#Radiation in Japan: Those Who Fled Fukushima in Panic Made a "Rational Decision", Says Government

The Ministry of Education's committee to discuss the compensation for Fukushima residents who evacuated from Fukushima on their own has decided to compensate those who fled Fukushima right after the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident because "to flee in a panic is rational". The committee has postponed the decision on the compensation for those who evacuated much later.

Never mind that it was the national government and the Fukushima prefectural government who were spreading baseless rumors of safety right after the accident. Too bad for the residents who were lulled by the soothing words of Dr. "Damashita" (deceitful) Yamashita and did not get the hell out. Or those who thought they were acting rationally by not panicking.

Well, as I say in my blog graphics above, never trust the government, never rely on the government.

From Mainichi Shinbun (10/4/2011):

東京電力福島第１原発事故のため自主避難した人たちの間で、賠償への「線引き」に困惑が広がっている。文部科学省の原子力損害賠償紛争審査会が先月、事故後１カ月程度の間に避難したケースには賠償を認める方針を固め、その後避難した人は「検討課題」と先送りにしたためだ。「避難は早い者勝ちだったの？」「汚染の実態が分かったのは最近なのに」。３日東京都内で開かれた集会には避難者ら約１２０人が集まり、線引きをなくすよう訴えた。

People who voluntarily evacuated from Fukushima are confused with the government's compensation scheme. Last month, the Ministry of Education's committee on nuclear accident damage arbitration decided to compensate people who evacuated within a month of the accident but delayed the decision on compensating people who evacuated afterward. "So are you now telling us we should have evacuated as soon as possible?" "It is only recently that we knew how bad the contamination was." About 120 people gathered in a meeting held in Tokyo on October 3, and appealed for the equal treatment.

「事故直後から不安で仕方がなかった。でも国や東電が『大丈夫』と言い続けてきたのを信じて残ったのに……」。福島市の主婦、菅野千景さん（４６）は悔やむ。中１（１３）と小２（７）の娘２人を連れて京都市の公務員住宅に自主避難したのは、８月末になってからだ。

"I was worried right from the beginning. But the national government and TEPCO kept saying "It's alright" and I believed them." Chikage Sugano, 46-year-old housewife from Fukushima City regrets. It was only at the end of August that she took two daughters, aged 13 and 7 to Kyoto City.

　自宅は原発から約６０キロ。すぐに避難することも考えたが、マイホームのローンを抱え、夫と離れ離れの生活になることはためらわれた。中学入学を控える長女の心情も考えた。生まれ育った故郷・福島への愛着もあった。

Her home was about 60 kilometers from the plant. She thought of evacuating right away, but was hesitant because of the home loan and the uncertainty of being separated from her husband. She also did not want to hurt the feelings of her older daughter who was starting her junior high school. She had a strong attachment to Fukushima, where she was born and grew up.

　住んでいる地区の放射線量が比較的高いと知ったのは６月になってから。講演会や市民団体の集会に参加した。線量の数値や評価がこれまで聞いていた話とは違っていた。

In June, she learned that the district that she lived had a relatively high radiation level. She attended the lectures and gatherings by the citizens' groups. The radiation level and the evaluation of that level were different from what she had heard.

　自宅の線量を測ると、２階の子供部屋が毎時０・９５マイクロシーベルト。平常時の屋外の２０倍で、水ぶきしても数値は下がらない。娘たちには長袖にマスク姿で通学させる日々。「この状態が続くなら」と２学期の始まりに合わせた避難を決めた。

She measured the radiation level of her own home. The children's room on the second floor measured 0.95 microsievert/hour. It was 20 times as high as the normal [before the accident] outdoor radiation level. She cleaned the house with moistened cloth but the radiation level didn't go down. She made her daughters wear long-sleeved shirts and masks to go to school. They decided to evacuate before the 2nd semester at school.

　審査会は先月２１日、自主避難者への賠償に関し、避難時期を「事故当初」と「一定期間後」の二つに区切って議論することを決めた。「事故当初」は「恐怖心から避難するのは合理的」として賠償対象とすることで一致。区切りについては、政府が計画的避難区域などの指定を発表した４月１１日か、指定日の同２２日が検討されている。

On September 21, the committee decided to categorize the voluntary evacuees into two groups - those who evacuated "right after the accident", and those who evacuated "after certain period of time". The committee was unanimous in deciding to compensate those who evacuate "right after the accident" because "it was rational [or it made sense] to evacuate out of fear". As to what time period would be considered "right after the accident", the committee is considering either up till April 11 when the national government announced the planned evacuation zone, or April 22 when the planned evacuation zone was implemented.

　菅野さんはやるせない。「冷静に行動しようと思い、事故直後は踏みとどまってしまった。影響が出るかもしれない子供たちに申し訳ない上に、補償も出ないなんて」。引っ越し代や二重生活の費用がかさむ。

Mrs. Sugano feels disconsolate. "We thought we were acting rationally right after the accident, and stayed. We are sorry for our children who may be affected by the radiation. And no compensation on top of that". It cost a lot of money to move, and still does as they have to maintain two households. [Her husband apparently remains in Fukushima City.]

(The article continues with another such example.)

Regardless, some sort of a new propaganda using Twitter seems to be on. Tweets are supposedly written by a concerned housewife and mother who lives in Fukushima, and through her interactions with "scientists" and "experts" on Twitter she has been transformed from someone who was afraid of radiation contamination in Fukushima and wanted to leave into someone who has decided to stay and not to worry about radiation any more. (If it is not a propaganda then I lose hope for the country.) If you read Japanese you can read the whole exchange at Togetter.

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