Lawsuit seeks evacuation of Fukushima children

Let's see the gikai and Tokyo university relocate their functions to Koriyama as it's so safe!

While Tepco battle nuclear meltdowns with plastic sheeting,sticky tape and buckets rest assured that the world's radioactive exposure can only increase. Soon it won't matter where we live......

For such a tech savvy nation Japan can be incredibly backwards sometimes. I am shocked by the poor efforts to sort out Fukushima. But the number one issue that angers me is that they continue to live in denial that there is a risk to the people living in irradiated areas.

This does not bode well for the day that something else major happens in this country. It will be up to every family to know that you are truly on your own. Japan's leaders will care far more about how they appear and what it costs than what is right to do.

In a culture that frowns upon challenging the authorities

^ This is why the empty suits in office and clowns at Tepco get off scot-free, anyone would think that this is NK were talking about.

I'm just a layman but I have friends in medicine here in Japan. Having coffee in my doctor friend's kitchen I noticed that she had over 10 kilos of rice stored. I was told that their two year old loves rice! But only rice that has been bought in western Japan I was told with a wry smile.

A prominent medical doctor in charge of health safety in Fukushima has repeatedly urged calm, noting damage is measurable only at annual exposure of 100 millisieverts, or 100 times the normal level, and higher.

... in adults. With all due respect to this "prominent medical doctor", the effects of radiation on children are known to be more severe, but there's insufficient data at present to calculate the precise point where exposure to radiation starts creating an elevated risk of cancer for children at various ages. The data out of Europe indicates that it is definitely much lower than the level for adults (100 millsieverts). I suspect this doctor may be being selectively quoted or entirely misquoted, but failing that he needs his medical license revoked for reckless endangerment.

Natural background levels are 24 millisieverts a year in America. So we should evacuate the USA of children! It is not from Fukushima but the above-ground atomic tests of the 1950s and 60's.

The trial has attracted scant attention in the mainstream Japanese media but it has drawn support from anti-nuclear protesters, who have periodically held massive rallies.

Ah! Once again the J-media doing its job, which is to heavily censor, AVOID reporting & to put out lots of propaganda, way to go Japan! NOT!

Natural background levels are 24 millisieverts a year in America.

Where in the US are background levels this high found? Background levels vary by location and altitude, but in the US (and worldwide) they are on the order of 2-3mSv/yr. 24mSv/yr is typical only of very high altitude (like cruising altitude for a plane, not where people live).

20mSv/yr may be a reasonable cutoff for adults - I'm no expert on radiation health effects, but occupational limits for adults tend to be ~50mSv/yr in many countries, so some fraction of that seems appropriate. But if the science on low level radiation effects on adults is spotty (and it is) then there are even fewer data on what threshold is appropriate for children. It should, however, be lower than that for adults.

I would hope that whatever limits set are based on data available and neither are lowered in response to irrational panic nor raised for political purposes. But we know there's low chance of that.

They'll reject it. And in 20 years when these 'kids' are dying from all sorts of cancers related to the nuclear power plant the law will say, "We had no way of knowing!", and "shouganai".

@yuriOtani,

US Natural background radiation is far from the 24mSv that you are stating.

Natural Background radiation does not include remains from bomb tests and other man made events. Natural Background radiation in the US is something like 2-3mSv Additional radiation from man made events (plus medical and work exposure) is perhaps another 3mSv.

beats the forbes article on psychological fear causing the residents to have illegal anticorporate thoughts ... no corresponding thyroid tests on children in japan.. i think you have to do no further than the japanese thyroid association (prof yamashita ) and the uk thyroid association (prof G thomas) and some promises that were made in the fukushima symposium of september 2011.. "destroy the thyroid samples just keep the data said G thomas and 100 msV/y is good for you more or less, statistically speaking said R Wakeford (ex BNFL) See the videos of the fukushima symposium for evidence... however in fairness to G thomas she responded to my horror at this statement and after 4 days i recieved a full explanation.. it was a statement that was theory not fact.. an explanation... blah blah! A full transcript can be found on enenews using the search terms "arclight Thomas Fukushima symposium september 2011 wakeford Imperial college" or contact arclight@nuclear-news.is and i will send you the transcript .. you cant make this stuff up! imo my phone address book was hacked 8 hours after sending the email to imperial college university london .. crime number for complaint 0700344/12 .. i logged it with the london met .. the vodaphone investigation was stopped by an unknown department? and a new investigation was opened up on me instead!! blimey! did i hit a raw spot then?? just thought i would share a bloggers perspective here.. i am london based great post JT peace

The way this is being handled reminds me somewhat of how the Japanese government and Chisso Corporation handled the Minamata-byo incident which involved children born with deformities as a result of Chisso's release of mercury into Minamata Bay.

In that case, the cause of the deformities was discovered in 1956, but government recognition didn't come until 1969, and a final court settlement for the victims didn't come until 2010. A lot was swept under the rug then, similar to what seems to be happening now.

What do these families actually want? If I thought my children were at a high risk of cancer I would voluntarily evacuate (might be tempted to sue for relocation costs though). It seems odd that they would stay there if they think its a dangerous environment. Perhaps they can't afford to move?

Sofa_King, Perhaps they can't afford to move?

This could well be the case. They have lost their job or source of income. The cannot use their land, live in the house which they may have spent the last twenty or thirty years paying for. They have probably spent most of their savings. Savings can go quickly when you have no income.

Their demand: The right to live free of radiation.

The reality: There isn't a location on this planet where they can live "free of radiation." Ergo, their demand is impossible to be granted.

Gaijintraveller : this city is well inland and didn't suffer much earthquake damage either. The city looks to be basically functioning normally. If these families are struggling financially it probably isn't for the reasons you listed.

The city looks to be basically functioning normally. If these families are struggling financially it probably isn't for the reasons you listed.

http://fukushima-evacuation-e.blogspot.jp/2013/02/the-condition-of-nihonmatsu-city.html

-In reality the damage has already been done and kids are leaving with their mothers and eventually the whole family. I think they wanted to keep some part of their community (group) together. =These places will eventually be ghost towns as the old die out.

A girl in grade 7: After the accident at the nuclear power plants, as I watched TV and heard someone talking about it, I became a little bit worried that I might become ill in 10 years or so, but wasn't very cautious.

But, now I've learnt and I have 3 things I am worried about.

No.1. I'm worried if I can have a healthy baby like a normal woman when I grow up and get married. My mum looks after me very well. She asks my school to keep me indoors during PE lessons. As much as she can, she buys food from far way places in Japan and abroad. She is so thoughtful. But, I think I already have a bit of radiation inside of my body. So, maybe my body is more polluted than a normal person's. I think of the possibility of my baby to be born with some defects. If I'm not lucky enough, maybe, my womb is damaged, and I might not be able to have a baby at all. So, I'm ready for giving up having a baby when I get old.

No.2. I'm worried about what will happen to Fukushima in the future. I love my mum and dad very much. They live in Fukushima. My friends, Grandma and Grandpa live in Fukushima, too. I really want all of us to move to somewhere else far away from here, but we can't. My Mum is so kind that she sends me to the rest and recuperation programmes, but many of my friends don't go because their mums don't allow them. I'm worried about my health. I am worried even more about the health of my friends' and that of the people who are important to me. I'm worried the most about my mum. She's been trying very hard to keep me safe. Recently, I had a dream where people in Fukushima die in a few years because of radiation. This scares me a lot. These scary thoughts keep me awake at night. I hope this dream won't come true.

No.3. although the people in the government know we are suffering, but they don't do anything. I'm passed feeling sad and now feel very angry about them. They don't protect our lives. People in Fukushima are suffering because of the nuclear power plants making electricity for the people in Tokyo. And, I think it's wrong the government doesn't do anything to help us and pretend they don't know anything about us. Not only the government, but the Fukushima local government also doesn't do anything. I want to tell them, "you pretend you are a victim, but actually you are guilty too".

Lastly, people from all over the world are thinking of us, but I say, they don't know much about the danger of having nuclear power. I want to tell them about the danger of radiation and ask them never to repeat the same mistake.

I am grateful to the things I learnt. It helped me think through these things.

= a childhood stolen by radiation and greed.