Reactors Had High Rate of Problems

TOKYO―The crippled Japanese power plant at the heart of the world's worst nuclear crisis in a quarter-century has a history of operational and mechanical flaws, including a recent incident in which workers used the wrong plans to work on a reactor.

The findings came as the plant's operator and the Japanese government continued Thursday to attempt to gain control of the earthquake-damaged plant's reactors, as steam blasts and serious injuries to workers further delayed efforts to cool fuel rods, restart cooling pumps and stanch radiation leaks.


According to Japanese regulatory records, in August 2010, employees at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi power plant, armed with plans for work on the complex's No. 6 reactor, instead began conducting work on the facility's No. 5 unit. They then altered work plans on their own, according to the records, leading to a mistake that rendered the unit's cooling system inoperable.

Regulators looking into the issue discovered a cable for controlling the cooling system had mistakenly been removed, an error that wasn't discovered for more than two weeks

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703784004576220534048548412.html

Japan Plant Had Troubled History

The Fukushima Daiichi power plant was already one of the most trouble-prone nuclear facilities in Japan, even before the devastating earthquake and tsunami that knocked out its cooling systems and precipitated the worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, a Wall Street Journal analysis of regulatory documents shows.

In addition, a standard practice at Japanese nuclear plants―to remove fresh fuel from a reactor and park it for weeks or months in a less-protected "spent fuel" pool during maintenance―appears to have been a significant contributor to the crisis, engineers say.

On Sunday, disaster-response teams made progress toward taming the stricken nuclear reactor, restoring electrical power and preparing to restart crucial systems designed to cool the dangerously overheating nuclear material. But the latest analysis of safety and maintenance practices at the plant cast new light on how the situation threatened to spiral out of control.
Earthquake in Japan
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See all the graphics on the situation in Japan -- from before and after photos to the status of the reactors to survivors' stories.

When the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck little more than a week ago, all of the fresh fuel at the plant's Reactor No. 4 had been removed and stored in a pool that must remain filled with cooling water. That pool became one of the biggest problems for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., or Tepco, after much of the protective water dissipated, threatening fire and widespread radiation release.

A Journal analysis of Japanese regulatory documents shows that the Daiichi plant was already one of Japan's most troubled nuclear facilities, even before it was severely damaged by this month's quake and tsunami. In the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, the latest data available, Daiichi had the highest accident rate of any big Japanese nuclear plant, according to data collected by the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization, a mostly government-funded group that monitors safety and conducts inspections. Daiichi's workers were exposed to more radiation than their peers at most other plants, the data show.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704433904576212980463881792.html

Russia to build airport on disputed Pacific island (Xinhua)

今年ですと。。

MOSCOW - Russia would enhance transport infrastructure on the disputed Southern Kuril islands, which are also claimed by Japan as its Northern Territories, local reports said Friday.

Citing the Russian Regional Development Ministry, the reports said a new airport would be built in 2011 on one of the four disputed Pacific islands, Iturup (Etorofu in Japan), and Russia would also renovate an existing airport and a sea port on Kunashir (Kunashiri in Japan) island.

Russia to build airport on disputed Pacific island Territorial dispute to be focus of Russia-Japan talks
In addition, a highway will be rebuilt on Shikotan, also in the Southern Kurils cluster this year.

In total, Russia will allocate 1.14 billion rubles (over $40 million) for improving transport infrastructure on the disputed islands this year.

Last November, Russian President Medvedev visited Kunashir island and vowed to improve the living conditions on the islands.

Last year, Russia invested 1.36 billion rubles ($48 million) to boost development in the Southern Kurils.

Russia and Japan have long been at odds over the sovereignty of the four Pacific islands. The dispute has blocked a peace treaty between the two countries since the end of World War II.

キツイケド、本当に厳しい話

Tsunami and radiation may sink Japanese fishermen
(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-03-26 21:55
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KESENNUMA, Japan- The tsunami that slammed Japan two weeks ago wiped out homes, businesses and a fishing industry that was the lifeblood for thousands of victims on the northeast coast.

The tsunami erased aquatic farms just offshore along with low-lying seaside areas that are home to fleets fishing along the coast, while a nuclear plant in Fukushima leaking radiation has raised concerns about marine life in the region over the longer term.

"Fishermen lost their gear, ships and just about everything. About half will probably get out of the business," said Yuko Sasaki, a fishmonger in the tsunami-hit city of Kamaishi.

Sasaki has been cleaning the family store, where a water line at about five metres high marks where the tsunami struck. She expects to be back in business well before most fishermen from the area.

"The question remains: what did the tsunami do to the sea?"

In Iwate, it probably destroyed aqua farms for abalone, sea urchins, oysters, scallops and seaweed that the local government says account for 80 percent of the revenue for local fisheries.

Yuichi Sato, 66, a retired civil servant, said the Iwate town of Yamada, with a population of 20,000, has no other industry but fishing and aquaculture.

"The main industry is raising scallops and all the beds were completely wiped out," he said as he prepared a dinner over a wood fire at a makeshift home some 800 metres from the coast.

"The only way to bring it back will be with huge subsidies and investment from the government," he said.

The coastal fishing industry provides tens of millions of dollars a year to Iwate fishermen, a paltry sum compared with the estimated $300 billion damage in what is probably the world's costliest natural disaster.

The tsunami obliterated centuries-old fishing ports along the northeast coast, sending ships adrift in the Pacific Ocean, to the bottom of the sea, or depositing them on land, where they now lie among the splintered remains of homes.

"Our tourism and fishing industries were picking up before the quake hit. Now they are completely destroyed," said Yuji Shirahata, who heads a disaster relief team on the island of Oshima in Kesennuma in the coastal prefecture of Miyagi.

Even if fishing returns, it may be difficult to find buyers due to radiation concerns.

In Fukushima prefecture, radioactivity levels are soaring in seawater near the Daiichi power plant that was crippled in the disaster, Japan's nuclear safety agency said on Saturday.

"After this kind of disaster, sea urchins and abalones could be contaminated. So we need to collect all of those and start all over again. We have to reset the sea," said Masashi Sasaki, 40, a fisherman in Iwate.

China finds radiation on 2 Japanese tourists

腕が使えないので、そぼままこぴぺ

BEIJING - China's top quality watchdog said Friday that alarmingly high levels of radiation had been detected on two Japanese Wednesday upon their arrival in east China's Wuxi city from Tokyo.

The announcement was made shortly after the regulator said earlier Friday that the local quality control bureau had found "abnormal" levels of radiation on a Japanese merchant vessel that berthed in east China's Xiamen port, Fujian province, on Monday.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said the radiation was discovered on the two Japanese nationals when the local quality control bureau conducted radiation checks on passengers aboard flight ZH9056 that reached Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, from Tokyo on Wednesday.

The AQSIQ said radiation on the two travelers was alarmingly high, and the case reported to the local environmental and health departments.

The AQSIQ said one of the two Japanese nationals came from Nagano Prefecture, about 350 km from the Fukushima Prefecture, and the other from Saitama Prefecture, about 200 km from Fukushima, where the radiation leaking Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant is located.

On Wednesday night, the two Japanese were sent to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou city for medical treatment. Their luggage and clothes were also detoxified, the AQSIQ said.

An AQSIQ official, who spoke anonymously, said the two Japanese tourists had not caused harm to others.

Earlier Friday, the AQSIQ announced abnormal radiation was found on a Japanese merchant vessel that berthed in Xiamen port, East China's Fujian province, on Monday.

The vessel belongs to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, a Japanese company with bulk transport services around the world.

The vessel is still docked at the port, and the local quality control authority is working with other government departments to "take more measures" on the matter, said an AQSIQ spokesperson without elaborating.

The spokesperson didn't say if high levels of radiation had been found on the ship itself or the goods onboard, but said more details would be provided by the local government.

The vessel had set off from the US and reached Tokyo of Japan on March 17. On the same day, it left Tokyo and reached Xiamen port Monday night.

The AQSIQ on Monday asked the local quality control authority to monitor food imported from Japan for radiation following the nuclear disaster at its Fukushima Dai-Ichi power plant.

The AQSIQ has also ordered local quality watchdogs to test food from Japan for radiation to ensure the safety of China's food imports.

China's National Nuclear Emergency Coordination Committee announced Thursday that China would remain unaffected by radiation emitted from the quake-hit nuclear power plant over the next three days.

It said in a statement that currently, the radiation leaks from the plant would not have any impact on China's environment or the Chinese people's health.

関東地方の方へ 水と電池

　今新聞で見たのですが、電池は長期的に不足すると思いましたが、水も乳幼児向けに使えないとのこと。

通常であれば中国製なんてどちらも需要はないと思いますが、いずれも上海には結構あります。

遅れるかどうかの問題はあるでしょうが、

当座ＥＭＳで送ることは可能です。水は５Ｋｇで１０元しません。6-7元です。但し日本の蒸留水並みかというと疑問。

電池は日本メーカーのものがあるかどうか不明ですが、オランダのフィリップス社のものはあります。値段は日本より若干安いけど、長持ちしないという印象があります。

インスタントラーメンも日清の中国生産物があります日本より価格は安いです

ミルクは、多分中国向けの輸出が止まっていますし、地震以降のものは中国人は全く買いたく無いと話していますので、１月もしない段階で市場に余るくらいあふれると思いますので、とうざの１月分　４缶くらいあればよいと思います。

野菜関係でベビーフードとかのニーズが出る場合、日本でどうなるか知りませんが、ＵＳガーバー社のものなら手に入るので必要なら送ることは可能です。

入院してしまうので対応が遅れますが、どなたか受け入れ側がいれば水とかコンテナで送るよう手配もして見ます（必要な方がいればですが）。

こんな時に利益なんて取りませんので、もし必要ならメールをいれておいてください。

輸送料はＥＭＳ料金は日本から中国と大差ないのがベースですが、通常なら中国から日本は半額程度で送れるはずです。

大手の商社さん立ちが対応する範囲と思いますが、個人で必要な物が他にもあれば、メールを入れておいてください。

shoconsul@gmail.com

中国の病院って

　昨日午前中に、明日手術だから入院製といわれ、そのまま病室に入ったのですが、心電図とられたのと、体温は飼っただけ。手術の時間はわからず明日足はＣＴを取るからって言われて終わりでした。

　昨日レントゲンと超音波の検査をしたんですが、ひじもひざも水がたまっているということで、まぁその水を取る手術が必要とのこと。ところが、夕方お医者さんが着たら、膝は触っても硬いし、地震直後に歩いて出てきたときに比べれば小さくなっているので、その旨伝えると、うん。よくわからないからＣＴとろうということになった次第です。

　まぁ昨夜も家に戻って、ノートブックや本を持って病院に戻って寝たんですが、今日は。。

　朝６時頃採血

　９時頃、１Ｆの放射線検査機器のあるところに池というのでＣＴ化と思ったら、何故か胸のレントゲン検査。なんで？と思ったんですけど、規則なんですって。意味あるのかな？

　で、ずーとまってもこない。

　１１時過ぎにあきれて、妻と二人で外に出て外食して１時前に病院に戻る。妻はそのまま仕事に行く。

　３時までＰＣゲームをしていたら、義母と息子がやってきて、少し遊ぶ。。

　で、義母が色いろいろ当たってくれて、３０分後に検査だっていってみたら、ＣＴじゃなくてＭＲＩ．まぁ検査としては妥当な気がしますが、どうしてＣＴって言うんだろう？？

　仕事でＭＲＩとか関係する子ともあったのですが、実は初めての検査で、がんがんなる音に、之が沿うかと思っていたんですが、何故か途中で注射してる。欠陥造影剤ですかね？こんなのひざの検査に必要なんでしょうか？

　で、検査終わって病棟戻ったら、義母が交渉してくれたからでしょう。明日の朝手術だけど、８時までに飯食って、その後戻って来ればよいとのことで、息子連れて帰ってきた次第です。

　手術前日入院は日本でも経験あるのでそうかと思いますが、昨日はなぜ止まんなきゃいけなかったのか。なぜレントゲン検査をしないといけないのか？

　ちなみに。。


　通常外国人が中国の病院に入院すると外国人病棟に入るんですが、今回は実は中国人病棟に入っています。でまぁ、中国人名義で治療を受けるという変なことをしているんですね。発音変なんで、うちうちで、中国人じゃないということは既にばれているんですけど。。

　さて、今後どういう展開かな。

　しかしまぁ、肘のでっぱりは、外傷が元なら化膿した物がたまっているだけみたい。そうじゃないと腫瘍が原因でそれが悪性か良性かはわかんない。ひざのほうは良くわかんない。

　こんな状態でオペって、気分的には嫌ですね。

帰国早々、手術入院だと

　昨夜上海に戻ったのですが、東京に行く前から左ひじが妙にはれていたのと、地震の後たっぷり歩いたセイカ左のひざがまたすこしでっぱってきていたので、病院にいったところ手術だと。。

　中にたまった膿だか水を出す程度なんですが、３－５日は入院しなきゃいけないということです。

　やんなきゃいけないこといっぱいあるんですが。。ネットも使えなくなりますね、今は抜け出して荷物鳥に自宅に戻ってきたのですが。。

中国における福島原発関連の報道

　福島原発関連なんですが、当地では

・東京消防庁や自衛隊で原発に放水をしている人は皆50歳以上。

・１週間もすれば死んでしまう状況

　というそうです。日本では実際に活動されている隊員の方々が報道には出てこないので事実はしりませんし、ちょっとなんかなーという印象ですが、こういう内容になっていることが当然風評被害につながります。

　後、中国でも知られているＡＶ女優が撮影中に津波に流されて死亡したとの報道もあるそうです。

　日本での報道が色々押さえられていることは、ＴＶ見てても感じていますので強く否定もできず、かといって、こんなに酷くないだろうという願いもあり。複雑です。

中国に急な出張が必要な方へお知らせ

　日本側は大震災でどうにもならない状況と思いますが、私同様この震災の影響で急遽中国に出張しなければならない方も少なくはないと思います。大企業はともかく、中小企業の場合は４月初めまでチケットが全く取れない状況だと思います。在日中国人の中国帰国需要は、見聞きする限りまだまだ続くと思います。

　私自身が17日の時点で成田発大陸行きは当面なし、２３発香港行き、２６日ソウル経由上海しかありませんでした。福岡発、長崎発は２６日までという状況でした。

　結果、陸路で博多から釜山にビートルで移動後釜山空港から上海いい気で帰国しました。

　日本の旅行会社は、韓国経由もソウル経由のアレンジであまり本数がないようです。

　博多から釜山はビートルという高速船で３時間。五前後ごと４本あります。ネットで検索すれば時間も予約もできます。午前中の便であれば、夕方の飛行機で上海にそのままこれます。

　釜山から上海は、私は英語ですが、ebookersというサービスを使いました。http://www.ebookers.com/
無事にブックできていました。

　釜山に止まる場合、私はこのebookersで予約しましたが、日本語の予約サイトもあるのでその方が良いと思います。博多はちょうど３連休で宿がなかったので、私は小倉に泊まりましたが、小倉泊まりでも朝早く起きれば当日中の上海移動は可能です。

　ここまでしてという方がどの程度いらっしゃるか解りませんが、中国向け販売に関しては僕らがものすごい影響を受けており、生産系の方も日本からの部品、設備がただでさえ滞っている上に、放射能検査で嫌がらせに近い厳しい事になりそうですから、やはり影響が大きいと思います。同じように急遽大陸にいかなければならない方もいるのではないかと思って、おしらせします。

　価格は、博多釜山　１万３千円
　釜山上海は、私は椀ウェイですが３万円弱。
　博多周辺、釜山にとまってもそれぞれ５千円もあれば十分ですから合計5-6万円。帰りは面倒ですけど

　ビジネスで行くよりは博多周辺に宿泊しても価格的にもリーズナブルです。釜山上海、ソウル上海は共に毎日チケットはありますし、ネットで買った場合ぼられる価格ではありません。