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What do you think about the current disclosure of information by the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) concerning the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant complex, comp

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I think the major problem for foreigners still here now is that they tend to expect the same general transparency they may get in their home countries during such emergencies, and it isn't going to happen quite that way here. I believe that TEPCO and the government are giving us as much information as we need to get a reasonable grasp on the general reality, while at the same time trying to emphasize every possible step is being undertaken by the assemblage of nuclear specialists from Japan and abroad. I recommend NHK's English online news as a good source of recent information, and prefer their encouraging tone over the tacky, sensationalist and often irresponsible headlines the overseas media seems to think will sell their stories.

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I see several good points here...also some real ignorant comments. I live 129 KM or 80.6 MILEs from Plant #1 I check the hourly Radiation readings for Utsunomiya area, I Also watch for the Water & Food contamination reports. If I cant trust these, I have nothing and should leave. I like what "bogva at 01:14 PM JST - 13th April said" "I think the main problem here is that both TEPCO and the government also don't know! How can you expect them to tell you everything? They just don't know and it is better to tell what they know in the moment than speculate and make people panic". Everyone needs to trust somewhat in the things that Tepco and the Japan Government is doing. Continue to educate yourselves with everything that is available and YES be prepared for the worst, Just DONT panic. If you cant do this, then you need to make the ultimate decision to leave Japan or "get to higher ground", if you feel you are too close. Currently I am comfortable at 129KM away. However all of the other foreigners in my area went back to their foreign homes. I also have a Japanese wife and family in this area...it makes a difference...I cant see just turning and running away. I dont feel the Risk is that great here. I feel terrible about those that are within 20-30KM...when is this going to get better...When can those people re-claim their lives and property if ever??? Thats the real issue here.

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I think the disclosure of information is fine. It's important that the public not panic. The government needs to make sure only the essentials and elites get enough information to make their decisions, and when things have settled down more information can be released.

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if there was a cause for concern, wouldn't they move the Emperor and the PM and his cabinet to more safer areas

Umm...PM and Emperor dont live in Fukushima, last time I checked. Tokyo is not in danger - other places close to the reactor (potentially) are.

I don't know if you can put your faith in TEPCO, they have a shocking record of cover ups as has been well-documented. Can you be sure that they have turned over a new leaf now?

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It is not just the bankers in Tokyo that wanted to save their own skins. I know foreign executives of large companies in Kansai that were out of Japan as soon as the crisis started,not leaving anything to chance. At present there is no comprehensive study of where the fallout has gone. Nobody can pinpoint that with 100% certainty either. However,contamination of the food chain is sure to occur as fallout is ingested and moved around the country over time. The number of cancers that will occur over a 10-50 year period has been reported to be in the hundreds of thousand and the reactors are still spewing toxins even now.Accumulated contamination in the body is hard to detect, and is a real possibility for those living in the vicinity of the fallout. The truth is that even accurate information will not solve the problem. But I would assume the worst, until the whole place is totally covered with concrete,clay and earth.

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If they are up to par, then why keep apologizing for something that's like the " acts of god "............... May be TEPCO knows something we don't ?

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Most of us are not equipped, intellectually, to handle truth even if we recognized it, particularly where science and technology is concerned. So, how would we process truth and how would we behave according to our understanding of truth. The danger, of course, is a government that tells you what to think.

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gonemad, I agree in great extent to what you say.

There is very good article outlying all the events especially in the first 2 weeks. For one thing I was well informed even in the first hours - actually more than surprised that those engineers instead of orking on recovery had to stay and answer questions for hours for the press. Did we need to know the exact construction of the central? Do we need to know exactly why they need to empty the basement. Explanations, explanations... I don't need them! I need to know they have found solutions and they are working hard to get in control!

About measurements I know now ship is dispatched to monitor samples from offshore (more than 30-50 km). They also started measuring vast number of points in Fukushima and other places - you can see the news coming. Problem is lack of trained people and equipment.

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Oh well leave if you have to....cnc I like what youre saying except the part that has nothing to do with this crisis, about Japan not having enough land. There is plenty of land, but it is very controlled-just ask those up north and seeking areas to build their temporary accomodation. Prefectural govt are being strict! At a time like this, can you believe it.?!? And level land zoned as farming, and I bet there is tonnes not being used, doesnt seem being offered up charitably. Mountainsides that sit there that could be levelled at parts, are not considered either....Land talk, is THE talk in construction....

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During the first days, my impression was that the disclosure of information was relatively good, considering the situation and considering that TEPCO people at the plant were obviously not well prepared for this kind of disaster. When you are busy trying to get the situation under control, the least important point for you is reporting. This is the point where the failure of the government sets in. They knew from the very beginning about the problems which they acknowledged by quickly declaring the nuclear emergency state. From this point on it is the government's obligation to collect all required information which is necessary to protect the citizen, and if necessary send their own experts to obtain it directly. Relying on TEPCO and Kan driving to the TEPCO office and shouting around is plain ridiculous. He should have done that at NISA!

What should have started a long time ago and is still missing today are systematic measurements close to the plant as well as wider areas around it, the sea and even the air. And not only about radiation levels but also about which isotopes have been found. On top of that a forecast based on wind and precipitation conditions. This is the important information which should be communicated instead of that bllsht discussion about the size of the evacuation circles. Radiation can be much higher at distant places than close to the plant.

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'herefornow' You are seemingly looking at events concerning only to you and your immediate acquaintances. It is a naturally human reaction and I bet everyone you or I know has had the same opinions over the issue but, there are those of us who are leaders and they have to think and make decisions on a much grander scale.

Lets for the sake of argument, say that TEPCO and J-Gov acted as everyone else (especially the foreign media), acted all over the world, what would they have done? Create an 'Independence Day'-like panic scenario and have all the population within 300km evacuate to...where? Japan does not have that much land to begin with, and none of the other nations came forward and offered to relocate the evacuees. Plus the push for hourly updates on the situation also contributes to work progress. I mean if everyone is gonna accusing Japan of hiding the severity of the situation then at-least also offer serious help.

I also know nuclear experts did come from other countries and were sent back because of red-tape. The solutions they were bringing was to bury the whole area under tons of cement, which will never stop radioactive leeching underground, and this is where the Japanese want to start.

Anyway my point originally was that I did and still trust the news coming out from the Japanese media rather than listen to anything backed by any other government.

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If you doubt the information and are concerned about safety, then you should assume it's worse than announced and act accordingly.

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One, I agree that they do not yet know everything. The insides of the reactors are still 'dark' to them. By looking at whatever figures they can get with any still-functioning instruments, they have been making educated guesses and hoping for the best.

Two, they still have not told us what is in the basements that require this pumping so badly. Only that in order to allow workers in, this highly radioactive water must be pumped out to somewhere. Last month some sub workers received radiation burns when laying new cable from external electric power sources.

On the news this morning I caught a reporter suggesting that the pumps for the reactor cooling systems were all built in the basements. Hai? Now, if this is the case, then the whole story begins to hang together and make more sense. If they can get their submerged pumps working, the fire and concrete trucks will be out of business and they will be one more step towards restoration of more permanent systems. We have had constant updates and explanations on what needs to be emptied before what can be pumped in and from where, but never a word on the real reasons behind what is going on. Still groping in the dark here, but how transparent is that?

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Defining severity is not something that would change the way they dealt in the whole situation. Some mistakes were made but you can not expect everything to be perfect in such a disaster and stress.

bova -- please stop rationalizing institutional incompetence and lack of transparency. "Defining the severity" at a very early stage would have done two very important things. First off, it would have assured the international nuclear community that Japan truly had a grasp on the situation, and, therefore, could be reasonably be expected to able to handle it. The lack of transparency only heightened worldwide concerns that Japan was clueless as to what to do. Second, being straight with the Japanese people would have increased confidence in Kan and his team's ability to manage the crisis. Instead, by using a bunch of gobblygook phrasing, they have done just the opposite. This has simply increased the level of uncertainty/anxiety here.

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I think the main problem here is that both TEPCO and the government also don't know! How can you expect them to tell you everything? They just don't know and it is better to tell what they know in the moment than speculate and make people panic. Defining severity is not something that would change the way they dealt in the whole situation. Some mistakes were made but you can not expect everything to be perfect in such a disaster and stress. Beware that the worst haven't come yet - nothing has finished and actually I see good signs they are calling the things with more real names.

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I had never lost trust or confidence in the news I was receiving from the Japanese government or TEPCO.

cnc -- surely you jest. I still have no confidence in anything coming out of Edano's or TEPCO's mouth. First off, they've known since just a few days after the quake that this was higher than a level 5, since most of the radiation was released early on. And, nuclear experts worldwide were saying as much. Second, they still refuse to define the true severity of the problem, so folks can know just how close this was to an even worse disaster. All the radiation data points to the conclusion that #2 had a 70% meltdown. Yet all Edano/Tepco will admit to is a "partial" meltdown. Sorry, so long as they refuse to be totally tranparent I have no use for them, and will continue to get information from onerseas sources.

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Benevolent Deception!

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We will NEVER know the whole truth. Fact of life.

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I had never lost trust or confidence in the news I was receiving from the Japanese government or TEPCO. if there was a cause for concern, wouldn't they move the Emperor and the PM and his cabinet to more safer areas before they let us know what is happening.

And comparing to what other governments tell their citizens I can confidently say the Japanese are more honest so I still will trust them.

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The information hasnt changed, only the level grading, and good on Japan showing the world that even a level seven is quite controllable, and really not as scary as foreign media and nationals are making it out to be.

So every country, every single country is wrong, especially the nuclear nations of their overall analysis as if they have a personal Vendetta towards Japan for some benign reason and they just don't know what they are talking about. None of the international nuclear physicist have the intellectual and mental capacity to make ANY kind of comments or recommendations, structural changes to help Japan?! I highly doubt that!

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The information hasnt changed, only the level grading, and good on Japan showing the world that even a level seven is quite controllable, and really not as scary as foreign media and nationals are making it out to be.

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It is difficult to have confidence in their information now. I am wondering why the word 'Plutonium' is never mentioned. All the nuclear plants need to closed immediately, as the likelihood of continued big quakes and volcanic eruptions as result is very real, and must be given serious consideration.

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