Geiger counters sell out in Akihabara over radiation fears

If I was in Japan I guess I would be doing the same & more so if I had children going to school. Not necessary in North America, as of to date, for said nuclear power plants plus the reactors are a bit younger.

To my knowledge only two of them in the Province of Ontario & three in the Province of Quebec, though 104 in the USA, but then much larger population then Cdn.

@knowitall There seems to be an amazing lack of real time online radiation monitoring sites around Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health's hourly measurements don't count? Sorry, they don't provide information in English. I assume they have greater priorities now than translating geiger counter readings.

Valid point here. Many people lament the lack of information despite the fact that in many (note: but not all) cases there is information available in Japanese.

@takosrus

Panic buying of food (I saw 1 man with 100kg of rice last night in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka) and gas and no the buying out of all geiger counters.

There should really be quotas in place; actions like these could mean that people miss out on essentials - it counters all the good will stories that are being reported regarding the patience and vigilance being shown by the Japanese - though I did read a mixi post about a 'suspicious' tokyo gas employee, so those at risk please look out for con artists/opportunists.

People are wearing masks here?!?! Oh no must be the radiation!!!

Of course it ain't. People are still suffering from hay fever. Did last year and the year before...and all the years before that. Has nothing to do with radiation.

All I can say to the people who bought them... idiots the lot of you!!

Alphaape at 11:42 AM JST - 18th March

If you buy one and get a high reading, what will you do? If you are not wearing protective clothing you are already exposed. What will you do then?

Spot on. Someone told me people outside were wearing masks to protect against radiation. Hello? Well, at least it's cheaper than buying one of these gadgets at 50-100k a pop.

It would be better to spend the money on people who need it right now instead of buying these expensive gadgets.

Don't forget to calibrate them.....

who knew you could just walk in somewhere and buy one. this reader won`t be but hey - if you feel the need. i think a little crazy.

@milkihouse In case of a meltdown, the plant will be buried. However, there is concern that the radiation may spread through underground water.

explosion not likely, maybe a meltdown. If a meltdown occurs, the plant will be buried under sand and concrete and surrounded by thick walls to prevent radiation over a wide area. Remember its an inverse square law which means the raidoactivity falls 1/4 when the distance from the source of radiation is doubled. The radiation recorded in Tokyo was 5x less than a dental x-ray.

I've been assured b several people that even in a worst case scenario, with the plant melting down completely/exploding, and winds blowing the radiation toward Tokyo, the radiation that would reach Tokyo would not be harmful to human health. Have I been misinformed on this?

There seems to be an amazing lack of real time online radiation monitoring sites around Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health's hourly measurements don't count? Sorry, they don't provide information in English. I assume they have greater priorities now than translating geiger counter readings.

Very odd since the only hysteria and panic behavior regarding radiation is from the foreign press....right?

@Suzu1: Because the foreign press is not under the control of the J-Gov, and its decree of not reporting any news unless it is vetted by the J-Gov first.

Suzu, the foreign press are the one buying them. LOL!

mizuame check here:

tinyurl.com / 4w9ndj8

Very odd since the only hysteria and panic behavior regarding radiation is from the foreign press....right?

“I’ll be measuring the radiation level at home every day,” said a housewife.

I hope she hasn't got one of those luminescent clocks. Wave the geiger counter near it and she'll think the whole place is covered in fallout.

The professionals are using specialist equipment at monitoring stations across the region to measure the radiation. It ain't even close to dangerous in places like Tokyo, nor will it ever be. Too far away and not enough explosions.

There seems to be an amazing lack of real time online radiation monitoring sites around Tokyo. There is coverage with multiple sensor positions at a J. gov't site of Yokosuka, Sasebo and White Beach in Okinawa, all south of Tokyo. The rationale seems to be that the main radiation danger is from USN ships. There is a NGO site with a single sensor at Hino, to the west of Tokyo. But as for Tokkyo itself and the area between Tokyo and Fukushima, there seems to be nothing...

If you buy one and get a high reading, what will you do? If you are not wearing protective clothing you are already exposed. What will you do then?

Go online, some guy has a streaming feed from a geiger counter in Tokyo. The radiation levels are normal. Stop panicking.

I understand why people are buying these - governments lie. I am English and, when the radiation cloud from Chernobyl passed over the UK 25 years ago, the British government issued - almost word-for-word - the same statements of reassurance as the Japanese Goverment is now doing. Then, a few years ago when restricted documents pertaining to that incident were de-classified, it was revealed that the radiation had indeed effected the population - causing miscarriages etc. Even as of 2009, "sheep farmed in some areas of the UK are still subject to inspection which may lead to them being prohibited from entering the human food chain because of contamination arising from the accident" (quote from Wikipedia)

I don't get it why people would buy this stuff for household use?

People tend to have clouded judgement when scared and panicked

Where can I buy one of those hazmat suits?

As long as you don't eat, drink or breath -a radiation jumpsuit will save you.

I don't get it why people would buy this stuff for household use? There are a lot of information on the net and news that gives out the current results which are far more detailed and accurate. If you are really concerned about this then I think it's more reasonable to buy those anti-radiation jumpsuits.

I'd do it to. I could understand the government trying not to tell the people if the radiation is worse than it seems, a panic would strike the people. Any time something drastic occurs people freak out which is understandable and they would want to prevent that. But I would buy one for that fact as well and because I would be paranoid and wouldn't want to risk it.

Not to make light of the situation, but if the Japanese government needed a way to get people spending, this disaster has done that. Panic buying of food (I saw 1 man with 100kg of rice last night in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka) and gas and no the buying out of all geiger counters.

This is probably the best investment you can buy right now. With people being uncertain about the Gov telling them the truth about these radiation levels.

Keeping people daily checking accurate results by their eyes ...