JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
-
- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
-
- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
1
Heda_Madness
Funny. When you used the figure of 0.15 the other day, I can't remember you saying it was because of background radiation. You pretty much implied it was because of the Fukushima incident.
The figures of 0.45 in Minami Soma is much higher than we have independently recorded on three seperate occasions with three seperate climatic conditions. And is still, much lower than people would have you believe. 0.45, just outside of the exclusion zone and yet people are still demanding that the exclusion zone should be 50 km. There may be some areas that should be evacuated because of high levels (as has been mentioned before, Iitate is a ghost town and not an area that would appear that the government is encouraging people to go back to).
And finally, tests in that whole area should be carried out on a regular basis. And hopefully they will pick up all cancers at an early stage and they can be treated quickly and effectively. TEPCO should pay for it. Whether the cancers can be directly attributed to this disaster or not.
Posted in: Silence as Japan marks six months after tsunami
0
Heda_Madness
Why are people led to believe that living in Namie and Iidate and places near Fukuichi can scrape away the radiaton and be safe?
I'm not sure where you're getting your information from but I've driven through Iitate on a number of occasions and it's a ghost town. Minami Soma, on the other hand, is just outside the exclusion zone and they are encouraging people to move back there. And the radiation in that area, on every one of our trips, has been pretty much what you've been experiencing in your kitchen.
Posted in: Silence as Japan marks six months after tsunami
1
Heda_Madness
If you genuinely believe that anything above zero is dangerous then it's pointless having a discussion with you. We do believe very different safe levels but mine is based on science and I doubt that you can make the same claim if you maintain that anything above zero is rather large.
Posted in: Kan feared Tokyo would become uninhabitable due to nuclear crisis
3
Heda_Madness
Tokyo wasn't constantly hit by a rather large plume. If it was then EVERY geiger counter would have shown seriously high levels of radiation. And they didn't. There are some hotspots but to suggest that Tokyo was ever badly contamianted.** EVERY** emabssy in Tokyo was checking for radiation and none of them ever found anything of concern (remember the comment from the Italians?).
Define rather large. You recently commented on high levels of radiation in Iwate that were about 0.15. Which is tiny. Some crops have been contaminated to an unsafe level, but the vast majority haven't.
Oh, and am I the only one who thinks it's ironic that tobacco plants have 'high level' of cancer forming substances...
Posted in: Kan feared Tokyo would become uninhabitable due to nuclear crisis
0
Heda_Madness
Interesting headline. It could have easily said 13% of Japanese oppose whaling, poll shows
It's almost as if this site has an agenda...
Posted in: 52% of Japanese favor whaling, poll shows
1
Heda_Madness
Thanks Taj. I was in the fortunate position of joining the FVJ quite early so I could learn how it was possible to help. I also had a good selection of friends who were keen to get involved in one way or another and I was able to take time to do it. A lot of people (hundreds) have supported the work that I've been able to do in one way or another, but only a few of us have been fortunate enough to work on the ground. And at the end of the day I've mostly just been driving a truck.
I've been very outspoken about the red cross, and I've been very defensive of the Japanese government especially with regards to their initial response. They both could have done better - as could we all, but you really cannot appreciate the scale of the task until you're up there.
And well done to everything that you've done up there as well.
Posted in: Last shelter in Iwate closes; 3,700 evacuees still in shelters in Miyagi
1
Heda_Madness
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's completely and utterly wrong to suggest that the Japanese government haven't been providing for the people up there. If you asked the average person they would be extremely thankful for the electrical appliances etc that they've received from the Red Cross. But that doesn't compare with the food etc that they've been receiving through the government.
It's 5 and a half months since the disaster and whilst I and countless others have been driving around the countryside with a truck load of food it's a tiny, tiny amount compared with what was needed and what was provided by the authorities.
Posted in: Last shelter in Iwate closes; 3,700 evacuees still in shelters in Miyagi
3
Heda_Madness
kurisupisu,
I mean this with the greatest respect but you don't know what you're talking about.
People aren't going hungry but they gladly accept donations of food from people because it will help them to stretch whatever finances they have available. This was a disaster on an unprecedented level and until you are there and you see it all around you and on every stretch of coast you cannot possibly begin to comprehend what has taken place since March 11.
It's AMAZING that the people in Iwate are now out of the shelters. When I first went to Iwate in early April they seemed to already be behind Fukushima and Miyagi. It's certainly far easier to get to those two places and I know of volunteers taking part in the clean up operation when Iwate was still desperate for food and it's remarkable that they've jumped ahead. And on a personal level I am delighted to see it.
Oh and to answer your question about who benefits most, the simple answer is the people who have lost everything.
Posted in: Last shelter in Iwate closes; 3,700 evacuees still in shelters in Miyagi
2
Heda_Madness
Sorry... hit submit too early.
And there are many, many people who are doing the same. It's amazing how many people that I've met who have gone up and done a bit.
Posted in: Last shelter in Iwate closes; 3,700 evacuees still in shelters in Miyagi
3
Heda_Madness
Taj,
I don't know about Yamada to be honest but I know that some areas are still suffering more than others due to the way they were affected if you compare Rikuzentakata and Kesennuma for example. Both next to each other, both badly hit but one of them has a functioning town and the other has nothing.
The Red Cross has provided a lot of electricla products to people in temporary housing but I'm also hearing stories of people pawning them off so that they have sufficient money for food, utilities etc. I've been pretty outspoken about the Red Cross but there have been some amazing work done through money raised.
The tractor story is wonderful (for anyone interested) http://foreignvolunteersjapan.blogspot.com/2011/07/time-to-plant-those-seeds.html and shows how donations can really help to make a difference.
I'm personally still trying to raise money/deliver food to people who need it.
Posted in: Last shelter in Iwate closes; 3,700 evacuees still in shelters in Miyagi
1
Heda_Madness
Okay, so it's not grossly inaccurate. But it's certainly grossly misleading.
The whole point of that link that you >can't vouch for its accuracy, is to suggest that what the Japanese deem to be safe is totally different to what the rest of the world do hence the reason it's in red. But they don't mention the European figures because that would destroy their argument.
Yes, the youtube link is from a newscast, but so what? It doesn't change the fact that the EU levels are higher than the Japanese. And always have been. As I mentioned earlier when their was a government advisory on drinking tap water for infants that was well within acceptable EU limits. And those limits were set on someone consuming irradiated water for 40 days. Not one.
I didn't link the EU figures to these cows. But then neither did you when you posted the link which I presume you did to suggest that the Japanese figures were way out there. Which they aren't.
Posted in: Beef containing radioactive cesium served to elementary school children in Kanagawa
1
Heda_Madness
And you're right, that link doesn't include the EU but there's an obvious reason for that. You can't sensationalise Japan for having the 'shocking standards' when the EU's are 20% higher.
Posted in: Beef containing radioactive cesium served to elementary school children in Kanagawa
1
Heda_Madness
Google 'maximum safe limit of 600 becquerels per kilogram' and you will find any number of links that show the EU's level to be 600. In some cases it's been claimed it's been increased by 200x that but I would suggest that they are unsubstantiated.
Posted in: Beef containing radioactive cesium served to elementary school children in Kanagawa
1
Heda_Madness
Farmboy, I can tell you that link is grossly inaccurate. For starters the EU has a maximum safe limit of 600 becquerels per kilogram for cesium which is substantially higher than that of Japan. And when the tap water in Tokyo was deemed unsafe for Japanese infants it was at a level that would have been acceptable in Europe.
Posted in: Beef containing radioactive cesium served to elementary school children in Kanagawa
3
Heda_Madness
Great posts Alex. I've mentioned chernobyl (and windscale) affect on the uk in the past and ended up with negative ratings. Well done for managing to explain this situation more clearly than I have managed in the past.
Oh and none of that excuses the fact that although in very small doses radioactive meat has made it into the Market and on the plates of those who are most susceptible.
Posted in: Beef containing radioactive cesium served to elementary school children in Kanagawa
2
Heda_Madness
I've been in a temporary house. And I've seen the TV.
And at no point did I think the word 'luxury' could be used to describe anything that I saw there.
Posted in: American Red Cross contributions to Japan's tsunami recovery reach $260 million
-3
Heda_Madness
And that just about sums up the lack of understanding of this board. The Red Cross have took about 4 months to do anything useful. Yes, they did turn up early on to hand out food parcels at shelters but that food had been donated and delivered by others and they did do a very good advertising campaign to get as much money as possible.
Posted in: American Red Cross contributions to Japan's tsunami recovery reach $260 million
-1
Heda_Madness
They will be from more harmful Isotopes but they are also well within internationally perceived safety limits- not just Japanese and 0.2 is negligible. As I mentioned before, a number of areas of the UK are still affected by Chernobyl. Those of us who were alive in 1986 ate food that was contaminated and drank water. Many of us would have eaten lamb from the Lake District that would have been contaminated from the Windscale fire of the 50's where the British government carried out no checks on the surrounding farmland.
I totally understand why you wish to protect your two year old and if I had children I would also be worried about their health and safety however I'm also not one of those that believes that any radiation will kill you. Radiation is bad, but there are tens of millions of people alive who were more affected by radiation from Chernobyl than we are in Tokyo etc who can prove that isn't the case.
And thanks for the compliment but I've only done a bit. As have many, many other people. And if we all do a bit then hopefully we can help those who most need it.
Posted in: City in Fukushima declares August Decontamination Month
1
Heda_Madness
Oh and 0.2 isn't high. It's lower than anywhere in the UK and substantially lower than you would find in the Lake District, north Wales and the highlands of Scotland. Not to mention lower than Cornwall and Edunburgh.
I think Rome had something like 2.0 from background radiation on any normal day.
Posted in: City in Fukushima declares August Decontamination Month
1
Heda_Madness
But that's the thing about a spike, it can totally depend on atmospheric conditions. We had three similar results over three separate weekends and it suggests that the level is constant. a one off result, especially after rain and with the wind blowing in the right direction can't mean anything on it's own. Go back to the same ares again and if the data is constant it's a concern.
I've gone on record as saying this isn't as bad as Chernobyl and perhaps I need to clarify my stance. Chernobyl was a massive explosion which scattered radioactive particles high into the atmosphere which led to large contamination over Western Europe - mostly because it rained. I have no doubt that Namie, parts of itate and a number of other areas will have high levels of radiation but they are few and far between. There are many areas that are safe and comments like the first two about how this story will affect the dribking water without having any idea where that drinking water comes from doesnt help anyone.
It's not good for the people of Fukushima. But it's not anywhere as scary as some would have you believe for the rest of us.
Posted in: City in Fukushima declares August Decontamination Month