The Japanese government is struggling to remove millions of tons of debris from the country's northeast, more than 9 months after the March earthquake and tsunami.
The goal is to completely transfer 22 million tons of waste from disaster areas to temporary storage sites by the end of next March.
But environment ministry spokespeople say about 7 million tons, or one-third of the total debris, still needs to be hauled away.
They say the main reason for the delay is the time it takes to demolish damaged buildings. The government needs to get the approval of building owners and implement measures to prevent asbestos from scattering when it destroys the structures.
Spokespeople also say the ministry needs to build facilities with incinerators to burn up the debris that has been collected.
That work is progressing slowly because local governments are facing difficulties preparing the land where these facilities would be built.
2011年12月30日金曜日
Preparations for New Year well under way
People in Japan are gearing up for New Year festivities.
A shrine in the rice-growing town of Takanezawa, in Tochigi Prefecture, central Japan, dedicated a 3-layer jumbo rice cake on Friday, in thanks for the passing year's bounty.
The round cake measures 90 centimeters high and weighs 500 kilograms. A forklift carried the lower 2 layers to the hall of worship, while 12 female shrine attendants put the third layer in place.
A citrus fruit measuring 20 centimeters in diameter crowned the traditional New Year decoration.
In Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, a Japanese restaurant is preparing 160 sets of traditional New Year foods using ingredients from Fukushima Prefecture, which was hard hit by the March disaster and subsequent nuclear accident.
The restaurant's operator, who is from the prefecture, says she wants to encourage people in her hometown because they are still suffering from the effects of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
At an aquarium in Yokohama, a 9-year-old otaria, a kind of sea lion, is practicing writing a Chinese character meaning dragon -- the zodiac sign for 2012.
Helped by a keeper, the male otaria, named Jay, wrote the character with a brush in his mouth before a cheering crowd on Friday. He will soon display his writing technique in a New Year event.
A shrine in the rice-growing town of Takanezawa, in Tochigi Prefecture, central Japan, dedicated a 3-layer jumbo rice cake on Friday, in thanks for the passing year's bounty.
The round cake measures 90 centimeters high and weighs 500 kilograms. A forklift carried the lower 2 layers to the hall of worship, while 12 female shrine attendants put the third layer in place.
A citrus fruit measuring 20 centimeters in diameter crowned the traditional New Year decoration.
In Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, a Japanese restaurant is preparing 160 sets of traditional New Year foods using ingredients from Fukushima Prefecture, which was hard hit by the March disaster and subsequent nuclear accident.
The restaurant's operator, who is from the prefecture, says she wants to encourage people in her hometown because they are still suffering from the effects of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
At an aquarium in Yokohama, a 9-year-old otaria, a kind of sea lion, is practicing writing a Chinese character meaning dragon -- the zodiac sign for 2012.
Helped by a keeper, the male otaria, named Jay, wrote the character with a brush in his mouth before a cheering crowd on Friday. He will soon display his writing technique in a New Year event.
2011年12月21日水曜日
Radiation impact on Fukushima kids to be monitored
The Japanese government will monitor the impact of radiation exposure on children born to mothers in Fukushima Prefecture.
The Environment Ministry said on Tuesday that the monitoring program will cover 25,000 children.
The program will look for any links between the radiation exposure of the mothers and congenital abnormalities, asthma, allergies or other diseases of their children.
The checks will continue until the children reach the age of 13.
The ministry decided to carry out the monitoring amid rising public concern about radioactive contamination from the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Fukushima Prefecture is already checking the health of all its residents and their radiation exposure.
The Environment Ministry said on Tuesday that the monitoring program will cover 25,000 children.
The program will look for any links between the radiation exposure of the mothers and congenital abnormalities, asthma, allergies or other diseases of their children.
The checks will continue until the children reach the age of 13.
The ministry decided to carry out the monitoring amid rising public concern about radioactive contamination from the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Fukushima Prefecture is already checking the health of all its residents and their radiation exposure.
Year-end sweeping begins at historic sites
Year-end cleaning got under way at Japan's historic monuments on Tuesday, in an annual ritual ahead of the New Year.
In Nikko, north of Tokyo, an event took place at Toshogu Shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shinto priests and maidens dressed in traditional costumes participated in the work.
At Yomeimon Gate, designated as a national treasure, they used long bamboo brooms and dusters to clean about 500 sculptures.
In Kyoto, about 800 Buddhist priests and followers gathered to sweep at Nishi-Honganji temple.
They beat the dust out of nearly 500 tatami mats in one of the temple halls, and used large fans to clear dust from the building.
In Nikko, north of Tokyo, an event took place at Toshogu Shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shinto priests and maidens dressed in traditional costumes participated in the work.
At Yomeimon Gate, designated as a national treasure, they used long bamboo brooms and dusters to clean about 500 sculptures.
In Kyoto, about 800 Buddhist priests and followers gathered to sweep at Nishi-Honganji temple.
They beat the dust out of nearly 500 tatami mats in one of the temple halls, and used large fans to clear dust from the building.
Mourners head to pro-N.Korean assoc. in Japan
A pro-North Korea association in Japan has begun receiving mourners for the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan opened its offices across Japan to mourners on Wednesday.
Many people were seen visiting the association's headquarters in Tokyo after 10AM, when it started to receive visitors.
A man who visited the headquarters said an altar with a youthful photo of Kim was set up on the second floor. He said visitors were allowed to offer flowers for the late leader.
The association will receive mourners through Thursday.
It says the period of mourning will last until December 29, and memorial ceremonies will be held at its offices across the country on the same day.
The association is also planning to send a delegation to North Korea.
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan opened its offices across Japan to mourners on Wednesday.
Many people were seen visiting the association's headquarters in Tokyo after 10AM, when it started to receive visitors.
A man who visited the headquarters said an altar with a youthful photo of Kim was set up on the second floor. He said visitors were allowed to offer flowers for the late leader.
The association will receive mourners through Thursday.
It says the period of mourning will last until December 29, and memorial ceremonies will be held at its offices across the country on the same day.
The association is also planning to send a delegation to North Korea.
2011年12月11日日曜日
Children from Miyagi invited to Kobe festival
Children from a city hard-hit by the March 11th disaster have been invited to the Kobe Luminarie festival, featuring the city's annual year-end lighting display.
The lighting displays have been staged since 1995 to mourn the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake and to express people's determination to rebuild the city.
A non-profit organization in Kobe invited 38 elementary and junior high schools students from Natori city, Miyagi Prefecture, to the festival on Saturday.
The students enjoyed the illumination for about one hour, taking photos.
This year the festival's theme is "the light of hope," and is dedicated to those affected by the March disaster.
A 4th-grade girl said she was impressed by the beauty of the lighting display on her first visit, adding that she wants to come back when she grows up.
A 5th-grader said he was looking forward to visiting Kobe. He said he wants to do all he can to rebuild his hometown just as Kobe was reconstructed.
The lighting displays have been staged since 1995 to mourn the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake and to express people's determination to rebuild the city.
A non-profit organization in Kobe invited 38 elementary and junior high schools students from Natori city, Miyagi Prefecture, to the festival on Saturday.
The students enjoyed the illumination for about one hour, taking photos.
This year the festival's theme is "the light of hope," and is dedicated to those affected by the March disaster.
A 4th-grade girl said she was impressed by the beauty of the lighting display on her first visit, adding that she wants to come back when she grows up.
A 5th-grader said he was looking forward to visiting Kobe. He said he wants to do all he can to rebuild his hometown just as Kobe was reconstructed.
Lunar eclipse observed on Japan's Pacific coast
People on the Pacific coast of Japan were able to view a total lunar eclipse on Saturday night.
This was the first time in 11 years that an entire lunar eclipse was visible from any place in Japan.
The phenomenon occurs when the earth casts its shadow over a full moon, with the sun, moon, and earth being exactly aligned.
In Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, home to NHK, the shadow started to fall on the moon shortly before 10 PM, Japan time.
The total eclipse was observed just after 11 PM. The moon appeared dusky red due to solar rays refracted in the earth's atmosphere and could be seen with the naked eye for about 50 minutes.
The National Astronomical Observatory says the next total lunar eclipse visible in Japan will occur in October 2014.
This was the first time in 11 years that an entire lunar eclipse was visible from any place in Japan.
The phenomenon occurs when the earth casts its shadow over a full moon, with the sun, moon, and earth being exactly aligned.
In Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, home to NHK, the shadow started to fall on the moon shortly before 10 PM, Japan time.
The total eclipse was observed just after 11 PM. The moon appeared dusky red due to solar rays refracted in the earth's atmosphere and could be seen with the naked eye for about 50 minutes.
The National Astronomical Observatory says the next total lunar eclipse visible in Japan will occur in October 2014.
2011年12月3日土曜日
TEPCO issues interim report on Fukushima accident
The Tokyo Electric Power Company has released an interim report on its in-house probe into the nuclear disaster at the firm's Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
But the report issued on Friday fails to clarify how or why a huge amount of radioactive materials leaked outside the facility.
Based on data and interviews of more than 250 workers since June, the report describes how the giant tsunami on March 11th knocked out almost all of the plant's power sources and all of its fail-safe mechanisms. The report also details how meltdowns occurred at some of the plant's reactors after the accident.
The report says the firm had worked with the government and obtained its endorsement in taking measures to guard the plant from severe accidents before March 11th.
The report also defends as reasonable the utility's effort to contain the damage from the accident.
The report says that the plant lost all of its safety mechanisms because the tsunami was much larger than expected, that workers could not keep up with developments, and that core meltdowns occurred.
The report calls for thorough steps to protect the cooling and power systems of power plants from tsunamis and for installation of an emergency power source in a safe place.
The report calls on the utility to ensure that it has ways to cool reactors in case of further accidents.
The report does not contain an in-depth examination of the utility's failure to immediately submit to the government the firm's 2008 estimate that a tsunami higher than 10 meters could hit the plant. The utility has said it did not submit the estimate immediately because it was based on a groundless hypothesis. The firm eventually submitted the estimate only 4 days before the March 11th disaster.
Much remains unknown about how workers tried to cool the plant's Number 1 reactor -- where a meltdown occurred -- or why the Number 2 reactor ended up releasing a large amount of radioactive materials
But the report issued on Friday fails to clarify how or why a huge amount of radioactive materials leaked outside the facility.
Based on data and interviews of more than 250 workers since June, the report describes how the giant tsunami on March 11th knocked out almost all of the plant's power sources and all of its fail-safe mechanisms. The report also details how meltdowns occurred at some of the plant's reactors after the accident.
The report says the firm had worked with the government and obtained its endorsement in taking measures to guard the plant from severe accidents before March 11th.
The report also defends as reasonable the utility's effort to contain the damage from the accident.
The report says that the plant lost all of its safety mechanisms because the tsunami was much larger than expected, that workers could not keep up with developments, and that core meltdowns occurred.
The report calls for thorough steps to protect the cooling and power systems of power plants from tsunamis and for installation of an emergency power source in a safe place.
The report calls on the utility to ensure that it has ways to cool reactors in case of further accidents.
The report does not contain an in-depth examination of the utility's failure to immediately submit to the government the firm's 2008 estimate that a tsunami higher than 10 meters could hit the plant. The utility has said it did not submit the estimate immediately because it was based on a groundless hypothesis. The firm eventually submitted the estimate only 4 days before the March 11th disaster.
Much remains unknown about how workers tried to cool the plant's Number 1 reactor -- where a meltdown occurred -- or why the Number 2 reactor ended up releasing a large amount of radioactive materials
登録:
投稿 (Atom)