Newsletter of the “NSKK No-Nuke Project” — Part II of the “Let’s Walk Together” Project,the Anglican-Episcopal Church in Japan’s efforts to “walk together” with victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011
http://www.nskk.org/province/genpatsugroup/english (Linked to the Provincial Office’s website)
Kick – off message
What the NSKK No-Nuke Project intends to do
Rev. Kiyoshi Nomura, Chairperson of the No-Nuke Project
Soon after the East Japan Earthquake of March 2011 devastated much of Japan, Nippon Sei Ko Kai (the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan; “NSKK” hereafter) responded with the “Let’s Walk Together” Project, in its efforts to “walk together” with the earthquake victims. After the Project had run its course of its initial phase of two years, its activities have further developed into “Part II” (Phase II), which consists of two major lines of activities: one is named “Daijini! Tohoku” (literally, “Take care, Tohoku”). This line, led by the Tohoku Diocese of NSKK, provides help to those affected by the earthquake of Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, mainly.
The other line of activities is about nuclear power and radioactive contamination. The Japanese Province (NSKK) as a whole has decided to launch this “Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation” and work on these issues.
When we, NSKK, kicked off the “Let’s Walk Together” Project, as part of the Project’s mission, we declared that “we will stay deeply concerned over the (Fukushima I) meltdown and its influences, collecting and spreading information on them and carrying on re4leavant and responsible activities in and out of Japan.” Over the last two years, however, in reality we did not fully live up to this mission. Now, NSKK has to, for many years to come, continue responsible activities to “walk with” those people suffering from nuclear power and radiation, as well as with those who are helping us from in and out of Japan.
In the summer of 2013, when candidate cities competed to host the 2020 Olympics, Japan’s current Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, delivered a speech and answered some questions at the last presentation. We are sure many found his utterances hard to believe. For instance, “I guarantee Tokyo is safe. We are in control of the situation there. The city does no harm to anyone.” “All the contaminated water is kept inside the port, o.3km2 in area, right next to the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.” “The radioactivity counts in the near waters of Fukushima are, at most, 1/500 of the drinking water threshold defined by the WHO (World Health Organization).” “No health problem existed (in Tokyo) so far, nor it does today, nor it ever will.”
In reality, ever since Unit 3 of Fukushima I blew up, we have witnessed one thing taking place after another, all things we were afraid of. Two years and a half have passed since the meltdown began, and we today still hear, day in and day out, reports on contaminations of soil and sea with highly radioactive water. In spite of all these facts, the Prime Minister claimed to be “in control” — of what!?!?
For one thing, about the contaminated water, at a press meeting held on August 21st, 2013, TEPCO, the operator of Fukushima I, confessed that “probably, a large volume of highly contaminated water (some 300 t) leaked out of its tank, ran through the nearby sewage, and flew into the open ocean.” Obviously, the operator itself admitted this possibility of leakage of radioactive contaminated water. Now, on what ground could the PM claim that is was “All — kept inside the port”??
PM Abe was not alone. President Tsunekazu Takeda of the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee said, “Tokyo is numerous miles apart from Fukushima. Tokyo does not have any of the dangers imagined by some.” The plain fact is that the nuclear power plant was built up in Fukushima to supply power consumed by Tokyoites. And now, the sufferings are on Fukushima’s people. In short, numerous Fukushima residents were sacrificed by Tokyo’s energy luxury. They have lost their houses, jobs, friends and coworkers, and even their ambitions and hope – in the radioactive contaminations. Have Japan’s government and the Bid Committee ever though about those victims – how their utterances sounded to those sacrificed people??
NSKK intends to “walk together” closely with those victims and their feelings, in its “Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation.” Those victims are still forced to live with the fear of exposure to radiation from the meltdown. Especially, parents are seriously concerned over their children’s health.
At the same time, we feel obliged to spread the truth throughout the world, about Japan’s nuclear power business, which has been built up on the ground of cover-ups and falsehood. Especially, we believe it is our inescapable mission to spread, throughout the Anglican Communion and other churches of the world, what are the essential evils in nuclear power – the contaminated water, oceanic pollution, decontamination work that is second to impossible, and how exposure is affecting people, among other issues. We are convinced that we must not let another catastrophic disaster like this hit anyone. We are also convinced that we have to search for and find a new way of living that does not rely on nuclear energy.
Here, to let the world know what we are doing in these efforts, we have launched hits newsletter, titled “Living Water.” We are dreaming of a world where streams of water connect people all over the world, where such water nourishes the whole creation of God. We, NSKK, are such a small organization, yet we are ambitious enough to struggle with such a mission of grandeur. Maybe it is a beginning into a road that never ends. We ask you, all the readers, to pray for and help all the victims of the meltdown as well as for this project.
To donate to us:
◆Postal transfer account with Japan Post: 00120-0-78536
Account holder: Nippon Sei Ko Kai (NSKK)
Please clearly state in the transfer slip “Donation to the Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation”
Or:
◆Account Name；NIPPON SEI KO KAI
◆Address;
65 Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 162-0805 JAPAN
◆Account Number；4515547
◆Bank Name；The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, LTD.
Branch Name；Iidabashi
◆Bank Address;
3-7 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 162-0825 JAPAN
Statement by the General Syond
For a World Without Nuclear Power Plants
-The Anglican/Episcopal Church in Japan Opposed to Nuclear Power Generation –
The accident brought about in 2011 by the East Japan Great Earthquake and Tsunami at Tokyo Electric Power’s 1st Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant has posed a threat to people’s lives by disseminating radioactive substances not only in the immediate vicinity but in a much wider area, thus revealing that nuclear power generation is extremely dangerous in itself. It is not too much to say this is a warning from God to each of us who, having suffered from nuclear bombings, have failed to acquire sufficient knowledge about nuclear power and exposure to radiation.
There is no denying that, even without accidents, nuclear power is a real threat to people’s lives in that it imposes sacrifices on socially weakened people throughout the process, from the mining of uranium to the disposal of radioactive waste. It also runs counter to the teachings of Jesus Christ as it cannot be sustained without people’s sacrifices.
Nevertheless, as the House of Bishops stated in its message on March 11, 2012: “We have enjoyed materially comfortable life by allowing nuclear power plants to be built in various parts of the country to make it possible to consume more electricity. The Great Earthquake has shattered the safety myth of nuclear power under the guise of peaceful utilization of nuclear energy. We call for the conversion of Japan’s energy policy, which currently depends on nuclear energy. We also strongly call on all of us to change our own lifestyle.”
On the basis of our own sincere reflection, the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Church in Japan) considers that the nuclear power generation is fraught with the following serious problems.
Nuclear Power Endangers the Life Created by God
The nuclear crisis in Fukushima threatens the life of all creatures. It endangers the physical condition of future generations through the exposure of children to radiation. A large quantity of radioactive waste, without any appropriate disposal technology, will continue to endanger people’s lives for a long period of time. Besides, no one can deny that the existence of nuclear power plants in a country like Japan, which is subject to frequent earthquakes, is very likely to be the cause of serious crises in the future.
In addition, indigenous peoples are exposed to radiation in the process of the mining and enrichment of uranium abroad, while the lives of workers engaged in the maintenance of nuclear power plants at home are also threatened. Moreover, the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy is inseparable from military aims, in the sense that a large amount of plutonium created in the plants can be immediately converted into material for nuclear weapons. The nuclear power plants are also vulnerable to possible attack in case of a war or a conflict.
Nuclear Power Destroys the Nature Created by God
God created the universe and finally man, to whom He committed the safeguarding of the integrity of creation (Genesis 1). Nuclear power destroys nature beyond the limits determined by God. The technology of nuclear power tries to mine radioactive substances which have been stabilized over a long period of time and to enrich uranium 235, which is rare in nature, in order to bring about nuclear fission, thus causing serious consequences capable of destroying whole ecosystems.
It has been said that nuclear power is a clean source of energy. In fact, however, it also uses a large quantity of fossil fuels in the enrichment of uranium and the maintenance of power plants, thus emitting abundant carbon dioxide and a large quantity of heat in the environment through heated secondary cooling water.
Besides, an abundance of radioactive waste will be bequeathed as is to future generations, as such waste cannot be disposed of nor stored safely. We are responsible for such nuclear waste.
Each one of us must turn back to God, who saw that all He created was good.
Nuclear Power Deprives People of the Peaceful Life Given by God
Nuclear power plants have been imposed on impoverished areas in Japan under the pretext of their being “absolutely safe.” Though the plants have been said to create jobs and bring about prosperity, actually, they have further increased regional disparities. The nuclear crisis has caused people affected areas to lose their homes and jobs. In the absence of other major industries—such as farming and fishing—upon which to base their livelihood, they cannot afford to help their children evacuate the polluted hometown. More people are compelled to live an unstable life due to the threat of radioactive contamination and, with increased mental stress, some families are faced with disruption and collapse. We must take seriously the situation of such people.
For a World Without Nuclear Power Plants
Based on this reflection, we Anglicans in Japan believe that, first and foremost, we must pray for those people threatened by the nuclear accident as well as the whole of life on earth. And, as Christians following Jesus Christ, we must speak publicly against nuclear power.
First of all, we demand that the Japanese government be responsible for, and put an end to, the devastating consequences of this nuclear accident and we also share the responsibility. As Jesus taught us, “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12). It is not permissible for us to impose the danger and exposure to radiation on sparsely populated areas as well as to create new dangers in foreign countries to which Japan is planning to export nuclear power plants.
In solidarity with other denominations and faiths, we call for an immediate abolition of nuclear power plants and a conversion of Japan’s energy policy toward the development of alternative sources of energy. We are determined to change our own lifestyle from the old one in which we have pursued only convenience and comfort. We will share pains and difficulties with those who suffer and pray for a world where we learn from, love and support one another.
May God bless this land and restore peace on earth!
May 23, 2012
The 59th General Synod of NSKK (Anglican Church in Japan)
Why this newsletter is named “Living Water”
We, the members of the “Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation,” exchanged many opinions as we determined the name of this newsletter. One common intention we all hoped to carry in the name was to “walk with” those affected by the meltdown. Also, we all hoped for a brighter future. Some said “Shakunage” (peony), the prefectural flower of Fukushima, was a good idea. Yet after all the discussions, we settled down with “Inochi no Kawa” for the Japanese edition. This literally translates into “River of Life,” and this English edition has been named, after the famous Johannine episode, “Living Water.”
Those names stand for our prayers that the rivers, mountains, forest, and ocean of many people’s hometowns, now contaminated with radioactivity, be purified again, with those people, forced to live with radiation, finding a brighter future. In addition, those names borrow some imageries from the Hebrew and Christian Bibles:
– Ezekiel 47: 1-9 – Here, water springing out of the temple brings back to life the sea, lives, and everything. This is for sure an imagery of hope.
– Revelation (of John) 22: 1-2 – This imagery is about a river running down the middle of the heavenly city’s street, on each side of which stands a tree of life, and the trees yields fruits each month, with their leaves healing the nations.
Those are some of the biblical imageries of a river of living water. We have chosen “Living Water” as the name of this newsletter, published as we “walk together” with all those affected by nuclear hazards and all those concerned Thanks be to God, for giving us such imageries of life and hope.
Greeting from the Research and Publicity Team
Greeting from the Research & Publicity Team
The “NSKK No-Nuke Project consists of two teams – Meltdown Victims Support, and Research& Publicity. We, the Research & Publicity Team, are engaged in researches on nuclear power, writing the “Qs & As” webpage, and deciding what to carry in this newsletter. The Support Team and we are working closely together, in close cooperation with “Daijini! Tohoku,” the project of the Tohoku Diocese to “walk together” with victims of the March 2011 earthquake.
Message from the Meltdown Victims Support Team
Refresh programs for children
“Keep your hands off the ground,” “Don’t pick up grass,” “Stay away from highly radioactive trees,” and — These are what Fukushima’s children are told daily. In short, they cannot play around as they want to, even in their kindergartens’ playgrounds. We, adults, have to keep in mind that we are the one that have thrown those children into such a pandemonium.
NSKK’s “Let’s Walk Together” Project carried out three programs in the summer of 2013 again: 1) Refresh program for kindergarten teachers of Fukushima – With help from NSKK’s Kyushu Diocese, some teachers from Fukushima joined a national conference of childcare professionals held in Hokkaido. Some participants from other Prefectures confessed that tears ran out of their eyes as they watched the participants from Fukushima. 2) Yamakoshi – Fukushima Joint summer camp – NSKK’s Chubu Diocese cooperated with children of Yamakoshi Village, Niigata Prefecture, and Fukushima, as they held this joint camp. These two locations both experienced earthquake devastation. Those children enjoyed a joint camp in Yamakoshi last summer, and this year they had a great time together in Fukushima. 3) Summer holidays in a southern island of Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu. Once again, the Kyushu Diocese collaborated with the project to let 50 participants from Fukushima spend 5 to 7 days in an island named Takashima. The participants included kindergartners, children that graduated from a kindergarten, their guardians, and their grandpas and grandmas – 13 families in all. The island is located 35 minutes’ boat ride from Nagasaki City. In the island, when a kid picked up a lovely seashell, his/her mom could say “Great!” with a happy smile. (This is not recommendable in radioactivity-contaminated beaches of Fukushima.)
One major line of activities of “Let’s Walk Together Part II” is refresh programs aimed at Fukushima’s children, their parents, and kindergarten teachers.
Now, humans have yet to find out what precisely radiation does to their bodies. Doctors used to say once inside a human body, radioactive substances would not leave it. However, Ms. Mika Noro, who has been involved for 20 years in single-month health resort therapies for Chernobyl’s children, says that such therapies have successfully reduced the internal radioactivity in their bodies, which dramatically have got better. In addition, some of Fukushima’s municipalities, such as Soma City, Minami-soma City, and others, as well as some private hospitals including Hirata Chuo Hospital and Tokiwakai Joban Hospital among others, have issued a report that “though the meltdown has contaminated Fukushima, there are some ways for people to avoid exposure to radiation and maintain their lifestyles.” We ask all the Dioceses of NSKK to help us in those refresh programs. We will carry messages from participants of those programs in this newsletter’s future issues. (To donate, please use the account listed above.)
In the current issue, due to space limitation, we only report on the “Summer holidays in a southern island of Nagasaki Prefecture,” hosted by the Kyushu Diocese. Coming issues should cover the refresh programs held in the other locations. We hope you will find them interesting.
“Summer holidays in a southern island of Nagasaki Prefecture”
— Visiting Takashima, Nagasaki, from Fukushima —
Hisao Yamamoto, Kyushu Diocese
In the summer of 2013, the Kyushu Diocese planned and hosted “Summer holidays in Takashima, a southern island of Nagasaki Prefecture,” which took place from July 29th through August 21st. The participants included kindergarteners and graduates of Koriyama St Paul’s Kindergarten as well as their guardians and grand parents. They took a 35-minute boat ride from Nagasaki City to an island called “Takashima.”
Located right next to another island named Gunkanjima (Hashima), Takashima used to thrive as a coal mine, just as Gunkanjima did. In its heyday, some 18,000 people lived in Takashima. After the mine was shut down, however, its population kept declining. Now, only some 400 residents are there in this quiet island. Though with easy reach from Nagasaki City, Takashima’s beach is renowned as a “miracle beach” – you can safely swim to where you see some tropical fishes and coral reef. The island also has a fishing park, an observation deck, and other places to explore. There, a layperson of the Kyushu Diocese used to run a guest house. We fixed this old house somehow and offered it to the participating people, so the children could have a real good summer there.
This summer, a total of 13 families, 50 people in all, visited Takashima. We did not set up their itinerary. Instead, we asked each and every family joining the program to decide its own, including how many days to stay. Therefore, some families spent 7 days in the island, while others had 5 days. We did not set up any scheduled event, either. Instead, each family had a good time doing what it wanted to. Some families went to the beach, some strolled around, some went fishing, and so on, to best suit their own wants and health. Most kids wished for more time – for instance, some went fishing at 7am, then played around in the beach from morning to the sunset, came home, and then went on nighttime fishing. When their island vacation was over, those kids were wearing good suntan, looking just like “natives of the island.”
To offer them meals, we asked the Kyushu Diocese people for voluntary help. Some 20 volunteers responded and visited the island in turn, to offer their proudly home-cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition, some other experts came to the island to instruct the vacationers – experts in fishing, insect catching, swimming, and so on. Until then, many Kyushu Diocese members had few opportunities to visit Tohoku, though they were seriously concerned over the region. This program proved to be a good occasion for the families from Koriyama and the Kyushu volunteers to make good friends with each other. Looked like the Kyushu people would soon visit their friends in Koriyama.
One day, a kid collected some seashells and pine cones from the beach and parks. The kid’s mom said, “Good, they are lovely, aren’t they?” Later in the day, the mom confessed to us, saying, “For the first time in two years, I could congratulate my child from the bottom of my heart.” Another mother, after she returned to Koriyama, e-mailed us to say, “For the first time in a long time, we enjoyed an ‘ordinary’ life. I had no need to say to my kid, ‘Don’t touch it, don’t pick it up, don’t go near that.’ Freed from my ‘don’ts,” I’m sure my kid enjoyed the trip fully too.” Every single word from the mouths of the participating mothers and fathers meant extremely much.
When this author was chatting with a certain mother at St. Paul’s Kindergarten, she said, “Last summer, we did not go anywhere. We just stayed home.” The more we imagined what it meant for this family to stay home during a summer vacation period, the more strongly we yearned to make the “Summer holidays in a southern island” come true. And thank God, the program turned out to be a big success, with no major accident. We are also very grateful to all those who sympathized with the Takashima program and offered their nice help – those farmers who supplied chemical-free, organic vegetables, a bakery that provided breads of wild yeast in abundance, the kindergarten of Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, that sent us life jackets for the children’s safety, and many others. Already, we are thinking of a program for next summer.
Contact:
NSKK No-Nuke Project
Let us Walk Together Project Part II
NSKK Support for Victims of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake
Kohriyama St.Peter & St. Paul Church
2-9-23, Hayama, Kohriyama City
Fukushima Prefecture
Japan
Tel: 81-24-953-5987
http://nskk.org/province/genpatsugroup
ikezumi-nyc.chubu@nskk.org
genpatsugroup@gmail.com