Fund to track Fukushima health (by Japan Times)

(Kyodo)
The government plans to establish a ¥103 billion fund to track the health of all Fukushima Prefecture residents for 30 years, because of radiation leaking from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, government sources said Thursday.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110624a3.html

Quake-rebuilding budget delayed to autumn as Diet squabbles (by Asahi Shimbun)

Piles of rubble remain untouched more than three months after the March 11 earthquake in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)


Rebuilding quake-damaged regions in northeastern Japan appears certain to be delayed further as an extra budget for full-fledged post-quake reconstruction is not likely to be submitted to the Diet until September or later.
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106230201.html

The view from the ship has changed completely after the disaster

 (by Mr. Toshio Sato, 62, Captain of Yachiyo Taxi,  Shiogama City, Miyagi Prefecure)

I am running a water taxi business for four years at the port of Shiogama. It is a 13 passenger boat and travels to the Urato Islands and Matsushima Island. The public liner doesn’t run often, so I get quite many customers. I rush to the island 24/7 to transport patients who need treatment at the main land.

I lost one of my ships by the tsunami; it was knocked down side way and totaled. This one that I am running now got big hole on the bottom when it was washed ashore, but I had it repaired somehow and I was able to resume my water taxi business from May 1.

The view from the ship has changed completely after the disaster, and I wish they will restore the previous scenery as soon as possible. (Photo taken by Mr. Yasuo Ishii)

Nikkan Sports,  June 6, 2011

http://photos.nikkansports.com/general/genki/archives/20110606_17055.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano

Some power firm shareholders wary of nuclear energy (by Asahi Shimbun)

Kansai Electric Power Co. shareholders walk past nuclear power protesters as they enter a stockholders meeting in Osaka on June 29, 2010. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)




Electric power companies will face stronger doubts among shareholders about the feasibility of continuing with nuclear energy at annual meetings scheduled for later this month.


http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106180290.html

Japan industry minister seeks restart of nuclear reactors (by Mainichi Shimbun)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Industry minister Banri Kaieda on Saturday called for the restart of nuclear reactors currently suspended, to meet summertime electricity demand, saying immediate countermeasures for severe accidents have been taken "appropriately" at the nation's nuclear power plants.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110619p2g00m0dm023000c.html

Use Result of Research on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic-bomb Disease Researchers’ Concern over Fukushima

Research group for Post Atomic –bomb Syndrome that is investigating the effect of atomic-bomb dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki held the meeting at a hotel in Hiroshima on June 5^th. There were about 200 researchers attended.  They voiced out one after another that they should utilize the result of research accumulated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in reference to the accident at the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant.

Dr. Kenji Kamiya, the head of the medical research institute of atomic-bomb radiation at Hiroshima University worries that the groundless harmful rumor is spread such as the radiation is contagious and insisted that Hiroshima and Nagasaki need to stand up.

Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, a professor of the Graduate School of Nagasaki University, assigned to the advisor for Radiation Health and Risk Control of Fukushima Prefecture, stated “ It is very hard to wipe out the anxiety of the residents through our consultation” and explained the necessity to educate the people with the knowledge of the specialists from all over the country.

Dr. Koichi Tanigawa, a professor of the Graduate School of Hiroshima University who visited the area many times and contributed to the establishment of emergency medical system, pointed out that the inadequacy of the current disaster measure was exposed, and requested that the local government should take the initiative to review the system.

Ms. Tomoko Masunaga, a co-researcher at the Graduate School of Nagasaki University, who studied the mental health condition of residents of Belarus after the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant told, “ It is very important to provide the continuous mental care to the people”, suggesting the crucial psychological influence due to the long term problem over the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident.

Asahi Shimbun, June 5, 2011

http://www.asahi.com/special/10005/OSK201106050045.html

Translated by Makiko Tajima Asano 

Gov't calls TEPCO radiation exposure standards 'overly optimistic' (by Mainichi Shimbun)

Workers install a pressure sensor inside the No. 1 reactor building at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant on June 3, in this photo provided by Tokyo Electric Power Co.

As the number of workers exposed to high levels of radiation at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant increases, the government is accusing plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) of slack radiation dose calculations.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110615p2a00m0na014000c.html