Radioactive iodine spread much further south from Fukushima than originally believed.

A Japanese government survey published on Thursday the 22th of September, showed that radioactive iodine emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant spread not only northwestward but also to the south of the plant.

The ministry of science sampled soil at 2,200 locations, mostly in Fukushima Prefecture, but also as far south as Tokyo in June and July, and created another map indicating the extent of the radioactive contamination as of June 14th.

This map is giving information about radioactive contamination that where not previously published nor know by the public or even government workers.
Officials were able to obtain data for iodine 131 at only 400 locations, because of its short half-life of 8 days and because they waited to long to start collecting data on iodine 131.

The latest map shows that iodine 131 spread northwest of the plant, just like cesium 137 as indicated on an earlier map. But the substance was also confirmed south of the plant at relatively high levels.
The researchers found that accumulation levels of iodine 131 were higher than those of cesium 137 in coastal areas south of the plant.

Officials of the ministry said the clouds that moved southward over the plant apparently caught large amounts of iodine 131 that were emitted at the time.

Iodine 131 could cause thyroid cancer through internal exposure. The ministry is therefore trying to determine at what levels the substance spread immediately after the accident at the plant in March. 

Six month after the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima dai ichi plant it is starting to become clear that high level of radioactive Cesium 137 as well as radioactive iodine 131 have contaminated large areas of the prefecture of Fukushima and reached as far North as Hokkaido and as far south as Tokyo prefectures leaving hot spots with well over the maximum permissible safety limits of radioactive elements. Contaminating soil, lac's, rivers and the ocean to a far greater extend than previously believed. 

Still, many areas in the 300 km radius from the Fukushima plant have not been sampled to this day nor has any form of assessment taken place. In stead people are being told that all is fine and that they should not worry. Why so many are taking things into their own hands, trying to assess the amount of radiation their area or town received.

This in some cases could lead to false data and needless fear mongering. Why it is of the outmost importance that all areas be tested and that an accurate map be made public so that the public can make an educated and objective assessment of their own and decide on the actions they want to have implement.

http://houseoffoust.com/group/?cat=32

Another strong earthquake strikes the Japanese East coast.

"The Meteorological Agency lifted tsunami advisories for coastal regions of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures before noon."


We where just struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 this Sunday July the 10th at 10:15 local Japanese time. A Tsunami advisory has now been issued as well.

The Japanese meteorological agency issued tsunami advisories for coastal regions of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures at 10AM.

The region was devastated by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

Tremors with an intensity of 4 on the Japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7 were felt at around 9:57 AM.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says the quake had a focus off the coast of Sanriku, at a depth of 10 kilometres.

The agency observed the first wave off Miyagi Prefecture at 10:28 AM. It estimates 50 centimetre tsunami will hit coastal areas.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has found no problems with its Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear plants as a result of the quake. It says it ordered its workers to move away from the coast.

Tsunami Warning/Advisory

Issued at 10:00 JST 10 July 2011

******************Headline******************

Tsunami Advisories have been issued for the following coastal regions of Japan:

PACIFIC COAST OF TOHOKU

*******************Text********************

Tsunami Advisories have been issued for the following coastal regions of Japan:



IWATE PREF.

MIYAGI PREF.

FUKUSHIMA PREF.

***********About Tsunami Forecast************



Tsunami height is expected to be about 0.5 meters. Attention advised.

******* Earthquake Information ******** Occurred at 09:57 JST 10 July 2011 Region name SANRIKU OKI Latitude 38.0N Longitude 143.5E Depth about 10 km Magnitude

7.1 

Earth-day 2011.

                               Earth-day 2011.

Every year on earth day, I usually take part in rallies and write several posts about the issue and the need for change.

However, this year, I am somewhat physically and mentally drained, even tiered.

After the March 11 disaster that struck us here in Japan and the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima dai-ichi nuclear power plant, I have not much hope or energy left for another earth-day. In stead the melody of the Doors iconic song “This is the end my friend” is going through my head repeatedly.

I tried to keep my mind sane and clear by planting some tomato, eggplants and many other veggies. Still, It did not help.

I was in my early twenties when Tschernobyl happened and lived right in the centre of Europe then. We went through the milk ban due to radioactive contamination, followed by the mushroom ban and so forth Then we were witnessing children being diagnosed with thyroid cancer this less then a year after the accident. However, in the same year that the Tschernobyl nuclear disaster happened, another followed On the 1^st of November 1986 an explosion occurred in the Sandos Chemical factory in Switzerland, which ended up killing nearly all life in one of the world largest rivers, namely the Rhine, which flows from Switzerland through Germany, France and the Netherlands where its waters enter the Northern Sea. The Sandos accident destroyed over four decades of hard work with some great expenses to clean up the Rhine from pollution and the devastation left behind after WWII. Those two accidents strengthened my dedication to protect the environment and all life on earth. The polluters may be responsible to clean up their pollution and to compensate the victims as well. At least in theory they should be hold accountable. Nevertheless, they rarely do pay up and even less end up being hold accountable. Moreover, when they do pay, it is merely a minuscule fraction of the real damage caused to the environment and society. Part of the blame does lay with the consumers and citizen them self that support those industries since they do benefit from them by means of jobs, cheep energy and cheep consumer goods. Until some thing goes terribly wrong such as at the Fukushima Nuclear power plant here in Japan or the BP oil spill in the Golf of Mexico.

Will we ever learn? I am afraid not, most people have a rather short memory and are easily bribed and this with surprisingly very little.

Why bother any longer then? Humanity does not even deserve to prevail especially not when we look at how we behave in Libya or even the U.S.!

However, there is such a thing as care, empathy, love, compassion and selflessness that some of us human still posses for our children, families, friends, neighbours. And some few even care for plants and insects and this planet, that is why we need to stick around for a little longer to help life on earth to prevail for it is well worth it.

In the so-called dark ages, the environment was mostly revered and respected, even though life was rather harsh for most, then again, living with radioactive poisoning can not be any better then the dark ages. In 1461 for instance, some businessmen that committed fraud where bricked alive into a wall in East Prussia, wile in the thirteen's century a couple of merchants that polluted the local river in Southern Germany where stoned to death and their families where disowned and forced into exile. Nowadays we are civilised, letting those that commit fraud receive a bonus and those that pollute our waters, our air, our soils and our sea with crude oil, radioactive substances or even toxic chemicals, receive public money to clean up their mess. We let them increase their profits and wealth; still not holding them accountable for leaving countless people and wild live to endure a slow and painful death.

It leaves us to wonder whether we have evolved into civilised and intelligent beings or merely ended up being brain washed in believing so and become uneducated with all the education we received or should we say indoctrination we underwent, leaving us to become irresponsible, maybe even criminal and insane.

Would we be able to bring a person that lived some two thousand years ago into our polluted and mad world, that person would call us mad and uncivilised, even careless. He would want to go back to his time in a split of a second.

We need to change course as a society for the sake of our descendants and their own ability to be able and allowed to live on this planet. 

Sakura.

By Uwe Paschen.

It is spring now, Sakura season, wherever you go you will see cherry trees in full bloom. The Sakura tree is an important symbol here in Japan; it is not only one of the first trees to come to live in spring. Moreover, it is also one of the most beautiful and its flowers are some of the most fragile as well.

It has been symbolising life, its beauty and its fragility and maybe even our brief time here on earth.

Japan has certainly known its fair share of disasters over the course of its 1500-years of history as a nation.

However, this latest triple disaster may very well top them all. Not only have we been hit with the strongest earthquake in recorded seismological Japanese history, we also where struck by one of the mightiest Tsunamis this country as ever seen and as if all this was still not enough we ended up with what may become the world worth nuclear disaster so far as well.

I live about 160 Km South from that nuclear plant where the prefectures of Ibaraki and Chiba share a boarder. We are less then 30 Km from the coast of what once was a beautiful rural area with much history an some of the most beautiful shrines, rice fields, sweet potato fields and vegetable fields as well as dairy animals and several once striving fishery villages.

We where fortunate though, since the tsunami waves where only four to six metre high along our coast line. Where as further north those waves reached in one village up to 23 metres in hight. In addition, in many other areas along the coast in the prefectures of Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Aomori, those waves reached on average over ten metres in hight, taking with them every thing, even steel reinforced buildings, which surprised most engineers here.

Our farmhouse is still standing. However, it is no longer structurally sound and has to be torn down as so many buildings will have to be in our area due to the damage that these last earthquakes have caused to them.

The demolition of our house has been estimated at one million Yen or more ($ 13,000.00). Building a new house will cost at least six million Yen ($78,000.00). Our house was not insured, since earthquake insurance insure only brand new houses and this for a premium that is not affordable anyhow.

Even if we had insurance it would take at least a year before the old building could be torn down due to the massive devastation that was caused through out Northern Japan and that left many homeless and took the lives of over 28000 people and maybe even more.

Even though those expenses may very well bankrupt us and force us to give up, since property values for farm land and houses as well as apartments went down to next to zero due to these disasters and the radioactivity that we received on top of it all, we are still fortunate. Many are far worth off, lost far more in machinery and buildings, and especially loved ones.

It is hard to focus even work and yet I keep my self busy at all times, cleaning up our mess and trying to help others far worth off as much as I can.

Whenever I stop to think about it all, I wonder why I am still alive and survived so many disasters through out my life wile so many good people have died.

I am some what furious at all the talk by stock holders and politicians as well as the nuclear industry, proclaiming that nuclear energy is still safe, and that radiation is some what still okay, when in fact it is not. None of those executives, stockholders or politician dare to put a foot into the contaminated area or volunteer their golf time with friends to help the countless refugees. Many people will end up dying due to this radiation and many more will get sick from it, all just so some few can make a profit at the expense of the masses and those masses end up paying for these accident on top of it. 

They proclaim that we need nuclear energy to fight CO2, which is nonsense, since the CO2 generated to extract the uranium ship it, refine it and to build those nuclear power plants does by far exceed any other forms of energy production (Other then Coal and Oil of course) especially from renewable energies sources. The production of solar panels and wind mils and so forth, does generate CO2 as well but nothing compared to the construction of a Nuclear power plant, especially not if we compare those to their real operation life and their KiloWatt produced. Those renewable energies do also come with out a death threat attached to them since they just break down or stop working after a major earthquake or tsunami, they do not end up becoming a death trap them self such as nuclear power or other fossil fuel tend to do, See the Golf of Mexico’s oil disaster. It is grand time we start to wake up and face facts.

We could save a lot of energy by simply using energy efficient machines and appliances as well as by stoping to waste so much. The proof lays in Japans current disaster, people voluntarily save energy in order to avoid black outs and it works with out impacting too much on the comfort level of the city dwellers. We do not need all the streetlights to be on, nor all the billboards or five lights on in every room even though there is not one person around. We can do well with less heat in the winter since most places are way to hot anyhow and we can also do with much less air-conditioning in the summer, after all, most of us freeze when ever we enter an air-conditioned building in the summer. We can do with out nuclear power there for. It is simply not worth the risks it generates. The same would apply to all other fossil fuels.

The government keeps on promising that it will compensate the losses encountered due to this nuclear accident, wile this may sound noble at first glace, it is merely politics, permitting crowd control. It will be financially impossible for any government to compensated the magnitude of those loses in business and lives. Nor should the government have to do so, since it is the tax payer that will end up paying for all this wile the industry that caused it will get off with a bonus, making some few much richer in the process wile the masses lose their basics to survive.

Every year the Sakura trees give us much joy in the spring with their beauty. However, this year they remind us of the fragility of our lives as humans and that of our environment more so then ever before.

Dealing with an ongoing crisis.

It has been eighteen days since the triple disaster here in Japan.

Dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami would be by far enough on their own. However, the crippled Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant only adds to the grief and stress for all and makes relief efforts all the more difficult for the victims of this disaster as well as for the aid workers. Our main house will have to be torn down, due to the damage caused by the earthquake, it is no longer safe to be lived in and be on repair now. Saving the building would exceed the cost of building a new house by several million yen. The recent events force us to tear down the old buildings as soon as possible. Never the less, we are still very fortunate since we did not lose any one in our family nor have we lost our property (land) or car in the earthquake, just a lot of material damage so far. Why it is important for us to focus on helping those that lost loved ones and their livelihood before worrying about rebuilding our own place.

After, I saw the extend of the damage in the Prefectures of Chiba, Ibaraki and Fukushima for my self, it was far be on what one could imagine to be possible, no TV nor any pictures can possible show the extend of this disaster or the conditions in which the people find them self in now, especially the smell in some areas is gruesome. The worth may very well be the still out of control nuclear power plant, that leaks massive amount of radiation and contaminates our food and ground water be on safe levels. I urge the government and all aid organisations to focus on the children and pregnant woman first and to get them out of the most affected areas now, and keep them out until this problem is under control after which they may all return once the radiation are below a safe level. We need to find foster homes and convince people to adopt those children that find them self orphaned due to this earthquake and tsunami. We also need to educate people to overcome their cultural or traditional barriers, so that those children do not find them self extradited or isolated for being orphaned and for having been exposed to radioactive contaminations, as it was the case for the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I saw people refusing to drive much needed fuel or food to Fukushima because they where afraid of radiation, even though I can understand the fear, we need to be rational and help those we can. It saddens me to see such lack of empathy, compassion and solidarity by so many in this crisis.

Even though, I have to command the Japanese overall, would this have happen in the US or France, we would have riots by now and more people would have been killed due to civil unrest then by the disaster it self.

Still, we need to do much more and help where ever we can and when ever we can. As of today, we have 10,901 confirmed dead and still 17,840 missing. On top of that, many are now dying due to lack of heat, medication and due to excessive stress.

This is mainly why I resigned my position in Narita. I will now work mainly in Ibaraki, Fukushima and Chiba so I may be able to better help those most affected and I hope that we will be able to convince people to take in children, especially those that are now orphaned so they may have some kind of normality again.

These times demand to be open minded and they demand solidarity from all. There is no room left for selfishness or self-pity.

The worth part in all this, is the lack of understanding of the gravity of this nuclear accident by some of the companies and entrepreneurs that are already engaged in talks to build nine more nuclear power plant around Japan. Not one of those politician, entrepreneurs or stockholders has set foot on the site of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, nor will they ever do so. Their houses are far enough from those plants so that they may not have to worry too much.

In a country such as Japan, with countless hot springs and volcanoes it is inconceivable why we do not have geothermal energy plants making full use of the gifts that nature gave us.

Such as is the case in Iceland, where the high concentration of volcanoes in the area is used as an advantage in the generation of geothermal energy, the heating and production of electricity. During winter, pavements near these areas (such as Reykjavík and Akureyri) are heated up.

Five major geothermal power plants exist in Iceland, which produce approximately 24% (2008) of the nation's energy. In addition, geothermal heating meets the heating and hot water requirements of approximately 87% of all buildings in Iceland. Apart from geothermal energy, 75.4% of the nation’s electricity was generated by hydropower, and only 0.1% from fossil fuels. Consumption of primary geothermal energy in 2004 was 79.7 petajoules (PJ), approximately 53.4% of the total national consumption of primary energy, 149.1 PJ. The corresponding share for hydropower was 17.2%, petroleum was 26.3%, and coal was 3%. Plans are underway to turn Iceland into a 100% fossil-fuel-free nation in the near future. 

Japan could certainly match Iceland its power production with geothermal energy and achieve the same goals as Iceland strives to by generating 100% of its energy production with renewable energies giving its location and geological configurations.

This sort of proposal is not new either here in Japan, since several experts over the past decade have wondered why Japan is persisting in using nuclear energy and other fossil fuels when it has such an abundance of natural geothermal energy just waiting to be used.
Wake up Japan!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3345616/Harness-volcano-power-energy-experts-say.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_science

http://thinkgeoenergy.com/archives/4823

How you can help Japans earthquake victims.

Here are some links and addresses where you can donate to help all the victims of Japans triple disaster.
Saitama super dome is the place where to register for volunteer work.
Earthquake donation centres.
Most City halls will take volunteer applications as well as the Japanese Red Cross.

Charity for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

NHK, Central Community Chest of Japan (CCCJ), The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) and NHK Public Welfare Organization have organized a charity for the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.

If you wish to make your cash donation to be distributed directly among the affected population of the disaster, please see the following homepage of The  Japanese Red Cross Society for the bank account information.

JAPANESE RED CROSS SOCIETY - Japan/Earthquake Donation
http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

or visit JRC's english top  http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/
and click "11/03/14 Japan Earthquake Donation" under the category of "Emergency Relief."

All the fund received under this account will be transferred to the Distribution Committee, which is formed around the local governments of the disaster-affected prefectures and to administer the distribution of fund.

Thank you very much for your kind thoughts. 



For further information, please see links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2Hv0cu5_4

Donating to the Ibaraki Prefectural Disaster Recovery Fund: http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/seika n/kokuko/en/data/donate.pdf
Ibaraki Prefecture donations contact information:
Phone 81-29-301-2862
Email kokuko@pref.ibaraki.Ig.jp
Fukushima Prefecture International Affairs Division web site:
http://www.pref.fukushima.jp/kokusai/IAD website/internationalprojects.htm
International Affairs Division, Fukushima Prefectural Government
2-16 Sugitsumacho,
Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan 960-8670
Phone: 81-024-521-7182
Email kokusai@pref.fukushima.jp
Miyagi Prefecture web English information:
http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/english/
Government International Affairs Division
3-8-1 Honcho Aoba-ku,
Sendai, Miyagi 980-8570
Phone: 81-022-211-2972
Email kokusai@pref.miyagi.jp
Iwate Prefecture Culture and International Relations Division
http://www.pref.iwate.jp/~hp0312/gaikoku gomokuji/info/information.htm
Culture and International Relations Division
Iwate Prefectural Government
10-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, JAPAN
Phone 81-19-629-5336
Email FA0042@pref.iwate.jp

Japan is fighting to survive.

It has been five days since the massive earthquake of a magnitude of 9.0 on the RS or 7 on the Japanese scale that struck us here in Japan. Since then many smaller aftershocks where felt some of which where strong enough by them self.
Their epicentre is changing even though most after shocks are still coming from the original epicentre many strong aftershocks are now being emitted in the kanto Chiba area.
This is viewed by some of the experts as a sign that we may witness another major earthquake such as the 1923 earthquake that devastated Tokyo.
However, this does not seem to be the main worry for most here at the moment, since we are already dealing with food shortages and gas stations are still out of gas leaving many stranded.
Furthermore, it is still winter and even for those that still have a house or apartment to call their own, it is difficult to stay warm when there is no gas or fuel available any longer and when electricity is scarce as well. Especially in the rural areas where outages are more frequent then they are in the larger cities.
We just got electricity back three days ago in our area and this only for a couple of hours every day. Many areas do not even have a few hours of power though.
Rice is still around, but it is impossible to buy bread milk or other foods we once took for granted. Still, even when one has rice, it can be difficult to cook this with out stoves, fuel, or electricity.
Most are living on the edge of what they can handle, especially emotionally. The main fear is our nuclear power plant that seems to become a hopeless cause, the news from that one seems to get worth by the day, to the point that the Prime Minister made an announcement, advising all to remain indoors and to avoid outside air or rain in order to minimise radiation exposure. The government handed out Potash Iodine pills to those closest to the nuclear power plant, trying to combat the negative effects of radiation poisoning. It shows the helplessness of government and experts who try to keep all calm and want to avoid to create panic which may make things even worth.
But all know here that this may end up getting a lot worth then the initial earthquake and tsunami where. Still, even though nervous and stressed most try their out-most to remain calm and serene in order to keep the children hopeful and ease their fears.
For the past two day all the school could give their students for lunch was some pudding and a piece of processed cheese with a  200 ml carton of milk. Food has to be rationed now and many get nothing more then a small boll of rice with some bouillon to warm them up.
The things we where all so accustomed to, now seem to be a thing of the past and many are realising that things will never be the way they where before the earthquake of March 11 of this year.
News came that the government can no longer control the nuclear power station and that they will abandon it now, still poring water on it in hope to reduce the radiation some what.
A  colleague approached me today, asking if we will still be around next week, I was some what cough of guard and just said "If not, we shall meet again in the next life and remember this one, so we may learn from our mistakes, if there is a next life that is."
The kids and teens are getting restless and some have trouble dealing with the situation at hand, which is comprehensible.
Still, I do admire the Japanese serenity which most maintain no matter the severity of the situation or the devastation they have to deal with.
I suppose all the drills and disciplinary lessons as well as the moral education every Japanese receives through out their school education and even in university do pay off in such a crisis.
So what next? No one knows for certain, but we expect the radiation to rise and we may have to face another important earthquake with in the next few days.
Many foreigners are on their way out since their respective Embassies have started to evacuate their expatriates from Japan.
Even though the Japanese understand and are sympathetic, it certainly does not comfort those that are stuck here.
I believe for my part that running is useless and that we have to do our best to help each other in this crisis what ever may be. This is especially important for those that have already lost everything and find them self totally helpless in this disaster.
All hope that they wont be another explosion at the nuclear power plant and that we wont have to deal with another Chernobyl. Still, we will have to deal with the radiation and the closer one lives to the plant the worth they will be off. Why people should be evacuated as far away from the plant as possible and the radius needs to be extended to at least a 100 km, this however, will be difficult to accomplish in light of the devastation the earthquake has caused and the lack of gasoline we have as well as the restricted electricity, all this makes the transportation of large numbers of people even more difficult then it would be if all infrastructures where operational and even if we would not face a shortage of fuel or electricity we would have a hard time evacuating people far enough from the power plant to be considered safe.
All know the reality of the situation and know that they wont be able to get out, nor avoid what ever may happen. In stead they all face their faith as they have been thought to do, with honour and serenity. One can sense the fear and worries in many, still they smile and remain polite and courteous. Some thing to learn from.
Wile I wrote the previous paragraph, another more serious earthquake hits us, with a magnitude of 6 on the RS.
 or 5 lower on the Japanese scale.
The radio is on all day and every one hopes to hear some good news and maybe some good news will come after all. In the mean time the announcements about the radioactivity have changed from Micro-severs to mili-severs, it does sound some how better even if it ends up being higher in reality, maybe most wont notice that the 1000 micro-severs the government talked about on Saturday are now 1000 mili-severs of radiation emitted. It is all in the way it is presented, a 1000 ml sounds more or worth then 10 litres of poison.

Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake strikes Japan

As the earthquake struck, I was working in our school, at first it seemed like just another earthquake. However, we all realised very quickly that this was going to be a major earthquake, one that will cause some serious damage and claim many lives.

As we left the building after all the students had been evacuated to the sports area, I saw just how powerful this quake was, as it managed to create great waves in the JH schools pool spreading its water ten meters or further away for that swimming pool.

Some of the students where terrified and so where some of the adults as well, even though all are well familiar with earthquakes, this earthquake was generating fear and panic in many.

I am a pragmatist at heard and believe that we should not fear death and I do not fear death it self, especially not if it was to strike me personally. However, I do fear to see others suffer and lose loved one’s or be severely injured.

Once the students where on their way home and the school was closed up, I tried my cell phone and e-mail as well text messaging system to contact loved one's and friends, expecting the worth and still hoping for the best. Nothing worked though; I just managed to get one twit out. Therefore, I decided to drive back home already fearing that I may not like what I will find. As I took the 51 all seemed normal at first other then a traffic jam, that one was going the other direction though since all tried to move away from the sea shore fearing a tsunami wile I was driving towards that shore since that is where our farm is and where I may find my wife as well.

As I drove suddenly traffic came to halt and those that could left the road and took a detour, soon I fund out why, one of the bridged had been raised by the earthquake creating a road block of sorts. As I looked around I saw fire engines and damaged buildings, that is when I realised that our area was hit much worth then the North of Chiba Kent, the further I drove South the worth it got. What normally takes me less then an hour drive took me well over two hours after the earthquake.

While I drove, I felt the after shocks every now and then and those where strong enough by them self but nothing compared to that initial earthquake.

As I kept on driving, the sun light gave way to the night and I saw no lights on, nor any stores open. The trains where still not moving either. Once I came atop of a hill all was dark as far as I could see, a very unusual sight for the prefecture of Chiba

That was when I realised that we lost power through out a waste area. On the radio finally a broadcast, a tsunami warning or rather that several areas had been hit by a tsunami some with four metre high waves and other with waves much higher, up to ten meters according to the radio station. Now I understood why every one was driving in the opposite direction then I was. Still, I had to get home and find my wife; at least I hoped I would find her there. However, for a moment a thought crossed my mind that I should be prepared not find her or that she may be hurt or even worth. I kept on driving and listening to the radio. It is some what ironic that all our great technology, satellites and gadgets cease to function in such a disaster and that all that remains in operation are some good old fashion FM radio waves and laud speakers. Some more news came through of two nuclear power stations leaking radioactive water and one that is at risk of melt down. As I heard this, I remembered the Chernobyl disaster in the former USSR, I was a chemical student in Germany back then and far away from it, still the radioactive fallout reached us as well, even though it was minimal compared to what the Russian had endured, it was still not something one could shrug off easily either.

Japan is a small country with and very densely populated, another Chernobyl would have far more causalities here then it did in the USSR back in the eighties.

Why in heavens name does any one put nuclear power stations in a country known to be prone for major earthquakes is something I never understood nor will I ever understand it either, there are far safer ways to produce electricity and far more environmentally friendly as well.

Finally I reached our Farm and jumped out the car calling my wife’s name, She was there, alive and well, but in shock and some how traumatised. She wondered how her parent where and then told me that the house was a mess, things all over the place and every thing broken as well. I quickly looked around and assessed the damage as best as I could with a flashlight.

What a mess it was in deed, but the main building was still safe and seemed to be structurally sound as well. 

Therefore, we set out to clean up some of all the broken things to be able to sit down and have some supper.

Fortunately the madjes salad I made the day before was still around since it was in the fridge even though the fridge was no longer where it was suppose to be, its contend was still there and some what okay.

As we had some of that herring and a glass of tea made from the water left in an emergency container, I suddenly remembered the Tsunami.

We have a GPS monitor for the navigation system, however, it can also be used for radio and TV, I asked my wife to find out what was what, since I do not understand every thing that is said especially on a bad reception and she does. The tsunami had already hit land by the time we listen to the latest newscast, fortunately our area was still high enough, but other areas where not so fortunate and many lives where lost. The tsunami claimed far more lives then the initial earthquake did.

A day has passed now; our neighbourhood head and leaders went to every farm to see if all where alive and well. Fortunately, in our community at least, no one was killed, we only lost some buildings and hard ware to the earthquake and that, even if it may not all be replaceable nor will we be able to afford to fix or replace most of it, but at least all where alive.

My wife finally received word from her parents that they where fine, just material losses.

I then set of to the city trying to find a place where I could send a message to my family letting them know that we were okay. I managed to get one message out and hoped that every one else will be notified form that person as well.

Then I had to find some more water since we where still out of electricity and our solar system was down as well. 
Once I got back home more bad news came over the news channel, A major explosion was reported at the Fukushima nuclear plant "number one." The experts did not know what would happen next though. However, the radio active levels reported by NHK where to be at 1051 micro-sieverts, knowing that an X-ray emits between 50 to 100 micro-sieverts, this was not good news at all.
I send a letter to our mayor, that we should organise a relocation program for all those that lost everything, so that they may at least have shelter again and wont have to live in tents or gymnasiums, especially the elders and youngest segment of the victims being the most vulnerable, and knowing that time is of essence to prevent further victims we need to be solidarian and work together now. There are still many empty building standing even in the the areas hit by the earthquake that need to be re-a-located by decree if necessary and many families whose homes have not been destroyed have enough room to welcome one or more people for a year or more until things get rebuild. The men that are in good health and strong need to volunteer a month or more to rebuild Japan and employers have to make accommodations to make this possible. 
This earthquake has devastated this area of Japan far be on what any single country, even a country as  highly advanced as Japan can possibly handle. The magnitude of devastation this earthquake has caused on its own. Even with out side help, it will take over a decade to recover from this last earthquake and to rebuild all the infrastructures. 
However, it will be impossible to recover from all the lives lost, for those are not replaceable.

More news will follow, for now that is what has happened here and I hope that the nuclear power plant will be safely powered down. 

"The Fukushima nuclear power plant. The evacuation radius has been raised to twenty kilometres. All safety futures have failed. Only the shell of the plant seems to remain.
Government agency are on high alert and NHK reported that the expert do not know what will happen at this point. The radiation is now at 1051 micro-sieverts"

The Japanese political Titanic.

Current Prime Minister Naoto Kan beat former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama length of time in office last Tuesday, surpassing the term of his predecessor now. This may be the only good news in this weeks head lines here in Japan, at least for Mr. Kan, whose tenure as Prime Minister is threaten as well due to the difficulties he faces in dealing with a divided parliament and his own fractious party. Kan assumed the premiership on June 8 last year after fellow Democratic Party of Japan member Mr. Hatoyama resigned over his failure to resolve a U.S. base relocation issue in Okinawa.

Wile Mister Naoto Kan has been in office for a mere 267 days so far, being a short time by most countries political standards, it sadly is some what of an event in Japanese politics as of late. Since over the past five years we had five Prime Ministers taking office.

There was Shinto Abe (2006-07) who got sick. He was replaced by Yasuo Fakuda (2007-08) who resigned to protest a legislative gridlock and was replaced by Taro Aso (2008-09) who ended up loosing an election to Yukio Hatoyama (2009-10). Mr. Hatoyama was the hope for many to redeem Japans political arena. The expectations and hopes that where generated towards him where some what comparable to the Obama syndrome only Japanese stile. He did not last as long as Obama though, since he had to resign due to his inability to give the US a good kick in the derriere. This gave us Mister Naoto Kan who seems to break a record as far as time in office is concerned as a Prime Minister in Japan, even though he is rather unpopular with just about every one and any one.

Then again he is not a “soiled silver spoon” like his predecessors where, since he does not decent From the crème de la crème of Japans political dynasties. All of his predecessors are sons or grand sons of former Japanese Prime Ministers and considered weaklings by the masses, why the term “soiled silver spoons.”

It is unlikely though that Mr. Naoto Kan, japans current Prime Minister will be any more successful then his predecessors even though he may be able to hang on to power a few weeks longer then they did.

The malaise is one that is much deeper and that is not limited to the Japanese political arena either. it is spread through out all segments and all levels of the Japanese society.

At times it seems almost that this country is like a ship headed for an iceberg, wile the crew and passenger are petrified almost hypnotized by the iceberg, the captain with his officers are busy debating whether or not to change the color of the uniforms rather then changing the heading of their ship, wish would allow them to avoid a total disaster.

The few that speak out will be silenced and ordered to sweep the deck even if they would be far better qualified as machine engineers that could by pass the command structure and reverse the engines of that ship, which would avoid colliding with the iceberg and save the ship. Instead they are demoted even humiliated and marginalized.

It is almost as if Japan wants this to happen and can only strive once this ship has hit the iceberg and sunk.

Maybe a few will survive and rebuild a new ship that will be better…

Through out Japans history this sort of thing seems to happen, the country seems to move forward and be able to change course only after a major catastrophe such as the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 or the carpet bombing of all Japanese cities toped by the two nuclear bombs that the US dropped on Japan, causing such grave disaster and pain that Japan changed course and became a beacon for all. At least for a time it was. Because since the mid eighties Japan finds its self stuck anew. Even paralyzed heading right for disaster. To the point that some seem to be hoping for another 1923 earthquake that would allow them to get the old guard out and rebuild this country so it may be able to move forward, avoiding total destruction and finally be able to face the realities of the twenty first century.

What ever happened to reason and common sense?