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Tokyo Observations, and a 10,000 Ton Dump

Sunday a quake struck the Tokyo area, but it was only a baby 5.0. Looking round my local shops today there is still no water available. A new change is that now there is also not even Coca-Cola which had been in supply up until last Friday. I ventured out to Omote-Sando yesterday and was heartened and impressed at the energy conservation efforts. The escalators are off. Over half of the lighting is also off everywhere. The passageways, the train stations, the restaurants, and even the shops are dimmed. No more flashing signs. For now, neon Tokyo is in indefinite hibernation.

Also yesterday, in what the government says will pose no major health risk:

Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Monday began releasing 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water from the Fukushima No. 1 power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Monday evening to help accelerate the process of bringing the crippled complex under control.

[From Tepco dumps toxic water into sea | The Japan Times Online]

High Radiation Beyond Evac Zone? Meh.

Despite alarming new radiation data presented by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the government said Thursday it has no plans to widen the evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

The international nuclear watchdog said Wednesday in Geneva it detected about 2 million becquerels of radioactive substances per sq. meter, or double the threshold at which the IAEA itself would order an evacuation, in soil samples from the village of Iitate about 40 km northwest of the nuclear power plant.

With the data, the IAEA effectively urged Japan to expand the current no-go zone of 20 km around the plant. Residents in areas 20 km to 30 km of the plant have been advised to stay indoors.

[From High radiation found outside no-go zone | The Japan Times Online]

Voices from Japan

This site is really a heartwarming and vital outlet to express and understand what is going on in the lives of ordinary people in their own words. I urge you to have a look.

Thank you for the thousands of emails in support of the original translations of Japanese Twitter accounts of the March 11th quake on my Facebook note, “Japan Quake as Seen from Twitter”. Now, together with ten classmates and friends in the University of Cambridge, I have launched this blog to continue translating the voices of the Japanese people on their road to recovery.
– Jun Shiomitsu –

[From Voices from Japan]