Teachmeteachyou comments

Reading through the comments here, I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding about what this operation is hoping to achieve. It's not trying to keep radiation in as such the way lead could, but to trap particles in the sea-bed where they settled, so they don't drift out any more than they already have.

I certainly wouldn't want to defend the company and it's attempts to avoid compensation and liabilities one bit, but as I see it, attempts to fix things up are another matter and I think it's overly pessimistic to see them as hopeless. In fact, I see a lot of the people involved in containing the radiation as modern-day heroes (even if they are mostly unsung heroes).

Sounds like a good idea. Concrete has been used to shield nuclear power plants for generations and it's a pretty firm and convenient to apply material. I hadn't actually realised that so much of it had settled into the nearby seabed, but seeing as the substances are relatively heavy, it makes sense and this will stop much of them from being washed away by erosion.

I understand the profound loss of faith in TEPCO a lot of people have, but we shouldn't think their actions to improve the situation are pointless and I'd certainly rather they did this than did nothing. I'm pretty sure there are some very intelligent, responsible-minded people involved in this, who realise just how serious the situation is and are doing whatever they can to contain it.

Just the kind of thing the Chinese Communist party likes to hear, as anger at idiots like this is just about the only thing keeping them in power so long past their sell-by date. Personally, I'd like to see Japan move on and take up a leadership role in Asia, just like Germany has in Europe, having this continue is just holding everyone back from the reconciliation that brings peace.

What especially blows my mind is this 'motainai' attitude to things from or near the evacuation zone. Now I know that companies have workers and need to keep working to pay wages and so on. But there should have been a blanket ban on much more than there was, or is. Which does mean massive compensation for those affected. But better safe than sorry- nothing from within that zone (or near it) can be considered safe unless it is tested.

Right, on the train there now.

He sipped but he didn't swallow. At least I hope so, for his sake.

Who knows what other companies were following lax rules because the regulators wanted to keep nuclear cheap? It happened to TEPCO, but the problem is a lack of attention to safety around the board.

Can someone please tell me why they are continuing to harvest anything at all from near there? Plenty of other places that are safer, it just boggles the mind.

The truth is that no-one in the region wants to be the lone chicken picked off by a hungry chinese fox. No-one is saying America is some kind of perfect angel, but at least is mostly a decent country and offers the hand of protection in exchange for some small favours here and there. Certainly, letting America have bases in their country has made South Korea and Japan safer from external threats and being influenced by the sole remaining superpower has lead to some incredible economic growth. Of course, I'd love a safer world and for all this money to go into schools and hospitals rather than battlefields, but smart strategic thinking means you have to be ready for the unthinkable. It's actually a lot cheaper to work with America rather than try and build up an independent deterrent, a kind of pooling of resources.

Though for all this, this is a two-edged sword for the Australian conscience. Positioned far from the events of the rest of the world, there must be a natural instinct to call for pacifism and a return to civilised norms, even when the cultures confronting each other are so different. If the US does use Australia as a launchpad for a colonial war of 'liberation' (a big if, as much of their actions in this region have been humanitarian in nature), it will be hard for Australia to keep a distance from it. They are traditionally strong allies of the US, so it would be unlikely they'd want to, but they might this way be more strongly involved than otherwise. I personally think it's worth the risk and worth trusting America to let them keep the freedom to opt out of any operations they conscientiously object to.

Unbelievable they are trying to pin this on the scientists rather than the poor standard of buildings. I could understand this maybe 500 years ago, but now? Witch hunt is the word. The sad fact is that there is almost never a way to know which tremor will turn out to be a larger quake and even less how to know where exactly it will be significantly large. People can't live on edge the whole time- all that can be done is offer optional evacuations, or say there is some risk, but more to the point, strengthen buildings just in case and have procedures for getting out of harms way as soon as possible if one does hit.

Also, anyone in a quake-prone region should as a matter of course have some emergency sup;plies, torch, water, etc, but with the knowledge that it could come at any time so better to be prepared.

But what @beangry says is of interest. It is always possible that unconventional scientists may stumble upon a useful truth before their findings are properly peer reviewed. The problem is, when to evacuate and how long for? All people can do is prepare and in the case of medieval cities, I wonder how muc can realistically be done to shore up the ancient buildings.

I was just in Thailand, where they are everywhere. I think the problem is the slow acceptance of international foods here in Japan, it happens, but at a hard to determine pace. Take Indian food- it's everywhere now, though for years was on the sidelines, but in my city (Kashiwa), the two Vietnamese/Thai restaurants we had recently closed down, which saddens me as they were some of the best places to go for something different. One of them defaulted to a ramen shop, to my eyes just like any other.

Maybe Tesco could have kept trying, or tried to do more to fit into the Japanese 'scene', I don't know. I go to Kaldi and Costco for choices. really glad to have them around.

It sounds like he is in a serious form of denial as to the impression this brings. Other parts of Japan may help with tax revenue, but why should they host toxic waste, especially if they are more heavily populated? This sense of 'fairness' is leading to contaminated food going everywhere... not good for Japan's citizens or the country's reputation.

Storage sites should be found, far from people and well-secured, perhaps not solely in Fukushima, but not in this sense of spreading it everywhere. Fukushima's tragedy is one all of Japan can relate to and help fix, but it shouldn't be allowed to define Japan, a country in the international arena in need of an attractive image.

IMHO more should be done to compensate those affected and limit the flow of toxins as a priority, rather than out of sympathy allow them to spread, whether through foods, livestock or this insane idea.

Did it ever cross your mind that that passage was just a phase and other things potentially lay after it? She made an effort to communicate, however much it annoyed you and you pushed her away. Why can you speak Japanese but she can't use English? It's true people want your help in English, the same way you mit want help in Japanese, or with computers from someone who knows more about them, yet in certain circles that disappears and you made a big (stereotyping) assumption that this is 'all she wanted'.

Probably, the relationship is irreparable, but still you owe her an apology, though to be fair, in my first years in Japan I did have many people who wanted me to be an English teacher rather than a friend, whether for them or their children. I think as you are here for longer, or look older, you are less likely to be viewed this way. The stereotype of the genki Eikaiwa teacher is a young one. Even so, stick with relationships and they can deepen to more than this.

I was kind of hoping after the Tsunami, Japan appreciating the help and the world appreciating Japan's harmonic culture, would all be one again. Yet now the 'culture' of hunting sea mammals returns, which no-one in their right mind would sanction, Japanese or otherwise. The allusion to fox-hunting, seal-clubbing, bull-fighting is very apt. No-one is bullying Japan, the world just wants to move on from these historical crudities.

3D is the beginning of the 'digital camera' approach to TVs, throwing in more features and supposedly better quality. 3D Grade 1, better 3D Grade 2, then 'Real 3D', then 'Ultra 3D'... if they can get the price of bigger sets down the way they did with 32 Inch (which really aren't expensive any more), they can have their upgradeitis going. Because in the old days, you just got a TV and kept it.

I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to be scared of any more, but at least it's safe to stay at home and hide under a table, just so long as no-one switches off my wi-fi!

Burn it with filters to capture the radioactive particles, that way they'll take up less space. Most of the cow is probably water, etc and presumably there are ways to do this safely. Then treat the ashes as radioactive waste. This is what's done with sunflowers used to decontaminate fields.

If they do this with as much as possible that is contaminated by the fallout, they can reduce the amount of cesium in the environment.

I think there is truth to this. Japanese have a victim mentality at times and feel they are being bullied by 'foreigners'. If there was a more dialogue-based effort, there wouldn't be such a strong, nationalistic response. The truth is the whales are endangered and Japan is being irresponsible for carrying on the whaling. More focus on this and showing the whales as the real victims could have more effect. You can't blame the greenies, though- they are just stepping in because governments have failed to get Japan to co-operate. SS or Greenpeace are known for direct action, not tact or diplomacy.

With all the donations received form around the world, surely they can sort out better housing for people forced to flee because of other's mistakes? If people are staying put because they feel they have no-where to go, then this is just plain wrong, especially where kids are involved.

A true life sentence would in my view be justice. What matters most is that the family feel justice has been done, so they can find peace. That and him not being let out early, as he is clearly still dangerous. In term of the world reaction, many countries oppose the death penalty, so granting that wouldn't help Japan's image.

Punish it, severely, don't tolerate it. If companies are too lazy, then make sure to force them to pay hefty compensation. If Japan can say no way to sexual harassment, why not bullying?

I think it will, but as I understand it, the worst contamination is in green plants, like tea or spinach, that absorb many minerals from the air and hold them in their leaves. I'd be more worried about beef or milk from cows that eat such plants/hay left outside.

They really should have destroyed produce from the area rather than be so lenient about it. If governments can be so vigilant about BSE, why not radiation? Living here became a risk as they are mixing it in with everything else, just to save a bit of food and money.

A big thank you to everyone involved in stabilising this.

Well, whatever criticisms people have for the past, I really hope they can protect the plant from this typhoon/heavy rain. The part of all this I'm least comfortable with is the fact everything is being left to TEPCO. No, I don't mean 'poor TEPCO, I fell sorry for you'. I mean whatever resources are available should be given to them to solve these problems, whatever the cost. I get the impression the central government doesn't want to get too publicly involved because of issues of liability. Well, that's fine, but I hope they are privately very involved, as even breaking it down into financial figures, prevention is the best cure.

I want to go there and decide for myself! Too bad in Japan we only have those weird maid cafes, not counting places where you'll drop a months salary before you know it. There is something to be said for a cafe that provides waitress to oogle.

Sounds like this could suit Japan. Maybe along the lines of hybrid vehicles, we could have buildings that generate their own electricity as they go, even using their own waste heat. It wouldn't have to be on the level that would justify a power plant, just enough for it's own use, feeding any excess back into the grid.

@Nicolas, I totally agree and along with the use of glasses this is their obvious failing. The only one I saw that wasn't like that was Avatar at iMax, which has higher light levels to begin with.

It seems to me that if they are going to keep up this polarized 3D, they should get much brighter projectors to compensate.

Good to hear. But the low yield says to me that solar is mostly a locally based energy source. If nuclear plants are mainframes, solar is mostly a PC, at least for the moment.

Interesting to see Apple succeed so well in popularising the Smartphone. The stylish, light, slim designs that Nokia made are rendered irrelevant by newcomers that can do so much more, that we never dreamed we would be able to with a pocket device. If they are smart, they'll move into Smartphones. There's also more money to be made with all the frequent upgrades.

Stupid time of year for a sports day. Move 'em to October or so, forget about gaman and think smart.