Monday, December 19, 2011

#Fukushima I Nuke Plant "Cold Shutdown" Effect: "Let's All Visit Fukushima" Campaign by the National Government

It looks as if a total, complete cold shutdown has been achieved in the heads of some ministers and agency heads and career bureaucrats in the Japanese national government.

The Japan Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism launched a new campaign on the day of the declaration of the "cold shutdown/accident over" by Prime Minister Yoshikiko "Saved by Kim" Noda.

What's the campaign, you ask?

"Let's go visit Fukushima Prefecture, now that the Step 2 of the TEPCO/government Roadmap has been completed!" Rejoice, it's safe!

From the Japan Tourism Agency press release (12/16/2011):

本日、野田佳彦内閣総理大臣から、「東京電力福島第一原子力発電所・事故の収束に向けた道筋」(いわゆる「工程表」)におけるステップ2(原子炉の「冷温停止状態」の達成)を完了した旨の発表がありました。

Today [December 16], Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced the completion of the so-called Step 2 (achievement of a "cold shutdown state" of the reactors) of "the roadmap to winding down the TEPCO Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident".

 観光庁としても、福島第一原子力発電所が「冷温停止状態」になった事実を国内・海外に発信してまいります。
また、平成23年度第3次補正予算により、東北地方全体を博覧会場と見立て、地域や民間の様々な取組みを連携させ、統一的な情報発信等を行う「東北観光博」等国内観光振興の取組みを実施するとともに、訪日外客を着実に回復させるための取組みも実施してまいります。

The Japan Tourism Agency intends to inform people both inside and outside Japan of the fact that Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant has achieved a "cold shutdown state". Thanks to the 3rd supplementary budget for the fiscal 2011 year, the Agency will consider the entire Tohoku region as one big exhibition hall, and by coordinating the various regional and private efforts promote the domestic tourism with events like "Tohoku Tourism Exhibition". The Agency will also strive for a steady recovery of foreign tourists visiting Japan.

 福島県からは、今後、ありがとうキャンペーンや若者を対象としたスキー場のリフト券無料化など様々な取組みを実施し、全国の皆さんをお迎えしていきたいと伺っています。

The Agency has heard from Fukushima Prefecture that the prefecture is looking forward to receiving visitors from all over Japan with "thank-you" campaign and free lift passes for the ski slopes targeted for young people.

 全国の皆さん、是非、福島に旅行に出掛けて下さい。福島が元気にならなければ、東北地方、さらには日本全体の元気はありません。福島県の被災された地域の方々の心情に配慮しつつ、観光で日本を元気にするという気持ちで、一緒に取り組んでまいりましょう。

Citizens of Japan, by all means please go visit Fukushima Prefecture. Unless Fukushima recovers, Tohoku, or for that matter the entire Japan will not recover. Be considerate how the people living in the affected areas of Fukushima feel, and let's do it together with the spirit that tourism will make Japan recover.

 ※ご要望があれば、長官が直接取材又は電話取材に対応させていただきます。以下の連絡先にご連絡下さい。

Upon request, the Director General would be happy to talk with the press, either in direct meetings or via telephone. Please contact us at the following numbers.

Here's Director General Hiroshi Mizohata, from the Agency's webpage.

And the numbers to call are:

03-5253-8111 (extension 27-115)
Direct: 03-5253-8322 (Ask for Fujita or Ohno)

"Cold shutdown state" is a fact, everyone got that? But "thank-you" campaign by Fukushima Prefecture? For what?

The last paragraph reads just as demented as Minister of the Environment Goshi Hosono's remark that he will make Fukushima Prefecture having the lowest cancer rate in the whole country.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

And I was just informed by a company who makes the dosimeters/radiation badges--their employee in Japan..drove to Fukushima from Tokyo--and registered a total of 20 millisievers of radiation accumulated in just the one way trip. That is an entire years radiation or the LIMIT of allowable radiation for Nuclear Plant workers in the USA--and the person did not go into the exclusion zone. So tell us again..to visit Fukushima? People better wear dosimeters! And not eat any food--if they get a years limit of radiation just driving from Tokyo to there..So say again about the fun tourist events planned? Or the tourist can visit the hospital and become part of the Medical Investigation!

Anonymous said...

Anon, are you sure it wasn't 20 MICRO-sieverts? The figure you give doesn't correspond to anything safecast are measuring up there.
http://maps.safecast.org/

On the other hand, if it's microsieverts and the trip lasted for 12 hours it would correspond to 1.6 uSv/h, which would fit better with what we know about radiation levels in the area. Still high, but a thousand times less than what you are saying.

About the article, it's really fucked up. The campaign should be called Kawaiso Fukushima. I would pretty much enjoy a free trip to Aomori, though, better than Tokyo when it comes to radiation.

ownasaur said...

"the Agency will consider the entire Tohoku region as one big exhibition hall"

That sounds about right, considering they'll showcase the effects of radiation on people of all ages.

The people in charge over there are simply out of their minds.

Anonymous said...

Ok, the government is insane and I would love to have them all relocate to Fukushima city as a command center and let those in Fukushima leave.

If anyone has ever seen the radiation maps EX SKF has so generously posted from Professor Hayakawa and understands how the Shinkansen runs as well as the highway up north they would be able to understand the government is asking you to drive thru Chernobyl and stay a while.

Do not go skiing either.

"Thank you for what" says it all indeed. I am sick of seeing these posters on trains The women saluting to Fukushima makes no sense.

Thank you for your blog EX SKF - once I figure out how to get out of here you will get the donation you deserve.

Bob said...

We can only hope people will see through this nonsense. I never thought I find myself thinking that the Russians know more about what's good for people than the Japanese, but here we are: 25 years after the disaster and there is still no "Visit Chernobyl" campaign. However, just a few months after Fukushima, the mind-numbing repetition of the same stale exhortations will convince a sizable portion of Japan's population to sign up for whatever you're selling -- and if you're giving it away, they'll line up around the block. But no amount of 大和魂、頑張るlunacy will have any effect on nuclear physics.

citizenperth said...

they have zoned the entire population to a crude nazzi extermination plant....

thanks for keeping the news alive....

Atomfritz said...

"...Minister of the Environment Goshi Hosono's remark that he will make Fukushima Prefecture having the lowest cancer rate in the whole country."

Am I the only one who interprets this as an announcement that you can expect the Fukushima prefecture medical statistics will get doctored accordingly in the future?

Al most-shat said...

Fuk u shima has achieved cold shutdown. The biggest "baseless rumour" of all. Rot in hell, next to Kim Jong (terminally) Il, all you moronic, inhuman, genocidal, totalitarian, establishment scum.

Anonymous said...

The Director General appears he's having trouble 'containing' something, lol.

Anonymous said...

Speak to me of your 'face', Director General, and I will comment upon it.

lol

Anonymous said...

As a Japanese, I cannot believe and am ashamed of the lunacy that is going on in Japan now.

Why doesn't it occur to the Japanese politicians, that they are making the ENTIRE Japan CONTAMINATED with Fukushima fallout by shipping the disaster debris to all over Japan and burning them in community incinerators for the next two (2) years. (If you are not familiar about this, search 'debris buring' on ex-skf.blogspot.com )

Even if cold shutdown may be achieved eventually, Strontium, Cesium, and other highly poisonous radioactive elements have been already scattered from the explosions, some have half-life of hundreds and thousands years. On top of that, the government's new initiative of burning disaster debris is making the ENTIRE Japan NOT-SUITABLE for tourism.

Until recently, the Western and Southern Japan such as Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Kyushu presented a good sightseeing alternative to Tohoku and Tokyo area. But these cities are now beginning to be covered with Fukushima radiation particles from the burnt ashes and emissions.

How the Japanese politicians and tourism office don't see this, I don't know. Just speechless.

At the least, we should send our protest about the debris burning and for their not doing right things to protect people, including foreign tourists. Let's boycott Japanese tourism and international conferences in Japan:

- www.jnto.go.jp/eng/contact/index.html

- www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/concierge/goiken.html

- kankocho@mlit.go.jp (Japan Tourism Agency email)

We should also contribute honest discussions on radiation contamination in Japan at commercial travel websites such as:

- tripadvisor.com (Japan forum)
- Expedia
- Travelocity, etc.

Post a Comment