Heavy rain has increased the volume of highly radioactive water building up inside the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Contaminated water already floods the basements of the turbine and reactor buildings, partly due to water injections to cool down the reactor cores.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, now says water levels rose faster on Monday as rain poured inside the badly damaged buildings.
In the basement of the No.1 reactor building, radioactive water rose by 37.6 centimeters during the 24 hours through Tuesday morning.
At the No.2 reactor, the level of water rose by 8.6 centimeters in an underground tunnel extending from the building.
The water in the tunnel's shaft is now only about 39 centimeters below ground level. The utility is speeding up work to seal the opening.
TEPCO is planning to decontaminate and recycle the radioactive water as coolant for the reactors. But the system won't be in place until July at the earliest.
In the meantime, the utility is studying steps to prevent rainwater from seeping in. It will also consider new storage sites to which the contaminated water can be quickly transferred as the rainy season approaches.
2011年5月31日火曜日
2011年5月25日水曜日
2,500-year-old beetle fossil found in Nara
Japanese archaeologists have discovered the nearly perfectly preserved remains of a stag beetle, estimated to be over 2,500 years old.
The 6-centimeter body fossil was found in soil around a tree root that had been unearthed at an archaeological site in the city of Gose, Nara Prefecture. The tree root is believed to be between 2,500 and 2,800 years old.
Hard-bodied insect fossils are rarely found intact, because membranes connecting the head and legs to the body tend to decompose.
Yasuhiro Nakatani of the Kashihara City Museum of Insects says the fossil shows that this type of stag beetle hasn't changed in shape for thousands of years.
He says genetic analysis of the remains could provide clues to the natural environment back then.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 15:57
The 6-centimeter body fossil was found in soil around a tree root that had been unearthed at an archaeological site in the city of Gose, Nara Prefecture. The tree root is believed to be between 2,500 and 2,800 years old.
Hard-bodied insect fossils are rarely found intact, because membranes connecting the head and legs to the body tend to decompose.
Yasuhiro Nakatani of the Kashihara City Museum of Insects says the fossil shows that this type of stag beetle hasn't changed in shape for thousands of years.
He says genetic analysis of the remains could provide clues to the natural environment back then.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 15:57
TV animation song most played in Japan in FY 2010
The song of a popular TV animation series aired 16 years ago has topped the list of the most played tunes in Japan in the last business year through March 2011.
The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers, JASRAC, says the theme song of Neon Genesis Evangelion -- A Cruel Angel's Thesis -- earned the largest copyright royalties, by being sung at karaoke or played elsewhere.
JASRAC says it is the first time a song from an animated film has received the largest copyright fees.
The 1995 song, which has been popular among karaoke-goers since, made its
The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers, JASRAC, says the theme song of Neon Genesis Evangelion -- A Cruel Angel's Thesis -- earned the largest copyright royalties, by being sung at karaoke or played elsewhere.
JASRAC says it is the first time a song from an animated film has received the largest copyright fees.
The 1995 song, which has been popular among karaoke-goers since, made its
2011年5月24日火曜日
Parents demand lower radiation limit for children
A group of parents of school children is calling for lowering the government-set radiation limit for children.
The group is from Fukushima Prefecture, where a crippled nuclear power plant is posing the danger of nuclear contamination.
On Monday, members of the group visited the education ministry and submitted a petition bearing more than 15,000 signatures.
After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident, the government set the yearly limit for accumulated external radiation for children undertaking outdoor activities at 20 millisieverts.
The parents have been pointing out that the government safety level is too high for children and are demanding that it be lowered to 1 millisievert per year.
One millisievert per year is the level recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection as a long-term annual reference level for humans.
The parents say the government should take as many measures as possible to reduce children's radiation exposure, such as removing contaminated topsoil from schoolyards.
A ministry official admitted that the 20-millisievert yearly level is not necessarily an appropriate limit for children. The official told the group that the ministry wants to consider all possible measures to reduce radiation risk
The group is from Fukushima Prefecture, where a crippled nuclear power plant is posing the danger of nuclear contamination.
On Monday, members of the group visited the education ministry and submitted a petition bearing more than 15,000 signatures.
After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident, the government set the yearly limit for accumulated external radiation for children undertaking outdoor activities at 20 millisieverts.
The parents have been pointing out that the government safety level is too high for children and are demanding that it be lowered to 1 millisievert per year.
One millisievert per year is the level recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection as a long-term annual reference level for humans.
The parents say the government should take as many measures as possible to reduce children's radiation exposure, such as removing contaminated topsoil from schoolyards.
A ministry official admitted that the 20-millisievert yearly level is not necessarily an appropriate limit for children. The official told the group that the ministry wants to consider all possible measures to reduce radiation risk
2011年5月23日月曜日
Crane dismantling on Tokyo Sky Tree begins
Work began on Monday to dismantle the giant cranes used for the construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree broadcasting tower.
The top of the tower reached 634 meters above the ground in March. It is the tallest broadcasting tower in the world.
On Monday, work to take down 4 giant cranes from the roof of a 375-meter-high observation deck began. The cranes had been used to lift materials for building higher parts of the tower.
Steel frames that held the props of the cranes to the tower structure were removed on Monday morning. The props will be dismantled next, before the cranes themselves are disassembled one by one.
A chief engineer of the tower's builder, Obayashi Corporation, said the dismantling of the cranes means that construction work is almost done. He said he feels both joy and a sense of loss.
The cranes will be removed by the middle of July.
The tower is scheduled to begin operating in the spring of next year.
Monday, May 23, 2011 13:25 +0900 (JST)
The top of the tower reached 634 meters above the ground in March. It is the tallest broadcasting tower in the world.
On Monday, work to take down 4 giant cranes from the roof of a 375-meter-high observation deck began. The cranes had been used to lift materials for building higher parts of the tower.
Steel frames that held the props of the cranes to the tower structure were removed on Monday morning. The props will be dismantled next, before the cranes themselves are disassembled one by one.
A chief engineer of the tower's builder, Obayashi Corporation, said the dismantling of the cranes means that construction work is almost done. He said he feels both joy and a sense of loss.
The cranes will be removed by the middle of July.
The tower is scheduled to begin operating in the spring of next year.
Monday, May 23, 2011 13:25 +0900 (JST)
Many residents still remain in Iitate, Kawamata
About half the residents living in parts of Fukushima Prefecture where an evacuation order is in place have still not left one week before the government-set deadline runs out.
On April 22nd, the government ordered people in Iitate Village and a part of Kawamata Town to leave by the end of this month because of radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Officials have been placing priority on evacuating households with infants and small children.
But only about half of the 7,800 residents have followed the order one month after it was issued.
Some residents remaining in the areas say emergency shelters are far from their work places and their children's schools. Others say they will lose their jobs if they move away.
People in areas with relatively low levels of radiation hope to delay their evacuation until temporary housing is completed in the summer.
The officials say they will continue to urge the remaining residents to leave. But meeting the deadline will be difficult, as the evacuation order is not legally binding.
The 2 communities are located outside the 20 kilometer radius around the crippled nuclear plant. The central
government earlier instructed residents living inside the 20 kilometer zone to evacuate.
Monday, May 2
On April 22nd, the government ordered people in Iitate Village and a part of Kawamata Town to leave by the end of this month because of radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Officials have been placing priority on evacuating households with infants and small children.
But only about half of the 7,800 residents have followed the order one month after it was issued.
Some residents remaining in the areas say emergency shelters are far from their work places and their children's schools. Others say they will lose their jobs if they move away.
People in areas with relatively low levels of radiation hope to delay their evacuation until temporary housing is completed in the summer.
The officials say they will continue to urge the remaining residents to leave. But meeting the deadline will be difficult, as the evacuation order is not legally binding.
The 2 communities are located outside the 20 kilometer radius around the crippled nuclear plant. The central
government earlier instructed residents living inside the 20 kilometer zone to evacuate.
Monday, May 2
2011年5月11日水曜日
Survivors' lives two months on
Survivors of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan say they still face difficulties in their daily lives 2 months on.
NHK surveyed 435 people living in evacuation centers and elsewhere in the hardest-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
More than 450,000 people were living in shelters just after the quake, but the number has now dropped to about 120,000. Many evacuees left the shelters saying they were tired of living in groups. Some facilities were closed or merged.
Asked what bothered them the most, 38 percent of those in the shelters cited a lack of privacy.
32 percent of the people living in their homes cited not being able to bathe and a lack of utilities as their main concern.
34 percent of those staying with relatives or living in apartments said the lack of access to information, including notices from their municipalities, is a problem.
One woman in Rikuzentakata city, Iwate Prefecture, said she is living at home because her father refused to stay in a shelter. She said the water and electricity are still off and that she can only bathe once every 4 or 5 days at facilities provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
NHK surveyed 435 people living in evacuation centers and elsewhere in the hardest-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
More than 450,000 people were living in shelters just after the quake, but the number has now dropped to about 120,000. Many evacuees left the shelters saying they were tired of living in groups. Some facilities were closed or merged.
Asked what bothered them the most, 38 percent of those in the shelters cited a lack of privacy.
32 percent of the people living in their homes cited not being able to bathe and a lack of utilities as their main concern.
34 percent of those staying with relatives or living in apartments said the lack of access to information, including notices from their municipalities, is a problem.
One woman in Rikuzentakata city, Iwate Prefecture, said she is living at home because her father refused to stay in a shelter. She said the water and electricity are still off and that she can only bathe once every 4 or 5 days at facilities provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
2011年5月7日土曜日
Police raid restaurant firm over food poisoning
Police have raided the operator of a barbecue restaurant chain and a meat wholesaler in connection with food poisoning that has killed 4 people.
Investigators searched the main office of Foods Forus in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Friday. Two restaurants in Toyama and Fukui prefectures where the food poisoning occurred were also searched.
The 4 victims -- 2 boys and 2 women -- all died after eating a Korean-style raw beef dish.
Health authorities detected the O-111 strain of E. coli bacteria in the boys.
Twenty-three others are said to be in serious condition after eating the dish at outlets of the chain.
Police believe the poisoning was caused by lax hygiene control.
Investigators say beef supplied by the wholesaler on or after April 16th may be contaminated with the bacteria, as all of the victims began showing symptoms after April 17th.
Friday, May 06, 201
Investigators searched the main office of Foods Forus in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Friday. Two restaurants in Toyama and Fukui prefectures where the food poisoning occurred were also searched.
The 4 victims -- 2 boys and 2 women -- all died after eating a Korean-style raw beef dish.
Health authorities detected the O-111 strain of E. coli bacteria in the boys.
Twenty-three others are said to be in serious condition after eating the dish at outlets of the chain.
Police believe the poisoning was caused by lax hygiene control.
Investigators say beef supplied by the wholesaler on or after April 16th may be contaminated with the bacteria, as all of the victims began showing symptoms after April 17th.
Friday, May 06, 201
Hiraizumi, Ogasawara recommeded for Heritage sites
UNESCO advisory bodies have recommended 2 places in Japan for inclusion on its World Heritage list.
The decision follows the Japanese government's proposal of the Hiraizumi district in the northern prefecture of Iwate as a cultural site and the Pacific islands of Ogasawara as a natural heritage site.
Hiraizumi features Buddhist temples and gardens built by the 12th-century Oshu Fujiwara clan.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites conducted a field study of Hiraizumi. The council concluded that it qualifies to be registered as a World Heritage site, on condition that some ruins are excluded.
The Ogasawara Islands are about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. They have never been connected to any landmass, and are known for their abundance of rare plants and animals. The scores of unique species include a butterfly called "Ogasawara-shijimi" or Celastrina ogasawaraensis.
The islands were recommended as a natural heritage site by another UNESCO advisory body, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It conducted a field study last year.
Final decisions will be made at a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Paris next month. But the recommendations by the advisory bodies are thought to have ensured that the 2 sites will be listed.
Following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, people in northern Japan have had high hopes for Hiraizumi's registration. They say its inclusion on the World Heritage list would help the region's recovery.
Japan has 11 cultural sites, including the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. The country also has 3 natural heritage sites, including Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.
Saturday, May 07
The decision follows the Japanese government's proposal of the Hiraizumi district in the northern prefecture of Iwate as a cultural site and the Pacific islands of Ogasawara as a natural heritage site.
Hiraizumi features Buddhist temples and gardens built by the 12th-century Oshu Fujiwara clan.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites conducted a field study of Hiraizumi. The council concluded that it qualifies to be registered as a World Heritage site, on condition that some ruins are excluded.
The Ogasawara Islands are about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. They have never been connected to any landmass, and are known for their abundance of rare plants and animals. The scores of unique species include a butterfly called "Ogasawara-shijimi" or Celastrina ogasawaraensis.
The islands were recommended as a natural heritage site by another UNESCO advisory body, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It conducted a field study last year.
Final decisions will be made at a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Paris next month. But the recommendations by the advisory bodies are thought to have ensured that the 2 sites will be listed.
Following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, people in northern Japan have had high hopes for Hiraizumi's registration. They say its inclusion on the World Heritage list would help the region's recovery.
Japan has 11 cultural sites, including the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. The country also has 3 natural heritage sites, including Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.
Saturday, May 07
2011年5月2日月曜日
Cool Biz begins one month earlier at Tokyo govt
Some Tokyo Metropolitan government staff wore light clothing to work on Monday, as the annual energy-saving campaign has begun a month earlier than usual.
The start of the Cool Biz campaign was moved up by one month as power shortages are expected this summer.
Tokyo government officials began the first workday of May without neckties and in short-sleeved shirts.
Posters at the entrance to the building ask Tokyo residents and workers to wear light clothing to reduce their use of air conditioning.
The Tokyo government says it will set air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius during the summer, and the rule will be strictly observed.
It says the campaign will continue until the end of October, one month later than usual.
Monday, May 0
The start of the Cool Biz campaign was moved up by one month as power shortages are expected this summer.
Tokyo government officials began the first workday of May without neckties and in short-sleeved shirts.
Posters at the entrance to the building ask Tokyo residents and workers to wear light clothing to reduce their use of air conditioning.
The Tokyo government says it will set air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius during the summer, and the rule will be strictly observed.
It says the campaign will continue until the end of October, one month later than usual.
Monday, May 0
2011年5月1日日曜日
More workers to be sent to Fukushima
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is studying the possibility of sending more employees and former employees to the plant.
People who have previously worked at the plant and who have been trained in nuclear-related matters, such as radiation monitoring, are the potential candidates. About 3,000 people are believed to qualify.
About 1,000 workers of Tokyo Electric Power Company and its contract companies are currently working at the power plant to bring it under control.
TEPCO laid out a plan on April 17th to stabilize the reactors in 6 to 9 months. But the work is expected to take a long time and the radiation level is high.
On Saturday, 2 workers were found to have been exposed to more than 200 millisieverts of radiation.
Another 30 workers or so were exposed to radiation in excess of 100 millisieverts.
The government recently raised the legal limit for radiation exposure during an emergency from 100 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts.
The power company considers it necessary to have more people on site to proceed with the operation while ensuring the safety of the workers.
People who have previously worked at the plant and who have been trained in nuclear-related matters, such as radiation monitoring, are the potential candidates. About 3,000 people are believed to qualify.
About 1,000 workers of Tokyo Electric Power Company and its contract companies are currently working at the power plant to bring it under control.
TEPCO laid out a plan on April 17th to stabilize the reactors in 6 to 9 months. But the work is expected to take a long time and the radiation level is high.
On Saturday, 2 workers were found to have been exposed to more than 200 millisieverts of radiation.
Another 30 workers or so were exposed to radiation in excess of 100 millisieverts.
The government recently raised the legal limit for radiation exposure during an emergency from 100 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts.
The power company considers it necessary to have more people on site to proceed with the operation while ensuring the safety of the workers.
Minute levels of radiation detected in breast milk
Japan's Health Ministry says it has detected a minute amount of radioactive materials in breast milk in 7 mothers in central and northeastern Japan. The ministry says the amount does not pose a danger to their babies' health.
The ministry on Saturday released the results of a study conducted in Fukushima, Tokyo and other 3 prefectures in Kanto region from last Sunday through Thursday.
The ministry says breast milk samples from a mother in Iwaki City of Fukushima Prefecture contained 3.5 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram and 2.4 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram.
Up to 2.8 becquerels of radioactive materials per kilogram were also detected in 6 mothers in 2 other prefectures.
Japan has no regulatory levels to determine the health risk from radioactive substances in breast milk. But it sets the safety levels for babies' consumption of milk and drinking water at 100 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram and 200 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram.
The detected amount in the samples was much lower than the regulatory levels and the ministry says it is too minute to have any impact on babies' health. It also says mothers who are breast-feeding should not be overly concerned.
Professor Nobuya Unno of Kitasato University says it is necessary to carefully analyze how and for how long radioactive materials will affect breast milk when mothers drink water and eat food that contain such substances.
The ministry on Saturday released the results of a study conducted in Fukushima, Tokyo and other 3 prefectures in Kanto region from last Sunday through Thursday.
The ministry says breast milk samples from a mother in Iwaki City of Fukushima Prefecture contained 3.5 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram and 2.4 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram.
Up to 2.8 becquerels of radioactive materials per kilogram were also detected in 6 mothers in 2 other prefectures.
Japan has no regulatory levels to determine the health risk from radioactive substances in breast milk. But it sets the safety levels for babies' consumption of milk and drinking water at 100 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram and 200 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram.
The detected amount in the samples was much lower than the regulatory levels and the ministry says it is too minute to have any impact on babies' health. It also says mothers who are breast-feeding should not be overly concerned.
Professor Nobuya Unno of Kitasato University says it is necessary to carefully analyze how and for how long radioactive materials will affect breast milk when mothers drink water and eat food that contain such substances.
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