Plastic bags should it be, Yes please or no thanks?

By, Uwe Paschen.

 It is that time of the Year once again, where many of us go shopping for the Holiday’s festivities, may we be Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Atheist, Hindu or even Muslim, we all have great celebrations coming up in the next four to twelve weeks.

 From Hanukkah to the Chinese New Year it is the season of great celebrations for all around the Globe. Parties are being held, as well as family gatherings and community events.

 Now, one thing all this has in common is the shopping in supermarkets, Farmer Markets and stores to buy the Gifts, the food and the decorations for the festivities to come.

 This of course does require packaging, and transportation as well as means to get it all from the Stores back home and there comes in a handy little idem called the chopping Bag.

 Now, until 1957, we used to go shopping with our baskets and cloth bags or even little carts we dragged behind us. However, since 1957 we have discovered the plastic bag that made its début in the US and by 1960 had spread around the Globe like a wild bush fire. To the point that by the 1970th it could be fund almost any where on this planet and has been causing major problem ever since.

 Since we discard those "trow away bags" so easily, they can be fund not only on land fields but also along roads, in Rivers, in the Forest and even on mountain pics and in the Ocean. There they cause great harm and kill million of birds, animals and fish that are trapped in them and most of them suffocate. This is no easy way to die or be killed what so ever.

 We discard about 1.5 Million Tons of Plastic bags each Year and most of this around the Holidays shopping time. Keep in mind that it takes 220 Million litres of Oil to produce those bags every year and this is not counting the additional energy cost for transportation and recycling or land fields. There are 4 to 5 Trillion Plastic bags used every Year, enough to engulf the entire City of New York so you would not even be able to see the tallest buildings any longer. And this with just one Years plastic bags waste.

 North America accounts for 60% of all this plastic bags waste and Europe for 20% the rest is more or less divided around the World evenly with Africa having the lowest share of plastic bags being used of all continents.

 Now even though we have recycling facilities and program in some Nations, Fact is, unfortunately, that only 0.6% is being recycle, the remaining 99.4% end up in lad fields as well as in the Oceans ad Nature at large.

 We could do with out and go back to Shopping baskets, Cloth bags and little carts we can easily pull and taken just about any where, some of those are so compact and easy to fold that they fit in a bag. It may be time to Refuse plastic bags given out to us and to ask to use our own cloth bag in stead. Leading by example for a better future for all living creatures on Earth.

 These Holidays do think twice about using a plastic bag and with the New Year around the corner, it may be a great time for an Eco resolution, not to ever use plastic bags again. There are some great cloth bags and carts, that even look sharp and would get you some positive attention as well.

 Happy Eco Friendly Holliday’s.

See Sources below.

 Food and Water Watch, 

garbage for food.

National Tap Water Database.

fact sheet on bottled water.

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499

Think twice about taking a plastic bag if your purchase is small and easy to carry. Keep canvas bags in your home, office, and car so you always have them available when you go to the supermarket or other stores. Ask your favorite stores to stop providing bags for free, or to offer a discount for not using the bags. Encourage your local politicians to introduce legislation taxing or banning plastic bags.

Try to go at least one week without accumulating any new plastic bags. If every shopper took just one less bag each month, this could eliminate the waste of hundreds of millions of bags each year.

http://www.bpiworld.org/

Natural disasters a gogo. When is it enough or can it ever be to much.

While I have witnessed many natural and men made disaster through out my short stay on this planet we like to call earth, at least in the English language. Feeling their impact financially, emotionally and maybe even health wise.
I have never once felt sorry for my self. However, I often felt tiered and beaten, maybe even ready to trow in the towel at times.
When ever that happens, I re-call my grand parents life and the stories I grow up with. As children they grow up in war times, the war 1870 was still felt in their parents souls and they witnessed the first world war which was followed by starvation, deprivation and misery, all this, just to live through the second world war as adults, raising their own children surrounded by the ashes left behind a men made agony and yet they managed to raise out of the debris and rebuild a society that even they could not have imagined to be possible after all that was destroyed, devastated and so many souls that where lost for nothing more than humanities arrogance, greed and pride.
Only the last decade of my grand parents life was peaceful and worry free so to speak, all their lives they struggled, worked hard, stayed positive and managed build a future for their children and grand children in spite of all the odds that where against them.
My parents did not have it much easier, they grow up in war times to and the post war era was a continual struggle as well.
By the time they thought that they made it and as we where still children our selfs new conflicts broke out in Niger which we called our home then. Coups, Libyan attacks, famines, diseases broke out and spread like wild fires and my parents lost their home and belongings to a sense less conflict.
Still they started all over again in Algeria just to lose it anew due to some fundamentalist that raided their town.
I went to Canada to build a farm there and spend a lot of energy designing it, building it and making it work, always in the back of my mind to be ready for what ever may happen. I was ready for all sorts of disasters, but not for human hate towards common sense, changes due to climate change and pollution.
I had to let go of my farm after a decade and half putting up with broken windows, people killing my fruit trees with herbicides and burned down buildings.
How I ended up in Japan, where I started to rebuild a farm based on my believes that it had to be environment friendly, organic, energy self sufficient and a model for other to be able to copy with ease so pollution would gradually stop and so we could restore what we humans have destroyed over the past two centuries.
Since I started out here, building and planting, we where struck by two major typhoons causing great damage as well as floods, not to forget one major earthquake and an unprecedented devastating tsunami  that claimed over 20,000 lives and caused the greatest devastation since WWII in Japan.
Nevertheless, what may be much harder to deal with may be the radiation that poisoned our soils, our water and our future. We can rebuild and learn and improve, but we cannot protect our selfs against radiation. A place that is contaminated with radioactive isotopes becomes like a leprae colony, even once it safe again to live and stay in those affected areas, the stigma remains and the people find them self isolated and labeled in the same manner as a leprosy.
This stigma makes it difficult for many, because we humans are social animals and fear nothing more than to be isolated from the rest of our specie.
Further, it is getting difficult to rebuild and find the strength and optimism needed to keep up with it all due to the avalanche of never ending new disasters that keep on striking to no avail and that seem to cause more devastation making the reconstruction more difficult and generating more frustration. It seems at times that for every building that we manage to rebuild several more get destroyed by another disaster. For every repair done, ten more have to be done with each new strike of another earthquake or typhoon.
This latest typhoon just about send me out with an axe to break what ever was left standing and set fire to it. I was so mad, I just had one roof fixed and another still standing when this typhoon took our neighbors greenhouse apart and send all the glass and steel our way destroying roof, windows and more.
I though to my self, how much more can Japan handle before its back breaks? No one knows since it all depends on the people them self and how much they are willing and able to handle.

My grandmother always said "you will never be burden with more than you can handle." This believe made her handle the impossible and I suppose it is true in a way, "if it does not kill us, it can only make us stronger." And hopefully wiser as well. Prevail we shall than. If our generation was to give up or give in for that matter, then all our ancestors would have struggled to survive in wain.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/sep/21/typhoon-roke-japan-video


 

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

High radiation levels fund in Green tea and other products in Chiba and Saitama, Japan.

The Japanese health ministry says radioactive cesium exceeding the government's safety limit has been detected in tea leaves in the prefectures of Chiba and Saitama, near Tokyo.

This is the ministry's first discovery of radioactive substances beyond the legal limit since it began unannounced tests of food products last month.

However, other organizations such has Greenpeace that conducted test earlier have warned of such high radiation levels and urged to government to take actions two month ago.

The tests were started in order to verify local government data using different numbers and kinds of food samples.

The ministry says the leaves of one type of tea from Chiba Prefecture contained 2,720 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram, more than 5 times the safety limit.

Meanwhile, a maximum level of 1,530 becquerels per kilogram was detected in 3 kinds of tea leaves from Saitama Prefecture.

The prefectural governments of Chiba and Saitama say they will investigate where the teas were grown and how much has made its way to market.

They say they will order tea producers to recall their product, if necessary.

Our neighbor a tea farmer has already burned all his crop due to high level of radiation since he wont be able to sale any of it. In his frustration he also burned all his tree bushes, believing that he wont be allowed to sale any tea for years to come. Now he has no idea what he will do. Due to this latest news the value of properties and farm land has fallen even further. The farmers are not only losing their income but also their land value and any way out of this crisis with it. 

As harvest time for sweet potato, carrots, rice, wheat and other products is now underway, many farmer worry that they may lose their crops and end up in ruins. Even though the government has promised compensations for those affected, there is no warranty that one will receive compensation nor is the amount known or the time. Leaving many in limbo as to what to do and how to survive. Further, what will happen next year or the year after that, knowing that Cesium has a half life of 40 years it is unlikely that in the next few years much will change, leaving many farmers to wonder if they will still be able to farm tomorrow.

Saturday, September 03, 2011 22:23 +0900 (JST)

Changing misfortune into fortune for Japan.

Japan has been severely crippled, this not only by a devastating earthquake followed by a tsunami and a nuclear disaster that is still ongoing. Moreover, it is now losing countless customers through out Japan and the world. Its industry has been severely damaged and in part even destroyed to the point that it will never be able to recover its loses or regain lost customers. Rebuilding will take two years at least, by then it will be next to impossible to retake once former position.

Even if the factories are rebuild and back in operation with in a year, the power supply to run those factories wont be back up by then, especially not if we rely on nuclear power and want to rebuild new nuclear power station risking yet another disaster down the road.

There is an alternative though. If we where to implement a national restructuring plan we could rebuild Japan and end up using this disaster to our advantage by revolutionizing the socio-political and energy make up of this country.

“Two roads diverge in a wood and I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.”

                                                                                                                                 Robert Frost.

What does the world need most and that every one seeks? It is not cars, nor computers or fish. The world needs power, in form of energy to power its cars, computers, lights and machines as well as its hospitals and food processing plants.

Japan has no oil, uranium, or gas but it does have know how and it is an Island state that is blessed with massive energies such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, a moderate climate and much more. Giving it the potential to become energy self sufficient with in two years.

This would allow Japan to strive again and emerge from the ashes as an energy self sufficient nation and to export its technology as well as it energy revolution. Not only would Japan become the leader in this sector, furthermore, it would be solving many environmental and health related problem at the same time, all the wile saving trillions of Yen in the long run and allowing Japan to witness an international comeback exceeding it growth of the 1960 by several times and maybe even surpassing China anew.

Today Japan is the third largest Industrial power in the World and yet only the eleventh largest investor into renewable energies, relying far more on fossil fuels such as oil, propane and uranium than its main competitors.

This will cost Japan dearly in the long run and cause it to lose its competitiveness with in the next decade leaving it domed to a continual industrial and global decline.

Turning misfortune into a blessing is the gift of great leaders and visionaries. Japan could achieve such massive transition and end up coming out of all this a winner.

One only needs to look at the geopolitical turmoil we are faced with as well as our environmental debacle and the ongoing global climate changes that all still need to be solved to see that there is a great opportunity here amidst all the devastation that surrounds us.

Mathematically and physically we can change the country with in two year from fossil fuels to renewable energies, giving the expertise, know how and skilled labour force that Japan has, makes this  very feasible. There are only few nations that could pull this off nowadays and Japan is certainly the best suited to achieve this, giving its past history and achievements, I cannot think of a better candidate.

The possibilities are endless and the options as well, energy could become the focus for this nation, rather then cars or gadgets. This energy could also be exported in form of Hydrogen gained through electrolysis or the development of new batteries to store energy more efficiently and more effectively.

Furthermore, renewable energies would be far more compatible with Japans culture, main religion and history then fossil fuels could ever be; Fossil fuels danger, pollution and impact are overall negative, especially when we look at the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.

The long term success of a society, its industry and energy uses depend on its ability to balance the social sector with its environment and its economy, all the wile insuring that the three remain viable, bearable and equitable to one another or they wont be sustainable and if they are not sustainable then the system will inevitably collapse. This collapse is already well underway in most industrial nations today.

The future is now, tomorrow will be to late.

"Disaster happens when people forget previous disasters."

 "Disaster happens when people forget previous disasters."

When we fail to learn the lessons we where thought by our fathers and their fathers history and wisdom is when we run the risk to not only repeat their mistakes, but, more over, make and let those become worth due to our ignorance, arrogance, cowardliness and our greed.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, countless underground explosions leaving massive radiation for generations, the Three Mile Island accident and then the devastating Tschernobyl accident where not enough for us, now we have yet another disaster on our hands to deal with, bearing the name of the "Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant".

Do we have enough yet, maybe for a decade or so, then we will forget again and the young will ignore their fathers warnings once more, until no one will be left to war any one and by then it will be to late to learn or listen for they wont be any one left to warn us nor will they be any one left to be warned either.

This wisdom form an old Japanese poem was meant as a reminder to listen to the elders warnings about Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Volcanos. However, it is also applicable to all other segments of human life such as our nuclear and fossil fuel obsessions leading us strait into self destruction.

Maybe, just maybe, we will finally learn to listen and seek wisdom rather than gold.

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

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? 

Could Japan become a beacon for the World to follow?

Photos

By, Uwe Paschen.

Is Japan’s change to be a beacon for a World to follow or merely an Isolated move by one bold Nation defying a super power?

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Party (DPJ) won a historic election in August here in Japan, in part because he called for a review of the 2006 Japanese- U.S. Military agreement. Four DPJ members from Okinawa won parliamentary seats with promises of reducing and even eliminating the U.S. troop presence on the island. 

Denny Tamaki is one of Okinawa's parliament ministers. He says they won because voters believed they could achieve what the previous administration could not. That includes resolving the issue of U.S. military bases in Okinawa. Tamaki wants Futenma's marines and training facilities off the island altogether. In addition, polls show his constituents overwhelmingly support that view.

In a recent poll by one of Japan's national newspapers, nearly 70 percent of Okinawans said they opposed moving Futenma to another part of the island. The same percentage think Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama should negotiate with the U.S. to move Futenma out of the prefecture and the country altogether.


Japan may want the U.S. bases out and stop collaborating with U.S. military endeavours. Japan does however not want to escape its international responsibilities. "Our contribution to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan is great and will increase" as Mr. Fujisaki said, “Yes, We have been number two in the world for reconstructions of Iraq. Number one being United States, of course. In Afghan we are number three.”

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said he wants the U.S. bases to be moved off Okinawa, even out of Japan altogether

Japan's defence minister Mr. Toshimi Kitazawa said Thursday last, that rules governing the U.S. troop presence on Okinawa Island were “humiliating” For Japan. He further stated that “to build a new relationship that meets the requirements of the new era instead of getting mired in fears of offending them,”

The Minister also announced that Japan will cancel the purchase of U.S. Military Jets, specifically the F-35 and look for suppliers out side the U.S. as he said "our choice is wide open to other options, of non-American-made jets.”

Japan’s taxpayers fell that they should no longer have to neither pay for the U.S. bases nor tolerate the U.S. presence that has been continuously increasing in cost since 1948.

Kiroku Hanai, a former editorial writer for a vernacular newspaper, writes that Japan has to stop paying for the U.S. military and force the U.S. to withdraw and close all U.S. bases on Japanese soil.

"Japan is not ashamed of its Pacifistic constitution and its desire to hold on to it."

"Policing the World is not a task for the U.S. or any other supper power, but rather for a strong U.N." Mr. Hatoyama said. He did also evoke that war was not the anther to our international conflicts. 

“My grandfather Ichiro, then Prime Minister, was an advocate of the concept of yu-ai, or "fraternity". This yu-ai is a way of thinking that respects one's own freedom and individual dignity while also respecting the freedom and individual dignity of Others. “

Japan is most definitely moving in a new direction whose signs are clearly laid out by stopping all Military collaboration with the U.S. refueling program and moving the money saved in those military program into Humanitarian aid instead.

Further Japan has send out a clear message to the U.S. and other Western Nations as Japan’s foreign Minister said in October that “Tokyo's new way of contributing to the effort in Afghanistan will be in the form of humanitarian aid, which will include training former Taliban soldiers.”

Japan's new government has vowed to pursue a foreign policy independent of the U.S. and it is clear by now that this is well under way and to be a new reality that may force the U.S. to rethink their own political future that lately seems to look a lot like the former U.S.S.R. once did in 1989.

Ironically, the U.S.S.R. back then was struck by a major economic crisis, a never-ending war in Afghanistan and blessed with a President that received the Nobel peace price.

Japan has send the message, laud and clear, the question remaining, is whether the U.S. will hear it and understand it in time.

So far the U.S. have first mocked the changes in Japan, as the changes seemed to prevail though and proved to be real. The U.S. tried threats as well as fear mongering. Wish started with economic pressures, with Statements such as, 'Japan should align it self with its biggest trading partner', namely the U.S., 'if it wanted to remain part of the top producers', to wish Japan responded with diversification and new trade talks with China and other Asian and European partners.

Then came the North Korean card and fear mongering to wish Japan responded equally elegantly by insisting on continued six party negotiations rather then more confrontation.

The time for supper powers seems to be over and a new era has begun, one whose course is not yet fully shaped. Should we be wise or arrogant  will determine this era’s outcome.

Lets hope we find wisdom and move towards peace and co-operation rather them another power struggle for supremacy.

Japan has chosen peace and co-operation as well as the preservation of our Environment over power and dominance.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091110/afghanistan_japan_091009/20091110?hub=World

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120220315&ft=1&f=10

http://www.visionofhumanity.org/news/125/a-return-to-common-sense/

Tokyo's greatest shame.

Photos

By, Uwe Paschen.

 Tokyo is one of the greatest cities on this planet with some of the best museums, parks and attraction one can imagine, it also has one of the World best universities; an impressive infrastructure and maybe even the best public transport system one could desire.

However, it does also have a great shame that it tries to hide by simply ignoring it.

Today, Tokyo is counting over 5000 homeless according to the NGO's, the government believes them to be between 4000 to 5000 though. A number that has been on the rise since the late 70th and that is increasing at an alarming rate since the World’s latest financial fiasco that started with the Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy in New York.

Japan has been ruled for over two generations almost continuusly since WWII by the LDP or Jimintō (自民党), wish is a conservative party that was last lead by Taro Aso.

Aso and his party where deffeted last August 30th with a land slide by the Democratic Party or 民主党 Minshutō wish is a Social Democratic Party   lead by Yukio Hatoyama, our new Prime Minister.

Yukio Hatoyama has addressed a great number of problems that Japan is confronted with and promised reforms in his election campaign, those, he seems to carry out so far. Never the less, there is one issue he is avoiding with as much determination as did Taro Aso and all their predecessors, wish would be the questions of the Homeless and Unemployed that Japan is being faced with.

Those ever increasing numbers of Homeless and unemployed are only slowed down by the high Suicide rate that Japan knows.

Not unlike in other countries of the industrial world, in Japan, being Unemployed or Homeless is a great shame. One that no one wants to be confronted with for it would mean disgrace and categorize one as lazy and worth in the eyes of Japan’s society and even with once own family and friends. Only in Japan a homeless person is truly ignored by the masses at large.

Why, the homeless are left on their own with out help from the government or the public at large. Few are those that volunteer to help those in need and organize soup kitchens for them or closing. We have about 20 NGO working with the Homeless and the unemployed here in Tokyo and surrounding areas, trying to provide meals and shelters. Those NGO's receive about 90 per cent of their revenue in form of donations from abroad. The aid given by the NGO's is often undermined by the “Guardian Angels”, a paramilitary group of sorts, that is closed in combat pants, boots and military like beret. They are patrolling the streets to keep order and cleanliness on behalf of the "good" citizens and businesses that support them. Those “Guardians” give the NGO’s much grief at times, for they do not want to see those NGO's setting up in their part of town to help the homeless. Ironically, the NGO’s best ally against the "Guardians" are the Yakuza’s also known as gokudō (極道), they do provide a social function along their better know other activities. Of course one does try to stay away from the Yakuza, still every now and then they are the only thing that stands between being able to help the homeless or being hindered by the "Guardians" to do so.

Other groups helping the homeless are off course religious institutions, such as the Christian or Muslim organizations. Those however, have some strings attached to their help, and this in the form of prayers and/or converting to their books, wish does not go over to well in a predominately Buddhist country. Never the less, many driven by hunger and despair will put up with it and temporary convert or recite a prayer for the sake of a meal.

The benefit of the NGO’s is that they do not ask anyone to convert, nor plead once legion to them or their cause. Maybe, why those are better liked and more credible.

The question on many minds is whether or not the new government will come to the aid of the homeless and the unemployed as well as the temp workers that live from one short term contract to the next and in constant fear that they may end up having to live on the streets them self sooner or latter.

Once cough in the vicious cycle it is next to impossible to get back out again, especially as a male. Woman are still helped by their families and friends and are not seen as failures or lazy if they end up in trouble as their male counterparts are. Over 98 percent of homeless are men, making Woman rather the rare exception of the homeless in Tokyo.

In Japan, one needs to have an address in order to seek employment. The trouble is that in order to have an address one needs employment, since any apartment does need to be paid for and rent is far from affordable in Tokyo, a single room/flat, with no more then 20 scare metre, starts at 50,000.00 Yen per month and that would be cheep and only available in the periphery of Tokyo. Once the utilities paid, it usually ends up being more like 70,000.00 yen per month wish equates to $850.00.

Politics and populace do hardly notice the homeless though and this may be part of their trouble. Japan’s homeless are rather quiet and deeply ashamed of them self and their condition, they try desperately to hide their struggle and do what ever they can to appear “normal”, well closed, clean shaved and you will never see any of them beg or ask for help.

They are the shame of Tokyo and they are ignored by all including them self.

The only thing that gives them away is the bag and the blue tarp that they never let go off and carry with them wherever they may go.

In recent years the only once that did protest this condition and tried to organize in order to change It, where the Freitar (See link bellow). Japans, 15 to 45 year old that are mainly temp workers. The Freitars being the temp workers, the unemployed or even those living on the verge of being homeless. Still holding on though, by taking refuge in the Internet Cafés, those cafes offers them a mattress, some resources and access to a computer for networking. All this for 1,000.00 yen per 24 hour ($12.00), this is their last chance to get out before ending up on the streets of Tokyo and facing the Guardians or the Police telling them to vacate the area.

Japans elite and Government are deeply concerned with birth rates, especially in light of having an aging population that by 2015 will translate into 25 percent of people being over 65 years old and by 2050 Japan will be left with 90 Million Citizen from the 127 millions it counts today. A disaster in the making that even new immigration policies wont be able to counter any longer.

The dilemma of the low birth rates is directly related to the homeless crises, wish is being ignored with so much determination.

A lack of social housing, a lack of support and a lack organizations, to help those in need to get back on their feet. Translating into a population that can not afford to have children, since they have no stable employment, this in spite of being highly qualified in many cases. Nor can they afford the existing rates for apartments in Tokyo and even food is extremely expensive to the point that many cannot eat more then a boll of plane rice even though they have a job. Many walls will have to fall before they may be any hope for Japans homeless and its youth. So far even our Social Democratic government has not addressed those issues nor made the connection between all those troubles we are being faced with here in the land of rising Sun.

“地球上のすべての人々が団結し、われわれを隔てる世界中の壁を取り壊す様を想像してごらんなさい。ベルリンの壁の崩壊が、それが可能だと証明してくれた.”

Videos

The Shinjuku Homeless

see larger video 

sourced by mbaumgartner