Volunteers are delivering traditional Japanese heaters to survivors of the March 11th disaster, before the start of the harsh winter.
On Friday, evacuees welcomed the arrival of the "kotatsu" heaters at the playground of a junior high school in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture.
The kotatsu is a low table with an electric element fitted to its underside, and a quilt to cover the thighs. The heaters are being jointly provided by Lion's Club groups in Okayama and Taiwan.
The volunteers delivered kotatsu and a letter of encouragement to occupants of housing units in the playground.
The 2 groups plan to donate 600 kotatsu to the Kesennuma evacuees.
2011年10月21日金曜日
2011年10月15日土曜日
Radioactive cesium found in plankton off N-plant
High concentrations of radioactive cesium have been found in plankton from the sea near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Researchers from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology collected plankton in waters up to 60 kilometers from the coast of Iwaki City in July. They found 669 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in animal plankton from waters 3 kilometers offshore.
They say a wide range of fish feed on animal plankton and that the contamination could accumulate in the food chain and have a more serious impact when it gets into relatively large fish.
The research group's leader, Professor Takashi Ishimaru, says the plankton were so heavily contaminated because sea currents continuously carried contaminated water southward from the nuclear plant. He says detailed studies are needed to determine how long the effect on fish will continue.
Researchers from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology collected plankton in waters up to 60 kilometers from the coast of Iwaki City in July. They found 669 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in animal plankton from waters 3 kilometers offshore.
They say a wide range of fish feed on animal plankton and that the contamination could accumulate in the food chain and have a more serious impact when it gets into relatively large fish.
The research group's leader, Professor Takashi Ishimaru, says the plankton were so heavily contaminated because sea currents continuously carried contaminated water southward from the nuclear plant. He says detailed studies are needed to determine how long the effect on fish will continue.
2011年10月8日土曜日
New safety rules for outdoor nuclear workers
Japan's health ministry will introduce safety guidelines to protect workers who clean up radioactive substances around the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Existing guidelines target only those working indoors at the plant.
Citizens groups had complained that the ministry was not doing enough to minimize the exposure of workers who engage in decontamination outdoors.
The new guidelines will require outdoor clean-up workers to wear protective masks and carry dosimeters to monitor radiation.
The ministry says it will work to ensure that the rules are upheld, as efforts to decontaminate farmland and residential areas near the Daiichi plant will soon begin in earnest.
Existing guidelines target only those working indoors at the plant.
Citizens groups had complained that the ministry was not doing enough to minimize the exposure of workers who engage in decontamination outdoors.
The new guidelines will require outdoor clean-up workers to wear protective masks and carry dosimeters to monitor radiation.
The ministry says it will work to ensure that the rules are upheld, as efforts to decontaminate farmland and residential areas near the Daiichi plant will soon begin in earnest.
Nagasaki "Kunchi" dance festival begins
Thousands of spectators have gathered in Nagasaki City, southwestern Japan, for a traditional autumn festival.
The Nagasaki Kunchi Festival opened on Friday. It dates back 377 years and has been designated a national cultural treasure.
Seven communities in the city took part in dances and other performances at Suwa Shrine.
A group from a community once known for its textile dyeing opened the festival with a dance depicting their work.
Another group from the coastal town of Dejima presented a model of a Dutch-style sailing ship. During the feudal Edo period, Dejima was the only port open to the Netherlands -- Japan's sole trading partner in the West.
In a performance by yet another group, an elementary school student dressed like a fisherman threw a fishing net from a model ship. Spectators applauded when he netted 5 fake carp on the ground.
The festival will run through Sunday with performances across the city.
The Nagasaki Kunchi Festival opened on Friday. It dates back 377 years and has been designated a national cultural treasure.
Seven communities in the city took part in dances and other performances at Suwa Shrine.
A group from a community once known for its textile dyeing opened the festival with a dance depicting their work.
Another group from the coastal town of Dejima presented a model of a Dutch-style sailing ship. During the feudal Edo period, Dejima was the only port open to the Netherlands -- Japan's sole trading partner in the West.
In a performance by yet another group, an elementary school student dressed like a fisherman threw a fishing net from a model ship. Spectators applauded when he netted 5 fake carp on the ground.
The festival will run through Sunday with performances across the city.
2011年10月2日日曜日
Debris from March disaster tested for radiation
Work has begun in Miyagi Prefecture to examine debris left behind by the March 11th natural disaster, and test for radioactive substances released by the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
Testing began on Saturday, at a temporary storage site in Ishinomaki City. Here the quake and tsunami left behind more than 6 million tons of debris -- the largest amount among all municipalities hit by the disaster.
Using heavy machinery, workers removed samples of wood and rubber from a huge pile of debris.
Storage sites across the prefecture are getting close to capacity.
If safe levels of radioactivity are confirmed, local officials hope to move debris to new disposal sites being built in Miyagi Prefecture and also to incineration facilities located outside the prefecture. The testing is aimed at dispelling public safety concerns about the transfer and disposal of debris.
The prefecture plans to measure the radioactivity of debris at 12 storage sites, including those in Kesennuma and Minamisanriku.
One official says he hopes the testing will facilitate the transfer of debris to neighboring regions and help reduce the burden on Miyagi Prefecture.
Testing began on Saturday, at a temporary storage site in Ishinomaki City. Here the quake and tsunami left behind more than 6 million tons of debris -- the largest amount among all municipalities hit by the disaster.
Using heavy machinery, workers removed samples of wood and rubber from a huge pile of debris.
Storage sites across the prefecture are getting close to capacity.
If safe levels of radioactivity are confirmed, local officials hope to move debris to new disposal sites being built in Miyagi Prefecture and also to incineration facilities located outside the prefecture. The testing is aimed at dispelling public safety concerns about the transfer and disposal of debris.
The prefecture plans to measure the radioactivity of debris at 12 storage sites, including those in Kesennuma and Minamisanriku.
One official says he hopes the testing will facilitate the transfer of debris to neighboring regions and help reduce the burden on Miyagi Prefecture.
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