Must Read: Asahi Shinbun "Trap of Prometheus" Series Part 1 - Men in Protective Clothing (9, 10) "500 Microsieverts/Hr Radiation"

(Installment 1, Installments 2 and 3, Installments 4 and 5, Installment 6, Installments 7 and 8, Installments 9 and 10, Installments 11 and 12)

Asahi Shinbun's series "Trap of Prometheus" - Men in Protective Clothing documents what happened in Namie-machi in Fukushima Prefecture right after the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

In these 9th and 10th installments, the Namie-machi residents learn all too late that the radiation levels of their area were extremely high (in hundreds of microsieverts/hour) but the authorities (police, Self Defense Force, etc.) did not tell them because the government told them not to reveal.

If you read Japanese, you can read all installments (1-12) in one location, at this blog.

Even if the series is written by a reporter at a major Japanese newspaper, not many Japanese are aware of it, which, after the initial launch, was buried in the 3rd page of the printed version.

"To be buried in the 3rd page" is symbolic in the context of the history of Japanese newspapers. Traditionally, particularly before the newspapers were beefed up with many pages, the articles that appeared in "the 3rd page" of a newspaper was considered "insignificant" - with "significant" or "important" articles being politics (1st page) and economics (2nd page). The "3rd page" was filled with "other" articles - crimes, corruption, sex, gossips, and articles that the newspaper editors didn't want to attract much attention from the public. The newspaper would fulfill its social obligation of reporting the news but the news is "buried in the 3rd page" so as not to attract too much attention.

That's where this series appears in Asahi Shinbun, I was told.

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防護服の男（９）
Men in Protective Clothing (9)

　浪江町の赤宇木（あこうぎ）地区に住む三瓶（さんぺい）ヤスコ（７７）は隣の飯舘村から嫁いで５５年になる。菅野みずえとは公民館の民謡サークル仲間だ。

It's been 55 years since Yasuko Sanpei (age 77) married and moved from the neighboring Iitate-mura. She lived in Akogi District of Namie-machi. She and Mizue Kanno were members of a "minyo" [traditional Japanese folk music] singing circle.

　ヤスコは８月初めまで、細い山道を上った一軒家に１人で住んでいた。

Yasuko lived in her home at the end of a narrow mountain road all by herself, until the beginning of August.

　地震直後は、神奈川県の孫娘の１ＤＫのアパートに、富岡町の長女と孫息子の３人で避難した。

Right after the earthquake, she and her eldest daughter and the daughter's son moved to a 1-room (plus dining and kitchen) apartment of her granddaughter in Kanagawa Prefecture.

　しかし、隣室の食事の音まで聞こえる。周りにも気を使う。「この年になると都会の生活は合わない」。犬と猫のことも気になり、４月末に赤宇木に戻った。

However, you could hear the noise of the next-door neighbors, and you would have to be careful not to offend people around you [in a big city]. "I cannot adjust to city living at my age." She went back to Akogi at the end of April. She wanted to take care of her dog and her cat, too.

　そのころは、まだ地区に数世帯が残っていた。そのうち１軒減り、２軒減り、誰もいなくなった。警察が３０キロ付近で通行規制を始めると、車も通らなくなった。

Around that time, there were still a few families remaining in the district. But one family left, then another, and finally there was none. When the police started to control traffic at around 30 kilometers [from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant], there was no car passing through the district.

　さみしくなった。夜は真っ暗だ。何も考えないように思っても手が震え、食べ物がつかえた。

She felt lonely. There was no light. No matter how she tried not to think about things, her hands shook, and she couldn't eat much.

　気晴らしに近くをドライブした。しかし、帰り道はどの家も明かりはない。山道を落ちてもだれも助けにきてくれないと思うと、ドライブが怖くなった。

She went for a ride in her car to relax. But on the way back from the drive she saw dark houses with no light. If her car fell off the cliff in the mountain, no one would come to rescue her. She became afraid of driving.

　日曜になると、背中に「文部科学省」と書かれた作業服の男たちが、地区に放射線量を計測にきた。ヤスコは車がくると出て行き、「今日はなんぼですか」と尋ねる。

On Sundays, men in work clothes with "Ministry of Education and Science" on the back came to measure the radiation. Every time when their car came, Yasuko would go out and ask "How much is it today?"

　「１５マイクロシーベルトだよ」。男は気軽に教えてくれた。

"15 microsieverts/hour", answered the man.

　「私の家も測ってくれんかね」

"Can you measure my house?"

　別の日、男は家の周辺を測ってくれた。家の外で１０マイクロシーベルト、居間で５．５マイクロシーベルトあった。平常値をはるかに上回る量だ。

On another Sunday, the man measured around her house. 10 microsieverts/hour outside the house, 5.5 microsieverts/hour in her living room. They far exceeded the normal level.

　男はそれを紙に書いてヤスコに渡した。

The man wrote down the number on a piece of paper and handed it to Yasuko.

　６月初めのある日曜日、男がポツリと言った。

On one Sunday in early June, the man told Yasuko unexpectedly.

　「今だからいうけど、ここは初め１００マイクロシーベルトを超していたんだ。そのときは言えなかった。すまなかった」

"It was over 100 microsieverts/hour here, in the beginning. I couldn't tell you at that time. I am sorry."

　その後も、男は「参考にして」といって、各地域の放射線量が書かれた地図をヤスコにくれた。

Afterwards, the man gave Yasuko the map that had radiation levels in various locations for her reference.

　だが、ヤスコは８月初めまで赤宇木にとどまる。

However, Yasuko ended up stayin Akogi until early August.

　「放射能は目に見えるわけでないし、数値を聞いてもよく分からなかったのよ」

"You can't see radiation. Besides, I didn't know what the numbers meant."

　８月初め、二本松市の仮設住宅に当たったため、赤宇木を出た。

She left Akogi in early August when she was selected for the temporary housing in Nihonmatsu City.

　しかし、今も２日おきに、約２５キロ離れた自宅まで車で通う。

But she still commutes to her home by car, 25 kilometers from Nihonmatsu, every 2 days.

　犬と猫にえさをやるためだ。

To feed her dog and her cat.

（前田基行） (Reporting by Motoyuki Maeda)

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防護服の男（１０）口止めされた警察官

Men in Protective Clothing (10) Policeman who was told to be quiet

関場和代（５２）は３月１４日、会津若松市の親類宅に避難した。家は菅野みずえの家に近い浪江町南津島にあった。

Kazuyo Sekiba (age 52) moved to her relative's house in Aizu Wakamatsu City on March 14. Her house was in Minami Tsushima in Namie-machi, close to Mizue Kanno's house.

　その後も避難指示がないため４月２日、ひとまず自宅に戻った。数日して、家の前に自衛隊のジープがとまり、隊員が降りてきた。安否確認で来たという。

But since there was no formal instruction to evacuate, she came back home on April 2. Several days later, a Self Defense Force jeep stopped in front of her house, and a SDF soldier alighted from the jeep. He said he came to make sure the residents were safe.

　そのころ浪江町の放射線量が高いことが報道されていた。それが心配で、おそるおそる尋ねた。

Around that time, it was being reported that the radiation level in Namie-machi was high. Worried, she asked the soldier nervously.

　「この辺の線量はどのくらいですか」。隊員はにっこり笑い、ここは大丈夫だと答えた。

"What is the radiation level around here?" The solder smiled brightly, and answered it was all right.

　「私たちは線量計を付けています。１日にどのくらい線量を浴びたか分かるんですよ」。和代はそれで安心した。家に閉じこもるのをやめ、近所に出かけていった。

"We are fitted with dosimeter. We know how much radiation we get every day." Kazuyo was relieved. She stopped staying indoors all the time, and went about in the neighborhood.

　４月１７日。近くの橋の上にいると、男が近づいてきた。フリージャーナリストの豊田直巳（５５）だった。和代が、自宅の線量を測ってほしいと頼んだ。豊田は敷地のあちこちを測りはじめた。

April 17. When she was on the bridge near her house, a man approached her. He was Naomi Toyoda (age 55), a freelance journalist. Kazuyo asked him if he could measure the radiation at her house. Toyoda started to measure at various locations at her house.

　玄関の雨どいの下を測ったとき、豊田が「ワッ、これは大変だ！」と叫んで立ち上がった。

After he measured the level under the rain gutter at the front entrance, Toyoda stood up in surprise, shouting "Oh my goodness!"

　ためらう豊田に、和代は「本当のこといってください」と頼んだ。

Kazuyo begged the hesitant Toyoda. "Please tell me the truth."

　「２時間いたら、１ミリ吸います」と豊田は答えた。

"If you stay here for 2 hours, you will get 1 millisievert", answered Toyoda.

　豊田によると、そのときの線量は毎時５００マイクロシーベルトを超えていた。２時間いただけで年間許容量の１ミリシーベルトを超える値だ。

According to Toyoda, the radiation level was over 500 microsieverts/hour. If one remained there for 2 hours, he/she would get more than 1 millisievert which was the annual radiation exposure limit set by the government.

　具体的な数字を初めて聞かされ、大変なことだと初めて自覚した。和代はあわてて身支度し、豊田に見送られて家を飛び出した。

On hearing the actual number for the first time, Kazuyo realized this was a big deal. She hastily packed her belongings and fled the house as Toyoda saw her off.

　数日後、ネコを引き取りに再び家に帰った。警視庁のパトカーが敷地に入ってきた。

Several days later, she came back to get her cat. A police patrol car came in.

　「ここって高かったんですね」と３０代ぐらいの警察官に聞いてみた。

"So the radiation was high here, wasn't it?" She tried to draw information out of the policeman who looked in his 30s.

　「そうなんです、高いですよ。でも政府から止められていていえなかったんです」

"Yes it was. But we couldn't tell you because the government told us not to."

　警察官はそう答えた。

The policeman answered.

　和代はびっくりした。ジープの自衛官がいったことは何だったのか。

Kazuyo was shocked. Then what was it that the SDF soldier had told her?

　「もし自分の家族だったら、同じことがいえますか。真っ先に逃がすでしょう。私らのことは、しょせんひとごとなんですかね」

"Would he have said the same thing to his family members? No. He would have made them escape as soon as possible. But us, we are just strangers, I guess."

　７月、中国の高速鉄道事故で証拠隠しが発覚した。日本のメディアは中国政府の対応を厳しく批判した。和代は腹が立ってくる。

In July, the Chinese government was found hiding the evidence of the high-speed rail accident. The Japanese media heavily criticized the response by the Chinese government. Kazuyo was angry.

　「日本だって同じじゃないの」

"It's the same thing in Japan."

（前田基行） (Reporting by Motoyuki Maeda)

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It's the same thing, or worse in Japan, for the pretense that what they have is so-called "democracy".

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