A doctor conducts a thyroid examination on a 5-year-old girl as her older brother and a nurse take care of her at a clinic in temporary housing complex in Nihonmatsu, west of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Fukushima Prefecture. In Koriyama, a short drive from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, the city recommended shortly after the disaster that children up to two years old not spend more than 15 minutes outside each day. Those aged 3 to 5 should limit their outdoor time to 30 minutes or less. The limits were lifted last year, but many kindergartens and nursery schools continue to obey them even now in line with the wishes of worried parents.
© Japan Today
Thyroid examination
©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
21 Comments
Login to comment
papigiulio
Unbelievable. Poor kids. 15 minutes is nothing. Looks like jail.
slumdog
Inside or outside, I cannot see that it would make that much difference if the radiation levels were high in those areas. How could they let people stay there? I still do not get this to this very day.
Disillusioned
This photo should be hung in every TEPCO and political office around the country to remind them they are a bunch economically motivated ass holes!
kimuzukashiiiii
If the parents were so worried they would have moved away. Radiation does not care about walls or windows.
the_odeman
As a resident of Koriyama, I know the levels vary quite extraordinarily depending on where you live. Some parks have crazy high levels, while other areas are quite low. It is the randomness of these levels that are the scariest thing.
The government has set up radiation reader booths in front of every school I believe, but the dodgy thing is that they decontaminate only around that machine, and the levels rise up again only 10-20 metres away.
gogogo
Government should be ashamed, Tepco posting record profits and then there is this, every Tepco director should see this photo
David Foley
Maybe if Kumamon or Funnashi gets irradiated the Japanese populace would become more infuriated. They all seem to value yurukyara and commercialism over life and health.
smithinjapan
I'd like every person in favor of restarting the nukes to 'save money' to take a look at this little girl and imagine replacing her with their own child or relative. Forget about the result and that these kids are limited in terms of outdoor time if you are shallow enough, and keep in mind th fact that children have to undergo such tests to begin with.
Shame on the industry! And shame on those that support it.
Ranger_Miffy2
Why haven't people taken action? Closing the windows is less than useless, it's delusional. Do something! Go make a tent city outside TEPCO's president's home and office. Draw some attention. Organize and find other places to live instead of sitting there in fear.
Heda_Madness
Smith, I'd like ever person opposed to nukes to save money to pay for all of the cancers, bronchitis, asthma etc associated with the air pollution that comes from non-nuclear.
As Zichi said there were high numbers of thyroid cancer after Chernobyl because they continued to eat milk, spinnach and other foodstuffs. None of that happened in Japan. There will be an increase of thyroid cancer but that shouldn't result in extra fatalities. In fact given the high numbers of children tested this could actually save lives (ironic hey). Stages 1 and 2 of thyroid have a near 100% recovery rate. Which is one of the reasons why they WHO and others have suggested that there will be few deaths from Fukushima.
And why were these kids restricted with out door time? Who advocated that? I'd be very interested to know the science behind it. I've been to parts of Fukushima, closer to Dai Ichi, and played outside with Kids. The Playground of hope has built playgrounds in Fukushima - I guess people on here would call them irresponsible?
Now if you could please provide similar data on the other fuels - the ones that you promote that would be much appreciated. Shame on people for supporting nuclear?
TrevorPeace1
The look on that little girl's face says it all - worry, unhappiness, fear. Not good.
FizzBit
The consumption monster has got us by the balls. We don't even care that a triple meltdown has occurred. War is now a TV show. We should be wiped out cuz humans will never achieve those high ideals that are only seen in SciFi movies
mukashiyokatta
"Let me assure you, the situation is under control."
bluesea67
That poor little girl looks like she going to have nightmares about this Kids in Modern Wealthy countries shouldn't be living in fear of their environment
JTDanMan
Cute kid.
Allow me to rephrase: Kids everywhere shouldn't live in fear of their environment.
Fukuppy
Why are the kids still there? This is madness!
Wolfpack
@Ranger
Should we be expecting that you will be traveling to these locations to set up the headquarters tent? Most people aren't professional protestors - though the ranks of those so "employed" seems to grow with each passing year.
If there is a real threat to children's health then the most rational course of action would be to relocate them to a safer place. Parents aren't incapable of managing that on their own.
hikkifan17
Such a sad image, just the image itself, you can tell the story it is telling. Especially the child laying down and getting examined.
MarkG
Terribly sad! No child should live so restricted or potentially contaminated. Ever!
Nuclear energy is perfect except it can be so dangerous and the spent fuel issue. I prefer no nukes.
Utrack
Video: Fukushima child has radioactivity of 6,000 disintegrations per second inside body
http://enenews.com/video-fukushima-child-has-radioactivity-of-6000-disintegrations-per-second-inside-body