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Fukushima residents unsure of return to no-go zone

16 Comments
By YURI KAGEYAMA

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16 Comments
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It's so sad hearing about the families that have been uprooted because of this. Most of the stories I read about are of older people too, ones that would have been retiring in 5-10 years from the time of the meltdown, now they can't, they have to start from scratch.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

If the evacuation order is lifted for their area, they will lose a monthly stipend of 100,000 yen they receive from Tokyo Electric Power Co, the owner of the Fukushima plant.

I think TEPCO should be required to keep paying this stipend. They should be supporting families & individuals who have lost everything for years unconditionally.

Moving back into dead cities with little or no future shouldn't be a out clause for rescinding an amount just enough to cover rent and some expenses.

It is TEPCO and the govts. fault for this tragedy and they should pay and take responsibility.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

What Speed and Abhorsenaube said ,,,

1 ( +3 / -2 )

And, on the same day we read about TEPCO posting a huge profit. I've been to Tomioka and the surrounding towns. It WAS a nice place. These people should be given a choice that onvves TEPCO supporting them for the rest of their lives and not Judy getting a piddly grand a month.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I found the article to be stupid in a technician sense. "Above all, radiation is everywhere" well like duh! I wonder about the authors figures as well. Millisievert in a couple of hours makes yellow zone much hotter than the green. I have seen figures and this is in contradiction. millisievert a year is unrealistic at best. Most places in the USA have 8 millisieverts a year. There are places where it is much more. In the aftermath of the trinity test most Americans received 2 or more rads of exposure. This is 2000 millisieverts exposure in a short time.

The thing we must remember is in case of atomic war the radiation that reaches Japan will be much higher. It may be as high as 200000 millisieverts an hour. It might be as low as 2000 millisieverts an hour. I put this in for context and how the nuclear umbrella is no protection.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Dear Mr. Onuki,

You must hold the entire voting population responsible as they have let you and thousands of others down. Dont blame your government because there has been plenty of time in this so called Democracy to gather the masses and fight back. But they dont, as everyone is more concerned with pop stars, the newest fad and spending time at the mall. Your government is corrupt (Like many other nations) and have manged to keep everyone under control with their propaganda and power. The small affected communities have spoken but their numbers are miniscule. You live in a failed Democracy Mr. Onuki. Its a very sad thing.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Such a sad story ,, many of them ,,to read about how these peoples lives have been torn apart .

People have to realize that decisions on nuclear energy should not be made only on economical basis , human cost and environemental costs are much worse than that .

Radiation measurements are rather misleiding Yuriotani , it is mainly becauae it s not a uniform spread as the figures suggest . It does not spread everywhere equally like chemicals do ,, forms hot spots and cold spots ,, thus makes it almost impossible to clean . Pollution at atomic scale is not easy to clean .

I dont believe these people are being compensated enough for their loss , but that s my personal opinion . Besides it shouldnt even be just the japanese governments task to deal with such a huge disaster but an international effort should be dealig with it . Unfortunately no one seems to be interested .

I wish strength to those who have to suffer daily from the consequences of this catatstrophe.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

My advice...don't do it! (Well if you are under 50 anyway).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japanese must fight to eliminate nuclear power. It isn't need to absolutely anything and anyone who thinks otherwise is just maneuvered by the thought of the lobby. Think about this: what kind of renewable energy would now if all the billions spent to keep a nuclear power plant had been invested in the research and development of alternative energy sources. If they tell you that there is no alternative to nuclear energy why do you believe them? If you were bad people that think only to your own advantages and profits with nuclear energy, what do you tell to your people? Obvious that there is no alternative ......

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The whole episode just shows how little empathy Japanese people have for their fellow man.

In an idle moment I calculated the percentage of GDP vs the reconstruction cost of the 2011 NZ Christchurch Earthquake and compared it to the 2011 Fukushima Earthquake.

NZs GDP $134 b reconstruction cost $25 b = %19. Japs GDP 5.964 trillion cost of reconstruction 16.9 billion = %0.28

The majority of the residents in Christchurch have been compensated for their losses through direct government payments and have managed to get on with their lives to a certain degree.

Fukushima residents are living in refugee camps, trying to live on ¥100,000 a month and being criticised for living off handouts.

Well at least the Fukushima residents can be happy in the fact that Tepco are making profits, Tokyo has the Olympics and that some idiot salaryman has said that the worst affected areas are classified as only difficult to return.

There are lot of things I want to say about the situation but my language tends to be politically unsuitable when it comes to describing unrepentant encyclopaedia salesmen turned politicians and their treatment of their constituents.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

SAmir Thumbs up ,, well said . Unfortunately people are still not informed and the same faulty decisions are still going ,,, even worse ,, many countries are planning to build new nuke plants.

Truth and the facts are massively manipulated ,, politicans even scinetists are sold ,, economical profits are prioritized and environmental issues are kept in the background ,, war mongering ,, nuclear weapons research ,, all part of pronuke propaganda which intentionally keep people uninformed and keep promoting nuclear.

It will take a huge change in mentality if anything is going to be achieved and to tell the truth i don't see it happening anytime soon.. Here and there a few voices are heard ( like the demonstration near taipei ) but not enough .

I think we all have to start getting better informed what s rreally going on and why nuclear is still promoted. Good luck and peace.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The trouble with demanding TEPCO support these people is that the only way it will happen is with our tax money anyway.

TEPCO needs to be shut down, its plants closed, its coffers raided, including the execs. We take our money back and make a fund of it to support TEPCO victims (as opposed to tsunami victims).

And why should we not just put the money back into the government? Because the government was just as asleep at the wheel as TEPCO. In fact, the government enabled TEPCO.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

My heart goes out to those suffering through this nuclear mess.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The saddest part is that if they choose not to go home they will nullify any compensation that should be given to them, because it was 'their choice'. Don't go home people... this is just an attempt to save money by TEPCO so they can brag about being back in black while begging for government handouts, and while you beg for your lives.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

These people were tricked into believing their futures were secure, tricked into living the life of safety Japan, now totally left to their own fate they are being tricked again. Japan Inc, do you have NO sense of justice? No sense of shame? These are your OWN people for christ sake! What are you DOING?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The Abe government will do anything to protect TEPCO and nothing to help Japanese. Another depressing reminder that they are on their own. And if they're not today, Abe will find a way to make sure tomorrow

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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