JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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as_the_crow_flies
(Sorry - problems with the quote function so I'm reposting.) Adding to what I posted above, just seen an interesting analysis in an article "Powering Japan's future -The pros and cons of Japan's renewable energy options" that puts this "poll" on Kan's supposed popularity in context. It describes the entrenched opposition by the nuclear village to the development of renewables, and the separation of generation from distribution that Kan is calling for. It goes on to say that proposed legislation to encourage renewables
"They really are desperate to preserve their monopoly (on political power), no matter what the cost," said Rikkyo University political economist Andrew DeWit, who has written extensively about Japan's energy policy.
Kan is really seen as the face of the first serious threat to this monopoly in decades .
Posted in: 70% support Kan's policy to make Japan nuclear-free: poll
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as_the_crow_flies
Adding to what I posted above, just seen an interesting analysis in an article "Powering Japan's future -The pros and cons of Japan's renewable energy options" that puts this "poll" on Kan's supposed popularity in context. It describes the entrenched opposition by the nuclear village to the development of renewables, and the separation of generation from distribution that Kan is calling for. It goes on to say that proposed legislation to encourage renewables
> "faces opposition from politicians and industries concerned that the price of electricity will rise — and from those in the "nuclear village" who say nuclear reactors are cheap, clean, and reliable power sources. Many of those opponents, however, stand to lose influence and income if the market shifts toward renewables.
"They really are desperate to preserve their monopoly (on political power), no matter what the cost," said Rikkyo University political economist Andrew DeWit, who has written extensively about Japan's energy policy.
Kan is really seen as the face of the first serious threat to this monopoly in decades .
Posted in: 70% support Kan's policy to make Japan nuclear-free: poll
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as_the_crow_flies
Could it be that the poll set the agenda by saying "Do you think Kan should leave by the end of August?" surprise surprise if most say yes.
There you have it. Kan is unpopular with the nuclear power industry. The LDP is the mouthpiece of said industry that got us into this mess in the first place, creating a status quo riddled with corruption, cover-ups and total disregard for public safety, something the industry continues to do even as Fukushima spews radiation out into the soil, water and air. The LDP is responsible for whatever skullduggery and manoevres are necessary to remove a prime minister who is trying to change this dangerous status quo. The nuclear industry has also bought many lawmakers who are now in the DPJ, and other parties. They are working together in a grand coalition to try and get Kan out. Considering the forces ranged against him, every day goes by, I admire Kan more.
Every time I hear them talking about a lame duck Prime Minister, my toes curl. It's not the Prime Minister that's a lame duck, the political system in this country is totally dysfunctional, and the 'lame duck' is the electorate who bottle up their anger instead of rising up and demanding change.
Posted in: 70% support Kan's policy to make Japan nuclear-free: poll
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as_the_crow_flies
I also hope that they won't slip in any sneaky conditions like X number of Coke drinks machines on school premises. Rent free.
I think UK schools banned soft drink vending machines from state school premises a few years ago. Hope this is altruistic and doesn't come with any dodgy strings like that.
Posted in: Coca-Cola Japan to contribute Y1.5 billion to reconstruction of schools in quake-hit areas
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as_the_crow_flies
The fact the Japanese Finance Ministry is monitoring a crisis situation is news? Evidently they don't monitor the US economy as a matter of course. Well now I can sleep easy, the government is in control.
Posted in: Noda says Tokyo closely monitoring U.S. debt talks
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as_the_crow_flies
Am I missing something here if I ask why a Cosmetic surgery clinic would employ two former cops, apparently detectives no less? Am I being bitter, twisted and cynical if I say that a clinic employing a couple of older cops is likely to be involved in some dodgy business, and that any cops making this, ahem, unusual career move, might point to some sort of odd goings-on at this place? And dieing after liposuction? Less is definitely more here ... sigh ... would be nice to get a more meaningful story rather than these dribs and drabs that don't join up and will probably never be followed up on this site.
Posted in: Inspector, 2 ex-cops arrested over data leak in fatal medical malpractice case
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as_the_crow_flies
Ah, but it has been declared a Newsworthy ad ... ah ... um ... story. So it must be. And we do get quotes from the press release, so we can see the ad ... um ... story has been thoroughly regurgit ... um ... researched. And well I'm sure the good folks up north would like some heartburning ... ah... heartwarming ads .... ah... news like this. Yes, this gets the Ronald McDonald Award for Total ... ah...rrelevance. Yes Sirree, finger-licki... ah...um...that was the other geezer wasn't it? Him with the glasses. Anyway, I find it well deep, innovative, and um...Making a Difference - Not.
Personally, I'm shoving it!
Posted in: McDonald's opens mega-store in Roppongi Hills
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as_the_crow_flies
The headlines and way this whole issue is presented would have us believe the problem is people's fears. This would mean if we weren't afraid, there would be no problem. This is a total and deliberate distortion. The problem is radiation levels and the public health threat they present, whether or not people are aware and educated about the significance of this. The problem is lack of reliable and timely information. The problem is lack of government protection of everyone's health. People's fears are only a problem for the PR arm of the nuclear industry that would have us go quietly into their radioactive future, like sheep to the slaughter.
Posted in: Japan bans all cattle shipments from Fukushima over radiation fears
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as_the_crow_flies
Um, you've probably realised this already but you are not newsworthy, you do not exist, and you are not part of Japan today.
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as_the_crow_flies
This guy has got to be a plant to make Kan look bad! I mean, I know he's a Japanese politician, but can anyone really be that block-headed to make those kind of comments while the cameras are rolling? I know there are lots of precedents that the kamikaze ethic is alive and well, but this has got to be staged. Hasn't it? It's true, as a lot of posters have said, that these kind of arrogant comments are normal among overpriveleged jerks of that generation. But he has got to be joking to suggest that it's just because he's blood type B, or from down south, or whatever. I mean, c'mon, even for Japan this is beyond weird! He must be some kind of LDP Trojan horse, airlifted in to sabotage Kan's last stand, surely??? I don't know who else he was meeting, but as far as I know Governor Murai seems to be one of the small band of head screwed on straight, practical, down to business kind of blokes. Couldn't Matsumoto pick a genuine p***k; after all, he's spoilt for choice. This has got to be a set-up, surely. Someone tell me please?!!!! As for it reflecting badly on Kan, well yes, it doesn't exactly do him any favours, but I think others have got it right when they say that the whole appointments thing is a stitch up, and he probably has about zero leeway as the rest of his party flip flops all around him. Even Edano's blowing hot and cold now - don't know from one day to the next if he's going to praise Caesar or bury him. What a *!"#$% mess!
Posted in: Reconstruction minister resigns over offensive remarks; Hirano takes over
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as_the_crow_flies
This really informative article in the Economist has a great graph that clarifies power use throughout the day. http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2011/04/japansenergycrisis Basically, industrial use is stable over the 24 hours, commercial use rises dramatically between about 11 and 6, while the domestic peak is from about 5 to 9. So shops and businesses need to cut right back in the daytime, including stations, who somehow feel they've been let off the hook, and the rest of us need to cut down late afternoon and evening. I agree, it seems that many businesses are just cocking a snook. I see room for at least 50% reductions in lighting in stations, on trains, and the inbound trains could use natural ventilation, ie open windows for inbound trains from about 1 pm, keeping the aircon, at 28 for the trains out of Tokyo for the evening commute. In fact, cutting down on the lighting and machines running would reduce the amount of heat being generated. They seriously need to install fans to improve ventilation - these use a lot less juice than aircon, and would make some of the worst stations at least bearable without resorting to aircon on the platform.
But of course the subplot of all this is to make us suffer to twist everyone's arm that the present number of nuclear power stations is necessary and keep everyone hooked up to their current electricity fix.
Posted in: Tokyo Metro subway stations to heat up from Friday
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as_the_crow_flies
This is great. Credit to them for their generous donation, and good on them for their power-saving efforts.
What I don't see is why the "guest experience" (pity that couldn't be translated into English) shouldn't include dealing with less lighting in rooms and common areas, and turning down the aircons and fans in appropriate ways. I'm sure consultants could do them an energy audit and show how they could make savings. What about awnings over windows to cut down the heating from direct sunlight? Closing curtains in the daytime? Increasing natural air circulation to improve ventilation as an alternative to aircon in some areas. Issuing damp 'oshibori' to encourage guests to cool off with these. Iced water dispensers for the same. The possibilities are endless, but I think they should involve the guest experience being radically different. Organisations need to take a lead role in changing perceptions. Why should the customers be excluded? It's illogical. And so many organisations justify ungreen behaviours with this customer argument. It needs to change.
Posted in: Peninsula donates Y42 mil to quake relief; starts 'Save Energy for Japan' campaign
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as_the_crow_flies
I just think it's so sad and pathetic that the secrecy-crazed soviets will probably, in retrospect after the Fukushima disaster is done, be seen to have done a much more open, honest, and diligent effort in their handling of the Chernobyl disaster than what's going on in Japan right now.
Interesting point. I just watched a documentary on that, and the parallels with Fukushima are really interesting. One point that really struck me is that they mobilised half a million people, including ancillary workers, to work on the cleanup. Meanwhile TEPCO flip flops about. The other is that according to Gorbachev, they wanted to report exactly what happened to the IAEA, to serve as a way of learning from the disaster. The IAEA did a behind closed doors hearing and gave a sanitised version of events to the world, that they obviously hoped wouldn't put people around the world off nuclear power to much. The Soviet scientist who tried to report to the IAEA, but was sidelined, subsequently committed suicide.
Japan is outdoing itself in its secrecy, go-it-alone gung-ho bumbling, and plain criminal lies. When, oh when will people here stand up and demand 100% truth, immediately?
Posted in: New report shows early chaos at Fukushima plant
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as_the_crow_flies
So they've all been inspected, and they're all safe now. Phew, that was quick! Nice work, there! Now, just move over and let an independent international panel come in and inspect every single reactor on every single site, one by one, taking all the time they need to really check everything is working perfectly, and all the worst case scenarios they're working from are realistic, not optimistic Only then, perhaps then, people's 'fears' that the people operating these plants are a bunch of incompetent amateurs who don't even know where the manual is, and have to run up the road to another power station for a spare hose or radiation suit might be replaced by an increase in trust. Kaieda ought to be slung out on his ear and banned from office. If this is the shape of the PM to come, maybe it's time to move on before he can cause even more damage.
Posted in: Kaieda asks local gov'ts to restart nuclear plants after safety steps confirmed
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as_the_crow_flies
Love the way they put this in the past tense - like it's not still spewing out radiation as we sit in front of our respective computers. I understood the amount leaked in the first week was 1/6 of the Chernobyl estimated release. Perhaps they could give us weekly updates ... they can't? Oh, sorry, just curious... And these clowns want us to believe that in two weeks, they've checked all the reactors in the country and found them safe to start. The only problem is those pesky 'concerns', 'fears' and 'rumours' that keep circulating. Safety Japan e Yokoso!!!
Posted in: New report shows early chaos at Fukushima plant
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as_the_crow_flies
After a few days of using it on the computer and trying to use it on the iphone, the verdict is out. Fukushima on steroids. It's a mess, far too much hard work to bother with. Duplicate blobs of the same story scattered around the page like plutonium from Fukushima, horrible to navigate around. I:ve been coming five years to this site for the news, but this time im voting with my feet. Don:t think i:ll be coming back to this horrible horrible disaster.
Posted in: What do you think of the new Japan Today design?
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as_the_crow_flies
So they're debating "liberalisation" but debating nationalisation is unthinkable. So, they'll talk about dividing the pie as long as those with vested interests can keep their sticky little fingers plunged deep into it. Anything that would make for a rational system (e.g. forcing the commercial and domestic sector to reduce consumption and become far more energy efficient, as someone mentioned, unifying East and West Japan) is off the menu. Interesting, eh?
By the way, I like Samurai Blue's proposal too. I think all rational options should be discussed and weighed. But, erm, can we not have the defendants in this shambles being involved in discussing the verdict? Their time should be up. Let the rest of us decide.
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as_the_crow_flies
This is great, and so, so needed. There's a massive communications and logistical shortfall there, and internet access is the key way for people and groups in the area to be able to meet their immediate, mid and long-term needs. This should include training people, specially older people, so that they can see how it can help them. They could also do training on how to use twitter to access information, using phones. Again, this is something maybe some older people are being left out of. Whatever, kudos to everyone involved in this.
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as_the_crow_flies
Oh, next time you do a haiku, Ivan, hit return twice, thus:
It informs the world that
Japanese education is
Second to many
Se-e-ven Return Return
five more syllables
Posted in: Rally
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as_the_crow_flies
**As Summer begins
Retards fill Nagatacho
With pointless noises**
Ivan, you're a poit and i didn't Knowit!
I think this demo is another case of fiddling while Tohoku burns. Yes, and good for Wen, going to honour the guy who saved all those Chinese trainees. >
Posted in: Rally