Followers

2011/03/18

Update On Us and Our Area Part 2


I am terribly sorry for being lazy and not updating for a while and not visiting your blogs lately...

As I already said a couple of times in my last two posts, our family members are all fine in the northern part of Kanto area- Utsunomiya city, Tochigi Prefecture. When compared to what people in the coastal region in Tohoku area have been suffering, our damage is extremely subtle. As you can see in the photo above, occasionally old buildings are shown to be half collapsed. These buildings are in the process of demolition, because otherwise a total collapse caused by aftershocks is very likely.

Fig. 1 The frequency of quakes. Gray bars (left) indicate quakes that happened before the major disaster (red). The Y axis denotes the numbers of aftershocks per hour and the X axis indicates time.

Numbers of aftershocks are getting fewer and fewer, although it still shakes significantly more than before the major quake (red bar on March 11th, 14:46 Japan Time).

Fig 2. Average magnitude of aftershocks. The red bar reached at magnitude 9 which is the biggest number ever recorded in Japan. Y axis indicates average magnitude of aftershocks per hour. Gray bars denote quakes that happened before the major disaster.

The magnitude of aftershocks remains unchanged...


The only concern we are facing in the Kanto area is a lack of gasoline, which is mostly attributed to the psychological (= hysterical) reaction of the customers, combined with the temporary decreased supply from the vendors... Hope that the situation will be improved next week.

Our government is doing their best to prevent from the worst case scenario at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Lots of rumors are spreading in all sorts of media you can think of as to what is likely to happen in the northern part of Japan but I have been visiting one site from time to time for updates on the power plant in a critical situation. It is also useful for future prospects.

I strongly recommend everybody to take a look at this article posted on March 16 there. Dr Don Higson actually has said everything that's been on my mind and there's absolutely nothing else to say. Dr Don Higson is a retired nuclear safety specialist and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, Fellow of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society.
Sure, this is an article posted three days ago and what was written is not what is happening now but I agree with his interpretations of the events that occured at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Dr. Higson's personal views started as follow:
I believe it will eventually be understood that events over the past few days at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in north-eastern Japan have demonstrated the safety of nuclear power. In what may have been the worst earthquake and tsunami ever to have occurred, the approximately 40-year old nuclear plants have been severely damaged. Three of them are likely to be written off - like many other industrial installations in that part of Japan. However, the reactor containments have remained intact, releases of radioactivity outside the site boundary have not reached dangerous levels and there is no risk to the general public.

For over a decade I have been using radioactivity at the university and I am not so concerned about low levels of radioactivity in our region...


This is an entry for Show Me Japan Vol 1, Issue 18



This is also a Black and White Weekend and Sunday In My City.


          

Have a wonderful weekend.

27 comments:

  1. You have a wonderful weekend too.

    Thanks for sharing the links.:)

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  2. Have been waiting to hear you're Ok. Boom & Gazry of the Vermilon River.

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  3. My thoughts are in Japan and with the Japanese people these days.
    I am glad you are ok.

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  4. Thank you so much for letting us know how you are doing and for sharing the links. Take care

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  5. I am glad you are ok.
    All the good toughts there is to you and the Japanese people!

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  6. I have been thinking about you since this happened but have been traveling and have spent very little time with the computer. I'm am glad to catch up and learn that you and your family are ok. Your graphs really help to illustrate what you are experiencing now. I can't imagine how unsettling it would be to have these continuous tremors of such magnitude. I hope that things settle down soon.

    Kat

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  7. I am glad you are OK, and thanks for the links! The graphs are particularly informative. I will share this on my Facebook account.

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  8. I'm grateful for the information you give here, because you tell us what's happening in an informed way - quie unlike most of the media! Thanks also for the links.
    Black and white photoraphy suits this theme well.

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  9. The number and intensity of the aftershocks is astounding. It must make everyone on edge and very weary. I hope the earth settles down to remove that uncertainty from their shattered world.

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  10. It is good to hear your updates and I am so glad you are safe!

    Japan, In My Thoughts

    In just the blinking of an eye,
    Chaos can reign supreme.
    The earth can shake and rumble,
    Causing suffering extreme.

    A magnitude 9 earthquake,
    Twenty miles deep in the sea,
    Created the killer tsunami,
    And people couldn't flee.

    "The Land of the Rising Sun",
    Is feeling so much pain,
    The world must help Japan,
    Heal and grow again.

    This country rich in culture,
    Tradition and great art,
    It must seem overwhelming,
    You wonder how to start.

    Lacking even food and water,
    Or a place to lay one's head,
    We need to send out meals,
    And blankets and a bed.

    Families are completely gone,
    Towns lie in piles of rubble,
    Problems at the nuclear plants,
    Are another source of trouble.

    The entire world is reeling,
    And united in their grief,
    But there is a global effort,
    To respond with fast relief.

    We watch with admiration,
    This country stoic and brave,
    That now endures such horror,
    From a deadly tidal wave.

    Our thoughts and prayers go out,
    And, hopefully, we'll share,
    Whatever amount we can,
    To ease the suffering there.

    Carmen Henesy

    Copyright (c) Carmen Henesy

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  11. That photo says it all.
    Thanks for the important information and the news. I've tried to read all I can about the nuclear situation and now I am thankful to have information directly from Japanese sources.

    Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your country.
    David/ Houston Texas

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  12. I am glad your family and yourself are safe. I hope Japan will come out strong after this disaster and hope the problems will be solve very soon. Please remember many countries are thinking about your country. On our side, Red Cross and several companies are raising funds for the victims and some aids are being send over via the Japan Embassy in my country. Take good care.

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  13. You are all on our prayers. Help is on your way.
    Thank you for the update.

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  14. I am very glad to hear that you and your family are well! I hope Japan will be OK soon!
    Have a good weekend you too!

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  15. Thank you for taking the time to connect with us through your blog Yoshi. I'm so grateful that you and your family are well, but also deeply saddened by the devastation to others in your country. I am praying for the families who are suffering and for the scientists and engineers to get the power plants completely under control and safe again very soon.

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  16. Yoshi when I went to my blog this morning and found your comment I cried. thanks for the updates and the emails. the world has been watching and praying that the worst-case scenario will be avoided. I'm so happy that you and your family are safe but the devastation and suffering is heartbreaking. stay safe Yoshi, and know that we are all thinking of you every day. be well my friend.

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  17. am glad you update in detail and that your family is fine. i was also concern about my colleague and all report safe. thats for all the links which am going thru.

    i just got back from japan and i have nothing but GOOD things to blog about... and i already making plans to visit japan again SOON.

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  18. Great update, this is better than BBC news!
    It is a year since I visited Japan and so hope to get back soon, so positive thoughts to you all, take care:)

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  19. Thank you for sharing and updatae. I can not imagine how awful that is what happened in Japan. I hope everything will work out for the best.

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  20. Thank goodness you and your family are still safe Yoshi. Your post is fascinating regarding the radiation problem. Hopefully it won't be as bad as feared. And hopefully you can keep posting and letting us know how you are doing. Take care my friend!

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  21. Thank you for sharing this. My heart bleeds about this. I think about Japan every day.

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  22. 日々悪い情報ばかり入ってきて参りますね。
    さすがに 脳天気な私でさえも
    この危機を乗り越えられるのかどうか不安です。
    ご家族皆様どうぞご自愛くださいね。

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  23. Glad to hear you and your family are still doing well. Take care and thank you for the updates. The Fukushima Daiichi plant workers sacrifice so much to help others. I can't imagine the fear and stress they are enduring.

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  24. Am happy to read you are all right. I have been worrying about you and my other Japanese blogger friends. Please keep us posted Yoshi - you are all in our hearts.

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  25. HI Yoshi,

    I hope you are doing fine physically and emotionally. Was very worried about the situation in Japan. Grateful to hear that you and your family is okay. Thanks for the updates from your side. The photos said it all. It's very heartbreaking.

    Reply to your earlier post on my blog: So sorry I could not reply earlier and the fewer updates recently. I am following your blog too. Thanks for visiting all these while and for following my blog.

    Take care Yoshi, stay strong.

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  26. Thanks for giving us all an update on your situation. I now you are very thankful your area only sustained subtle distraction, as you call it. All I hear about the food supply worries me, but hopefully your people will not be harmed. I know the county will rebuild and survive these disasters. Your honorable and compassionate folk who respect one another in such a unique and special way, and look to care for others before the themselves. will come back from this even stronger. I just know this in my heart.

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日本語でのコメント大歓迎です。