Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun.
2011/05/12
The bonnet bus I often rode as a child had directional indicators that stuck out horizontally. To this day, I remember the slogan on the driver's seat apparently because it left a deep impression on my young mind. It went: "Don't fend off with the handle. Stop first."
It may be unreasonable to compare an old-fashioned bus with nuclear power plants but I believe the slogan remains an unchanging truth as a basic action to ensure safety. Chubu Electric Power Co. agreed to Prime Minister Naoto Kan's request to shut down the reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. The plant, which sits on the assumed epicenter area of a potential Tokai earthquake, is said to be "the world's most dangerous." I wish to support the bold decision of politics and the private sector.
Responsibility for nuclear power plants does not stop at the domestic level. Referring to nuclear tests that disperse radioactive substances, a scientist once said, "No one ever thought it was possible to contaminate the whole world from a single point on earth," according to the book "Watashitachi wa Koshite 'Genpatsu Taikoku' o Eranda" (This is how we chose to be 'a major country of nuclear power plants') by Toru Takeda.
After the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union, radioactive iodine was observed in extensive areas across Japan. A catastrophic accident at a nuclear power plant could induce a similar situation. The determination not to make Hamaoka internationally infamous is also a message to the world without regard to profits.
If I remember correctly, there is a rakugo story about a person who buys a turtle at a night stall because the vendor said it would live 10,000 years. But the turtle dies right away and the buyer complains to the vendor only to hear the reply: "Today happened to be its 10,000th birthday."
Experts estimate the probability for a major Tokai earthquake to strike within the next 30 years at 87 percent. But the probability that it may strike today is no laughing matter.
Nuclear power plants in earthquake-prone Japan are said to be standing on "tofu." We need courage to also shut down other plants if necessary. Humans do not live by business and economy alone. This is what Fukushima's suffering is telling us.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 11
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Showing posts with label Vox Dei. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vox Dei. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
11/05 VOX POPULI: Beef restaurants and journalists must be sure of their sources
2011/05/11
Many comic plots revolve around mix-ups. A stock example might be a shabby company president looking uncomfortable in his business suit and a fat, dignified-looking aide. Wherever they go, people mistake one for the other. Ridiculous situations develop.
I didn't intend to raise a laugh in my column on May 7, but I did mix up the characters of the famous novel "Botchan" by Natsume Soseki (1867-1916).
In a scene in which the protagonist, Botchan, and his colleague Yama-arashi eat sukiyaki together, I attributed the line "Hey, that meat isn't done yet. You're going to get tapeworm from that" to Yama-arashi and the reply "It's probably going to be all right" to Botchan. It should have been the other way round.
Since reading the book as a boy, I had always thought it was Yama-arashi who had cautioned Botchan. I went back to the novel before I quoted the lines, but never doubted that attribution. Predictably, since I was quoting such a famous novel, many readers pointed out my mistake after it was published. I wish to thank them and to apologize for my blunder.
That column was about food poisoning at a chain of yakiniku barbecue restaurants. What of the truth of that incident? While the wholesaler of the tainted beef claims it was meant for cooking, the restaurant operator says it was meant to be served as "yukhoe" raw beef.
Was this also a mix-up? The more we learn about this food poisoning case, the more the ambiguities of the beef distribution system become apparent.
According to reports, shipments of beef clearly specified as being for raw consumption have been close to nonexistent for several years, but yukhoe is served at restaurants across Japan. The dish can be served as long as restaurants properly prepare it in accordance with health standards set by the health ministry. Few customers appear to have understood this situation.
In the old days when Japan was westernizing, beef was a symbol of cultural enlightenment. Back then, people must have timidly nibbled on the delicacy. Now, yakiniku is a popular dish nationwide. While I am ashamed of my absent-minded mistake, I wish to once again stress the need for thorough safety measures.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 10
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Many comic plots revolve around mix-ups. A stock example might be a shabby company president looking uncomfortable in his business suit and a fat, dignified-looking aide. Wherever they go, people mistake one for the other. Ridiculous situations develop.
I didn't intend to raise a laugh in my column on May 7, but I did mix up the characters of the famous novel "Botchan" by Natsume Soseki (1867-1916).
In a scene in which the protagonist, Botchan, and his colleague Yama-arashi eat sukiyaki together, I attributed the line "Hey, that meat isn't done yet. You're going to get tapeworm from that" to Yama-arashi and the reply "It's probably going to be all right" to Botchan. It should have been the other way round.
Since reading the book as a boy, I had always thought it was Yama-arashi who had cautioned Botchan. I went back to the novel before I quoted the lines, but never doubted that attribution. Predictably, since I was quoting such a famous novel, many readers pointed out my mistake after it was published. I wish to thank them and to apologize for my blunder.
That column was about food poisoning at a chain of yakiniku barbecue restaurants. What of the truth of that incident? While the wholesaler of the tainted beef claims it was meant for cooking, the restaurant operator says it was meant to be served as "yukhoe" raw beef.
Was this also a mix-up? The more we learn about this food poisoning case, the more the ambiguities of the beef distribution system become apparent.
According to reports, shipments of beef clearly specified as being for raw consumption have been close to nonexistent for several years, but yukhoe is served at restaurants across Japan. The dish can be served as long as restaurants properly prepare it in accordance with health standards set by the health ministry. Few customers appear to have understood this situation.
In the old days when Japan was westernizing, beef was a symbol of cultural enlightenment. Back then, people must have timidly nibbled on the delicacy. Now, yakiniku is a popular dish nationwide. While I am ashamed of my absent-minded mistake, I wish to once again stress the need for thorough safety measures.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 10
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
21/05 VOX POPULI: Yearning for comfort of family life in dark post-disaster days
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun.
2011/05/21
We obviously don't want to be alone when we are lost in the mountains, but that's not the only occasion when we feel very alone.
Roaming the streets of Tokyo the other night, darkened to conserve power, it hit me that we humans are animals that crave company.
Many people were thumbing their mobile phones, apparently for the comfort of being connected with someone anytime, anywhere.
Something of a "marriage boom" is said to have been triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Reportedly, the number of people signing up with marriage arrangement agencies or requesting brochures has spiked lately, even though the agencies have been advertising less than before the quake.
Also, many people are said to be leaving these agencies after finding marriage partners.
Media reports say it's mostly women who are taking the initiative to seek permanent partners.
Living alone in fear of aftershocks, outages and radiation must be trying even on people who are used to the loneliness of life in the big cities.
On the night of the quake, they walked for hours to get home, where there was nobody waiting for them.
I am not surprised that they have come to yearn for the sort of contentment that comes from the easy intimacy of family life.
A well-known piano tuner once wrote, "Rocking and shaking won't really affect pianos, but fluctuations in temperatures and humidity will mess them up immediately."
I guess we are like pianos. Tremors we can somehow live with, but we feel deep unease over society's changed atmosphere since the March 11 disaster.
Each of us seems to be searching for a private "tuner" who can fix the problem.
In the United States, mini-baby booms are invariably reported after massive blackouts, catastrophes and terrorist attacks.
I can't vouch for the accuracy of those reports, but I suppose any harrowing event makes people yearn for the warmth of human intimacy.
Singles become determined to find prospective spouses, dating couples decide to get married, and young married people ... well, they make babies.
When society is bleak and people's nerves are frayed, they apparently seek shelter in the comfort of family life.
More than 10,000 lives were lost instantaneously in spring 2011.
The current marriage boom in this period of national mourning comes across to me like an attempt to make up for the lives lost.
It may be an exaggeration to say that the human instinct for self-perpetuation of the species has kicked in.
But I welcome this phenomenon anyway if the curse of March will become a blessing and help fix our country's low birthrate problem.
Our country is not going to die away.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 20
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
2011/05/21
We obviously don't want to be alone when we are lost in the mountains, but that's not the only occasion when we feel very alone.
Roaming the streets of Tokyo the other night, darkened to conserve power, it hit me that we humans are animals that crave company.
Many people were thumbing their mobile phones, apparently for the comfort of being connected with someone anytime, anywhere.
Something of a "marriage boom" is said to have been triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Reportedly, the number of people signing up with marriage arrangement agencies or requesting brochures has spiked lately, even though the agencies have been advertising less than before the quake.
Also, many people are said to be leaving these agencies after finding marriage partners.
Media reports say it's mostly women who are taking the initiative to seek permanent partners.
Living alone in fear of aftershocks, outages and radiation must be trying even on people who are used to the loneliness of life in the big cities.
On the night of the quake, they walked for hours to get home, where there was nobody waiting for them.
I am not surprised that they have come to yearn for the sort of contentment that comes from the easy intimacy of family life.
A well-known piano tuner once wrote, "Rocking and shaking won't really affect pianos, but fluctuations in temperatures and humidity will mess them up immediately."
I guess we are like pianos. Tremors we can somehow live with, but we feel deep unease over society's changed atmosphere since the March 11 disaster.
Each of us seems to be searching for a private "tuner" who can fix the problem.
In the United States, mini-baby booms are invariably reported after massive blackouts, catastrophes and terrorist attacks.
I can't vouch for the accuracy of those reports, but I suppose any harrowing event makes people yearn for the warmth of human intimacy.
Singles become determined to find prospective spouses, dating couples decide to get married, and young married people ... well, they make babies.
When society is bleak and people's nerves are frayed, they apparently seek shelter in the comfort of family life.
More than 10,000 lives were lost instantaneously in spring 2011.
The current marriage boom in this period of national mourning comes across to me like an attempt to make up for the lives lost.
It may be an exaggeration to say that the human instinct for self-perpetuation of the species has kicked in.
But I welcome this phenomenon anyway if the curse of March will become a blessing and help fix our country's low birthrate problem.
Our country is not going to die away.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 20
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Monday, April 4, 2011
03/04 VOX POPULI: Japan should share the fury of the people of Fukushima
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun.
2011/04/03
2011/04/03
The situation at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is raising concern about the Hamaoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, operated by Chubu Electric Co. Both plants are on the Pacific coast, and both use boiling water reactors.
During my university days, I spent many days in Hamaoka working on a final-year research project. I can still recall the overpowering smell of grass and chicken coops on hot summer days.
It was 1979. The Three Mile Island meltdown had occurred that spring in Pennsylvania and the Hamaoka plant had only been in operation for four years. There was talk of what would happen if a major earthquake were to strike the Tokai region.
I come from Shizuoka and, naturally, I was concerned about the safety of the Hamaoka plant. The focus of my research was finding out how locals felt about the possibility of a nuclear disaster.
I interviewed 100 local people. More than 30 percent anticipated a potentially lethal accident, but they also said there was no point in fretting about it. I sensed something like quiet resignation in all the villages I visited.
The public's fear was allayed by false reassurances about the industry's safety. Nuclear power now accounts for 30 percent of our country's electricity. I am not happy with the situation. But, here I am: a consumer taking this power for granted. I know I am in no position to preach against nuclear power when I remain silent about the fact that the Fukushima plant supplied power to Tokyo, where I now live, for years.
I am painfully aware of the sense of betrayal felt by the people of Fukushima. The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is five years older than Hamaoka. For more than 40 years, the two towns near the Fukushima plant have relied entirely on Tokyo Electric Power Co. for employment and fiscal stability. One could call them TEPCO "castle towns." The castle has now fallen.
People who believed they were safe have now lost their homes. Prolonged displacement could destroy their communities for good. It is difficult to think of a crueler fate for people who have been supporting the convenient lifestyles of others for decades?
Neighboring cities and towns are being exposed to radiation without ever having benefitted directly from the power plant. The situation is so dire that residents cannot even search for missing loved ones.
We should share their fury, and we should use that anger to spur us to finding alternative ways of producing power.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 2
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
During my university days, I spent many days in Hamaoka working on a final-year research project. I can still recall the overpowering smell of grass and chicken coops on hot summer days.
It was 1979. The Three Mile Island meltdown had occurred that spring in Pennsylvania and the Hamaoka plant had only been in operation for four years. There was talk of what would happen if a major earthquake were to strike the Tokai region.
I come from Shizuoka and, naturally, I was concerned about the safety of the Hamaoka plant. The focus of my research was finding out how locals felt about the possibility of a nuclear disaster.
I interviewed 100 local people. More than 30 percent anticipated a potentially lethal accident, but they also said there was no point in fretting about it. I sensed something like quiet resignation in all the villages I visited.
The public's fear was allayed by false reassurances about the industry's safety. Nuclear power now accounts for 30 percent of our country's electricity. I am not happy with the situation. But, here I am: a consumer taking this power for granted. I know I am in no position to preach against nuclear power when I remain silent about the fact that the Fukushima plant supplied power to Tokyo, where I now live, for years.
I am painfully aware of the sense of betrayal felt by the people of Fukushima. The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is five years older than Hamaoka. For more than 40 years, the two towns near the Fukushima plant have relied entirely on Tokyo Electric Power Co. for employment and fiscal stability. One could call them TEPCO "castle towns." The castle has now fallen.
People who believed they were safe have now lost their homes. Prolonged displacement could destroy their communities for good. It is difficult to think of a crueler fate for people who have been supporting the convenient lifestyles of others for decades?
Neighboring cities and towns are being exposed to radiation without ever having benefitted directly from the power plant. The situation is so dire that residents cannot even search for missing loved ones.
We should share their fury, and we should use that anger to spur us to finding alternative ways of producing power.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 2
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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