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August 9, 2011



Remembering Nagasaki







. Nagasaki Memorial Day (Nagasaki-ki 長崎忌)



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sources



. . Bulletins from NHK WORLD



. . Japan Times



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Monday, August 08, 2011 23:47 - NHK

Water for Nagasaki A-bomb victims prepared

Young people in Nagasaki City have prepared water as an offering to atomic bomb victims who died while suffering from thirst, ahead of Tuesday's ceremony to mark the 66th anniversary of the bombing.

The water is to be put on the altar for the victims and to be offered by their relatives and survivors in the peace ceremony.

Elementary, junior high and senior high school students ladled water on Monday from a fountain in the Peace Park, the memorial venue.

A sixth grader, Takahiro Asai, said he wants to offer the clean water to the victims, many of whom could only find water covered with oil to drink as they died.

A second-year high school student, Yui Shimohira, said she wishes for a peaceful world where people will always be able to drink clean water.

On Tuesday, after the water offerings, participants will observe a moment of silence at 11:02 AM, the exact time the bomb was dropped in 1945.





Tuesday, August 09, 2011 03:53

Nagasaki marks 66th anniversary of atomic bombing

Tuesday marks the 66th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The city's mayor, Tomihisa Taue, will include a reference to the recent nuclear accident in his annual peace speech, calling for a shift to safer power generation.

The ceremony will take place at the peace park near the center of the explosion. Participants will observe a moment of silence at 11:02 AM, the moment the bomb was dropped in 1945.





Tuesday, August 09, 2011 12:32

Nagasaki atomic bombing remembered

Nagasaki's mayor used the 66th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the city to make an unprecedented appeal for a shift away from nuclear power.

About 6,000 people gathered at the city's Peace Park in the morning for the annual August 9th event to commemorate the World War Two bombing.



The event this year drew representatives from a record 44 countries, including the US Embassy's deputy chief of mission James Zumwalt.

After an updated list of the names of 155,546 victims was placed at the cenotaph, the peace bell tolled at 11:02 -- the moment the bomb struck in 1945.

Silence prevailed as the participants bowed their heads in prayer.

This year's peace declaration by Mayor Tomihisa Taue 田上富久 began with a reference to the ongoing nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, and the fear of radiation.

Taue said that no matter how long it takes, renewable energies should be promoted in place of nuclear power. He appealed for Japan to transform itself into a society with a safer energy base.

The oath for peace was delivered by 83-year-old Hisao Matsui who survived the bombing at the age of 17, but lost 5 of his family members. Matsuo said the bodies of his mother, younger brother and nephew were never found. He said the survivors are renewing their appeal to the world's leaders never to repeat the tragedy.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan, in his address, expressed deep remorse for the failure of existing nuclear safety regulations. He promised to thoroughly verify the cause of the Fukushima accident and fundamental countermeasures to ensure safety.

Kan repeated that Japan aims to build a society that is not dependent on nuclear power.





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Kan Cabinet support rate18%; disapproval rate 65% - NHK

The latest NHK poll shows the approval rate for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet has risen to18 percent, up 2 percentage points from the previous month.

The disapproval rate has dropped to 65 percent, down by 3 points.

The previous month's approval rate of 16 percent marked the lowest rate since the Democratic Party took power 2 years ago.

The approval rate for the main governing Democratic Party stands at 16.4 percent, up nearly 3 points. The largest opposition Liberal Democratic Party, received 25 percent, up nearly 2 points.

The approval rates for the other political parties are New Komeito party, 3 percent; Your Party, 2.7 percent; Communist Party, 2.7 percent; Social Democratic Party, 0.8 percent; People's New Party, 0.2 percent, New Renaissance Party 0.1 percent. The rate of respondents not supporting any party was 42.8 percent.





Tuesday, August 09, 2011 03:53 - NHK

Bankruptcies rise in Japan

Corporate failures in Japan increased in July from a year ago, largely due to a reduction in public projects hitting construction firms.

Private research company Teikoku Databank says 965 companies failed with debts of at least 10 million yen, or about 128,000 dollars. That's 5.1 percent higher than the same month last year, and the first increase in 2 months.

The researcher says bankruptcies were notable among construction firms based in western Japan. Most of them were not involved in reconstruction projects in the disaster-stricken northeastern Japan.





Tuesday, August 09, 2011 15:21 - NHK

Japan disaster survivor wins soroban contest event

A survivor of the March 11th disaster in eastern Japan has won a calculation event in a national contest for use of the soroban, or Japanese abacus.

About 590 people ranging from elementary school students to adults took part in the contest held in Naha city, Okinawa Prefecture. The competition was sponsored by the National Association of Soroban Education.

Six people competed in the final of an event that involved mentally adding figures that were flashed on a screen.

The winner was Takeo Sasano, who correctly added 15 3-digit numbers in a mere 1.79 seconds, breaking his own world record.

Sasano is a 37-year old clerical worker at a junior high school in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, which was one of the hardest-hit areas in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. With his home destroyed in the disaster, Sasano said conditions were not right for him to focus on soroban training, but he continued to work at it steadily, and that led to the good result.





. . . . . Japan Times . . . . .



Stop claiming food is safe, ministry told

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto has committed an about-face on policy by telling his ministry to refrain from vouching for the safety of Japanese food.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110809a1.html





Yahoo map shows real-time radiation levels

Yahoo Japan Corp. is showing real-time radiation levels at 11 locations on a special online map based on data gathered by academics and volunteers monitoring the Fukushima power plant crisis.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110809a2.html



Here is a radiation map by GOOGLE EARTH

http://jciv.iidj.net/map/





Unit 3 MOX likely melted through

MOX fuel that was believed to have been kept cool at the bottom of one of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant after its core melted is believed to have breached the vessel after melting again, a study said Monday.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110809a3.html





Nuke plant hires not overexposed

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110809a6.html



Kan reaffirms readiness to quit

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110809b2.html





Disaster bankruptcies climb again

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110809a4.html





Citizens measuring radiation

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/ed20110809a1.html





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August 10, 2011



Wednesday, August 10, 2011 06:14 - NHK

Symposium urges phase-out of nuclear energy

A symposium on ending the use of nuclear energy in Japan was held in Tokyo on Tuesday evening.

The event was organized by a group of lawyers that plans to file suits to demand the suspension of nuclear power stations across the country.

About 350 people took part in the event, including more than 20 residents from near the Fukushima plant.

A resident of Futaba, a town within 5 kilometers of the plant, criticized Tokyo Electric Power Company for telling them they were safe. He said he thought he might never be able to return to the area when he didn't see a single sparrow during a brief visit.

The representative of the lawyers' group revealed its plans to take legal action in all prefectures hosting nuclear plants to shut them down.

Another participant called on the government and TEPCO to fully disclose information and suspend nuclear plants across Japan as soon as possible.





Wednesday, August 10, 2011 06:20

Kan likely to resign this month

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan is likely to step down this month, as the Diet is expected to pass 2 bills that he cites as conditions for his resignation.

Executives of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito agreed on Tuesday to vote for a bill to issue deficit-covering bonds.

This came after the governing Democratic Party agreed to review a high school tuition waiver program and subsidies for farmers.

The opposition parties are also likely to vote for another bill aimed at promoting renewable energy. Kan is said to be preparing to announce his resignation soon after the Diet approves the 2 bills.

He has also made some progress with his pet projects.

The government is to revise its energy policy to reduce dependence on nuclear energy, and is working to separate the nuclear safety agency from the economy ministry to improve the agency's functions as a watchdog.

When reporters asked him on Tuesday if he still intends to resign once the key bills are passed, Kan replied that he will take responsibility for his words.

The Democratic Party is considering holding a leadership election around August 28th and a Diet vote to choose Kan's successor before the current session ends on August 31st.

Likely candidates for the election include Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, former land minister Sumio Mabuchi and former environment minister Sakihito Ozawa.





Wednesday, August 10, 2011 16:57

Panel: Kyushu Electric destroyed evidence

A panel investigating attempts by Kyushu Electric Power Company to manipulate public opinion via an e-mail scam says that the utility has destroyed evidence related to the probe.

The panel was set up after workers at Kyushu Electric and its affiliates were found to have sent e-mails in favor of restarting the Genkai nuclear plant in Saga Prefecture during a government meeting with local residents in June.

Panel head Nobuo Gohara 郷原信郎 told reporters on Tuesday that the utility destroyed documents related to its activities in 2005 to try to win public support for using plutonium-uranium mixed-oxide fuel at the plant.

He said the utility's nuclear energy division removed and destroyed the documents on July 21st.

Gohara added that the company's Saga branch tried to dispose of 15 files his panel had requested last week after beginning the probe.

Gohara claims that Akira Nakamura, the deputy head of the nuclear energy division, ordered the destruction of documents that could cause trouble to individuals.

Nakamura also allegedly played a role in the e-mail scam.



Wednesday, August 10, 2011 21:49

Circulatory cooling begins at No.1 reactor pool

The operator of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has switched from a water-injection system to a circulatory cooling system at the plant's Number 1 reactor's spent fuel pool.

Tokyo Electric Power Company put into operation the new system for cooling water in the pool for spent fuel rods on Wednesday.

For the first time since the March 11th disaster, all four damaged reactors at the plant are now using circulatory cooling systems and are on track to stable cooling.





. . . . . Japan Times . . . . .



Nagasaki urges nuke policy shift on anniversary

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urges the government to shift its energy policy away from nuclear power due to "the fear of radiation" on the 66th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110810a1.html





Tepco posts Yen 572 billion loss since April

Tokyo Electric Power Co. posts a group net loss of \571.7 billion for the three months from April due to costs to stabilize the radiation-emitting Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and increases in fuel expenses for thermal power generation.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110810a3.html



Fukushima fish radiation excessive, Greenpeace says

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110810a4.html





Noda delays announcement of bid to replace Kan amid market turmoil

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110810a5.html



Evacuation advisory outside 20-km lifted

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110810a6.html





Radiation forecasts ignored; Namie not warned !!!

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110810f2.html





Tohoku Electric eyes rolling blackouts amid heat

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110810n1.html





Improve radiation mapping

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/ed20110810a1.html





Radiation Map from Yahoo

http://radiation.yahoo.co.jp/





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New dimension in peace appeal



The peace declaration read aloud by Mayor Tomihisa Taue of Nagasaki

on Tuesday, the 66th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city, is a strong call for abolition of nuclear weapons as well ending reliance on nuclear power. Japanese as well as foreign leaders should carefully read his declaration and seriously consider the threats and dangers brought about by human efforts to make use of nuclear fission, whether it is for military or commercial purposes.



Mayor Taue's declaration directly goes to the issue currently gripping Japan — the accidents at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plants, which were damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.



Mayor Taue starts his declaration by saying,

"This March we were astounded by the severity of accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station."



He goes on to say, "There is no telling when those who have been evacuated because of the radiation can return home" — a point the government and Tepco will not admit but many people, including evacuees, must be discerning in view of the fact that the end of the nuclear fiasco is out of sight.



Putting the Fukushima nuclear crisis in a larger context of Japanese modern history, the mayor says,

"As the people of a nation that has experienced nuclear devastation, we continued the plea of 'No More Hibakusha (the surviving victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings).'



"How has it happened that we are threatened

once again by the fear of radiation?"

...



The Nagasaki mayor gets to the nub of a problem that the Fukushima nuclear fiasco has exposed to Japanese or humankind for that matter — human hubris involved in the pursuit of technology.



He asks:

"Have we lost our awe of nature? Have we become overconfident in the control that we wield as human beings?



"Have we turned away from our responsibility for the future?"



His peace declaration clearly shows that the Fukushima crisis has forced him to consider phasing out or abolishing nuclear power generation as a logical path Japan must pursue.



"Now is the time to discuss thoroughly and choose what kind of society we will create from this point on. No matter how long it will take it is necessary to promote the development of renewable energies in place of nuclear power in a bid to transform ourselves into a society with a safer energy base," he says.



His call is quite reasonable in light of the severity of the Fukushima nuclear crisis. It also must be noted that the mayor is realistic as shown by his statement that he realizes that the replacement of nuclear power with renewable energies will not be achieved in a short time.

...

Prime Minister Naoto Kan should seriously take the calls by both mayors and make utmost efforts to present a clear road map to realize his goal of creating a "society free from dependence on nuclear power."



The Nagasaki mayor makes a forceful call for the abolition of nuclear weapons by saying, "Now seeing how the radiation released by an accident at just a single nuclear power station is causing such considerable confusion in society, we can clearly understand how inhumane it is to attack people with nuclear weapons."



His call for people to use their imagination concerning the damage caused by a "nuclear weapon hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs" appears effective. He vividly explains how the detonation of a modern nuclear weapon creates intense heat rays that can "melt" people and anything else nearby, as well as produce blast winds that can "fling" buildings.



He says: "Even if there were survivors, the intense radioactivity would prevent any rescue efforts. Radioactive substances would be carried far away by the winds to all corners of the world," causing widespread environmental contamination and health effects that would continue for generations.



Mayor Taue correctly points out that since the conclusion of a U.S.-Russia agreement to reduce nuclear weapons, no significant progress for a "world without nuclear weapons" as advocated by U.S. President Barack Obama has been observed.

...

source : Japan Times, August 11, 2011





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Hiroshima 1945



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Tomorrow

. August 11, five months later .





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