil with deeper dirt (by Mainichi Shimbun)

A worker from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency measures radiation levels in a sandbox at the Fukushima University-affiliated kindergarten in Fukushima on May 8, 2011. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110509p2a00m0na009000c.html

Japan Nuclear Plant in Quake Zone to Close as Precaution (by NYT)

The Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant of Chubu Electric, in central Japan, on May 7.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/world/asia/10tokyo.html?ref=world

Quake-hit city suspends food rationing over lack of fairness fears (by Mainichi Shimbun)

About 500 to 600 people wait in line to receive rations in front of JR Watanoha station in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on May 3, 2011. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110509p2a00m0na011000c.html

Japan Reaffirms Nuclear Energy Use (by NYT)

The view on Sunday from an observation deck at the Hamaoka nuclear plant, which the government wants to shut down until protections can be built.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/world/asia/10japan.html?_r=1&ref=world

Man made to work at Fukushima plant for 2 weeks without prior knowledge (by Mainichi Shimbun)

People in radiation protect suits walk in J-Village in Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan Tuesday, April 12, 2011. J-Village was a sports complex which has been converted to a base for workers at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110509p2g00m0dm005000c.html

Strong desire to return hometown and teach

(by Mr. Kengo Yoshikawa (26), a teacher returned to the parents’ home in Tarou, Miyako City)

I came home after 40 days, and felt relieved to find out that everyone including my family are doing better that I had expected. I am also glad that Tarou Ichi Elememtary School, the one I graduated from, is still in good condition. I teach in Shizuoka right now, but I started to feel the strong desire to teach the children in my hometown who encountered the tsunami.

Iwate Nippo, Tsugaru Tendenko ~ Messages from the disaster hit areas~ 

http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/tendenko.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Even to this area… I was speechless

(by Ms. Motoko Miura (64), a housewife living as an evacuee at Nochinoiri Community Center in Ofunato City)

The tsunami approached just in front of my face, and I hurt my left leg when running away from it. I watched from the high ground that houses and cars were washed away. I did not expect that tsunami would come to even this area and was speechless. I will think about the future after moving in to the temporary housing.

Iwate Nippo, Tsugaru Tendenko ~ Messages from the disaster hit areas~ 

http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/tendenko.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Taking care of the graves with respect and sincerity

This is the burial site for about 350 people died from the earthquake and the tsunami disaster in Higashi Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture. There are a group of men who take care of the graves. They pour the water for flowers and level the mound by hands. After that work, they give silent prayers and move to the next mound. They are the employees of three construction companies in the city. Grave markers are in line with flowers and offerings neatly placed in front.

These three construction companies are in charge of digging up the ground for temporary burial and reburial to the permanent grave. Right after the disaster, they were fully occupied just to bury the victim’s bodies delivered there one after another. The grave markers were in disorder and the mounds were uneven. When the chaos of burying the victims somehow became settled, the employees voluntarily decided to straighten up the graveyard.

The families of the deceased express the great appreciation for their sincere attitude in caring the graves.
There are 20 men in total, and some are young in their twenties. There are some who lost their own families, and five among them come to work from the evacuation center. No one complain or gripe about the job. The supervisor (63) said, “The young people might realize the importance of mourning the dead. I know they cry when they go home. It is a hard job. They are working very hard bearing the sorrow and pain.”

Now their schedules are tight with reburials, but they try to find slightest time to come and care for the graves. “We must pay the respect,” a man said and went back to his work.

Sankei Shimbun, May 3, 2011
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/110503/dst11050318010023-n1.htm


Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

TEPCO lobbied for compensation limits (by Asahi Shimbun)

President Masataka Shimizu, second from left, and other officials of Tokyo Electric Power Co. offer their apologies to evacuees on May 4 in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture. (Toru Nakagawa)

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105050092.html

Fewer workers willing to brave radiation risk at crippled Fukushima plant (by Asahi Shimbun)

Workers spray agents at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on April 1 to keep radioactive substances grounded. (Photo provided by Tokyo Electric Power Co.)


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105050093.html

Chubu Electric plans to stop Hamaoka nuclear power plant (by Mainichi Shimbun)

The Hamaoka nuclear power station in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, is pictured in this aerial photo taken from a Mainichi helicopter on Feb. 23, 2011. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110506p2g00m0dm092000c.html

Money not reaching victims / Lack of staff, difficulty in identifying recipients seen behind delay (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Only a tiny fraction of the money donated to help survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake has made it into the hands of disaster victims nearly two months since the devastation of March 11.


http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110504002700.htm

Opinion split on health effects of low radiation doses (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Evacuees are screened for radiation contamination at a testing center Tuesday, March 15, 2011, in Koriyama city, Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, four days after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the country's north east coast. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110506p2a00m0na020000c.html

Disastrous pattern of academic-gov't collusion must not be allowed to continue (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) of Japan Chair Haruki Madarame testifies before the Diet's House of Councillors Budget Committee on March 28. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110506p2a00m0na003000c.html

Quake-hit tourist spot attracts more visitors than expected on 'Golden Week' holiday (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Tourists board a cruise boat in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, on May 4, 2011. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110505p2a00m0na005000c.html

Better quality of life for nuclear workers coming: TEPCO (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has announced a plan to improve the living conditions of workers fighting to bring the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant under control.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110505p2a00m0na006000c.html

Hiroshima A-bomb victim voices anger over handling of nuclear crisis (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Atsushi Hoshino gives his views about the nuclear accident at his residence in Fukushima. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110505p2a00m0na012000c.html

Workers enter No. 1 reactor building for 1st time since accident (by Mainichi Shimbun)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Workers entered the No. 1 nuclear reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant Thursday for the first time since the complex was damaged by the March 11 mega earthquake and subsequent tsunami, as part of efforts to install a cooling system at the No. 1 reactor, Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110505p2g00m0dm010000c.html

Cross made with drifted woods build by the pastor in the midst of debris at the lot where the church used

There stood a cross made with drifted woods among debris in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. It was built by volunteers and pastors at the lot where Kesennuma First Bible Baptist Church, which was completely destroyed by the tsunami, used to be. People gathered and held the first service after the disaster on May 1, 2011. Rev. Hiroshi Minegishi (63), a pastor of this church who is living at the evacuation center said, “I hope that many will find comfort and healing at this place.”

Rev. Minegishi built the church near Kesennuma Bay three years ago. He currently delivers the relief goods received from churches in various places to the victims.


After the service, Christian people who came to help from U.S.A., Canada, and Singapore removed debris around and straightened the cross. Mr. David Torres (50) had helped the disaster hit areas in various countries such as earthquake damaged Haiti. He said, “I am very impressed that victims in Tohoku area are behaving with consideration toward each other.”

Asahi Shimbun,  May 3, 2011

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0501/TKY201105010232.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Stoma: There is someone who understands my condition. (Story #2 out of 2)

Nurse Saori Oami distributed these fliers at the evacuation center to let the staffs know about the patients who use stoma.



A woman (44) of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture, who has a stoma on the abdomen, thought she should be washed away by tsunami for a moment right after the earthquake struck on March 11. But on second thought, she ran to the second floor of her house along with her mother (74). The two spent the night there.

They were rescued by a self-defense force helicopter on the afternoon of the next day. They reunited with the woman’s father who had evacuated earlier and their evacuee life began at a local school’s gymnasium.

The woman could not take extra colostomy bags for fecal collection with her this time again. The town employees at the evacuation center provided her with colostomy bags but the problem was that it took her at least 40 minutes to change bags.

She waited until other evacuees at the center were fast asleep and told the evacuation center staff that she would need a bathroom for a longer time due to her stoma. “What is a stoma?” was some of their replies. “That’s life,” she thought.

People with a stoma have no control with bowel movements or gas. Many of them worry about odor and noise and they hesitate to go out. The woman was no exception. In fact, she felt stressed at the center where she had to share space with strangers. To make matters worse for her, the colostomy bags provided to her were different from what she normally used and she felt apprehensive that the bags might leak.

Then Ms. Saori Oami (38) from Miyagi Shakai Hoken Hospital (Sendai City) visited the woman. Ms. Oami is a nurse specializing in supporting and teaching stoma care for people with an artificial opening, such as an artificial anus or an artificial urinary bladder.

The woman told Ms. Oami that she wanted to be washed away by tsunami and that the evacuation center staff’s response to her special needs had hurt her. The two talked in a private room for about two hours. Ms. Oami taught the woman how to cope with odor and skin irritation around a stoma due to the appliances the woman had to wear. Knowing that there was someone who understands her condition made her feel better. She came to be able to use a private room for changing colostomy bags at the evacuation center.

Ms. Oami realized that the dignity of the people with an artificial anus or an artificial urinary bladder was left behind even though excretions directly affect human dignity.

Ms. Oami visited the evacuation center again a week later. “We can talk right here,” said the woman. And she started talking about her current condition in her own space where there were some other evacuees around. Ms. Oami felt that the woman had a more relaxing look than last time.

In April, the woman moved to other evacuation center. She has no idea when she could move into temporary housing. She is hoping that there would be no one who would have to go through what she had experienced if another disaster should happen.

The Asahi Shimbun, April 29, 2011

http://www.asahi.com/health/ikiru/TKY201104290199.html

Translated by Mikiko Yamashita

Group helps kids get through grief (by Japan Times)

Child support: Donna Schuurman, executive director of Dougy Center, speaks to The Japan Times on April 20 in Minamiaoyama, Tokyo. YOSHIAKI MIURA

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110504f1.html

U.S. official urges beefed-up disaster teamwork (by Japan Times)

WASHINGTON — Japan and the United States should bolster disaster response cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region based on the success of their coordinated rescue efforts after the March 11 Tohoku disaster, a senior Pentagon official said.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110505a3.html

Tepco Looks to Living Conditions at Damaged Plant . (by WSJ)

TOKYO—Workers toiling to fix the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant now have something to look forward to-—fresh meals and more frequent showers.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703849204576302763991781504.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLENews

Doctors to receive subsidies / 300,000 yen per month to help reopen small clinics in quake-hit areas (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

Doctors whose medical facilities and equipment were destroyed or damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami will receive a monthly subsidy of 300,000 yen from the Japan Medical Association.


http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110503004567.htm

Despite canceled races, determined runners jog on for quake victims (by Asahi Shimbun)

Barefoot runners set off for a jog in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park on April 23. (Louis Templado)


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105040114.html

Japan Confronts Liabilities for Crisis (by WSJ)

Residents attending an information session hosted by the nuclear-power plant's operator late last month in Fukushima prefecture.
.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703367004576288692867523776.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLENews

Simulations of radioactive substances diffusion from nuke plant released by gov't (by Mainichi Shimbun)

A chart simulating the spread of radioactive substances from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant made at 4 p.m. on March 12. (Chart courtesy of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110504p2a00m0na005000c.html

Japan, U.S. to enhance cooperation in disaster response: U.S. official (by Mainichi Shimbun)

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- Japan and the United States should strengthen cooperation in disaster response in the Asia-Pacific region, in light of their coordination in the rescue efforts following the March 11 earthquake, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110504p2g00m0dm005000c.html

Seabed radiation 100-1,000 times normal level off Fukushima plant (by Mainichi Shimbun)

A photograph shows Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on March 15. From left, the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 reactors. (Photo courtesy of TEPCO)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110504p2g00m0dm009000c.html

Stoma: A woman hesitated to evacuate due to her bitter experience. (story #1 out of 2)

Murky waters were rapidly coming to the area where this woman lived. A thought just popped into her head while she was standing knee-deep in the water. “Should I stay here to be washed away by Tsunami?” On that day, she thought about death for an instant. She had bitter experience a year ago, which stopped her from running away from tsunami for a moment.


In February 2010, Tsunami warnings were issued in pacific coastal areas of the Tohoku district due to Chile Earthquake in South America. The woman (44) of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture, evacuated to a nearby school. She has a stoma on the abdomen which had been surgically created during emergency operation in 2007.

A stoma is often placed on the abdomen after colon cancer surgery. People with a stoma need colostomy bags to collect intestinal waste and the bags need to be changed every few days. Stomas are not visible externally and many patients with a stoma do not want others to know they have one.

When the woman hurried to evacuate due to the tsunami warnings a year ago, she forgot to take extra colostomy bags with her. She wondered how long she would have to be evacuated and whether any extra colostomy bags were available. The only way to find out is to ask town employees at the evacuation center how they would support patients with a stoma, even though normally she would not talk about her condition with other people.

The employee whom she had talked to said, “Please bring your own bags.” She was angry, thinking what the bureaucrats were for. She could go home a few hours later and she decided not to evacuate again. She thought that she would be better off at home.

She was home when the earthquake struck on March 11 this year. Her wooden house shook both vertically and laterally with rumbling of the earth. After the shaking subsided, her parents came home.

Tsunami warnings were communicated through the town’s address over the community wireless system and the township, which was urging evacuation.

The woman told her parents to go ahead and evacuate. Her father (76) headed to an evacuation center, however, her mother (74) would not leave and asked the woman if she would evacuate. “I wouldn’t want to go through a lot of trouble,” the woman replied to her mother evasively.

The mother knew what had happened to her daughter at the evacuation center last year and probably read her daughter’s minds: “I would rather stay home even if it is dangerous. I do not want to feel and miserable at an evacuation center.” The woman noticed her mother’s concern and urged her to run upstairs.

When the woman was about to go back downstairs to get her cell phone, the tsunami rolled through the kitchen into the stairs at once. She would rather be washed away, but she had second thought and ran upstairs. “I need to save my mother.”

The Asahi Shimbun, April 28, 2011

http://www.asahi.com/health/ikiru/TKY201104280279.html?ref=reca

Translated by Mikiko Yamashita

Relaxed radiation dose rule for children draws flak (by Mainichi Shimbun)

University of Tokyo Professor Toshiso Kosako is pictured during a press conference held at the Diet building on April 29, 2011, following his resignation as a special nuclear advisor to the Cabinet. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110503p2g00m0dm017000c.html

Solar power, not nuke power, eyed for quake victims' housing (by Asahi Shimbun)

SENDAI--The chairman of a new Miyagi Prefecture advisory panel is proposing installing solar panels on all future housing for those displaced by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that could pay for themselves and provide evacuees with some much-needed extra income.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105020130.html

68 elite bureaucrats parachute into power company jobs over 50 yrs (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Demonstrators parade past the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) during their anti-nuclear power protest, in Tokyo, Sunday, May 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110503p2g00m0dm023000c.html

Fishing for young launce has ended for this season without resumption – Ibaraki

The headquarters for the earthquake disaster countermeasure of prefectural fishery organized by fisheries and marine products agency of Ibaraki Prefecture decided to end the fishing for young launce for this season on April 30, 2011.  On April 29, 2011, radioactive materials exceeding the temporary limit were detected in young launce caught off North Ibaraki City, and they cannot expect to resume the fishing for a prolonged time.

According to Ibaraki Prefecture Coastal Region Fishermen’s Union League, young launce fishing season is from March to June, and they go off to the sea of the northern prefecture through the central prefecture. They had a catch worth 200 million yen last year. Most of the fishermen were hit by the disaster during their preparation and could hardly go out fishing. They are going to demand the compensation to TEPCO for the loss due to the cancellation of the fishing.

Ibaraki Prefecture also announced on April 30 that young launce caught off North Ibaraki City on 29th had been found to contain 1,374becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram, and one off Takahagi City, 505becqurels: both were above the regulatory value of 500becquerels.

MSN Sankei News, April 30, 2011 

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/110430/dst11043018300021-n1.htm

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

The financial concern: dubious of TEPCO’s compensation payment

(by Mr. Kiyoshi Chiba (63) Minami Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, at Housing for employment promotion in Ogata, in  Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)

Tokyo Electric Power Company said that they would pay for the compensation, but we have not received it at all even after a month and a half. I became dubious of their promise of payment. I used to be a cab driver in Minami Soma City, but the company is being closed for now, and I am insecure without any income.

Niigata Daily News, The voices of the evacuees in the prefecture, May 1, 2011
http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/22521.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

My wish is that my children will grow healthy and strong

(by Mr. Shoji Takae (30) Futaba-cho, Fukushima Prefecture, at Shinsan Gymnasium Evacuation Center, in Nagaoka City)

I came to this evacuation center with my wife, a two year old son, and a son just born in January this year. We do not currently have any problem with rearing our children, but I am nervous about our future life, as I lost my job. But it’s no use just worrying about it. I would be satisfied when my children grow up in good health and I complete my job as a father. I would like them to grow up strong: strong enough to keep their smiles when they encounter the similar disaster ever again in the future.

Niigata Daily News, The voices of the evacuees in the prefecture, May 1, 2011
http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/22521.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

No more comfortable life at the old age that I was looking forward to

(by Ms. Toyoko Kashiwa (57) Minamisoma-City, Fukushima Prefecture, at Niigata City Gymnasium Evacuation Center)

My house suffered only minor damage that the kitchen cabinet was toppled, but due to the accidents at the nuclear power plant, my life was uprooted and we have to live in this shelter. We built a new house and a retirement life of elegant ease was waiting for us, but regretfully it’s all gone. I feel agony and emptiness, but cannot complain when thinking about those who work strenuously even at the plant at the risk of their own lives.

Niigata Daily News, The voices of the evacuees in the prefecture, May 1, 2011
http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/subgenre/51/22521.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Eagerly waiting for the restoration of water supply

(by Mr. Shinichi Kondo (62), Fisherman, Matsuzaki-cho, Ofunato City)

This tsunami gushed in quite fast, and it was completely different from the one caused by Chilean earthquake years ago. I evacuated onto the railroad, and rescued three people from the second floor of the house floating nearby. My house was flooded above the floor level, but as soon as the electricity was restored, I came back. I hope that the water supply will be restored soon.

Iwate Daily News, Tsugaru Tendeko ~ Messages from the disaster hit areas, May 2, 2011
http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/tendenko.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

So many worries about the future

(by Ms. Kazuko Moriai (56), at Tsugaruishi Junior High School Gymnasium Evacuation Center)
My house was washed away and I have lost many valuable things. I am totally at a loss when thinking about the future. There are many worries about where to live and where to work. I am hoping to find my missing nephew in Otsuchi soon.


Iwate Daily News, Tsugaru Tendeko ~ Messages from the disaster hit areas, May 1, 2011
http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/tendenko.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Foreign students return to Japan to help out (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Juan Felipe Torres Alvarez, a doctoral student from Colombia, carries relief materials in Sendai's Miyagino Ward. (Kim Soonhi)


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105010116.html

Nuclear accident a chance to reconsider national nuclear policy, says Bikini Atoll survivor (by Mainichi Shimbun)

In this March 20, 2011 aerial file photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by Air Photo Service, the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is seen in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture. From top to bottom: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3 and Unit 4. (AP Photo/Air Photo Service)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110502p2a00m0na018000c.html

U.S. medical group blasts Tokyo radiation policy on Fukushima children (by Mainicshi Shimbun)

Farmer Sumiko Matsuno, left, and her freind, bag carrots on her farm to eat as she fears no one will buy them with the current radiation fallout, Thursday, March 24, 2011 in Fukushima, Fukushima prefecture, (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110502p2g00m0dm066000c.html

Refugee from Myanmar gives back to Japan (by Mainishi Shimbun)

Foreign volunteers help clear mud from a shopping street in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 14. (Mainichi)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/

Gov't assumes 3 yrs for removal of debris from disaster areas (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Workers remove a damaged car from the debris at an area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Monday, April 4, 2011. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man )

http://mdn.mainichi.jp

Mainichi Shimbun, May 1, 2011

Love blooms at shelter as evacuee and volunteer set to marry (by Mainichi Shimbun)

From right, Nozomi Murakami, her son Yunosuke, and Seiki Abe are pictured at Shizugawa Elementary School in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 22. (Mainichi)

Mainichi Shimbun, May 1, 2011
http://mdn.mainichi.jp

Life in Limbo for Japanese Near Nuclear Plant (by NYT)

National Police Agency chief Takaharu Ando, center, in protective gear in Futaba, a town now almost deserted after a 12-mile evacuation zone was declared in northeastern Japan.
http://www.nytimes.com

"Why the kids in Japan have to go through this hardship?"--A girl's question to Pope

Pope Benedict XVI responded to a question from a girl living in Japan,"Why do the kids in Japan have to go through such a terrifying and sad thing," through a TV program by RAI, Italian national TV network.

The girl is 7-year-old Elena Matsuki, living in Chiba Prefecture. She asked Pope a question through a video letter recorded at the balcony of her apartment.

Pope responded by saying, "I myself have been asking that question and there might not be an answer. Jesus Christ suffered from being falsely charged with the crime he did not commit and he would always be with you."

According to Elena's 63-year-old grandma, when the earthquake hit, Elena was at her home, an apartment on the10th floor with her mother and experienced strong shaking many times. Elena later learned that many children died from the quake, the question she asked Pope occurred to her.

Pope also said, "Your sorrow never goes away. However, people around the world are thinking about the Japanese people and I pray for all the suffering children in Japan."

Asahi Shimbun, April 23, 2011
http://www.asahi.com

Translated by Yuka Yamashita