Japan is still on the way to recovery and the action taken by officials looks like groping the light to step out. 

This crisis is probably the most serious ever since the 2nd  world war.  Criticizing  politicians or officials is not always right in timing in that sense, however, I’m sad that I must lament over the lack of abilities of politicians of Japan especially.

Apparently, all the politicians we look through the media are afraid of the unforeseeable aspects of future.  For reconstruction of damaged cities and deserted mind of people,  understanding it to be a long way to go, the most serious issue we nation have is the lack of leadership of politicians of Japan.   Seeing politicians through media, their attitude is often like behavior of timid boys.  They look as if they escape from responsibilities somebody must care.  Who would be  responsible in this crisis except leading politicians ??

Politicians respectively visit people in evacuation camps to ease victims’ mind, but it’s like  a pilgrimage of no pious heart.  They try to care victims there, after leaving there, at home they take warm bath that people in the camp can’t take.  Politicians say sorry to victims for losing their money, asset, family and friends.  But no measure for rebuilding national life is shown yet.  All victims spend time with no plan even for present time life in despair.

 I don’t deny politicians saying sorry for victims.  It’s an important communication doable for politicians too.   But it’s also doable by hospitality volunteer workers.  Politicians must plan the way to go back,  or the way for the new hope, which is the most expected thing and only the politiians are in decisive position for making it.

Work right with courage !  I want to say like this to the great politicians who always strut and swagger about.  Begging to victims for forgiving incapacity doesn’t reduce politicians’ responsibility.

Today I got deeply disappointed when I saw Prime Minister, Naoto Kan in an evacuation camp on TV because I felt like above. 

I often lament over politics of Japan, but this time, it’s not my lament but Japanese nation’s one.

Time magazine of the USA selected Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of Minami Soma City or South Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture of Japan, as one of  TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world.

Usually we Japanese should be pleased with this kind of news, however, not easy for our joy as the reason for this selection was, of course, the earth quake and tsunami damage along with nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima Prefecture.

Minami Soma City was first of all heavily damaged by both quake and tsunami.  Especially the tsunami took most of the houses on the seaside area of the city away into the ocean,  what’s more,  many poeple of the city are missing still as the tsunami’s  result.  But the damage on the city wasn’t finished with it, after that, the nuclear power plant situated about 10 to 30 kilometers away from the city began to go mad.

Even before the dead bodies of victims are found, they in the city got forced to evacuate by the order of government.  They needed to leave the town they love with no time to wipe off tears caused by loosing families or friends.  It was such an ultimate tragedy, extreme sadness, and they were faced with devastating confusion by the disaster and crossing information of uncertainty. 

With the false information on the rumore, South Soma City was again hit by next damage.  People outside the city became reluctant to step into the city because the false information could have been thought that the city was dangerous with leaking radiation.  That again became a real damage caused by miss-informed news from somewhere, on the contrary, the city was not contaminated and still safe with low level radiation amount, actually.

All kind of life materials, water, food, and correct information wereprevented from outside the city.  South Soma City became like a godforsaken city with nothing necessary. 

Then Katsunobu Sakurai, the mayor of this city, appeared on YouTube and he apealed the viewers how the city is damaged and how soon they need help. 

Consequently the YouTube video collected more than 450,000 viewers and his message moved many of them for help action. 

This is the whole story I know. 

I also saw his video, and his emergency message was sometimes on aired on TV as news interviews.   Some other cities’ government officials also gave messages on TV like him.  But his message moved us, even Japanese, above all.  I thought his words in his voice somewhat persuade us, people. 

South Soma City is not that big, probably its population is about 60,000 or so ( if correct).  But his existence during this national crisis time stands out strong enough for us to decide staying with him. 

I’m not sure if he is pleased with this selection by Time magazine.  As far as I’m concerned, this result was right for him, I think.  And his ability for governance that he showed this time aproved that he is the right person for this city, also if I expand on that, he could play important roles as a governor  in any bigger cities, too.

I agree.  He is a splendid mayor.

Yesterday, Tokyo electricity company, Tokyo Denryoku, Inc., showed ” road map” to the recovery from nuclear power plant accident.  It says they will try to control the broken plant by cooling down within 3 months, which should be just the beginning of recovery step.  After that, it also says that they will need another 3 to 6 months to keep them under safe temparature.

Yes, this is just ROAD MAP.   I, personally, am not the sceince specialist so that I can’t accpet what the road map means without sceptical mind status.  

Anyway, what we average people can do is just wait with right expectation. Otherwise, we will have to escape from this with restless mind.  Like it or not, we were born here in this country.  This should be really unlucky timing we live on, but as far as we have the destiny of Japanese citizenship, we probably will also have to accept the result of this accident by staying right here in Japan.  That could be a nation’s destiny or a decision that it should be.

I even don’ know either if my thought is right or not.  I’m just writing what I feel today and no fair judgement on my idea is lying inside.  I might have alreay lost my ability for the right choice of idea. However, in a sense, what I feel under this unexperienced situation could be my reaity because there is no objective judgement in my mind.  This could mean I am innocent and spotless now.

I hereafter accept the Japanese future whatever it may be.  This should be my understanding about myself, being a Japanese.

Tomorrow,  something will again tell me what to do or where to go.  The something could be a voice from inside me, I think.

Today it was really like the start of new Spring time. Sun was shining bright and the wind was freshly warm. Driving through the highways, I saw cherry tree lines with beautiful white flowers.  It’s the typical Japanese Spring.

One thing that brings me back to moody mind is the ongoing problem of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

However, what I’m faced with is maybe just one of the small issues in this crazy time of Japan.  Actually those who are struggling in the plant territory already determined how their life should be for the sake of Japan’s future.  Also the poeple who lost their families friends, asset, or joy of life by the quake and tsunami are still in the gravely damaged mental condition. In the right comparison of victims of ours, my complaint may not be assessed as victim’s right.  Yes, right I am.

Though, thinking like this helps me to understand how our life in the disaster districts is insane.  Now there are too many issues around us and they all need the first priority to be solved, which is impossible, of course.

Sun is shining fine, but our hearts can’t sing merry with the shining sun over the Spring of this year.

Today’s Fukushima Nuclear power plant didn’t have big moves on its recovery. We know the people in the plant are working hard with their life in danger.  I don’t simply criticize their jobs everyday as I know it’s an extremely difficult situation fighting with invisible enemy, radiation.

But as objective views of mine, it seems to take long time to make the broken plant settle down with chilled fuel rods.  Long time means not a few months but probably at least 6 months or so to the first step of cooling, and then next, they would take more decades to to finish the plant with safe condition.

The most important process of it for the residents of Fukushima, or Japan, is the shedule until the settlement of cooling and the matter of when the plants stop discharging the radioactive materials. without which, residents of Fukushima prefecture or neighbours of the plants can’t live without worry of their future.

I’m not scientist. It’s not good to say rough idea about it now, but if the land is contaminated with radiation and if people here would have to move out forever, that’s a real tragidy.

This area has been a very conservative and people have long lived within intimate community for each other.  They live day by day with their land, their life is the agriculture of rice, vegitable, fruits or farming with livestock.  Leaving here means they lose not only the land but their jobs, income, life, culture, and the memory of their history from their ancestors also with their future of no greed.

They are people of few words. They don’t request much. The simply average life is only what they want.  But if the radiation covers this land, they will be forced to leave here, which means only a desparate life is waiting for them.

Invisible thing takes all away.  What a crazy thing….

I really hope it would soon recover.

I was born in Fukushima prefecture of Japan.  And now I sometimes live here in Fukushima prefecture too.  This place is still a hometown for me, howevere, as people of the world know now, Fukushima became famous because of unfavourable reason, the accident of nuclear power plant.

Other than the aspect, Fukushima prefecture has many nice things too.  But all of them are blown away now by this heavy issue.

Maybe some want to know how Fukushima area is or how it’s going to be from now.  I will try to write what I feel and report the news from here.

This is the first article today about Fukushima Prefecture.  Maybe you need a geographic information of Fukushima.   Fukushima is about 200 kilometers away from Tokyo. In Fukushima prefecture, there is a city called Fukushima, or Fukushima city.  When we talk about a certain place in Fukushima prefecture, we need to know the difference of Fukushima prefecture and Fukushima city, first of all.

The power plant is located in Fukushima prefecture, but it’s not in Fukushima city. The plant is in the seaside area, but the Fukushima city is in the middle of the Fukushima prefecture, the distance from the plant to Fukushima city is about 60 kilometers.

Around the power plant, there is not such a big city except Iwaki city with more than 350,000 people. Iwaki city is located in the south of the plant and a part of this city is within 30 kilometers from the plant, so the residents here are forced to evacuate now.

Other small towns or villages are also in the order of evacuation by the government now.  The saddest thing to see is that they are all innocent people with happy life. They live by agriculture.  Most of them might have to lose their land because of the contamination, and the many who live as seaman also are faced with crisis to lose their ocean of fishing.  It’s such a huge tragedy.

In Fukushima city, there is not that big crisis now because it’s a little far from the plant area.  But as a whole, Fukushima prefecture is damaged deeply by the radiation contamination.

I will try to write sometimes about this matter.