06/04 Donations for quake victims go undelivered despite desperate needs （英和）

Evacuees receive emergency food in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture. It remains unclear when they can receive sufficient relief money. (Mainichi)

While hundreds of billions of yen have been donated for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, central and local government authorities have not been able to distribute the badly needed cash to those in need as the regions affected by the tremor and tsunami are so huge that it is difficult to come to grips with the full extent of the damage.

The Japanese Red Cross Society and other organizations say they will form "relief money distribution committees" to decide on the criteria and methods of distribution as well as ways of informing the victims in order to distribute the money in a fair manner. The Japanese Red Cross Society had received about 98 billion yen in cash donations as of April 2, more than the cumulative amount of donations received over six months for the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. The Central Community Chest of Japan, known for its Red Feather Community Chest Movement, had received a total of about 18 billion yen as of April 1.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a news conference on April 5, "We have been proceeding with the task rather quickly. I believe we will be able to move to a stage where operations can be started at prefectural level in the not too distant future." The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said it would set up a study panel to present a draft proposal on methods to distribute the relief funds. But it is unlikely that prefectural governments will be able to distribute the money so easily.

Apart from cash donations received at government level, the Iwate Prefectural Government had received about 3.02 billion yen as of the end of March. The local government worked out an outline for forming a distribution committee, but it could not move ahead any further. "If we distribute the money unsystematically at a stage where a national system is not in place, it will only put a burden on municipalities," said an Iwate Prefectural Government official. "Rikuzentakata and Otsuchi suffered devastating damage and unless administrative functions are restored, the funds will only become a source of trouble," the official added.

The Miyagi Prefectural Government had received a total of about 5.5 billion yen as of the end of March. When the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake hit the region in 2008, the Miyagi Prefectural Government received about 1.2 billion yen in donations and distributed the first portion of the cash three months after the quake. "The damage is so grave this time that we cannot set up a distribution committee unless the number of people dead or missing is confirmed," said a Miyagi Prefectural Government official.

On the other hand, the Fukushima Prefectural Government set up a distribution committee on April 1 and decided to hand out 50,000 yen each to households affected by the earthquake and tsunami. "Victims had requested the relief money be distributed as soon as possible," said a Fukushima Prefectural Government official. About 65,000 households whose homes were partially or completely destroyed by the earthquake or the tsunami as well as those households that are located within a radius of 30 kilometers from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant are entitled to receive the money. The cash donations of 3.32 billion yen received as of April 1 will be distributed to affected households through municipalities.

In this photo taken Thursday, March 24, 2011, stocks of food supplies are piled high inside a gymnasium at an arena used as a refugee shelter in the earthquake- and tsunami-destroyed town of Minamisanriku, northeastern Japan. Aid supplies like food, clothing, gas, medicine has begun to arrive from the prefecture government, private donations, and aid drives abroad. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Nevertheless problems continue. Local governments near the troubled nuclear power plant have moved their administrative functions to other areas and the whereabouts of many residents who were evacuated to areas outside of the prefecture remain unknown. Prefectural government officials in Fukushima say the cash will likely be distributed to victims sometime after next month.

On those evacuees who lived outside the 30-kilometer radius from the nuclear complex, one official said, "We have to draw a line somewhere and only those in the area designated by the national government are subject to the distribution program this time. We will discuss whether to include those evacuees outside the designated zone when we distribute the money next time."

One major question is how much relief money will be distributed to victims. In the case of the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, a total of 179.3 billion yen was donated. According to the Hyogo Prefectural Government, 100,000 yen each was initially distributed two weeks after the earthquake as "condolence money" to those households whose family members died or were missing and those whose homes were partially or completely destroyed. In the second round carried out about five months after the earthquake, 300,000 yen each was given to those families that were in need of support such as fatherless families, and 1 million yen was given to each earthquake orphan for their education.

But "because the number of victims was so large, the average allowance amount was about 400,000 yen per household," said a Hyogo Prefectural Government official. Although cash donations received for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake outnumber the amount for the victims of the Great Hanshin earthquake, the number of people and homes affected by the Tohoku quake is also far greater that that for the tremor in Kobe. Therefore, it is not clear whether victims will receive enough money.

Click here for the original Japanese story

(Mainichi Japan) April 6, 2011

東日本大震災：宙に浮く義援金…進まぬ配分作業

朝の炊き出しを受け取る人たち。義援金を受け取れる時期の見通しは立っていない＝岩手県釜石市で２０１１年３月２３日、佐々木順一撮影

　東日本大震災を受けて日本赤十字社などに集まった多額の義援金を配布できない状態が続いている。被害が広範囲に及び、死者数や行方不明者数など被害の全容を把握できない中、配分を検討する委員会を設置できない自治体もあるためだ。当面の生活資金として支給に期待する声は強いものの、被災者の元に届くにはもう少し時間がかかりそうだ。【樋岡徹也、堀智行】

　◇被害が広範囲、全容把握ままならず

　日赤などによると、義援金は被災者に公平に配分するため、被災した地方自治体や日赤などで「義援金配分委員会」を設置し、配分基準や方法、被災者への伝達方法などを定める。日赤に届いた義援金は２日現在で約９８０億円に達し、阪神大震災後の半年間で集まった額を既に上回っている。「赤い羽根共同募金」で知られる中央共同募金会にも、１日現在で約１８０億円が集まっている。

　枝野幸男官房長官は５日の会見で「（配分へ向け）かなり早急に作業を進めている。そんなに遠くなく、各都道府県レベルで作業を進めてもらえる段階に持っていけると思う」と述べた。厚生労働省は「早急に検討の組織を設置し、配分方法の素案を示したい」と話す。

　だが、都道府県側で配分する作業は簡単には進みそうにない。

　国レベルの義援金とは別に、先月末現在で県あてに約３０億２２００万円が集まっている岩手県。配分委の設置要綱を作成した段階にとどまり、県は「国の分配のルールが決まらない段階で、ばらばらに配っても市町村の負担になるだけ。大槌町や陸前高田市などは壊滅的な被害を受けており、まずは行政機能を回復させないとトラブルのもとになる」と説明する。

　県あての義援金が約５５億円（先月末現在）に達した宮城県は、０８年の岩手・宮城内陸地震（義援金約１２億円）で、１回目の分配は地震の３カ月後だった。県は「今回は被害が甚大で、死者や行方不明者数が確定しないと、分配委の設置もできない」と苦悩する。

　一方、福島県は１日に配分委を設置し、被災世帯に５万円ずつ配分することを決めた。「被災者から『早く義援金を配ってほしい』という要望があったため」（県担当者）という。対象は地震や津波で自宅が全壊または半壊した世帯と、福島第１原発から３０キロ圏内にある世帯の計約６万５０００世帯。１日までに県に寄せられた義援金３３億２０００万円を市町村に分配し、被災者に配布する。

　だが課題も残る。原発周辺の自治体は役場機能が他市町村に移っているうえ、県外に避難して所在が確認できない住民も多い。県は「実際に被災者に渡るのは来月以降になるのでは」と話す。原発から３０キロ圏外にある自宅から避難した住民については「どこかで線引きしなければならず、今回は国が指定した範囲だけを対象にした。圏外の避難者を含めるかは、今後の分配の際に検討する」と話す。

　被災者に分配される額はどれぐらいになるのか。阪神大震災の場合、最終的に集まった義援金は１７９３億円だった。兵庫県によると、１回目の分配は震災２週間後に死者行方不明者、全半壊と全半焼世帯に１０万円ずつ見舞金として配布。２回目は５カ月後以降、世帯構成などを考慮し、母子家庭など要援護世帯に３０万円、震災遺児の教育資金として１００万円を支給した。

　だが、「被害者数が膨大だったため、１世帯あたりの平均支給額は約４０万円だった」（県担当者）という。阪神大震災を超える多額な義援金が集まっているが、被災者数と被災家屋数も阪神を上回る規模となっており、被災者にとって十分な支給額となるかは未知数だ。

　◇政府も受け皿に…異例の対応

　政府は５日、東日本大震災に対する国内外からの義援金受け付け窓口を設置した。国が直接義援金を受け付けるのは極めて異例で、内閣府の担当者は「戦後初めてではないか」と話している。

　枝野幸男官房長官は同日の記者会見で、義援金について「赤十字や民間に努力いただいているが、『政府が直接受け皿となるように』との要望も、国内外から多々来ている」と述べた。

　受付期間は９月３０日まで。振込先は▽三菱東京ＵＦＪ銀行東京営業部（普通口座０３２２３１３）▽三井住友銀行東京公務部（普通口座０１６７５２４）▽ゆうちょ銀行（００１３０－６－６２３４６１）。みずほ銀行は調整中という。内閣府ホームページで詳細を確認できるほか、問い合わせ専用ダイヤル（０１２０・９９４・１９２）も設置した。【宮城征彦】

08/04 Japan's exports expected to drop by 0.5%-1.6% in 2011 due to quake: WTO

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's exports are expected to fall between 0.5 and 1.6 percent in terms of volume in 2011 due to spreading effects of the March 11 devastating earthquake and ensuing tsunami, the World Trade Organization said in a report Thursday.

The WTO said, "Damage to public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, railways, and telecommunications systems, can cause disruptions to the export supply chain."

Japanese imports are, however, projected to increase between 0.4 and 1.3 percent this year as "the required materials, technology or skills (for reconstruction) may need to come from abroad," the WTO said.

The WTO said global exports surged 14.5 percent in 2010 in terms of volume, rebounding to levels seen just before the September 2008 outbreak of the world financial crisis, and are expected to grow a further 6.5 percent in 2011.

The figure for 2010 marked the highest rise since comparable data became available in 1950. The rise follows a 12 percent slump in 2009.

"Considering the depressed level of world output in 2009, growth in this range or higher would not have been surprising in 2010," the WTO said.

However, the winding down of stimulus measures and fiscal retrenchment in some countries, coupled with high oil prices and persistent unemployment in developing countries "combined to make trade and output grow more slowly than they might otherwise have done," the WTO said.

Growth could also be hampered this year because of rising food and commodity prices and unrest in oil-exporting countries, the WTO said.

In 2010, Japan's exports surged 27.5 percent in volume terms, compared with a 24.8 percent fall in 2009.

Exports rose 28.4 percent in China in 2010, 15.4 percent in the United States and 11.4 percent in the European Union.

Imports, on the other hand, grew by 10 percent in Japan in 2010, 22.1 percent in China, 14.8 percent in the United States and 9.2 percent in the European Union.

In value terms, China kept its position as the world's top exporter, shipping some $1,578 billion in merchandise goods, or nearly 10 percent of world exports, followed by the United States at $1,278 billion, Germany at $1,269 billion and Japan at $770 billion.

(Mainichi Japan) April 8, 2011

08/04 Early signs of recovery' at Fukushima nuke plant in Japan: IAEA

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 31, 2011 by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and released by Japan Defense Ministry Friday, April 1, a U.S. military barge carrying pure water arrives to the quay near Unit 1 of the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, after being towed by a JMSDF tugboat, not shown. (AP Photo/Japan Defense Ministry)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency has noticed "early signs of recovery" at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan despite the serious overall situation, a senior IAEA official said Thursday.

"There are early signs of recovery in some functions such as electrical power and instrumentation," Denis Flory, IAEA deputy director general and head of the department of nuclear safety and security, said at a press conference.

Nevertheless the situation at the plant "remains very serious," he added.

According to Flory, two IAEA reactor experts visited the troubled Fukushima plant and exchanged views with Japanese officials concerned.

(Mainichi Japan) April 8, 2011

08/04 Nara temple to borrow 100 million yen to donate to quake-hit areas（英和）

NARA -- A temple here will donate 100 million yen in relief money to areas affected by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami by borrowing the same amount from banks, it has been learned.

Nara's Todaiji Temple -- famous for its gigantic Buddha statue -- announced that it will deliver the money to the Japanese Red Cross Society's Nara branch as early as the end of this month.

"As a temple that has passed down the thoughts of Emperor Shomu and Empress Komyo, who prayed for the well-being of all creatures, there's something we should do now. We will remember (the victims' plight) every time we pay back the loans and renew our pledge not to make their agony forgotten," chief priest Kokei Kitakawara said.

Founded during the Nara era, the temple has been ravaged by warfare twice in its history.

"This temple has recovered with the support of so many people, and now we can repay them," senior priest Fumon Sagawa said.

The temple hopes its relief money will also be used for the restoration of cultural assets that were damaged by the devastating quake and tsunami.

Click here for the original Japanese story

(Mainichi Japan) April 8, 2011

東日本大震災：１億円借り入れ全額義援金に　東大寺

2011年4月8日 9時43分　更新：4月8日 12時26分

　奈良市の東大寺は７日、銀行から１億円を借り入れ、全額を義援金に充てると発表した。被災地の苦しみや痛みを共に感じるためといい、今月末にも日本赤十字社奈良県支部に届ける。

　北河原公敬別当は「すべての生き物の幸せを祈った聖武天皇と光明皇后の思いを伝える寺として、やるべきことがある。返済するたびに思い出し、いつまでも風化させないという思いを持ち続けたい」と説明した。

　同寺は奈良時代の創建以来、２度兵火で焼けた歴史があり、狹川普文（さがわ・ふもん）執事長は「多くの人に心を寄せてもらい復興してきた。今こそその心に応える時だ」と話した。被災した文化財の復興にも役立ててほしいとしている。【花澤茂人】

08/04 Toshiba proposes decommissioning 4 reactors in 10 years

This March 24, 2011 aerial photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE shows damaged Unit 3 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (AP Photo/AIR PHOTO SERVICE)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Toshiba Corp. has proposed decommissioning four troubled nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power station in about 10 years, much shorter than the 14 years that was needed to dismantle the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in the United States, industry sources said Friday.

Toshiba, one of the two Japanese reactor makers, filed the proposal with Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the Fukushima plant, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, after compiling it with U.S. nuclear energy firms including its subsidiary Westinghouse Electric Co., according to the sources.

Toshiba believes it can rely on the U.S. firms' expertise from the 1979 Three Mile Island accident to decommission the Fukushima reactors.

According to the proposal, it will take about 10 years to remove the fuel rods in the containers and the spent nuclear fuel rods in the storage pools from the four reactors, to demolish various facilities there and to improve soil conditions.

Another Japanese reactor maker Hitachi Ltd., in a tie-up with General Electric Co. of the United States, is expected to file its own proposal, the sources said.

Tokyo Electric and METI are expected to look into those proposals by Toshiba and Hitachi before actually moving to dismantle the reactors.

In this March 24, 2011 aerial photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE, damaged Unit 3, left, and Unit 4 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are seen in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan. (AP Photo/AIR PHOTO SERVICE)

The four reactors were crippled due to the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

In Japan, Chubu Electric Power Co. is currently working on decommissioning two reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, to have it completed by March 2037.

(Mainichi Japan) April 8, 2011

06/04 Energy policies face review

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The foundation of the government's nuclear power promotion policy has collapsed in the wake of the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station, and will likely result in a review of its target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

"Needless to say, this great earthquake will have a considerable effect on various fields in this country," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in a press conference Monday when asked whether a review of the emissions target is coming.

Expanding nuclear power was the foundation of achieving a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 1990 levels. But since the main source of electricity apart from nuclear is thermal power, the government will likely be forced to drastically review its policies on energy and fighting global warming.

Since nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, nuclear power has been regarded as a star player in the fight against global warming.

According to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, for every 4 percent increase in the operating rate of domestic nuclear power plants, greenhouse gas emissions decrease by 1 percent.

When Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant suspended operations after the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake in 2007, the operation rate of the nation's nuclear plants fell 9.2 points compared to the previous year to 60.7 percent.

This pushed greenhouse gas emissions up by 2.8 percent in 2007.

===

Target already an 'illusion'

The government earlier planned to build 14 or more new nuclear plants by 2030 to achieve its target. It also eyed increasing the domestic operation rate to 90 percent, up 25 points from the current level.

But with the halting of 10 reactors including those at the Fukushima Nos. 1 and 2 plants due to last month's earthquake, output capacity declined 8.6 million kilowatts, or nearly 20 percent of the nation's entire nuclear power generation capacity.

TEPCO has said the Nos. 1 to 4 reactors at the No. 1 plant will be decommissioned, while Edano has suggested the plant's Nos. 5 and 6 reactors should also be scrapped.

With planned increases to safety at all nuclear power plants in the works, "The nuclear power target is already an illusion," a senior METI official said.

This view has been spreading among officials involved in nuclear policy, sources said.

===

COP17 poses challenge

At the 17th Conference of the Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention of Climate Change (COP17), scheduled to be held this year in Durban, South Africa, the main item on the agenda is expected to be crafting a framework to succeed the Kyoto Protocol that expires next year.

The government will likely have no choice but to slash its 25 percent target after the Fukushima crisis is brought under control, but it could have a difficult time justifying such a move at COP 17 negotiating tables.

The government had planned to cut the amount of thermal power the nation relies on from 66 percent of the whole in 2007 to 25 percent by 2031.

This was to be compensated by a jump in nuclear power generation from 26 percent to 53 percent, and by increasing renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydropower from 8 percent to 21 percent.

Although Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said fresh discussions are needed on solar power and other clean energy sources, these technologies cannot be relied on as stable sources of power at present due to the fluctuations in the way they generate electricity.

This leaves thermal power generation, which uses oil, coal and liquefied natural gas, as the only viable alternative to nuclear power. TEPCO is already preparing to restart some old thermal power plants that were scheduled to be decommissioned.

Using older, less efficient power stations will push up CO2 emissions. "But we can't find any other way," a senior METI official said.

(Apr. 6, 2011)

08/03 New cooling options being explored

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Tokyo Electric Power Co. is considering alternative methods, including the construction of improvised systems, to cool reactors at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Ongoing operations--which involve pouring water directly into the reactor cores to lower temperatures inside the pressure vessels of the Nos. 1 to 3 reactors to below 100 C--have not worked as expected, and restoration of the reactors' existing cooling systems is not likely to happen soon.

The discouraging outlook has prompted TEPCO to begin exploring new options.

The original cooling systems worked by circulating water inside the pressure vessels. After absorbing heat in the pressure vessels, water was extracted and cooled by heat exchangers before being returned to the pressure vessels.

The damaged systems are now unable to circulate water, so new water must be continually added to the pressure vessels to control temperatures.

However, because the water sources used in the continual injections are positioned lower than those incorporated in the original systems, it is unclear whether fuel rods in the reactors are being entirely covered with water.

In addition, water contaminated with radioactive substances has apparently leaked from the pressure vessels, which means TEPCO cannot increase the amount of water being injected.

On March 23, new water was being channeled into the No. 1 reactor at a rate of 300 liters per minute. The current rate is about one-third this amount.

The surface temperature of the No. 1 reactor pressure vessel is still above 200 C. The temperature of nuclear fuel inside the vessel is much higher.

A TEPCO official said: "We're currently removing heat that's being generated by the fuel. We haven't been able to remove the huge amount of heat that accumulated while the reactors were in operation."

TEPCO's immediate goal is to restore the power supply to the reactors and the existing cooling systems.

But key elements of those systems are located in the basement floors of the reactor buildings, areas that are contaminated with radioactive materials, and this is forcing TEPCO to consider other options.

One proposal is to build makeshift cooling systems. TEPCO would have to access pipes connected to the pressure vessels at some point outside the reactor buildings where radiation levels are low. From there, the company could connect the pipes to new heat exchangers and pumps.

Another option under consideration is trying to lower the temperatures of the pressure vessels from the outside, by filling the containment vessels that surround them with water or some other coolant. The success of this plan would depend on whether the containment vessels have been damaged.

"It might be wise to set up new cooling systems," said Michio Ishikawa, the top adviser of the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute. "If the current conditions continue, the amount of radioactive substances being discharged from the reactors might increase. Therefore, all possible options need to be considered."

(Apr. 8, 2011)

08/04 Earthquake shifted seabed 24 meters

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The seabed near the focus of the March 11 earthquake off Miyagi Prefecture moved about 24 meters east-southeast as a result of crustal movement during the massive temblor, the Japan Coast Guard announced Wednesday.

An earlier survey by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan showed the Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki in the prefecture moved about 5.3 meters east during the earthquake.

The coast guard survey showed crustal movement at a depth of about 1,700 meters and about 120 kilometers off the Oshika Peninsula was more than four times the observed shift of the peninsula itself.

On March 28 and 29, a JCG surveying ship checked a total of eight location markers set in the seabed. It discovered seven of them had moved about 24 meters east-southeast, and the seabed had risen about three meters.

A location marker set in the seabed about 80 kilometers off Fukushima Prefecture had moved about five meters east-southeast.

According to the JCG, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake in August 2005 off Miyagi Prefecture caused the seabed to move about 10 centimeters. The March 11 earthquake measured magnitude-9.

A coast guard official said, "The amount of crustal movement we saw this time is unprecedented in recorded history."

(Apr. 8, 2011)

14/03 yomiuri - MUSINGS

March 14, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's March 14 issue.

* * *

When a person speaks of being "far away," about how far is that imagined distance, I wonder?

Hototogisu Jiyu Jizai ni Kiku Sato wa

Sakaya e San-ri Tofuya e Ni-ri

(If you want always to hear the call of a little cuckoo, you had better live in a remote village, two or three ri away from the nearest store.)

As the man of refined taste living in an inconvenient rural area in this satirical poem says, anyone would regard ni-ri (two ri, with one ri being about four kilometers) or san-ri (three ri) as fairly distant.

In the recent massive quake that hit the Tohoku and Kanto regions, tsunami uprooted houses and trees and went on demolishing areas as far as 10 kilometers inland--a "far away" two or three ri.

As for myself, I cannot deny having the fixed idea that anglers fishing on jetties or people living in coastal areas should be alert for tsunami.

Tsunami reportedly ravaged areas on land as soon as 30 minutes after the quake. Earthquakes accompanied by tsunami can occur at any place and time.

How would I act within such a limited time frame, which could even be "this very day?" A horrible vision--blurring the lines between sea and land--forces the question upon me.

As I listen to the latest news, the number of deaths and missing people is rising by scores at a time.

Properly speaking, now would be the time for me to close my eyes and pray for the souls of the departed and the safety of the missing, leaving other lessons until later. But the cold reality of being in a major quake-prone country does not allow me to do so.

(Mar. 17, 2011)

15/03 yomiuri - MUSINGS

March 15, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's March 15 issue.

* * *

A feint is a movement in boxing and other sports to throw off an opponent's timing and mislead him or her. For instance, if you prepare for an expected punch, your opponent won't hit you. But he or she will make contact if you don't expect what is coming.

Many of you might have been thrown off balance by a feint by Tokyo Electric Power Co. I'm talking about the first day of the company's planned outage in the form of rotating blackouts by region. Based on the outage plan announced on the previous night, I braced myself for a blackout. On the morning of the very day, however, TEPCO changed its explanations a few times. First, it announced, "We won't carry out the planned outage," but later it said, "Maybe we will."

The power company said confusion arose because their estimate for electricity supply and demand went wrong thanks to railway companies that responded to the company's call to save power by reducing the number of trains in service. However, the confusion could have been avoided if TEPCO had made sufficient arrangements with the railway companies in advance.

If you need to keep watching television until the last moment to tell whether you will lose power or not, the outage is not worthy of being called "planned." We wish that TEPCO's silly feint hadn't lacerated our nerves any further, which have been already battered by watching grim news footage of quake-hit areas every day.

If you consider disaster victims living in evacuation centers, who lost their homes and don't know whether their kin are safe or not, the inconvenience caused by a blackout for several hours a day is a punch you can roll with. Most of the public will absorb such a blow calmly. What is essential is for TEPCO and the government to handle blackouts with more adeptness.

(Mar. 21, 2011)

21/03 yomiuri - MUSINGS

March 21, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's March 21 issue.

* * *

"I clearly saw the huge, white walls of foaming waves that stretched boundlessly on the horizon gliding up across the sea."

So went the novel "Tsunami," authored by Tetsuo Takashima, a former researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The novel vividly depicts the moment when a massive tsunami triggered by a fictitious great earthquake in the Tokai region assaults the Japanese archipelago.

Disasters wrought by the tsunami that followed the massive earthquake that pummeled the Tohoku and Kanto regions on March 11--including the radioactive leakage at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant--turned out to be far more devastating than anything the author could have imagined.

Huge tsunami always occur when least expected.

During the Edo period (1603-1867), tsunami caused major disasters in various parts of the country, such as the castle town of Osaka and the Kii Peninsula, Shikoku and Okinawa regions. Since the Meiji era (1868-1912), tales of two massive tsunami that hit the Sanriku Coast, in 1896 and 1933, have been handed down from generation to generation.

To pass along the experience of massive tsunami to younger generations, a story based on the Nankai Earthquake and ensuing tsunami in the closing days of the Edo period was utilized as teaching material for many years in a central government-approved primary school textbook.

However, in recent years, fading memories of tsunami disasters have weakened people's sense of crisis.

Local people also might have been overconfident about the huge seawalls that had been built based on lessons learned from tsunami along the Sanriku Coast. But the March 11 tsunami easily swept past these seawalls. Our difficult, perennial battle against nature is certain to continue.

(Mar. 24, 2011)

23/03 yomiuri - MUSINGS

March 23, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's March 23 issue.

* * *

Novelist Kyoka Izumi (1873-1939) cared about hygiene so much that he was called a "fanatic." He never ate sashimi, he drank sake hot enough to burn his lips, and would eat grated daikon only after boiling it.

When he visited someone's home and greeted the host in a Japanese-style living room, Izumi would sit on his knees, but bowed with his wrists tucked in like a cat, so only the backs of his hands--not his palms--would touch the tatami floor.

People tell the story that Izumi put "hot coarse tea" as his answer to questionnaire asking people in the literary world about their favorite summer dishes.

Under ordinary circumstances, people see Izumi's passion for hygiene as a bit obsessive. But there are times when, excessive consumer worry, triggered by some incident, has hurt agricultural producers. What I'm talking about is the damage caused by groundless rumors.

There is concern now that rumors could harm some parts of the farm and dairy industries in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture. If vegetables, fruit and the other produce from disaster-affected areas are shipped and sold on the market, it means they are safe to eat.

If their prices and freshness are not so different from other products, maybe we could put produce from these areas into our baskets at supermarkets and other stores. This would be one way to support farmers in those areas.

The novelist's obsession with hygiene should be mimicked by no one except government organizations checking to make sure farm and marine products meet safety standards.

A proper level of fear, based on reason, is the only correct way to respond to radioactive materials.

(Mar. 28, 2011)

28/03 yomiuri - MUSINGS - khi no ấm rồi người ta quên đi sứ mệnh?!...

March 28, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's March 28 issue.

* * *

Peter Drucker, an authority on business administration and knowledgeable about Japan, once said in a lecture in Washington that no policies taken by developed nations had worked well since 1950, with the sole exception of Japan's.

This comment, quoted in the late author's book "The Drucker Lectures: Essential Lessons on Management, Society and Economy," the Japanese translation of which was published by Achievement Co. last year, was made in 1991.

While praising the Japanese government's economic policies in the postwar years, he added in the book that its policies started to become dysfunctional.

Shortly after his lecture in Washington, Japan's bubble economy burst. Later the government failed to implement policies designed to deal properly with the financial recession and deflation. Unfortunately, Drucker's diagnosis seems to be spot on.

After the country was hit by the massive earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear plant crisis, some people probably felt the government's policies had become even more ineffective.

But let us refrain from describing the government as hopeless. Drucker warned it would be dangerous if we all became such cynics as to lose all confidence in government policies.

Can we quickly provide quake victims who are in evacuation centers and suffering many inconveniences with housing soon? Can we supply safe water to infants, whose parents are worried about radioactive contamination of tap water?

Rather than give up on the government, we should continually encourage it to take effective measures.

(Mar. 31, 2011)

31/03 yomiuri - MUSINGS

March 31, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's March 31 issue.

* * *

Here is a verse I would like you, a newborn baby boy, to read someday.

In a period of coldness

You were born

With tears

This was written by haiku poet Koichi Masaki. You also were born on a chilly night in coldness, the day the Japanese archipelago filled with a flood of tears.

On the evening of the day when a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck northern and eastern parts of the nation, a woman went into labor at a shelter in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Several other women who also were evacuated to the shelter offered helping hands. The shelter was plunged in darkness due to a power outage. Using a flashlight, the women reportedly bound the umbilical cord with sewing thread and warmed the newborn baby in a polystyrene foam box.

I knew nothing about you except that you are a baby boy. But it crosses my mind that we might be siblings sharing the same birthday.

Since the earthquake, all Japanese have been trying to lead new lives, in which they have become a bit more sensitive than before to the pain of others and are more easily moved to tears than before. A serious crisis continues at the crippled nuclear power plant. There are yet to be any positive signs for the reconstruction of disaster-hit areas. But the period of coldness will turn to one of warmth, or we will make it happen. It will be a race between us over who can first stand firmly on their own feet.

March has become a month of special importance for the Japanese, just like August's commemoration of the anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombings and end of World War II. This March ends today. To you, though I do not know your name, let's grow together to become tough and beautiful.

(Apr. 4, 2011)

04/04 yomiuri - MUSINGS

April 4, 2011
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's April 4 issue.

* * *

It was in March 1970 that the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant's No. 1 reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, began operation as the nation's first light water reactor for commercial use.

Its launch coincided with the opening of the Japan World Exposition 1970, and electricity generated at the plant, operated by Japan Atomic Power Co., was sent to the exposition's venue in Osaka Prefecture as "atomic light."

This was during the era of Japan's rapid economic growth, a time when the entire country was brimming over with hope and vitality.

Forty-one years have passed since then, and this year marks the centenary of the birth of Taro Okamoto (1911-1996), the artist who created the "Tower of the Sun" statue known as the symbol of Expo '70.

The life of this unique artist has been showcased at exhibitions, including one at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Okamoto was said to have disliked the overall theme of the exposition--"Progress and Harmony for Mankind"--and came up with the folkloric "Tower of the Sun" as something extravagant to contrast the other, modern structures at the exposition.

He wanted Expo '70 to be a festival that would "wake the vitality hidden deep down in the hearts of the Japanese."

Today, however, this antimodern tower appears to symbolize the period of Japan's rapid economic growth. It expresses the primary energy of mankind and is the very picture of a time when Japan was full of vigor.

The tower must be calling on Japanese who are exhausted in the aftermath of the massive quake and tsunami, saying: "Rise up, believing that you have vitality hidden deep down in your heart."

(Apr. 7, 2011)

08/04 Excessive self-restraint may hinder recovery

The Yomiuri Shimbun

It will soon be one month since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the nation on March 11. The prevailing atmosphere in Japan is one of serious and somber jishuku (self-restraint).

Various artistic activities, sports events and even traditional festivals have been canceled or postponed.

A great many people died in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. An even larger number are still missing, and many people are being forced to endure difficult living conditions at evacuation facilities.

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, there is a serious power shortage due to the accidents at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.

We understand how, given these circumstances, people tend to think everything should be conducted in a subdued manner.

However, too much self-restraint will strip away peace of mind and plenitude from everyday life, and destroy the nation's vitality. This will drag down economic activity, which will hinder recovery efforts in areas hit by the disaster.

For the entire nation to recover its energy, it is important to return to the normal rhythms of everyday life.

===

Blossom viewing discouraged

While taking care to save power, we must cast off this atmosphere of excessive self-restraint and proceed with scheduled events. That is the quickest way to facilitate Japan's recovery from the disaster, despite the great damage we have suffered.

The cherry blossom season is now advancing from south to north, but moves to refrain from cherry blossom viewing have been spreading throughout the country. The Tokyo metropolitan government has been asking people to refrain from holding cherry blossom-viewing parties in parks under its administration, including Ueno Park, one of the most famous cherry blossom-viewing spots in the nation.

It would of course be out of the question for people to sing loudly and display shameful behavior at such parties, under unnecessary bright lights at night.

However, what is wrong with families and friends gathering in daytime to view the flowers?

Throughout the country, traditional festivals have been canceled or reduced in scale, including the Sanja Matsuri festival in the Asakusa district of Taito Ward, Tokyo, and the grand spring festival at Toshogu shrine in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. Events planned during the festivals have mostly been canceled.

However, some festivals are being held as scheduled, so prayers can be said for the recovery of disaster-hit areas and the repose of victims' souls. One example is the Inuyama Matsuri festival held in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, on Saturday and Sunday. Donations to help survivors were collected at the event.

===

Events would cheer survivors

We believe holding festivals in such a manner will boost the significance of the events.

The Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, based in Sendai, temporarily suspended its regular concerts after the quake. Since late last month, however, it has been giving small ensemble performances of music on street corners and other places in Sendai. It plans to perform in the worst-hit areas as well.

The start of this year's professional baseball season has been delayed, and Tokyo Dome is studying how to save electricity by adjusting lighting and air-conditioning.

Even in adverse situations, culture, art and sporting activity enrich people's minds. They will certainly provide great encouragement to those who have suffered as a result of the quake and tsunami.

Nevertheless, the cases of the Inuyama festival and the Sendai Philharmonic are exceptional. The mood of self-restraint remains strong, hindering people from buying things or traveling.

Even though the spring sightseeing season has arrived, many individuals and groups have reportedly called off trips and canceled their bookings at hotels.

In the Tohoku region, in particular, even tourist spots and business sectors not directly hit by the quake and tsunami are being affected seriously. Some are calling these developments secondary damage following the direct impact of the massive quake.

How should we support these regions and industries?

===

Kan must appeal to people

Yoshiyasu Ono, an economist and adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, has said excessive restraint will hinder post-quake reconstruction efforts. He advocates what he calls a "Buy Tohoku" campaign to actively purchase goods produced in the Tohoku region.

Abundant in both marine and agricultural products, the Tohoku region is also known for its rice production. It produces many traditional crafts with rich local color. If people actively buy these products, it will provide a marked boost to the economy.

Kan should take the lead in sweeping away the mood of self-restraint. He must call on the people to stop being overly sensitive to the situation in the wake of the disaster and resume their normal lives.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 7, 2011)

(Apr. 8, 2011)

07/04 Restore cooling function to stop nuclear plant leaks

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, has begun releasing water containing low-level radioactive substances from the plant into the Pacific Ocean.

The company said that it is an emergency measure to free up space at the plant for water contaminated with high levels of radioactive material.

Radioactive water equivalent to the volume of five or six 50-meter-long swimming pools will be discharged into the sea. Though this water reportedly has been contaminated with only low levels of radioactive substances, it still contains radioactive iodine up to 500 times more than the legal limit in seawater.

Having to resort to this step is extremely unfortunate. We urge the government and TEPCO to do everything they can to control the situation so the amount of contaminated water to be released into the sea is kept to the absolute minimum.

About 500 tons of water are being poured every day into the plant's Nos. 1-3 nuclear reactors to prevent nuclear fuel from overheating. Some of this water is leaking from the damaged reactors and accumulating in large pools at the nuclear complex.

===

Water must be removed

Most problematic is the water that accumulated in the basement of the No. 2 reactor turbine building and the tunnellike trench connected to it. This water contains levels of radioactive substances 2 million times higher than the contaminated water being dumped at sea. It must be pumped out quickly and stored safely in tanks and the other containers. The discharge of the less contaminated water into the ocean is a last-ditch measure to make space in the tanks for highly contaminated water.

Worryingly, some highly contaminated water has already leaked from the turbine building into the sea. TEPCO has been trying to find where and how this water leaked into the sea and to plug the leak. The utility has been struggling to complete this work, but finding the source of the leak--and stopping it--must be done quickly.

The government and TEPCO said water with low-level radiation being released into the sea will gradually disperse and have only minimal effects on human health. However, many people are still worried about this situation because highly radioactive water is still pouring into the ocean. There are concerns the fishing industry could be brought to its knees.

===

Much hinging on next month

The government should further tighten inspections of marine products to determine whether they are being affected by the radioactive contamination, and properly evaluate what levels of contamination are safe. It is also essential that inspection results be quickly disclosed and explained in detail to the public.

The discharge into the ocean could free up enough space in the tanks to store nearly one month's worth of highly radioactive water, even if water injections into the reactors continue at their current pace.

This one month is very important.

We hope the reactors will be brought under control--with cooling water circulating to prevent nuclear fuel from overheating--during this period. If the contaminated water is pumped out from the nuclear plant, work to restore crucial circulation pumps is expected to make progress.

Meanwhile, the government and TEPCO should tap the wisdom of nuclear experts in Japan and abroad, and prepare several options for any recurrence of difficulties at the nuclear plant. They also should push ahead with efforts to deal with radiation-laced water, such as constructing additional storage tanks and acquiring materials that absorb radioactive substances.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 6, 2011)

(Apr. 7, 2011)

08/04 Foreign firms moving staff / Some evacuated from Japan; others being called back

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A number of foreign companies have evacuated employees from Japan, citing concern over radioactivity from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Tata Consultancy Services Japan Ltd., an IT service and outsourcing company based in Nishi Ward, Yokohama, sent most of its Indian employees back to India after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that precipitated the nuclear crisis. According to the company, dozens of them are still in India.

A spokesman said the company would carefully monitor the developments at the Fukushima nuclear power plant while waiting for the parent company in Mumbai to decide whether to send the Indian employees back to Japan.

Nine of the 12 foreign employees temporarily transferred to Volkswagen Group Japan K.K. in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, from the parent company have returned to Germany. According to a company official, Europeans are especially wary of nuclear accidents because of the effect the 1986 Chernobyl disaster had on the continent.

The Fukushima nuclear crisis has also begun affecting logistics. According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, 27 foreign container vessels had canceled visits to Tokyo Port, Yokohama Port and other ports in Japan due to concerns over the nuclear situation, as of Sunday.

However, some companies have asked foreign employees who were evacuated from Japan to come back. Also, some companies have returned their Japan offices to Tokyo after moving them to the Kansai region due to concerns over the nuclear accident.

Tobacco company Philip Morris Japan K.K. had returned some of its headquarters' operations to Tokyo by March 24. The operations had been transferred to Osaka after the March 11 disaster.

At Tokyo-based SAP Japan Co., the Japan arm of German software company SAP, all foreign employees who temporarily evacuated have returned to Japan, the company said.

IKEA Japan K.K., the Japan arm of global furniture retailer IKEA, transferred its headquarters to Kobe after the disaster and moved about 60 foreign employees to Hong Kong and other foreign cities. However, the company said it has restored its business structure to the one before the disaster.

Experts have urged the government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. to do more to encourage evacuated foreign nationals to return to Japan. "[The government and TEPCO] need to work harder on disclosing accurate information on the Fukushima nuclear accidents, including information on the effects on the human body," said Mitsumaru Kumagai, chief economist at Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd.

(Apr. 8, 2011)

08/04 Hitachi to cut back on new nuclear power projects

BY SATOSHI DAIGUJI STAFF WRITER

2011/04/08

Hiroaki Nakanishi, president of Hitachi Ltd. (Satoshi Daiguji)

Hitachi Ltd. will scale back its nuclear power projects following the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, but will continue this key business line by strengthening safety features for current and planned reactors.

Hiroaki Nakanishi, president of Hitachi, said in an interview Wednesday that the company will take a fresh look at its nuclear power projects due to rising public alarm.

"We have to review (the projects)," he said. "It would be difficult to gain public understanding for the projects."

Hitachi is a leading maker of nuclear-related facilities, along with Toshiba Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Hitachi built the No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

Utilities will likely be forced to postpone construction of nuclear power facilities after the fallout of the nuclear crisis caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

Tohoku Electric Power Co. has already decided to freeze construction of a new reactor at its Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture, which was about to get under way.

Nakanishi indicated a grim outlook on exports of nuclear power infrastructure to Vietnam, which is being jointly pushed by Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant.

"(The nuclear crisis) has various impacts," Nakanishi said.

Hitachi expected to receive orders for more than 38 new reactors in and out of Japan by 2030, drawing on a favorable view of nuclear power generation in recent years as a way of slowing global warming.

With this goal, Hitachi's estimate for nuclear-related sales was put at 380 billion yen ($4.47 billion) by fiscal 2020, 1.8 times the figure for fiscal 2009.

Nakanishi said the extent of the anticipated fallout will vary from country to country his company is targeting, but he stressed that nuclear-power projects will remain a key business for his company despite the Fukushima disaster.

"It's impossible not to use nuclear power at all in the world," he said. "We are not thinking of giving up nuclear power plant projects."

He also said Hitachi will bolster safety measures for all the reactors it is involved with--those in service and planned--to withstand massive earthquakes and tsunami to help sustain nuclear-power generation.

"We need to equip the reactors with features that will never fail to activate minimum emergency procedures despite a tsunami comparable to or more powerful than the latest one," Nakanishi said.

He added that Hitachi is not liable for the damage as a builder of the troubled reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

"We have not given it a thought because our design was based on national standards," he said.

Nakanishi said Hitachi's consolidated financial results for fiscal 2010 ending in March will be "significantly" reduced due to extensive damages it has incurred at many of its factories in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, the company's birthplace, and in the stricken region.

Most of the factories in the affected region, including those in Ibaraki Prefecture, had been idle after the disasters. Nakanishi said that the company faces a possible shortage of parts from suppliers, although about 90 percent of its key factories have resumed operations.

Another potential headache is a shortage of electricity in eastern Japan this summer, where Hitachi's factories and offices are concentrated.

Utilities in eastern Japan have projected limited power supplies after their nuclear and non-nuclear power plants have been damaged in the quake and tsunami.

As for dividends, Nakanishi promised the payout of a dividend of 3 yen per share.

08/04 Hitachi to cut back on new nuclear power projects

Hitachi to cut back on new nuclear power projects

BY SATOSHI DAIGUJI STAFF WRITER

2011/04/08

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Hiroaki Nakanishi, president of Hitachi Ltd. (Satoshi Daiguji)

Hitachi Ltd. will scale back its nuclear power projects following the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, but will continue this key business line by strengthening safety features for current and planned reactors.

Hiroaki Nakanishi, president of Hitachi, said in an interview Wednesday that the company will take a fresh look at its nuclear power projects due to rising public alarm.

"We have to review (the projects)," he said. "It would be difficult to gain public understanding for the projects."

Hitachi is a leading maker of nuclear-related facilities, along with Toshiba Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Hitachi built the No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

Utilities will likely be forced to postpone construction of nuclear power facilities after the fallout of the nuclear crisis caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

Tohoku Electric Power Co. has already decided to freeze construction of a new reactor at its Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture, which was about to get under way.

Nakanishi indicated a grim outlook on exports of nuclear power infrastructure to Vietnam, which is being jointly pushed by Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant.

"(The nuclear crisis) has various impacts," Nakanishi said.

Hitachi expected to receive orders for more than 38 new reactors in and out of Japan by 2030, drawing on a favorable view of nuclear power generation in recent years as a way of slowing global warming.

With this goal, Hitachi's estimate for nuclear-related sales was put at 380 billion yen ($4.47 billion) by fiscal 2020, 1.8 times the figure for fiscal 2009.

Nakanishi said the extent of the anticipated fallout will vary from country to country his company is targeting, but he stressed that nuclear-power projects will remain a key business for his company despite the Fukushima disaster.

"It's impossible not to use nuclear power at all in the world," he said. "We are not thinking of giving up nuclear power plant projects."

He also said Hitachi will bolster safety measures for all the reactors it is involved with--those in service and planned--to withstand massive earthquakes and tsunami to help sustain nuclear-power generation.

"We need to equip the reactors with features that will never fail to activate minimum emergency procedures despite a tsunami comparable to or more powerful than the latest one," Nakanishi said.

He added that Hitachi is not liable for the damage as a builder of the troubled reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

"We have not given it a thought because our design was based on national standards," he said.

Nakanishi said Hitachi's consolidated financial results for fiscal 2010 ending in March will be "significantly" reduced due to extensive damages it has incurred at many of its factories in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, the company's birthplace, and in the stricken region.

Most of the factories in the affected region, including those in Ibaraki Prefecture, had been idle after the disasters. Nakanishi said that the company faces a possible shortage of parts from suppliers, although about 90 percent of its key factories have resumed operations.

Another potential headache is a shortage of electricity in eastern Japan this summer, where Hitachi's factories and offices are concentrated.

Utilities in eastern Japan have projected limited power supplies after their nuclear and non-nuclear power plants have been damaged in the quake and tsunami.

As for dividends, Nakanishi promised the payout of a dividend of 3 yen per share.

08/04 被災自治体などに特別交付税７６２億円 ８日中にも

被災自治体などに特別交付税７６２億円　８日中にも

2011年4月8日12時55分

　菅政権は８日、東日本大震災の被災自治体などに総額約７６２億円の特別交付税を同日中にも交付することを決めた。同税は自然災害などに遭った自治体に交付するのが通例だが、今回は特例的に福島原発事故の影響を受けた自治体と、被災地に応援職員を派遣した自治体にも交付する。

　内訳は青森、岩手、宮城、福島、茨城、栃木、千葉７県とこれらの県内の１９０市町村に計約７０４億円、応援職員を送った各自治体に計約５７億円。交付は通常、１２月と３月の年２回だが、３月末の法改正で大規模災害時に即時に交付できる特例ができ、今回はこの特例を適用する。

　各自治体への交付額は、損壊家屋の数や亡くなった住民の数などを算定基準とするが、片山善博総務相は「これまでとは異なった算定基準を導入して交付額を算定する」と述べ、原発の被害自治体、被災地に応援を送った自治体にも財政支援すると表明している。

07/04 福島県漁協連、操業自粛を継続 国や東電に補償要求へ

福島県漁協連、操業自粛を継続　国や東電に補償要求へ

2011年4月7日19時14分

漁業再開や漁港整備の協議のために開催された福島県漁業協同組合長会議で、謝罪する東京電力の社員（左側）＝７日午後、福島市中町、山本裕之撮影

　福島県漁業協同組合連合会は７日に開いた会合で、操業を当分の間中止し、その期間中の被害について国や東京電力に補償を求めることを決めた。会合には東電幹部も出席し、原発事故や海の汚染を謝罪。補償要求に「誠心誠意対応していく」とした。

　県内五つの組合長らが福島市内に集まり、今後の対応を話し合った。連合会は原発事故後に漁を自粛してきたが、この日の会合で、魚介類への放射性物質の影響を調べるサンプリング調査をするまでは、自粛を続けることを確認した。

　東電側は、福島第一原発から低濃度の放射能汚染水を海に放出した経緯などを報告。高津浩明常務は「緊急回避の措置だったが、関係者には非常に申し訳なく思っている」と謝罪した。

　出席者からは「事前に何の連絡もなかった」「われわれ漁業者は死んでもよいのか」などと怒りの声が次々とあがった。（古庄暢）

08/04 専門家、Ｍ７級余震続く可能性指摘 注意呼びかけ

専門家、Ｍ７級余震続く可能性指摘　注意呼びかけ

2011年4月8日12時42分

印刷

　宮城県沖で７日深夜に起こったマグニチュード（Ｍ）７．４の地震は、３月１１日のＭ９の地震の余震と見られる。気象庁や専門家は、今後も同規模や、さらに大きい余震が起きる可能性を指摘、注意を呼びかけている。

　７日深夜の余震は、プレート（岩板）境界で起きた本震と異なり、沈み込む海のプレートの内部で起きた。震源の深さは約４０キロ。Ｍ７を超える余震は、３月１１日に茨城県沖で起きたＭ７．７を含めて４回目。震源が陸に近かったこともあり、余震では最大の震度６強を観測した。

　名古屋大の山岡耕春教授は「揺れは地震の規模と震源からの距離、地盤構造などで決まる。６強の場所は、比較的揺れやすい地盤だった可能性もある」と話す。

　気象庁によると、余震は８日午前０時までに、震度４以上のものだけで９３回起きた。気象庁は大震災後、大きな余震の発生確率を発表してきた。当初は３日間は７０％の確率でＭ７以上が起こるとしていたが、徐々に確率を下げて４月６日には今後３日間に震度５弱の余震が起こる確率を１０％としていた。今回の余震で、確率が変わるかどうかについて「計算しなければ分からない」としている。

　確率は低くなっても余震の警戒は必要。梅田康弘京都大名誉教授は「Ｍ９の地震だと、少なくとも半年はＭ７級の余震を覚悟しなければならない。今回の地震もその一つで、本震より深い場所で起きたため、大きな津波はなかったが、引き続き注意が必要だ」と指摘。東京大地震研究所の平田直教授も「本震よりマグニチュードが１小さい、Ｍ８級の余震が起こる可能性も残る」と話す。

　過去には、本震の数カ月後に大きな余震が起こった例もある。２００４年１２月のスマトラ沖地震（Ｍ９．１）では、約３カ月後の０５年にＭ８．６の地震が起きている。

08/04 3月11日の本震、宮城県沖の海底55メートルずれる

　大津波を引き起こした東日本大震災の本震で、宮城県沖の海底が最大で約５５メートル動いたと見られることが、東京大地震研究所の解析で分かった。海底の地盤が大きく動いた領域は、津波被害が集中した地域の延長線上にあたり、津波を増幅させる原因になったと考えられるという。

　岩手県釜石市沖約５０キロと約９０キロの海底に設置した観測機器のデータを用いて、古村孝志教授と前田拓人東大特任助教らが解析した。

　解析によると、最も大きな地殻変動があったのは、宮城県牡鹿半島の２００キロほど沖の海底で、陸側のプレート（岩板）の先端部分にあたる。幅約５５キロ、長さ約１６０キロにわたり、南東方向に約５５メートルもずれていた。地震波による解析でも、同様の結果が得られたという。

　この一帯は、別の研究グループの観測で、地震時に海底が約５メートル隆起したことが分かっている。陸のプレートの先端が、跳ね上がりながら激しく動いたことが裏付けられ、古村教授は「海底の地下の浅い場所で大きな地殻変動があったことが、大津波につながった」と分析する。

　１８９６年の明治三陸地震でも、今回と同じように、陸のプレートの先端の海底が激しく動いたとみられ、大津波で２万人以上が犠牲となった。

　古村教授は「今回は、明治三陸地震で動いた場所の南の領域が動いた。今後、さらに南の福島沖や北側の部分で同様の地震が起きる可能性があるのか注視していきたい」と話している。（鈴木彩子）