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The fourth month after the shock starts !


three months later -
nothing can erase
these memories





. Remember March 11, 2011, 14:46 　


15,405 people confirmed dead
8,095 people are still missing
about 90,000 still in evacuation centers

The missing will be confirmed dead by today.

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Gabi reports:

It is now three months since the great earthquake, tsunami and reactor crises.

It has been raining very strong last night, the rainy season is still in full swing in Honshu.

Days are getting hotter,
and the debris in Tohoku is sending out more foul smell every day.
We saw a reporter with a huge face mask in the basement of a fish-processing factory. The rotten fish is there now for three months ... and she had to turn away, coghing and almost vomiting because of the stench.

. . . . .

Experts warn that there might still be strong aftershocks of about M7.0, even after three months now.

. . . . . at 7:36
Earthquake M 5.0, off the coast of Miyagi
. . . . . at 15:19
Earthquake M 4.5 off the coast of Ibaraki
. . . . . at 15:33
Earthquake M 4.2 off the coast of Fukushima
. . . . . at 18:05
Earthquake M 4.5 off the coast of Fukushima

. . . . .

Many problems have unfolded :
. Temporary Housing for the Victims

. Reconstruction bill clears lower house


Japanese hold anti-nuclear rallies
They did not shout a slogan (Sprechchor) but each one talked about his own fears and worries.
23,482 people confirmed dead or missing
Candles lit for disaster victims
Kan pledges efforts for speedy clean-up
. Reporting on June 12 .

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp


Saturday, June 11, 2011 07:57
More than 8,000 still missing after quake
The National Police Agency says 8,095 people are still missing three months after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
Of the 15,405 people who have been confirmed dead, about 2,000 have not yet been identified. Police say they are attempting to identify the bodies using DNA samples collected from people searching for their family members.
More than 2,000 police officers continue search operations in Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures in northeastern Japan.
Personnel from the Japanese Coast Guard and Self-Defense Forces are also searching local waters for the missing. More than 1,300 divers are taking part in the operations.
. . .
More than 90,000 still in evacuation centers
Three months after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, more than 90,000 people in Japan are still living in evacuation centers.
The government plans to build a total of 52,000 temporary homes for the evacuees, but only about 28,000 have been completed.
Many evacuees have declined to move into the temporary housing, citing insufficient support services compared to those at shelters.
One of the reasons for the slow progress has been the massive amount of debris that needs to be cleared in the disaster-hit prefectures. Debris removal has not even begun in the evacuation zones near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The earthquake caused nearly 120,000 people in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures to lose their jobs. The number of job offers for residents in the area stands at 49,000.
Children in the disaster-hit area also face serious difficulties. As of Thursday, 201 children in the 3 northeastern prefectures were confirmed to have lost their parents in the quake and tsunami.


Saturday, June 11, 2011 07:57
Many challenges at Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant
Three months after the breakdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, there is still a huge number of obstacles to getting the plant under control.
The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, has revealed that fuel meltdowns are likely to have occurred in reactors Number 1, 2, and 3.
TEPCO is cooling the reactors and trying to contain radioactive leakage. It has installed a circulatory cooling system for the spent nuclear fuel pool at reactor No. 2.
But highly radioactive water continues to accumulate in the turbine buildings and underground tunnels because TEPCO is injecting water into the reactors to cool them.
Decontaminating the water is vital for stabilizing the reactors and preventing more radioactive leakage from the plant.
On Friday, TEPCO postponed a test run of a water decontamination system because of a malfunction.
The health and labor ministry says plant workers are getting unhealthy and that at least 12 have been diagnosed with heatstroke.
TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto told a press conference on Friday that the company will do its utmost to make progress in the difficult work to get the plant under control.


Saturday, June 11, 2011 09:35
NHK poll: 77% don't see progress in reconstruction
More than three quarters of the people responding to an NHK survey say rebuilding in areas hit by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami is not progressing smoothly 3 months after the disaster.
Asked whether reconstruction of their municipalities was going smoothly, 5 percent of the respondents said yes and 15 percent to some extent.
But 29 percent said they haven't seen much progress and 48 percent no progress.
They were also asked what they expect of their municipalities in reconstruction. Respondents were allowed to give multiple answers.
Speedy recovery topped the list at 38 percent. 30 percent said they expect their governments to accept residents' suggestions. Another 30 percent said they want their communities to be restored to the state before the disaster. 28 percent said they expect safety issues to be a priority.
NHK conducted the survey on about 500 people living in evacuation shelters and temporary housing in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures earlier this month. The 3 prefectures were the hardest hit by the disaster.
Professor Yoshiteru Murosaki of Kwansei Gakuin University says many survivors may not see much progress because they are not part of reconstruction planning.
He urges municipalities to have many people take part in discussions on reconstruction, including survivors.


Saturday, June 11, 2011 12:59
Fishermen remember victims 3 months after disaster
People in the fishing industry have mourned victims of the March 11th disaster at a fishing port in the hard-hit prefecture of Miyagi.
Around 240 fishery traders and fish processing workers gathered at Ishinomaki port on Saturday to mark exactly 3 months since the earthquake and tsunami.
The head of the Ishinomaki fishery reconstruction council called on the gathering to hold a moment of silence for the city, residents, and the fishing industry.
Then they offered silent prayers for the victims of the tsunami.
50 people died or remain missing around the port.
The port facility was damaged and merchandise was swept away by the high waves.
The damage is estimated at 2.5 billion dollars. Work is continuing to dispose of rotted fish and seaweed that is giving off a foul smell.
The fishing cooperative says cleaning up the port will be a step toward rebuilding. It says it will repair freezers and other equipment as part of restoration of port functions as soon as possible.


Saturday, June 11, 2011 12:59
No.2 reactor air filter starts running
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun running air-filtering equipment at the Number 2 reactor building on Saturday to remove airborne radioactive material.
Intense radioactivity and high humidity inside the building have been hampering work to restore the reactor's cooling system.
Humidity inside the reactor building is as high as 99.9 percent due to moisture that is believed to have come from a spent nuclear fuel storage pool and the basement. Workers cannot remain in the building for a long time even with protective gear and masks.
Tokyo Electric Power Company had set up 2 air-filtering units at a building adjacent to the reactor building.
The devices will filter radioactive materials out of air pumped from the reactor building through a duct. The cleaned air will be fed back into the reactor building.
TEPCO says it plans to run the devices for about 3 days and check internal radiation levels before opening up the doors of the reactor building.


Saturday, June 11, 2011 13:20
Kan's advisor: Japan to step up nuclear regulation
An advisor to Prime Minister Naoto Kan says Japan will conduct a major review of its nuclear safety arrangements and study ways to step up nuclear regulation.
Goshi Hosono met the chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, in Washington on Friday.
Hosono said the Japanese government plans to turn the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency into an independent body. It is now part of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.
Hosono told reporters that chairman Jaczko explained to him the US regulator's consolidated authority to oversee all nuclear power plants in the country and manage the safety of radioactive materials.
In a speech in Washington, Hosono said he believes that Japan should handle the disposal of highly radioactive debris and spent nuclear fuel on its own territory.


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kizuna Daruma 復興支援だるま（絆)


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Voices from around


. Daily Radiation Levels - LIST 　

. . . . .

Japan Times :

Novelist Murakami slams nuclear policy
Novelist Haruki Murakami criticizes his country's pursuit of nuclear energy during his acceptance speech at the 2011 International Catalunya Prize ceremony in Barcelona, describing the ongoing crisis at the quake-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant as "a mistake committed by our very own hands."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611a2.html


Shizuoka tells tea retailer to conceal radiation info
Shizuoka Prefecture tells a Tokyo-based mail order company not to say anything on its website about excessive radioactive material being found in tea from the prefecture, the retailer says.
After Radishbo-ya Co. ラディッシュボーヤ made an inquiry to the Shizuoka Prefectural Government about the matter Monday, a prefectural official told the company not to disclose the finding due to fears the message would cause unwarranted harm to Shizuoka tea growers, adding that the prefecture would confirm the finding on its own, according to the retailer.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611a3.html


Kan to visit disaster zone, solicit opinions
Prime Minister Naoto Kan will make a one-day trip Saturday to an area in Iwate Prefecture hit hard by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Kan's visit to Kamaishi comes in the wake of growing calls both within his ruling Democratic Party of Japan and opposition parties for him to step down as early as this month over his government's alleged mishandling of the disaster's aftermath.
Kan is scheduled to attend a government-sponsored forum in Kamaishi to exchange opinions with representatives from the city and neighboring Otsuchi on measures to improve local residents' lives and rebuilding efforts, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Friday in a news conference.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611a4.html


Kansai : Kepco seeks 15% power cut;
Osaka governor Hashimoto angry
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611a7.html


Tepco exposures irk ministry
The labor ministry ordered Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Friday to improve working conditions at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant after two workers were exposed to radiation well above the maximum allowable emergency limit.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611a9.html


Hong Kong eases Japan travel warning
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611b2.html


Kesennuma Filipinos closer-knit than ever
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611f1.html
. . . . Iwate Philippine community in for long haul
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110611f2.html


Toyota expects profit to shrink by over 30%
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110611a1.html

Reactor makers look to green energy amid nuclear allergy
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110611a2.html


Kaieda calls for restarting nuke reactors
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110611a3.html

Pursuing a new energy policy
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/ed20110611a1.html


Used vehicle sales spiked in disaster zone
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110611a4.html

Beer shipments suffer dismal May
Total shipments of beer and beerlike drinks dived 8.6 percent in May from a year earlier to 32.58 million cases, a record low for the month, data by five major brewers showed Friday.The number also signified the first fall in two months.
Brewers blamed the drop on this year's earlier than usual rainy season and the continuing trend of consumers eating out less following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110611a7.html


Group on a mission to deliver fresh fruit to disaster-zone shelters
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20110611a2.html

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Back from the dead:
Astonishing pictures show how Japan is recovering
just three months after tsunami



source : www.dailymail.co.uk


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SHAKEN: Stories for Japan

One hundred percent of the royalties from this new collection of original stories will go directly to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund administered by the Japan America Society of Southern California. EVERY PENNY the Fund receives will go directly to northern Japan, to rebuild shattered communities, reunite families, help men, women, and children to get on with their lives despite dreadful loss, and cope with the continuing threat of nuclear contamination.
...
Not all the stories are mysteries; the consensus was simply that all writers should submit something that touches on Japan.
Linking the stories are haiku by the 17th-century master Basho, translated by Jane Reichhold, and Issa, translated by David Lanoue. Both translators donated their work, as did the cover designer, writer Gar Anthony Haywood, and the e-book producer, Kimberly Hitchens.
source : /www.amazon.com


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Daruma from Takasaki 高崎　復興祈願 だるま

Print one out and hang it in your prayer corner!

ganbaro !! Nihon
ガンバロー　日本




がんばろう　日本　Ganbaro Nippon !




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