As Large as the Dead Sea of Israel
(But, not bad at all to live on it.)
Such Statements on the 3/11 Disaster of Northeast Japan
Some Japanese TV stations are still reporting, in a non-nonsense manner, the states of the northeast region of Honsyu Island and the Fukushima No.1 (Daiichi) Plant in prime time.
No joking and no laughing, but sharing the feeling of being hit by Heaven.
Indeed, it is a historic experience for any Japanese to have lived and survived March 11.
Traditionally, in East Asia, a big natural disaster was taken as a sign of anger or discomfort of Heaven at some king or political and tribal leader.
Yet, I do not think that Heaven is going to destroy Japan, since I respect Heaven more than anybody on this earth. It is so, since Heaven has M9.0 and more power.
1) Prime Minister Mr. Naoto Kan expressed his gratitude for the global support for the Japanese people.
Kizuna
- The Bonds of Friendship -
April 11, 2011
[Provisional Translation]
JAPANESE
One month has passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which caused over 13,000 people to lose their lives in the enormous earthquake and tsunamis that struck. Even now, over 14,000 people remain unaccounted for, and about 150,000 people remain forced to take shelter as evacuees. I extend my heartfelt sympathy to all the people who have suffered as a result of this disaster, both Japanese nationals and non-Japanese, and to their families.
We are currently mobilizing all resources to bring the situation at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station under stable control and working to stabilize the situation there at the earliest possible time.
This one month since the great earthquake has been an extremely arduous time for Japan. Yet at the same time, it has been a period during which Japan has once again realized, and once again given thanks, that we stand together with the world.
Thus far, over 130 nations and regions, nearly 40 international organizations, a number of nongovernmental organizations and people from all around the globe have extended their best wishes to us, and moreover they have expressed their support and solidarity through donations and other means. Various countries and regions rushed in rescue workers to swiftly conduct rescue operations in the affected areas swiftly and delivered supplies such as food, medical supplies, and blankets. This assistance also brought wholehearted encouragement to the disaster victims. In addition, we have received thousands of origami paper cranes intently folded by children in distant nations wishing for the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas.
On behalf of the people of Japan, I extend my heartfelt thanks for such assistance from all around the world.
There is no doubt that Japan will recover, become vibrant again, and become an even more marvelous country. In living up to the cordial encouragement and solidarity extended to us by the international community, I consider walking down the road to such a rebirth to be incumbent upon us, and the best way for Japan to reciprocate your kind concern. It is my firm conviction that through the fundamental strengths inherent to the Japanese people and the cordial cooperation of the international community, we can achieve this without fail.
I am also determined that Japan will certainly repay, through our contributions to the international community, the cordial assistance we have received from around the world.
To that end, I will work to the best of my ability to realize reconstruction of Japan.
Naoto Kan
Prime Minister of Japan
A friend in need is a friend indeed
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/statement/201104/11kizuna_e.html
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2) American Embassy in Tokyo keeps strong friendship with Japan.
PRESS RELEASE
U.S. Embassy Marks One-Month Anniversary of Great East Japan Earthquake
April 11, 2011
Ambassador Roos and the entire staff of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo offer their condolences to the people of Japan on the one-month anniversary of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Despite the horrific devastation of the earthquake and tsunami, the resilience of the Japanese people has served as an inspiration to citizens around the world. The United States will continue to support Japan as it rebuilds from this unprecedented disaster.
Today, the U.S. Embassy will fly the U.S. flag at half-staff and observe a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. to honor all the victims of the earthquake and tsunami.
http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20110411-02.html
(This emblem was created by a Japanese managing and editing an aviation magazine. He and his wife ordered production of this emblem to a Taiwan maker. He then provided American troops stationed around Tokyo with 1000 emblems for free. American soldiers liked them and asked more for any prices.)
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3) Japanese female politician is expressing her vision toward the future over the 3/11 Tragedy.
The Sun Will Rise Again
Yuriko Koike
2011-04-15
TOKYO – In Japan, memorial services for the dead are normally held 49 days after their passing. The bereaved mourn throughout this period. The number of victims of the earthquake and tsunami that assaulted the Tohoku region of northeast Japan has now reached around 30,000, if those who are still missing are included. This was the largest natural disaster to strike Japan in its history, and the entire nation has been in mourning...
Indeed, the only way truly to honor those who lost their lives is to create a new-model Japan from the tsunami’s wreckage, rather than simply restoring towns and their economies to their previous decadent conditions.
Yuriko Koike, Japan’s former defense minister and national security adviser, is Chairman of the Executive Council of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2011.
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/koike17/English#comments
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4) WHO does not encourage people in the world to casually visit and enjoy Japan, especially in the affected area, though radiation contamination is very restricted and limited in the coastal area of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, or specifically within a 20 kilometer zone from the Fukushima Daiichi Plant on the North Pacific Ocean.
WHO SITREP NO 13
Japan earthquake and tsunami
Situation Report No. 13
22 March 2011
As of 14:30 hrs Manila Time
All times stated below are in Tokyo time.
SITUATION SUMMARY
- A 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011 in Japan at 5:46:23 GMT, hitting the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan....
- 73 food samples exceed the provisional regulation value for Iodine-131 and 30 food samples exceed the provisional regulation value for Caesium (200 Bq/kg for milk and 500 Bq/kg for vegetables). Samples which exceeded the provisional regulation values originated from Gunma, Fukushima, Chiba, Ibaraki, Nagano and Tochigi prefectures....
Hong Kong, China has reported that it has tested 214 consignments of imported food from Japan between 12 and 18 March 2011. All results are satisfactory.
Taiwan, China reported imported fava beans from Kagoshima Prefecture (in southern Japan) have low level radiation levels (11 Bq/kg Iodine and 1 Bq/kg Caesium) (media report only; official information has been requested).
Outside of the Western Pacific Region, several countries have also put in additional monitoring procedures, of particular note is the European Commission.
The US FDA is enhancing monitoring of food for radiation (e.g. increasing the number of samplings) and working with the Japanese government. FDA has stated that since produce import from Japan is low and there is already no transport of food products from the earthquake-affected areas, there is no immediate risk (media)....
TRAVEL ADVISORIES
WHO websites (HQ and WPRO) advise travelers who do not have essential reasons to travel to Japan should give careful consideration to deferring travel to any areas where there has been considerable disruption to the normal infrastructure and where authorities are responding to urgent humanitarian needs.
Travelers to Japan are also advised to monitor local media, follow the advice and instructions issued by local authorities and register their travel and location details with their respective embassy or consulate...
http://www.u-tokyo-rad.jp/data/whositrep.pdf
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5) It might be Prime Minister himself that took the Fukushima situation to this crisis.
Prime Minister Kan Caused Nuclear Plant Explosion? Visit to Fukushima Delayed Controlled Release of Vapor
The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Prime Minister Kan’s visit to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant on March 12th caused workers to delay critical tasks, worsening an already bad situation:
Temperatures and pressures inside the pressure vessels of the Nos. 1 to 3 reactors began rising sharply, complicating the injection of cooling water into the reactors. When the level of water in the reactors drops, nuclear fuel rods become exposed, overheat and may start melting, risking damage to the reactor as well as the emission of radioactive substances.
On the night of March 11, TEPCO planned a controlled release of vapor mixed with radioactive substances from the No. 1 reactor, in an operation to decrease pressure in the pressure vessel.
However, the operation was not carried out until 10:17 a.m. the following day, four hours after Prime Minister Naoto Kan left the Prime Minister’s Office to travel to the Fukushima Prefecture plant for an inspection. Also, evacuation of residents in areas within 10 kilometers of the power plant had not been completed at that time.
Then, on the afternoon of March 12, a hydrogen explosion occurred at the No. 1 reactor, destroying the reactor building roof.
Kenzo Miya, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, an expert on nuclear engineering, said the prime minister’s inspection delayed TEPCO’s original plans to vent the pressure vessel.
“Because of the prime minister’s [impending] inspection, the start of the ‘vent’ was delayed. The possibility that the subsequent actions all fell behind can’t be denied,” Miya said.
Haruki Madarame, chairman of the Cabinet Office’s Nuclear Safety Commission, also noted the time-loss disadvantage.
“Work [to conduct the 'vent'] took time to get under way. As a result, several hours were lost before starting to inject seawater [to cool the reactor]. It was a painful incident,” Madarame said, when recalling the situation on the night of March 23.
It would be unfair to blame Kan for what happened, since we do not know if he was told about the importance of venting the gas as soon as possible...
http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/04/03/prime-minister-kan-caused-nuclear-plant-explosion-visit-to-fukushima-delayed-controlled-release-of-vapor/
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On January 1 of this year, I was puzzled that I could not well observe Mt. Fuji from a certain spot.
Last year I could see it well and the year was not so bad, roughly speaking.
But, on January 1 of this year, I was puzzled that I could not well observe Mt. Fuji from a certain spot.
Then, an earthquake occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 20 or 30 Japanese students. It reminded me well of the 2010 Great Haiti Earthquake.
Till March 11, this year, the Japanese media focused on the fate of Prime Minister Mr. Naoto Kan. It was exposed that PM Mr. Kan received political funds from a Korean resident in Japan, while then Foreign Minister Mr. Seiji Maehara was forced to resign for the same reason. It is illegal in Japan for a politician receives money for political activities from a foreigner. So, it was highly expected that PM Mr. Kan would be compelled to step down without dissolving the parliament.
During a session in the parliament, called Diet in Japan, being televised nationwide, very drastically the M9.0 Earthquake hit the undersea ground 400 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. The TV broadcast on the spot in the Diet was immediately cancelled, and the live coverage of the 3/11 Disaster started so fatefully on March 11, 2011.
So, the story of PM Mr. Kan has been suspended. Either to be shamefully forced to step down from the Japanese premiership or to save the nation acting as a hero in the middle of the 3/11 Disaster looked like his option. And, maybe, time has come that a focus is on Mr. Kan himself. It is so, since all the conservative, nationalistic, and pro-American Japanese want Mr. Kan to step down.