Japan quake disaster

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

really good to hear from you yoshi.

re wet towels etc. i believe it helps to trap any large particles that may be covered in radioactive contaminants (dust, debris etc). it certainly reduces what gets inhaled.

not sure what help i/we can offer, but if there's anything, just say the word pal.

thoughts are with you.

Thanks a lot, devilgas. I appreciate that.
A few minutes ago, it seems that the #3 nuke reactor exploded. Probably same type of explosion of hydrogen as the #1 reactor. But will keep paying attention continuously.

I'm following one of their recomendations for those people outside the evacuation zone. Just stay home. Avoid going out as possible as you can. I have lots of masks originally for gardening purposes. I will make them wet when I have to stay outside for longer time.

Radio news is now alarming against another tsunami just caused 15min. ago.
This one is 3m high, according to surveillance helicopter information.

I made a phone call to a petrol station this moring (thanks to the recovery of tel line, I do not have to drive 20km to have a look at them.) I just learned that even they do not have any idea at all when the next supply of petrol come to them.
Now staying here seems to be the only feasible option I have.
yoshi


yoshi

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Thanks Brian. As I have to stay at home, I have plenty of time for having a look at lots of photos. My hobby, so not bad.

yoshi

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Now staying here seems to be the only feasible option I have.
yoshi

yoshi

It certainly seems to be the most comfortable option, as long as you have food, water, radio and the ability to communicate with others - both here and in Japan.

Here's another BBC link (for Asia Pacific regions) and it shows a video of what's happening in an evacuation centre, where people are being scanned and monitored. Not at all comfortable for them all crowded together sleeping on he floor.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12727097

There will be planned power cuts of approx 3 hours - so be sure to recharge batteries on phones, laptop, netbooks etc when you have power.

Stay calm, stay strong, stay mindful (in the Buddhist tradition) and stay safe.

Pol

[Ian]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Thanks for the continuing insights into your predicament, Yoshi. How is the power situation or do you have your own generator?

Are you able to communicate using landline Internet or are you using wireless via your phone? I hear that people are now having to conserver phone battery power because there is no electricity.

Ian

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Hi Pol,
thanks for another informative link.
Yeah, that's exactly what I do want to avoid. (+_+);;;
It looks to me like they are going to get perilous flu there instead of escaping from the radioactivity.

The radioactivity is, even at its peak, and if I am to believe the government/news commentator's remarks,
a little bit more than the aggregate radiation volume/strength of three-times of X -ray photos we get at hospitals.

I thought I could accept it. I got CT scan two times last year which is another type of X-ray machine and the time they use X-ray is much longer than the ordinary Roentgen X-ray photo.

Well, thanks to revived i-net, I had relatively busier day today, as I get in touch with many people both by phone and by e-mail.

I also had to talk with tax office people because the deadline for submitting papers is tomorrow.
I wanted to know if I was eligible for refund of taxes as medical expenditures last year was a little bit more than normal years and how much I could expect.
If the amount is small, then in view of the current hectic situation, I thought I was going to forget about the refund in order to avoid tedious paperworks.

I needed to talk with both local and national tax offices, as they are different pockets.
They were both kind and approved that I am eligible for it. The refund amount I could expect was not large (as I do not pay a lot) but they say they will accept the delay in view of the quake. --- They are the people working 700km away and are not affected by it.

What a nice flexible people, I first thought. But the second guy told me and summarized before finishing the conversation that in case you have to pay, then you need to pay by tommorow.
In case you want refund, then you have five years for that. No need to hurry for refund.

Now I am thinking if I really talked with a nice guy. He is simply saying they do not want to pay back to me so soon. Tax people are really LOVED everywhere.

I have to do lots of things indeed before power supply is cut off again.

thanks again.
yoshi

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Thanks for the continuing insights into your predicament, Yoshi. How is the power situation or do you have your own generator?

Are you able to communicate using landline Internet or are you using wireless via your phone? I hear that people are now having to conserver phone battery power because there is no electricity.

Ian

Hi Ian, well so far power supply is just ok. I have a power generator for outdoor life to be used mainly in summer. The problem is that I have no petrol for it. I talked with a petrol station over phone today but they just said no idea at all when they can sell it again. Incidentally, sliced bread, milk and dry batteries for lamp are other items I can not get atm, in addition to petrol.

I use wired internet (is this the "landline"? not familiar with that word). I bought a wireless LAN rooter and its receiver but that is only for in-house use (between upstairs and downstairs, or in future, between TV and PC. Not for WiFi or outdoor use.
I really want to have a TV access here. It's not available yet. Maybe in the second half of the year, it will be.

Also the place I'm staying now is outside of the service area of the cell phone company I use. This is really a rural and mountainous area. WiFi is not very popular in Japan, I think. In Korea, WiFi is heavily used, probably, according to magazine I read before.
The speed of wireless i-net over phone seems to me uncomfortably slow, I reckon?

Well, about the electricity. At the moment, we do not have big problem but gradually we will too. The power generated at Fukushima nuke power plants are not used in Fukushima prefecture at all. They are all for Tokyo area. So for us, local residents, the stop of operation per se does not create big problems except for radioacivity. That's why local people are angry with them. They are forced to evacuate for the electricity they do not use.

yoshi

P.S. they are now having another similar issue with #2 reactor in addition to the #1 & #3. They have problem in pouring seawater into #2! Could be dangerous then. In that case I have to think once more whether to evacuate or not.

[Ian]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Thanks Yoshi. I remember when I was in Japan ten years ago, a Japanese friend I teamed up with at the time had a digital cellphone that he used for quite decent Internet surfing speed. (I heard from him at the weekend - he lives in Tokyo and his girlfriend is in Kyoto - and he is well, although had to walk 25km home last week).

Today here in the UK I now use an Android smartphone and it uses HSDPA mobile data broadband (when a tower is in range) and the best speed I have achieved is nearly 3Mbs, so almost as fast as a modest DSL wired connection. The phone can be used as a wifi hotspot so I can connect my laptop to the internet wirelessly - which is very convenient!

'Landline' is another term for a wire-based telephone connection

Ian

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

The nuke plants problmes are apparently getting worse.
All of the three reactors #1 to #3 had hygrogen explosions by yesterday.
This Number one nuke Plant has six reactors in total and first three were in operation and others #4 to #6 were under periodical inspection at the time of earthquake.

There was a fire on the 4 or 5th floor of #4 reactor building early this morning. People just do not know why but guestimation by those people is that the hydrogen explosion at other reactors #1-#3 might have triggered the fire.

The fire itself has been extinguished already but it seems the radiation leakage got larger due to this #4 reactor which contains used fuel rod. The largest one measured is no more a safe level for people.

In view of the worsening situation, the prime minister announced that all the people within the range of 20km radius should leave the region and added that those people living within 20-30km are to stay at home or office and avoid going out.

The government seems to have learned by now that there are some people who do not evacuate. Maybe I should refrain from uploading my comment at Japanese news site which gives too much information about me.
So DPNow is the only site I can be honest or no need to hide about myself.

The following news says there are 96 people who have not evacuated yet in the 20km region and rescue team who wear special body armor against radioactivity are going to visit the places of which list are given to them by local governments.

For those people who live 20-30km, police will visit and make it sure they stay at home.

I'm definitely sure my house is 30km range but thought about why my neibourhood (26 households) is subject to evacuation. My tentative guess is that a part of this region of the city is within the 20km area. So all the people who have that address are instructed to evacuate regardless of actual distance. I could be wrong.

I write this because I might be "found" and forced to evacuate. If you do not continuously hear from me, it means they win.
If you can, I would not claim I win, it simply means that they are just not effective and efficient.

Being a non-registgered citizen in this area, I'm almost sure my name is not on the list of people who still remain the region.

*****

The number of death is ever increasing.
If I can get sufficient petrol for driving 700km, I have no objection to leave this area and just go back to my place where I'm a registered citizen. I'm not trying to be a naughty boy - though I may be.
yoshi

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

The number of death is ever increasing.
If I can get sufficient petrol for driving 700km, I have no objection to leave this area and just go back to my place where I'm a registered citizen. I'm not trying to be a naughty boy - though I may be.
yoshi

Yoshi,

Consider this. You're certainly more comfortable at home BUT for how much longer can you manage there? This situation is likely to be ongoing for several weeks - at least.

You won't be able to get more supplies, won't be able to get more food and there won't be more supplies being delivered within the exclusion zones because the authorities will assume there's nobody there - they'll assume all the people evacuated.

All the assistance and all the supplies (food, bottled water, medical supplies, medical help, Iodine capsules etc) will be directed to the evacuation centres. I realise they may not be comfortable and I also realise the risks of cross infection ('flu etc) where there are so many people living in a more concentrated environment BUT, on the other hand the assistance will be more organised and available to the people.

I watched a report yesteday from Koriyama and residents were being scanned then offered the chance to be evacuated to another part of Japan. That left me thinking that there must be a way of getting them to another area. It also made me think that people in the smaller evacuation centres, such as the one near you, would be the ones who would be moved to safer places as soon as possible.

At the moment you're all alone, unaccounted for so nobody will rescue you, nobody will bring you food and assistance and I don't imagine your neighbours will be returning for a some considerable time.

SURVIVAL is paramount. Your total freedom can come to you again later.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with you.

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Yoshi,

I've just found and am attaching a photo of ... and I quote the caption "Evacuees, who fled from the vicinity of Fukushima nuclear power plant, rest at an evacuation center set in a gymnasium in Kawamata, Fukushima."

Here's the link to the article

The people in are likely to be the main focus of attention for assistance and rescue services.

Pol

[Caz]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Yoshi

I agree with Pol - whilst it has been fascinating to read of your experiences, and wonderful to hear from you that you are well and safe it may well now be time to consider your own health and safety and prepare to evacuate, particularly in the light of the link that Pol has just posted about the risk of further dangers.

Whatever you decide to do, our thoughts will be with you.

Stay safe and well

Carol

[devilgas]

Re: Japan quake disaster

based on what i just heard on the radio (radiation levels 400x 'normal'), it may be time to re-evaluate staying. if you aren't keen on evacuation centres, are there any abandoned vehicles close by from which you could 'liberate' petrol?

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

based on what i just heard on the radio (radiation levels 400x 'normal'), it may be time to re-evaluate staying. if you aren't keen on evacuation centres, are there any abandoned vehicles close by from which you could 'liberate' petrol?

I must admit that's been a key thought in my mind too - siphon petrol from an abandoned neighbour's car then aim for the long drive home.

My fear about that is that it seems that the authorities, in protective clothing, are searching the area looking for people who may not have evacuated. I honestly think the Police and authorities are doing their utmost to help people, to save them. If they see someone siphoning petrol they may regard him as a looter.

The nearest evacuation centre might be the best and the safest option by now. It might also be a good idea to get there as soon as possible before the people in that local evacuation centre are moved further away, moved to an even safer place.

I hate to tell anyone what to do, but ... GET OUT OF THERE, Yoshi! You have enough petrol to get to the local evacuation centre so EVACUATE and do it NOW!

Pol

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Thanks Pol, I watched the link you posted here for hours.
Photos are very informative than radio news indeed.

The photo you attached to:
I'm amazed that you picked up that one probably out of many. I visited a next building to this gymnasium on last Saturday, the following day of the quake, not for evacuation purpose, as my village was at the time not subject to the evacuation.

That village is our neighbour village to the south east. I posted a photo of the traffic shut down point the other day. I turned to the right there and visited this village. The village was already flooded by poeple from coastal towns where the two plants locate.

I learned from news that more and more people who evacuated have some mental problems after staying there for a few days. At an evacuation center, probably in Miyagi prefecture, heavily damaged one due to the tsunami, the news says, the food ration per person is only one rice ball, one slice of bread and a cup of soup. This is all the food they get for one day.

A person in charge of evacuation centers in my city says in a news that due to lack of petrol they have big difficulties in delivering food and other necessities to those evaluation centers. No petrol centre in the city is in business, he added.

Yeah, I have to think once more what I'm going to do.

yoshi

[Ian]

Re: Japan quake disaster

There has been much comment about the orderly nature of the Japanese people despite the consequences of the disaster; people obediently waiting at pedestrian crossing lights even when there are no cars on the streets, no looting, very little panic and distress. There seems much solidarity.

I doubt it would be the same here!

Ian