Not everything going on in Japan is as the media is reporting... < Duh >

from ode magazine...

Signs of hope in Sendai

Once again I want to write to you about what is happening here. The TV news is frightening beyond belief. In fact, this entire phenomenon seems totally surreal. Beyond the edges of one’s wildest imagination. But I continue picking through the rubble of this experience to find flickers of hope and powerful experiences of beauty.

Yes, the devastation continues, as do deep concerns over the nuclear fallout. But along side of the ongoing horrific news we have started hearing stories of a positive nature. They may be small and subtle, but they are emerging. A doctor, for example, who lost his home and clinic, went to live in an evacuee shelter. He immediately saw the tremendous medical needs there, so began treating patients to the best of his ability. A nurse came in by helicopter to offer her services. During her interview she said, “People must overcome this crisis. We cannot give up.”

Likewise a restaurant owner, who also lost his home, but not his business, opened up shop and offered hot bowls of noodle soup to evacuees for free. “We must help one another,” was his only comment.

Indeed, a friend in Tokyo wrote this to me in an e-mail. “I know that every Japanese people can exersize their best to help others in such serious circumstances and you can rely on their kindness. That is our culture. Of course, I am ready to support you anything you need, so please don’t hesitate, but let me know whatever I can support you.”

In evacuation centers there are puppet shows for children. “It’s to ease their minds,” my friend explained to me. “That is very important.” And for the Japanese one’s state of mind often carries more weight than facts. That is because we have some semblance of control over our mind, no matter what the outer circumstances may be.

In another shelter junior high school students got paper and paints and made a large bright, energetic sign that said, “To have life is profound joy.” It was hung high overhead so everyone could see it and be encouraged by the words.

On local TV stations time is allotted to read messages of people seeking family members. We comfort one another as best as we can. We still say, “Gambarimashou” (We must keep up our fighting spirit). We see shots on TV of family members reuniting, of long lines of people waiting to use free phone service to call home and friends. We see a lot of tears. But so much comfort, so much support.

The city’s basic infrastructure has collapsed, but people are working round the clock to get things back into some sort of normalcy. Water came first in big trucks. Then in some areas it was on after a day. Electricity is also slowly coming back on. Gas will not be available for another month or so because of excessive damage to the pipes. We are all dreaming of a bath, of just being able to wash a bit. But as one woman in a shelter said, “I was so cold at night, but everyone else was, too. So, that gives me courage.” In that context a bath seems so minor.

Buses have resumed on some routes. Some food shops are open for a few hours a day. I noticed a shop open with flowers for graves, for shrines and temples so that the souls of the long ago and recently deceased may have a touch of earthly beauty in heaven.

There is so much support and solidarity. I want to close with another e-mail from a friend who is a university teacher. It, too, is an excellent manifestation of the truly remarkable Japanese “kokoro” (heart and soul).

“I have been trying to find out the situations of some students and friends whom I lost contact with since the earthquake and tsunami attacked this area.

“There are still many students staying and living on campus. Some lost their houses and the others are not sure if their families are OK. When I met them, I just couldn't find right word to cheer them up.

“Today was supposed to be a graduation day which was postponed and might be canceled. When I saw the students at the campus housing this morning, they served me a special breakfast that the juniors cooked for the seniors to celebrate the day. The meal was cold, but really special. I won't forget the taste of it. I am convinced that my students will overcome this tragedy with the positive attitude. I intend to emulate them.”

With Love
Anne

that's one of the most enlightening and hopeful things i've read in many days...

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Level 5 headed to Level 7...? Hmmm... Let's bury the bastard...

another morning and more increasingly bad news from fukushima...

Japan's nuclear safety agency raised the severity rating of the country's nuclear crisis Friday from Level 4 to Level 5 on a seven-level international scale, putting it on par with the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania in 1979.

Ryohei Shiomi, a spokesman for the nuclear safety agency, said Friday that the agency raised the rating of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear crisis on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The scale defines a Level 4 incident as having local consequences and a Level 5 incident as having wider consequences.

The hallmarks of a Level 5 emergency are severe damage to a reactor core, release of large quantities of radiation with a high probability of "significant" public exposure or several deaths from radiation.

A partial meltdown at Three Mile Island also was ranked a Level 5. The Chernobyl accident of 1986, which killed at least 31 people with radiation sickness, raised long-term cancer rates, and spewed radiation for hundreds of miles (kilometers), was ranked a Level 7.

France's Nuclear Safety Authority has been saying since Tuesday that the crisis in northeastern Japan should be ranked Level 6 on the scale.

so, if it's only a level 5, why are they now considering the desperate, last-ditch strategy used for chernobyl...?

Japan weighs need to bury nuclear plant

Japanese engineers conceded on Friday that burying a crippled nuclear plant in sand and concrete may be a last resort to prevent a catastrophic radiation release, the method used to seal huge leakages from Chernobyl in 1986.

mmm-hmmmm... but, not to worry, everything's still "fine," dontcha know...

Radiation levels recorded in areas near the plant did not pose an immediate risk to human health, said Michael O'Leary, the World Health Organisation's representative in China.

"At this point, there is still no evidence that there's been significant radiation spread beyond the immediate zone of the reactors themselves," O'Leary told reporters in Beijing.

Japan's nuclear disaster has triggered global alarm and reviews of safety at atomic power plants around the world.

President Barack Obama, who stressed the United States did not expect harmful radiation to reach its shores, said he had ordered a comprehensive review of domestic nuclear plants and pledged Washington's support for Japan.

[all emphases added]

i don't know about you, but i feel SO much better now...!

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Japan nuclear crisis worsens

every morning i get up and find the situation is getting worse...

The chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave a far bleaker appraisal on Wednesday of the threat posed by Japan’s nuclear crisis than the Japanese government had offered. He said American officials believed that the damage to at least one crippled reactor was much more serious than Tokyo had acknowledged, and he advised Americans to stay much farther away from the plant than the perimeter established by Japanese authorities.

The announcement opened a new and ominous chapter in the five-day-long effort by Japanese engineers to bring the six side-by-side reactors under control after their cooling systems were knocked out by an earthquake and a tsunami last Friday.

there's a part of this situation as it's being treated by our super-rich, elite bought-and-paid-for media that's pure fear-mongering... i'm not buying into that part but what i am feeling most strongly is concern for the people affected, not only by the nuclear crisis but the tsunami and the earthquake, fercryinoutloud... my heart goes out...

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Fukushima team going back in

i'm sure the members of that team realize that they are probably sacrificing their lives in this effort...

Japan ordered emergency workers to withdraw from its stricken nuclear complex Wednesday amid a surge in radiation, temporarily suspending efforts to cool the overheating reactors. Hours later, officials said they were preparing to send the team back in.

[...]

[A]n official with Tokyo Electric Power, which operates the plant, said the team had withdrawn about 500 yards (meters) from the complex, but were getting ready to go back in.

[...]

The workers at the forefront of the fight — a core team of about 180 — had been regularly rotated in and out of the danger zone to minimize their radiation exposure.

Meanwhile, officials in Ibaraki prefecture, just south of Fukushima, said radiation levels were about 300 times normal levels by late morning. While those levels are unhealthy for prolonged periods, they are far from fatal.

oh... only THREE HUNDRED TIMES NORMAL... well, ok then...

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Fukushima: there's nothing left to do but throw in the towel

this definitely wasn't the news i wanted to wake up to today...

Japan suspends work at stricken nuclear plant

Japan suspended operations to keep its stricken nuclear plant from melting down Wednesday after surging radiation made it too dangerous to stay.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the workers dousing the reactors in a frantic effort to cool them needed to withdraw.

"The workers cannot carry out even minimal work at the plant now," Edano said. "Because of the radiation risk we are on standby."

[...]

"It's more of a surrender," said David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer who now heads the nuclear safety program for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an activist group. "It's not like you wait 10 days and the radiation goes away. In that 10 days things are going to get worse."

"It's basically a sign that there's nothing left to do but throw in the towel," Lochbaum said.

now we wait to hear what the horrifying implications of this latest development will be...

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Spent fuel storage pond on fire at Fukushima

words fail...

Japan has told the UN nuclear watchdog a spent fuel storage pond was on fire at an earthquake-stricken reactor and radioactivity was being released "directly" into the atmosphere, the Vienna-based agency said.

[...]

Closer to the Japan's capital, radiation levels in the city of Maebashi, 100 km (60 miles) north Tokyo, were up to 10 times normal on Tuesday, Kyodo news agency said, quoting the city government.

Japan's prime minister warned on Tuesday that radioactive levels had become high around an earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant after explosions at two reactors, adding that the risk of more radioactive leakage was rising.

we're witnessing a real global nightmare...

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Partial melting of the fuel rods in all three Fukushima reactors

O.M.G...

Japanese nuclear authorities said that there was a high possibility that nuclear fuel rods at a reactor at Tokyo Electric Power's Dai-ichi plant may be melting or have melted, Jiji news agency reported.

Experts have said that if the fuel rods have been damaged, it means that it could develop into a breach of the nuclear reactor vessel and the question then becomes one of how strong the containment structure around the vessel is and whether it has been undermined by the earthquake.

japan can't seem to catch a break...

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Fuel rods fully exposed at Japan nuclear plant

the news coming out of japan is looking worse and worse...

Fuel rods are entirely exposed at Fukushima Daiichi No.2 reactor; cannot rule out fuel meltdown

whatever your belief system - love, light, higher power, or just the power of good intentions - send some love to japan... it's getting really creepy...

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Second explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant; first announcement of injuries in first explosion

japanese authorities keep insisting that any radioactive release are "within legal limits"... i think they're whistling past the graveyard...

The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked Japan's stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Monday, sending a massive column of smoke into the air and wounding six workers. It was not immediately clear how much — if any — radiation had been released.

The explosion at the plant's Unit 3, which authorities have been frantically trying to cool following a system failure in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami, triggered an order for hundreds of people to stay indoors, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.

it took them almost two days to announce the injuries resulting from the first explosion but at least they're admitting up front to the injuries due to this one...

The blast follows a similar explosion Saturday that took place at the plant's Unit 1, which injured four workers and caused mass-evacuations.

Japan's nuclear safety agency said six workers were injured in Monday's explosion but it was not immediately clear how, or whether they were exposed to radiation. They were all conscious, said the agency's Ryohei Shomi.

there's no way this is going to end well...

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The Japanese disaster

i've been glued to the tv off and on since the news of japan broke here in south africa early friday morning... to say that it's the most indescribable event of my lifetime would be an understatement... watching the shock wave shoot up from the explosion at the fukushima nuclear plant made my skin crawl... watching the scenes of utter destruction from the tsunami, i might as well be looking at another hiroshima, and if the meltdown that seems to be in progress at the two reactors continues, that level of horror could be added to the ongoing nightmare...

if you haven't already, check out the scenes yourself via this link to the bbc...

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Reactor explosion in Japan

worst case scenario comes to pass...

Japan's fears mount with nuclear plant blast

The Fukushima power plant's cooling system failed after Friday's massive earthquake. Residents flee the area. Nationwide, the death toll from the quake and tsunami could top 1,600.

the earthquake was bad, the tsunami was worse, but this is incomprehensible...

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8.8 earthquake in Japan and a possible tsunami wave of 32 ft. [UPDATE: 8.9]

from the usgs...

Magnitude	8.8
Date-Time	Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	38.322°N, 142.369°E
Depth	24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program
Region	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances	130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan 178 km (110 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan 178 km (110 miles) ENE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan 373 km (231 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 13.5 km (8.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters	NST=350, Nph=351, Dmin=416.3 km, Rmss=1.46 sec, Gp= 29°, M-type="moment" magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=A
Source	USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Image last created on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:35:27 UTC.

[UPDATE]

i just watched a clip on sky news showing the tsunami rushing overland and wiping out everything in its path...

from the huffpo...

Japan was struck by a magnitude-8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast Friday, triggering a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter.

In various locations along Japan's coast, TV footage showed severe flooding, with dozens of cars, boats and even buildings being carried along by waters. A large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.

Officials were trying to assess possible damage from the quake but had no immediate details.

The quake that struck 2:46 p.m. was followed by a series of aftershocks, including a 7.4-magnitude one about 30 minutes later. The U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the strength of the first quake to a magnitude 8.9.

The meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for the entire Pacific coast of Japan. National broadcaster NHK was warning those near the coast to get to safer ground.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the U.S. state of Hawaii.

an 8.9 magnitude earthquake is almost beyond comprehension...

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As long as we're on uplifting stories, let me toss this one out there too

Tama, the cat Stationmaster

maybe i'm just in the mood to be uplifted...

A money-losing Japanese train company has found the purr-fect pet mascot to draw crowds and bring back business—tabby Tama.

All the 9-year-old female cat does is sit by the entrance of Kishi Station in western Japan, wearing a black uniform cap and posing for photos for the tourists who are now flocking in droves from across the nation.

Tama has been doing such a good job of raising revenue for the troubled Kishikawa train line that she was recently promoted to "super-station-master."

"She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma," Wakayama Electric Railway Co. spokeswoman Yoshiko Yamaki told The Associated Press Monday. "She is the perfect station master."

Appointing a cat to turn around fortunes makes cultural sense in Japan, where cats are considered good luck and are believed to bring in business.

People are snatching up novelty goods—postcards, erasers, notebooks and pins—decorated with Tama's photos. There's even a special 1,365 yen ($13) book of photos of Tama called, "Diary of Tama, the Station Master."

Tama had been on the brink of losing her place to live, with the nearby store where she was raised being torn down. Now, the station is home.

Kishi Station started running without any workers in April 2006 as part of cost cuts.

The Kishikawa line had been losing 500 million yen ($4.9 million) a year as passenger numbers fell steadily to as low as about 5,000 a day, or some 1.9 million a year.

After Tama's appointment last year passengers have been gradually returning, recently rising 10 percent to about 2.1 million a year.

In December Tama was rewarded with bonus pay—all in cat food.

what is it about a story like that that brings a smile to my face...?

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For Thanksgiving, a little break from the gloom

this is nice...

November 22, 2007 - Happy Thanksgiving


Earth rise by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) on October 18, 2007, successfully performed the world's first high-definition image of an Earth rise by the lunar explorer KAGUYA," which was injected into a lunar orbit at an altitude of about 62 miles (100 km) on October 18, 2007. Image © 2007 by SELENE Team, JAXA, NHK.

Japan's unmanned, robotic Kaguya spacecraft currently in orbit around Earth's moon was launched two months ago. Its scientific mission, Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE), nicknamed Kaguya, is to study the origin and evolution of the Moon. NASA adds: “An astronaut standing on the lunar surface would never see the Earth rise, since the moon always keeps the same side toward the Earth. This Earth rise and the famous Earth rise captured 40 years ago by the crew of Apollo 8, only occurs for observers in lunar orbit.”

(thanks to earthfiles...)

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More embarrassing stats

ya gotta love privatization... see how well it's working for us...?

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In Japan, when government officials say or do something stupid, they quit

for those of us in the u.s., it's a stunning display of how to accept accountability for one's words and actions, something we've not seen in this country for many years...

Japan [Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma] resigned on Tuesday over remarks that appeared to accept the 1945 atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, attempting to quell the latest furor plaguing the ruling camp ahead of an election this month.

[...]

Kyuma had apologized several times and Abe had tried to dampen criticism by reprimanding the 66-year-old minister, who said on Saturday the atomic bombings just days before Japan's surrender in World War Two "could not be helped".

and, if that wasn't astounding enough, there's this...

"It is natural he should resign. The heavy responsibility of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has many problem cabinet ministers, remains for appointing him," Yukio Hatoyama, a senior leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, told reporters.

"natural...?" it's the prime minister's "problem" for "appointing him...?" holy crap...! what a concept...! i'm emailing this to gonzo immediately...

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Wolfie now has only two allies, the U.S. and Japan, and maybe not the U.S.

i remain completely flummoxed at why he is fighting so hard to stay... is it just arrogance and ego or does he have unfinished business of the neocon variety...? i'm inclined to think it's probably both...

After consistently backing World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz as he faced calls to step down, the United States has now indicated an openness to discuss "all options" for the organization's leadership. ... The U.S., at a conference call meant to win support for the former U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary from the Group of Seven industrial countries -- the bank's biggest donors -- only found an ally in Japan.

meanwhile, wolfie fights on...

"I respectfully submit, to criticize my actions or to find them as a basis for a loss of confidence would be grossly unfair and would be contrary to the evidence we have presented to you," Wolfowitz said in a statement to the board.

"Rather than fix blame for something that wasn't wrong, we should all acknowledge our responsibility as I have acknowledged mine," he said, conceding he made mistakes.

anybody who displays the angry vulgarity of the sort that was revealed yesterday, has forfeited any right to "respectfully submit" anything... so LEAVE, already...

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