Originally Posted By Malin While we all continue to closely monitor the Nuclear situation and the dangers. Just remember to spare a thought for all the thousands that have no homes, have lost loved ones and are huddled up in buildings that have no heating. Not knowing how long there will be in this position as there wait for food which is in short supply to them. Just spare them all a thought.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: My sisters and I have been doing exactly that, Malin, dear. We knew you were a caring duckling, too!
Originally Posted By Malin Thanks Witches I think its very easy to forget just how many people in Northern Japan have been effected by this disaster. Some people have been left with nothing. While nearly 15,000 still remain missing. And 9,408 are confirmed dead. Unfortunately whats happening in Fukushima has taken away from what is the worst natural disaster in Japan since the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.
Originally Posted By Mr X Thank you for this Malin. Unfortunately for all, the Fukushima situation remains a big part of this horrible disaster and YES I do think it does harm to the folks up North who are hurting (apparently drivers and supply folk are reluctant to head that way, due to legitimate concerns about radiation and what might happen to them).
Originally Posted By Malin Hopely the news that the Tohoku Expressway has now been opened up will speed up the distribution of goods to the area. Mr X your right and many of the people who were located around the Fukushima Plant have been forced to evacuate the area and are among the thousands of homeless right now. Yet are any of them crying or complaining about there current situation, no. This would not be the case had something like this had hit the States or United Kingdom. I think we would be seeing a different reaction right now. It says a lot about the Japanese resilience to deal with disasters like the one that hit on March the 11th.
Originally Posted By Mr X Some of them are crying. Some of them are complaining. I think the news likes to portray Japan as "stoic", but I've seen some of the angst and some of the worry even here near Tokyo. Kudos to the Japanese people for their guts, but some are at the end of their rope and that's no lie! I DO so hate the Fukushima mess (and the more I learn, the more I hate Tepco for their negligence!), because because of it, the people in Northern Japan are even more desperate than they would be otherwise, and they deserve all the help in the world right now!
Originally Posted By Malin *** I think the news likes to portray Japan as "stoic", but I've seen some of the angst and some of the worry even here near Tokyo. Kudos to the Japanese people for their guts, but some are at the end of their rope and that's no lie! *** To be fair there wouldn't be human if there were not having these kind of feelings. But watching various programming on NHK World your just left with a different impression. That the Japanese people are strong no matter what you throw at them. This is all to do with public image and how Japan wants to come across to the World. But I still think there are handling the crisis better than most other countries would in the World. And its certainly the way I want to picture them right now. The fall out of the Fukushima mess is going to have a massive impact on how the World see's Nuclear energy in the future. But right now the Japanese Government is saying it may be up to five years before some of the towns are rebuilt. For many people its going to be a while before things can even get better, its just so sad.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***watching various programming on NHK World your just left with a different impression*** They're on camera, what would you expect them to say? They care about their national "image" as well, but in private conversations with old friends and associates, I'm getting the impression that underneath it all they're falling apart with worry (more than once I've heard the phrase "maybe this is the end of Japan", and it's ME that has to calm them down and point out that Japan has recovered from similarly horrible stuff in the past many times).
Originally Posted By Malin *** They're on camera, what would you expect them to say? *** In my experience's being on camera is when most people usually do complain and break down in tears because there know the World will be watching and will get sympathy. The Japanese seem to rise above all that and want to send a different message, so I have big respect for them doing it that way. Sorry to hear your getting different reports from Japan Mr X. But I'm glad your offering some support to the ones who need it at this time. I also have to credit all the public figures that have given to this cause or helped contribute in some way. Like Gwen Stefani for instance who has donated a $1 million dollars.
Originally Posted By Mr X And Sandra Bullock, as well. ***The Japanese seem to rise above all that and want to send a different message, so I have big respect for them doing it that way*** Well, I'm not sure if it's "rising above" or simple conditioning and hardcore peer pressure. I've been told by several executives that they would leave town if they could, but that is no option unless their entire company does so.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I have been so hopeful through all this that the nuclear plants will hold-- that the engineers would (of course!) come up with a plan to keep them safe. But this morning's news has me actually worried. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-japan-nuclear-plant-20110326,0,5763742.story?track=rss" target="_blank">http://www.latimes.com/news/na...rack=rss</a> EXCERPTS: >>...nuclear safety agency officials said that they suspected a breach in the reactor core of one unit at the quake-damaged plant. Two workers at the facility were hospitalized for radiation exposure Thursday after stepping into contaminated water during repair operations at reactor No. 3. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said water in the turbine room where the workers were exposed registered about 10,000 times the level of radiation found in coolant inside a reactor. That could indicate there was damage to the core and a leak through the containment vessel, the agency said. "The source of the radiation seems to be the reactor core," said Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama. It is "more likely" that the radiation was from the core than from the spent fuel pool, he said.<< I will continue to hope for the best, but this worries me. All the best to you, Mr X, et al. Stay safe.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "In my experience's being on camera is when most people usually do complain and break down in tears because there know the World will be watching and will get sympathy." There was a news story on NPR this morning that mentioned how it's not acceptable in Japanese culture to break down in public. A Japanese psychiatrist commented that seeking mental healthcare is considered shameful in Japan and that while the Japanese people were putting on a brave face they were in fact suffering terribly and bottling it up inside.
Originally Posted By SuperDry This explains it a bit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honne_and_tatemae" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H..._tatemae</a>
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///Like Gwen Stefani for instance who has donated a $1 million dollars./// Gwen knows who butters her bread---those Japanese dig her music. They drool over Weezer and Maroon Five too and I wonder if either will do some benefit concerts.
Originally Posted By unforgetabledal "Gwen Stefani for instance who has donated a $1 million dollars." Love my good Catholic girl from the OC!
Originally Posted By TokyoSea I'm sure when this NUKE crisis is all said and done we'll end up being fine but later as the truth is revealed we will discover we were much closer to the brink than we imagined - kinda like a Bay of Pigs.
Originally Posted By Malin *** Two workers at the facility were hospitalized for radiation exposure Thursday after stepping into contaminated water during repair operations at reactor No. 3. *** I think this just points out how much danger these workers are going though in order to control the nuclear situation. Here is an interesting article from the Telegraph that claims to be the first interview with some of the workers. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8408863/Japan-tsunami-Fukushima-Fifty-the-first-interview.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...iew.html</a>
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Right now, I have NO respect for those western gaijins who have fled Japan in light of the situation.. Folks like Embassy personnel, military families stationed there, etc etc.. Some of these people hold working and living visas for Japan and live there, taking away jobs from locals and some of them, contributing nothing worthwhile to the japanese nation while occupying precious space. Yet now they have fled, abandoning Japan in their most urgent time of need. COWARDS! So much for re-paying the country who opened up their doors to you and offered you favorable conditions of living that are even uncomparable to the USA in some cases. This is how they re-pay Japan, by fleeing and not offering to help and support the japanese people need at this time?? I am truly ashamed for those of you who ran away and left Japan in fear. This is why I am so very glad my airline employer has continued to offer scheduled service into Japan, and why I have NO issues continuing to fly into Japan... so we can continue to bring in needed supplies and offer help if needed. Thinking of Japan as my 2nd home, there is no other place I rather be during these trying times.
Originally Posted By SuperDry This particular issue has generated a lot of passion among some. It's even coined a new term: "flyjin" and of course, there's a website to go along with it: <a href="http://flyjin.com/" target="_blank">http://flyjin.com/</a> Personally, I don't know that I have an opinion one way or the other directly. The one thing that did make me think twice was the number of companies (both foreign and domestic) that have many foreign workers and offered to pay those workers to leave the country, or to relocate elsewhere in Japan, and allow them to work remotely until the crisis is over, yet the Japanese employees at the same companies that work side by side with the foreigners have no such employer-sponsored offer.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "Right now, I have NO respect for those western gaijins who have fled Japan in light of the situation.. Folks like Embassy personnel, military families stationed there, etc etc.. Some of these people hold working and living visas for Japan and live there, taking away jobs from locals and some of them, contributing nothing worthwhile to the japanese nation while occupying precious space. Yet now they have fled, abandoning Japan in their most urgent time of need. COWARDS!" You do realize many embassy and military people were recalled or ordered to return, right? I know a few. I think your diatribe is wildly out of line.
