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Japan (still updated)

by elix

IB members in Japan accounted for (and proof from them, if available):

FrancisJCat

(journal)

kmkch

(journal)

Sanae

(journal)

kajiura

(shout)
@1neko (journal)

enorapi

(shout)

nishiko24

(posted this)
@kzr (posted this)

termeneko (journal)

zenmigawa (journal)

日本のみなさん、ここの英語ばかりのお知らせどうもすみません。僕大学で日本語を勉強しました。僕はまだ下手ですから、お知らせは訳し難いです。もしも、この文書を日本語に翻訳したい方がいらっしゃいましたら、ご遠慮なくください。日本のみなさんがんばります！

Aftershocks continue to jiggle Japan on a pretty regular basis (link to USGS's quake map around Sendai). The major quake (revised upwards to 9.0 now) even shifted Earth's axis by ten inches.

The latest death toll is 763 confirmed deaths, about 9,500 residents of the small town of Minamisanriku's ~19,000 residents are missing, and the body count is expected to continue going up. CTV reports that the four trains are still missing. However, international help is on the way or already there, including two US aircraft carriers with relief supplies, as well as search and rescue support from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, Singapore, the UK, and the US.

Contrary to rumour, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri lives.

If you want to see the most surreal thing I've seen so far about this disaster, watch this clip of a tsunami wave of mud and debris, some of it on fire, sweep through farmland somewhere in what I can only assume is northern Japan.

China, South Korea, India, Australia, The Philippines, and Pakistan have offered their help in rescue efforts. Other nations (including the US and Canada) have, as well. Considering that about the only country that likes to hate Japan worse than China and South Korea is North Korea, this gives you an idea of how massive this disaster is. (DO NOT start a political argument about Japan-Asia relations in my journal! My point here is that this disaster is so bad, Japan's political and economic adversaries are doing the right thing and putting aside their differences and offering unconditional help.)

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Reactor update
My worst fears about this came true: An explosion happened. The evacuation has been expanded to 20km (12 miles), iodine is being distributed to people from the 20km-radius evacuation area, and early reports are that radiation levels are now lower. However, the explosion blew the roof off of the building. Radioactive materials have been detected outside, but this may have been due to the venting that had previously been done in an attempt to lower reactor pressure. BoingBoing's reporting is saying that one of the reactors' outer containment walls were blown off. Mainichi Daily News is reporting that Reactor #1's containment was not destroyed. Everyone agrees there was an explosion. The BBC tackles the situation in a sane, unsensationalistic way.

More about the reactor:
Maggie Koerth-Baker over at BoingBoing prepared this straight-forward explanation of how the Fukushima Daiichi reactors are supposed to work, and what probably went wrong. Give it a read; it's very well-written and free of FUD.

If you want to help:
The following links point to donation funds organized to help disaster response and recovery for Japan. In a few cases, the links point straight to the organization's Japan relief campaign; the others point to the homepage where the campaign is pretty much front and center.
The American Red Cross.
Global Giving
Caritas Internationalis
Direct Relief

Important warning: The above organizations are probably not the only ones seeking donations to help fund disaster relief for Japan, but for every legitimate charity or relief organization, there are dozens of motherfuckers trying to scam people by setting up fake donation pages. If you want to give, make sure you're giving to a legitimate organization.

Old news about Fukushima Daiichi (outdated)
The real scary thing now is that Reactor #1 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is in big trouble, and a radioactive event could happen. If that wasn't bad enough, the latest news is that Reactor #2's cooling system has now failed, as well. Mainichi Daily News is reporting that a meltdown might've already happened in Daiichi #1. I should point out that these reactors are not going to explode the way Chernobyl did, but the danger is that radioactive materials may escape containment and get out into the surrounding area. Okuma is not in danger of becoming the next Pripyat, but this is still not a good situation.

Viewed:	220 times
Added:	13 years, 1 month ago 12 Mar 2011 03:46 CET

20 Comments on this Journal

Leave a Comment...

Zeikcied

13 years, 1 month ago

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Great to hear those artists are safe.

ZinaCat, who teaches English in Japan, also checked in to let people know she's okay.

I sent Arkaid a PM earlier, as I have no idea which prefecture he lives in, but if he has no power then that explains why he hasn't responded.

KevinSnowpaw

13 years, 1 month ago

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I was so scared for them I sent a PM to Arkaid thank you so much for updateing me i can rest a bit easyer now Elix.

Realy i was very worried.

FlyingFox

13 years, 1 month ago

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thank god, I was worried.

Ultratails42

13 years, 1 month ago

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Thankyou for the news. I was worried about Arkaid. Good to hear the others are safe too.

JeremyMikales

13 years, 1 month ago

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Oh, thank goodness they're all safe.

CursedFerret

13 years, 1 month ago

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I am glad to hear they are safe and my hopes go out to all those in that region. I am also happy to see you are letting people know of the scams and pointing everyone towards the appropriate web sites.

Shokuji

13 years, 1 month ago

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Thanks for keeping people updated, Elix. *hugs*

sedkitty

13 years, 1 month ago

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It's unlikely that the power plants will go into meltdown; we've come quite a ways since TMI and Chernobyl. What may have to happen, though, is a SCRAM -- an emergency shutdown. This'll leave quite a bit of Japan without power, however; it's not a quick thing getting the reactor up and running again, either.

elix

13 years, 1 month ago

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@ sedkitty

Well, either they'll melt down, or get stopped very hard and damage the reactor pretty good. Either way, this is bad.

sedkitty

13 years, 1 month ago

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@ elix

Yeah; SCRAM-ing is a bit like stopping a car by driving a huge spike through it into the ground. Undeniably effective, but...

elix

13 years, 1 month ago

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@ sedkitty

Mainichi is reporting that a meltdown might've already happened in Daiichi #1. I should point out to people who might not've read more about this that the danger is not a Chernobyl-like explosion but the release of radioactive materials into the surrounding area.

sedkitty

13 years, 1 month ago

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@ elix

And then they'll have to deal with ごじら, too.

Riasiru

13 years, 1 month ago

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@ sedkitty

I thought reactors had been altered so that the cooling rods are held above the fuel rods, and in the event of a melt down the rods literally melt down between the fuel rods to stop it?...

sedkitty

13 years, 1 month ago

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@ Riasiru

Nope. They're plunged in; the rods keep most of the neutrons from escaping, which removes most of the risk of radiation. I say most, 'cause you're still dealing with radioactive materials.

KevinSnowpaw

13 years, 1 month ago

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Thank you elix, your keeping us all organized. Information is our only real tool to help people out in this desperate time. I dont know any of the others on your list or I would attempt to find them for you.

Im going to take a look at my budget for this month and see if i cant give something to help. Just, thanks again for keeping us all up to date.

jorun1981

13 years, 1 month ago

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Thanks for all informations and updates. Really good to hear that they are safe.

TheAmariaShadow

13 years, 1 month ago

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It is great to hear that all of these artists are safe. All we can do now is pray for the safety of all the other users...

KushHeadFievel

13 years, 1 month ago

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I didn't read it all but.
It's interesting how you bring up, (Hate For These People) and Don't say anything about that? Me say anything? (LOL)
I love these people.
ahm... where to start, of the many things I like from Japan.
First thing I ever liked from Japan... (Godzilla)
Anyone here who are from Japan, come on,, you saw that coming from miles away.
Ahm, Digimon, Pokemon, Cowboy Bebop. Some not so appropriate Anime.
Ahm.
Ohh gawd. I've played (Read The Subs) a bunch of times, and if there's anything I do hate, is the translations.
Some anime, is killed so bad, when (US Americans) do English Dubs, it's not even funny.
Ahm.
There's pieces in my AMD computer, that are made there.
Lets just say, there's probably over 100 different reasons I have, to huggle, snuggle, and hope recovery goes well.
Over 100 reasons to thank the Japanese.
And I have one I can't thank them for, because I haven't found someone willing to help me yet.
I wanna learn at least in English lettering, how to speak the language.
I am tired of watching the botched up, English dubs of Pokemon.
If there's any country I sometimes hate, it's US. (America.)
I hope though, we are doing a good job of helping U guys.

Pretty much, coming to think of it.
I would rather *Not* spend the energy hating anyone, as long as they are still in fact... *Human*.
Regardless what country anyone is from, you are still my distant Cousins, or brothers / sisters.
I don't know, maybe I pay attention to kids movies too much,, but that's how I feel about it.
I don't care where anyone is from, I'll still extend a bit of love to you.

From the heart, though there's some ruff edges.

<3
Love U, no matter where UR from.

Fieve... ;-) :-)