Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
On Saturday, December 12, 2015, the Low-dose Radiation Exposure and Health Project, an environmentalist group specializing in low-dose radiation and its effects on health, held a symposium titled “Ima Hibaku wo Kangaeru –Chernobyl 30 nen, Watashitachi ga Ima Nasubeki Kotowa” (Considering Radiation Exposure Now – What Should We Do, Three Decades after the Chernobyl Disaster?). I attended the symposium which was held at Citizens Fellowship Plaza, Koriyama City, Fukushima.
The following five experts made presentations, which were followed by a Q&A time with the audience.
Associate Professor Sadatsugu Okuma (Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University): “Summarizing claims of over-diagnoses in medical checkups of Fukushima citizens”
Hisako Sakiyama (formerly a researcher at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences): “Calling Fukushima ‘safe’ and letting its former residents move back – responsibilities of experts”
Professor Shoji Sawada (professor emeritus, Nagoya University): “Truth about what radioactive fallout did to atomic bomb victims”
Professor Nobuhito Sone (Kyushu Institute of Technology): “How to protect yourselves from radiation – errors of the protective measures proposed by the ICRP or Japan”
Masamichi Nishio (honorary director, Hokkaido Cancer Center): “Syndrome of long-life radioactive elements taken into the body”
Today, here in Fukushima Prefecture, we are witnessing many cases of thyroid cancer among children, and experts are divided in their opinions, with some ascribing the phenomenon to over-diagnoses. Said Mr. Masamicchi Nishio, one of the speakers at our symposium, “If exposure to low-dose radiation is a major cause of many cases of thyroid cancer among Fukushima children, the exposure must be considerable. Considering the time the cancer takes to develop, the effects of low-dose exposure should emerge fully in the years to come.” In any case, the cause of child thyroid cancer cases should be identified in a few years, according to the symposium’s speakers.
Meanwhile, in some of the cases of child thyroid cancer, the cancer has metastasized to the lungs, and cases of adult thyroid cancer are on the rise as well. Fukushima Medical University reports that it has been conducting more operations for adult thyroid cancer over the last few years. Furthermore, thyroid cancer shows a high rate of recurrence—some 36% of cases within 30 years. Medical personnel are, in fact, already witnessing a rise in thyroid cancer cases, according to medical sources. Though I check newspapers daily for news on nuclear power plants and radiation, so far I have never seen a report on such recurrences in any paper. I honestly think there is some bias in press reports.
A nuclear disaster, once it hits, destroys the very foundation of life; and its devastative effects last longer than any one person’s whole lifetime. In the case of Fukushima, we have yet to hold any specific party accountable. In fact, to the contrary, the national government, who is to be held accountable, determines radiation related policies and is calling Fukushima “safe.” Moreover, in its efforts to promote the use of nuclear energy, the government is underestimating the risks of radiation. If we do not wish to be deceived by the government, each and every one of us needs to learn objective, scientific facts and think on his/her own. While none of us is able to exercise much influence alone, together we can do something. What we truly need is a democratic society without nuclear power, where individuals’ rights and health are the top priority.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
(Based on articles from the December 9th, 2015 edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper)
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Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved the new fire prevention measures planned for power cables at Units 1 and 2 of the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), located in Fukui Prefecture. The two units, operated by The Kansai Electric Power Co., are almost 40 years old. Fireproofing the power cables has been the greatest issue in the Authority’s considerations on whether or not to give a go-ahead to the two units’ restart. Other NPPs who plan to restart are expected to use fireproof cables or similar measures to meet the Authority’s requirements.
Kansai Electric Power intends to extend the lives of Units 1 and 2 of the Takahama NPP, which are now more than 40 years old. The Nuclear Regulation Authority has been examining the case. One major issue there is fireproofing of the power cables, more than 1,000km (625 miles) in total length. Kansai Electric proposed to cover such cables with fireproof sheets, among other measures.
Japan’s new regulations on NPPs require fireproof cables. The two 40-year-old units in question, however, do not employ such cables. Kansai Electric, therefore, needs to take some measures to provide similar fireproofing. The power company applied to the Authority for permission to extend the two units’ lives by 20 years.
Kansai Electric has presented a plan both to cover some cables with fireproof sheets and to replace cables conducting high-voltage current with flame-resistant cables. An examination meeting of the Authority has approved most of such safety plans.
The two units at Takahama need to complete their examinations for life prolongation. Now, the greatest issue, fireproofing of cables, is almost solved. The final approval to the life extension of Units 1 and 2 is in sight.
The issue of power cables not being fire resistant can be found at many other old NPPs as well. Thus, many other old NPPs will have to resort to similar safety measures.
Actually, with this issue of fire proofing cables, Kansai Electric made a big “flamer” of itself before. To the measures it proposed earlier, the Nuclear Regulation Authority responded with very harsh criticisms, saying: “There is no evidence of safety,” and “Not trustable,” on May 26th, 2015.
(Quote from the relevant article of the Asahi Shimbun’s May 27th, 2015, edition.)
“In its examinations of whether or not to permit the restart of Kansai Electric Power’s Units 1 and 2 of the Takahama NPP, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, on May 26th, harshly rebuked—“There is no evidence of safety,” “Not trustable,” etc.—the power company’s claim that painting non-fireproof cables with some special paint can satisfy the required fireproof standard. At the examination meeting held that day, the power company said it had confirmed that covering up cables with fireproof paint or with fireproof sheets would provide enough fire resistance. To this claim, the examiners of the Authority responded with a harsh rebuke, saying: “The experiment data are too small in quantity and provide no proof. With such little data, we are unable to make an objective judgment.” The examiners also pointed out examples where some fireproofing paint, tried by some other NPPs, crumbled, saying: “Cable maintenance and control have been utterly miserable so far. How can we trust you when you say you will thoroughly tighten up your control of cables?” Kansai Electric replied repeatedly, “We will make more detailed explanations.”
Elsewhere, at TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP (Niigata), some cables to the safety equipment were, against the new regulations, not separated from other cables. However, in the examination papers TEPCO submitted to the Authority for Units 6 and 7, the power company wrongly claimed that “some measures were taken for safety” with respect to the cables in question.
(From an article of the December 9th, 2015 edition of the Fukushim Minpo newspaper)
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At TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (Niigata) and some other NPPs, some cables to the safety equipment were, against Japan’s new regulations, not separated from other cables. It has been discovered that the Nuclear Regulation Authority, which is responsible for NPP restart examinations, failed to inspect such cables at those sites.
At TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (Niigata) and some other NPPs, some cables to the safety equipment were, against Japan’s new regulations, not separated from other cables. It has been discovered that TEPCO said something untrue in examination documents that it submitted, saying: “We are taking due measures.”
The Authority’s examinations are a prerequisite to the restart of a NPP. However, the Authority did not expect an electric company to include an untrue statement in the application documents. Thus, the Authority did not confirm the state of the cables in question at the sites. This reveals serious limitations to the examinations conducted by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
The new regulations for NPPs require that the cables to/from safety equipment be separated from the other cables. Boards or some other objects must stand in between those two types of cables. At Units 6 and 7 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP, however, at least 296 cables in all were not protected by separation.
Still, the application for approval of the work plan, submitted in September 2013 by TEPCO, who wants to restart the two units, explicitly stated that “the two types of cables are laid down with separate cable trays and conduits,” and “we have taken measures to alleviate mutual interferences between the two types, keeping the two independent of each other.”
In reality, TEPCO did some faulty work, for instance, placing cables of different types in trays that also held cables to the safety equipment. The power company said, “We wrongly believed that we had taken the right measures. We did not confirm that sufficiently.”
The Authority, in August, chose Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s Units 6 and 7 as priority units to examine, among all the boiling water reactors subject to inspection. (Fukushima Daiichi is another example of boiling water reactors.) The Authority, however, was unaware of this cable placement issue, until TEPCO reported on it in September 2015. Similar problems have been discovered at Unit 4 of Chubu Electric Power’s Hamaoka NPP and at Unit 1 of Hokuriku Electric Power’s Shika NPP.
At Chernobyl, some structural problems and human errors worked together to create one of the worst NPP accidents in human history. It is now evident that, prior to the disaster, the relevant parties gave precedence to economy over safety and covered up many wrongdoings.
On December 26th, 1985, the Soviets celebrated an anniversary of the nuclear power industry, and they hoped to finish off Unit 4 of the Chernobyl plant by then. To accelerate the building work, therefore, they replaced some inflammable heat-resistant material with a flammable one, which was one factor that helped spread radioactive substances.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority’s examinations can seriously affect the future of everyone in Japan. While pressure from the national government is affecting the Authority’s inspections and judgments as the government turns back to nuclear power, Japan’s general society is not responding as it should. To me, this looks like the calm before a deadly storm.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
(Based on articles from the December 13, 2015 editions of the Asahi Shimbun and Akahata newspapers)
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At the India-Japan summit meeting of December 12, 2015, Prime Ministers Modi and Shinzo Abe confirmed their “basic agreement” on nuclear power and the export of bullet train technology to India.
Interviews with three experts on the India-Japan nuclear agreement: What is the meaning of Japan cooperating with India, which possesses nuclear weapons?
The India-Japan nuclear agreement disturbs the nuclear non-proliferation principle and only expands the threat of nuclear energy.
Through its export of nuclear power plants to India, Japan can actually help India develop more nuclear weapons. Japan should rather lead the world in the elimination of nuclear weapons. She must never export nuclear power plants.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Modi, on December 12, 2015, and reached a “basic agreement” to sign a nuclear agreement between the two nations which would enable Japan to export both its nuclear technology and its bullet train technology to India.
A nuclear agreement permits the signing countries to im/export radioactive substances and nuclear technologies only for peaceful use. Currently, Japan has signed such an agreement with 14 countries and regions. The negotiations with India began five years ago, in 2010.
India plans to build 40 more nuclear power plants (NPPs) by 2032, and expand its NPPs’ power generation capacity to 63 million kW, more than ten times greater than what the nation has today. India has already signed a nuclear agreement with the US, France, and others. Here we have to note that all the pressure vessels of reactors from the US or France are made in Japan. Thus, in reality, unless India signs such a deal with Japan as well, its agreements with the US and France become meaningless. Now, India has conducted nuclear bomb tests before, and it is not part of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Many, therefore, are calling for a more cautious attitude to the India-Japan agreement, including, among others, the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who jointly petitioned to suspend the negotiations for the agreement, in that the proposed agreement “generates suspicions that the imported nuclear technologies will be used in the development of nuclear weapons.” Also, inside Japan, many are saying that “the nation should not export a NPP,” considering the disaster that the meltdown of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi caused.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India owns nuclear weapons, some 90 to 110 such weapons as of January 2015. NPPs imported from Japan can help India develop more nuclear warheads. In the negotiations, Japan has been claiming the deal is compatible with the non-proliferation policy, saying that the deal lets the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) inspect to prevent any military use of nuclear technologies imported from Japan. Also, if India holds a nuclear bomb test, Japan will suspend its cooperation with India, says Japan. However, the IAEA is capable of inspecting only some of the nuclear facilities in India, not all of them.
Thus, no one can guarantee whether or not India is honest in its announcements.
Moreover, India has been in tension with its neighbor, Pakistan. Once the border situation changes, India might resume its nuclear bomb tests and/or expand its nuclear weapons.
Once contaminated with radioactivity, no human and no part of nature can return to a contamination-free state again. The fallout from Fukushima Daiichi and the damages caused from the fallout can harm many for ages to come, and no human can predict how many generations will be victimized. In the years to come, the meltdown might well contaminate much of the Pacific and beyond, as many fear.
Today, Japan has yet to resolve the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe while, under pressure from some pro-nuke people inside Japan, the government eagerly attempts to sell NPPs to a country with nuclear weapons. I do believe this should not be tolerated.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
(Based on articles from the December 4th, 2015 edition of the Fukushima Minpo newspaper)
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The local governments of Fukushima Prefecture and Tomioka and Naraha Towns have announced a decision to go along with the national government’s plan to bury the “specified waste” from TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in controlled disposal sites in Tomioka Town and elsewhere.
Fukushima’s Governor and the Mayors of Tomioka and Naraha confessed it was an “agonizing decision” to accept the “specified wastes.”
The local governments of Fukushima Prefecture and Tomioka and Naraha Towns have decided to accommodate the Japanese government’s plan to bury the “specified waste” from TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in controlled disposal sites in Tomioka Town and elsewhere, Fukushima Prefecture. The burying is expected to begin in June 2016, at the earliest.
Here, “specified waste” refers to waste containing 8,000 becquerels or more of radioactive cesium per kg (per 2.2 lb.), and which has been specified by Japan’s Minister of the Environment as such waste. Where should such waste go? In compliance with the nation’s Act on Special Measures Concerning the Handling of Pollution by Radioactive Materials, such waste is categorized according to its radioactive substance contents, and each category is buried in a different site. Waste containing 8,000 becquerels or more and up to 100,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kg (per 2.2 lb.) are to be buried in “Fukushima Eco Tech Clean Center,” a controlled disposal site located in Tomioka Town. High-density waste, containing more than 100,000 becquerels, needs to be kept within a containment disposal facility surrounded by concrete walls. Since there is currently no such facility in Fukushima Prefecture, such waste from Fukushima Daiichi are to be buried in storage dedicated to such waste at an interim storage facility to be built in Okuma and Futaba Towns. Meanwhile, the contaminated soil collected in the decontamination work is not treated as “specified” and is to be kept in such interim storage facilities regardless of its density of radioactive substances.
(*1 “Becquerel” is a unit of measurement of radioactivity. If an atom’s nucleus decays and emits radiation every one second, it is counted as “1 becquerel.” Now, “radioactivity” is the capability to emit radiation, and “becquerel” measures such capability, while “sievert” (Sv) is about the radiation dose a human is exposed to. Where there is a single source of radiation (becquerel), the actual radiation dose people are exposed to (sievert) from the source can differ, depending on situational conditions—the kind of the radioactive substance in the source, the distance between the source and a person, the effectiveness of the shield (if any) between the two, and so on. Meanwhile Japan’s Food Sanitation Act defines some tentative regulations on radioactive substances contained in foods. 1kg (2.2 lb.) of drinking water or milk must not contain more than 200 becquerels of radioactive iodine. 2,000 becquerels for vegetables. For radioactive cesium, no more than 200 becquerels per 1kg (2.2 lb.) of drinking water or milk, and no more than 500 becquerels per the same weight of vegetables, cereal, meat, eggs, etc. The Act demands of municipalities that any foods containing radioactive substances in excess of those limits should not be consumed by humans.)
While there is a national plan to build storage facilities for “specified waste” in six prefectures of Japan, Fukushima has become the first to accommodate such a facility. In the other targeted prefectures, many residents around a planned facility site are opposed to the plan, making it lag behind schedule. Fukushima’s decision to accept the national plan might provide a model of consensus building, and many are concerned over such “consensus” building.
(Based on articles from the November 29th, 2015 edition of the Fukushima Minpo newspaper)
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A Kyodo News survey discovered that 13 prefectural governments, including Fukushima’s, have no intention at all to accommodate a final disposal facility of high-level radioactive waste (nuclear waste), even if the national government specifies them as candidates for such a facility.
In a survey of prefectural governments about final disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste, many respondents demanded that the national government lead the way and be held responsible for the disposal of such waste.
Turning our eyes to final disposal facilities of high-level radioactive substances (“nuclear waste”), the Fukushima Minpo newspaper reported, in its November 29, 2015 edition, on a survey conducted by Kyodo News with all of the 47 prefectural governments of Japan about such facilities. None of the 47, including Fukushima, is willing to accommodate such a final disposal facility.
The survey found 13 prefectures replying “no intention to accommodate (such a facility) at all,” and the 13 included Fukushima. Of them, four are currently accommodating a NPP or more. Eight others said “it is hard to accommodate (such a facility),” while 24 others responded with no policy about such facilities. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) are planning to announce some “scientifically” hopeful candidate sites, i.e., sites considered to be “scientifically” acceptable for accommodating a final disposal facility. In the current situation, however, such an announcement can invite harsh objections from the citizens of those “candidate” sites.
So far, Japan’s national government has been developing nuclear power policies while postponing decisions on what to do with radioactive waste management. This is the time when we should decide what to do with the final disposal of nuclear waste. Every municipality, as well as every citizen, needs to consider this grave issue. Considering this issue can help many reconsider whether nuclear power is truly necessary or not, which would lead to reconsideration of the energy policies of the Japanese government.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
(Based on an article from the November 19th, 2015 edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper)
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–Thyroid cancer found in “many” children—or not– Opinions by Prof. Toshihide Tsuda, environmental epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate school of Medicine
Mr. Shoichiro Tsugane, Director, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center
Following the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the Fukushima Prefectural Government has been conducting thyroid examinations of children. The examinations have so far determined that 104 children examined have thyroid cancer. Are those “many” cases of the cancer ascribable to radiation, or not? Here, two epidemiology experts with contradictory opinions describe their respective viewpoints.
・Toshihide Tsuda, environmental epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine
Some people claim that those thyroid examinations have resulted in some “over-diagnosis, which counts very slowly growing cancer that will actually never fully develop during the lifetime of the patient.” Yet the claim of “over-diagnosis” would imply that an unnecessary thyroid cancer operation has been conducted in more than a hundred children. In fact, however, a report by Fukushima Medical University shows that, in some 40% of those 96 children confirmed to have thyroid cancer and who were operated on at the University’s hospital, the cancer had spread outside the thyroid. In more than 70% of them, the cancer had metastasized to lymph nodes.
Also, Fukushima Prefecture and the northern Kanto Region have population densities several times greater than that of Chernobyl, which explains why exposure to low-level radiation has caused this many cases of thyroid cancer.
A major outbreak of thyroid cancer cases is expected. We need to prepare the health care system to face it. Pregnant women and infants can rest in, or move to, somewhere with much lower levels of radiation. Any policy must be postponed that intends to bring evacuees back into the “specified evacuation zones.” Also, we need to survey cancer cases in the northern Kanto Region as well. The role science has to play, in this particular case, is to predict what can happen in the future based on data available and suggest what measures should be taken for the sake of the affected residents, before it is too late.
Shoichiro Tsugane, Director, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center
At this moment, it is rational to ascribe those “many” cases to “over-diagnosis.”
Since over-diagnosis seems quite probable, thyroid examinations should not spread beyond Fukushima Prefecture. Such expanded examinations might save one patient, while many more would be diagnosed as having cancer that would actually be difficult to diagnose otherwise. Then, if many such people were given cancer treatments, they would experience many disadvantages, including changes to their lifestyles. In case of Fukushima’s children with detected cancer, we should consider the option of wait-and-see. Less than one patient under 40 years of age dies of thyroid cancer in Fukushima Prefecture, according to the mortality ratios there. We need to continue the current examinations and rationally analyze influences from radiation. This is something the national government should do.
(Opinion of the staffer writing this.)
I live in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, where we still have many “hot spots,” here and there—small places with high radiation doses—more than four years after the meltdown began. We who live here are unable to completely avoid exposure to low radiation doses.
Living in a place like this, I am seriously worried that the national government will delay implementation of countermeasures by postponing its admission that the many cases of child thyroid cancer here are ascribable to exposure to radiation,. Such a delay can lead to more children falling victims to radiation-caused diseases.
Of course, the diagnosis and treatment of child thyroid cancer should be conducted carefully. At the same time, the national government needs to take more measures both to help people avoid more radiation exposure and to facilitate care to people already exposed.
In the year of the Chernobyl disaster, the number of cases of child thyroid cancer expanded in number. Medical doctors there told the whole world about this. The IAEA’s survey of 1990 to 1991, however, denied that there were “many” such incidents, saying that surveys in Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed that more than a decade is necessary for child thyroid cancer to develop. Thus, it was more than a decade after the disaster, before they admitted many occurrences of such cancer. This attitude of the IAEA drastically reduced the amount of help offered to Chernobyl from the rest of the world.
Belarus has nine recuperation facilities aided by its national government. They are meant to enhance the immunity of those children exposed to radiation and help such children remove radioactive substances from their bodies. Many are still in recuperation at those facilities, and the effects of recuperation are obvious in almost all of those children, according to reports. I believe Japan’s government should also learn from those examples and come up with government-funded recuperation programs.
We adults are responsible for our children’s health. We should not let radiation exposure cast dark shadows over the futures of such children. I do believe, therefore, that we adults have to take any measures we can to protect such children.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
On Monday, November 16, 2015, a “Babies’ Yoga and Massage Class” was held at “Smile Square” within St Paul’s Kindergarten, Koriyama, Fukushima. The Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation, partially assisted the class.
This time, five families joined the class, which was led by Ms. Yoshie Hatayama, the instructor.
Oil massaging seemed to work magic on the babies, who were quite silent.
After the massage, the instructor explained about the oils used and advised the mothers on how to best keep their skin’s moisture. The class was a very friendly and happy one.
This program successfully relieved the mothers of the daily stress of child-raising. They, together with their babies, enjoyed both mental and physical relaxation.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
On Friday, November 13th, 2015, at St. Paul’s Kindergarten, located in Koriyama City, Fukushima, Ms. Kazumi Ushijima from the Kyushu Diocese of the Anglican-Episcopal Church in Japan held a free concert to entertain and encourage the children, after a child blessing ceremony.
Accompanied by instruments played by some teachers of the kindergarten, Kazumi sang with “a lot of heart.” The enthusiasm in her songs moved the audience deeply.
In her first song, a Japanese one titled “Niji (Rainbow),” Kazumi taught the sign language for a rainbow, which the kindergarteners then learned. The audience and the singer thus came together on an emotional level.
Then she sang more Japanese songs such as “Kimi wo Nosete (Carrying You),” “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” (Always with Me (Spirited Away))”, and “Sayonara Boku no Yochien (Bye, My Kindergarten),” with the children joining in on the chorus. When she finished her last song, “Hana wa Saku (The Flower Will Blossom),” the whole place felt clean and bright.
Responding to “Encore!” Kazumi sang a cappella a song named “Ito (Thread),” which moved some of the mothers to tears.
After all the songs, the faculty of St. Paul’s presented Kazumi with a key holder they had handsewn with gratitude.
Then, Kazumi greeted the audience saying, “I always pray for you (Fukushima people), from Fukuoka, Kyushu,” which comforted everyone at the kindergarten.
After the concert, she shook hands with every single kindergarten child—a memory for them to cherish for the rest of their lifetimes.
Refresh (Retreat) Program: “Summer Holidays in Takashima, a Southern Island of Nagasaki”
Over the last four years, the sincere assistance of the Kyushu Diocese has been of great help to the “Refresh (Retreat) Program,” which is targeted mainly at the children, and their parents, of kindergartens affiliated with the Anglican-Episcopal Church in Japan.
After the concert, the mothers served a luncheon to show their gratitude to Kazumi and Mr. Kimihara, who accompanied the singer. Mr. Kimihara was on the welcoming staff at the retreat program in Takashima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu. He took very good care of the program’s participants. Meeting him for the first time after many months, the participants talked happily about their experiences at the program.
The mothers served home-made foods like “imoni (boiled potatoes *),” a famous local food of Yamagata, a prefecture west of Fukushima, to communicate their gratitude to the guests from Kyushu.
After lunch, the children came in when their schools/kindergartens were over. They were overjoyed to see Mr. Kimihara after so many months. It was an encouraging moment, which demonstrated what a wonderful time those kids had in Takashima during the retreat program.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to Ms. Ushijima and the Kyushu Diocese for their warm encouragement.
* Translator’s note: ”Imoni” is a get-together held in many parts of Tohoku. In fall, many relatives and friends get together on a riverside around a big boiling pot of many ingredients.
Original Japanese written by staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
(Based on articles from the October 27th and November 5th editions of the Fukushima Minpo and Asahi Shimbun newspapers)
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Ehime Prefecture’s governor agreed to the planned restart of Unit 3, Ikata Nuclear Power Plant (Ikata Town, Ehime Prefecture), Shikoku Electric Power Company – to be the second nuclear power plant to restart, after the Fukushima meltdown.
Ehime Prefecture’s governor has agreed to the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant’s restart. He kept a stony face, saying “It was a heavy decision to make, with serious responsibilities on me.”
Ikata Nuclear Power Plant’s planned restart carries no reliable escape plan for the residents in its vicinity, in case of a severe accident.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority blaming the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for incompetency in building and running the Monju Fast Breeder Reactor. Decommissioning the reactor is an option now.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has declared the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, which runs the Monju Fast Breeder Reactor (Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture), is “not up to the job.”
Governor Tokihiro Nakamura of Ehime Prefecture, on October 26th, announced his agreement to the planned restart of Unit 3, Ikata Nuclear Power Plant of the Shikoku Electric Power Company (“NPP,” Ikata Town, Ehime). This is the second case where the governor of a prefecture where a NPP is located has agreed to the restart of the NPP (following that of Kyushu Electric Power’s Sendai NPP (Units 1 and 2), located in Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture). Both restarts come after Japan has instituted its new regulatory standards for NPPs. In the coming months, the Nuclear Regulation Authority is to conduct examinations and follow the necessary approval procedures. Ikata NPP is expected to restart in or after January 2016.
More than four years have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown began, and still some 70,000 citizens of Fukushima Prefecture are in evacuation. Learning from this tragedy, the new regulatory standard legally requires that an evacuation plan has to be prepared for the residents who live within 30km (18.7 miles) of a NPP. Basically, the hosting and neighboring municipalities should draft such a plan, prepare for possible evacuations, and lead the affected residents in the case of a major accident. This time, however, the governor has won consent for the planned restart from the hosting municipality alone. Also, Japan has yet to secure a place for a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from reprocessed nuclear fuels. In spite of all these grave issues being unresolved, the restart procedure is already in process.
In reaching the agreement, Governor Nakamura successfully made Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledge that the “national government should take responsibilities.” Located at the root of “Japan’s thinnest peninsula,” Sata Misaki Peninsula, Ikata NPP poses serious difficulties for residents should they need to evacuate in the case of a major accident. Considering how great and serious the devastations caused by the Fukushima meltdown are, it is obviously necessary to insist that the national government make evacuation plans and secure the implementation of such plans, for example, through amendments to the Disaster Countermeasure Basic Act.
Amid those moves and issues, the Nuclear Regulation Authority on November 4, 2015, decided to submit a recommendation to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, who is responsible for the Monju Fast Breeder Reactor. One control and managerial error after another has occurred at the breeder reactor. The recommendation claims that the current operator of Monju, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, is “not up to the job” and, therefore, argues that the Minister should find another operator within a half year or so. In case the Minister fails to do so, one possible option is to decommission the breeder reactor. This is the first recommendation the recently installed Authority has ever submitted.
We have yet to see any conclusion to Fukushima’s radioactive contamination problems. With numerous problems remaining unresolved, there are nevertheless moves to restart Japan’s existing NPPs. I pray there never be another Fukushima.
Original Japanese written by Revd. Aizawa The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
Greeting from the new chairperson
Revd. Makito John Aizawa
(Rector, Ichikawa St. Mary’s Church, Yokohama Diocese)
The former chairperson of the Executive Committee, Revd. Kiyoshi Nomura, suddenly passed away. This came as a serious shock and loss to all the people around him, especially those engaged in our Project. Let us keep praying for him, that his spirit rest in peace with our Lord.
I have been appointed to take his place. So, here is my greeting to you, dear readers.
At the heart of Christian thought is the idea of “life.” God has given life to each and every one of us, and I believe we are here both to spread the word of how precious life is and to live accordingly. This is precisely what our Lord Jesus taught us.
From this viewpoint, anyone can see that the Fukushima meltdown has proven how nuclear power is opposed to life. One needs no expertise in nuclear power to understand that it is against life. The path we humans have to take is now obvious.
Also, when I hear the word “safe,” I am irritated by two radically different definitions of the same word. When “pro-nukes” use the word in their appeals to restart Japan’s existing nuclear power plants (NPPs), their “safe” is utterly different from the same word used in messages about the preciousness of life. As long as we humans have yet to establish any technology to neutralize radioactive waste from NPPs, running such plants inevitably means producing more and more deadly substances. Also, the plain fact is that we already have sufficient electricity generated for us without NPPs. Furthermore, there are many ways to generate electricity. I believe what we really need to do is to “make up our mind” to abolish nuclear power.
Original Japanese written by Koichiro Sasaki, staffer The English below translated from the original Japanese by Heeday The English translation edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA
On Friday, October 30, 2015, St. Paul’s Kindergarten held its fall excursion. The kids and the faculty went to Kamegajyo Park, Inawashiro Town, Fukushima.
When the kindergarten held an athletic meeting the other day, I joined in and soon discovered that I needed to gain more strength and stamina. So I prepared myself well for this excursion by jogging and doing other exercises. The excursion was expected to involve a lot of running and walking around.
On the day of the excursion, it was slightly chilly here in Koriyama, Fukushima, yet we were bathed in comfortable, bright sunshine. Knowing that I would be having some “active” time with all those kids, I could tell that I would be hot soon and wore only a short-sleeved shirt. Though some nurses kindly asked me, “Aren’t you chilly in that shirt?” I was already excited thinking of the park.
So, there we were in Kamegajyo Park. All of us did good warm-up stretches and shook our arms and legs. Then we kicked off the long-awaited running race in the form of a wild game named “Catch Ms./Mr. XX.”
All the children chased after their nurses and instructors, who were supposed to “run for their lives,” in order not to be tagged out. Needless to say, the kids ran around frantically, trying to tag the faculty members. This was a rather unusual experience for me, since I seldom run around on grass. When I run, it is usually on a paved road, and pavement and grass create different sensations in the legs and feet as I run. Still, in front of all those kids, I did not want to look like a worn-out old man. I simply had to run like a young criminal—until I ran out of breath, oh my God, in only five minutes. My legs were working wham-bam as well. The kiddy hunters were coming in from all directions, in a great number and with great vigor! Alas, the only choice I had was to give up and be tagged out.
We had a plan to stroll around the remains of the Kamegajyo Castle. Then, however, the weather proved its capriciousness and it began to rain. We had no other choice but to have lunch and go home earlier than scheduled. (I had prepared well for visiting the castle—I learned its history in advance, and the sudden rain made me miss a good opportunity to prove I am a history buff.)
Still, the fall excursion was a lot of fun. Running around on grass is such a pleasure. The smells of plants and the wind made us feel the season passing from summer to fall. We learned the weather can suddenly change over mountains. I learned I need to build up my strength further. Most importantly, St. Paul’s kids are always full of vigor and health.
I am already looking forward to an excursion to the same park next year.
NSKK Support for Victims of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake
