#Fukushima Officials and Principals of Tokyo Metropolitan High Schools Want to Send Students to Fukushima on School Trips

To help Fukushima recover, of course. Wirtschaft über alles. Above well-being of children.

(That's part of what 20-plus years of economic "malaise" does to a country.)

From NHK Tokyo Metropolitan Edition (link won't last, emphasis is mine; 9/4/2012):

福島県への修学旅行など誘致

[Fukushima officials] luring school trips to Fukushima Prefecture

震災や原発事故の影響によって、修学旅行などの目的で福島県を訪れる生徒が大幅に減っているため、福島県の担当者が４日、都立高校の校長などが集まる会議に参加して誘致活動を行いました。

On September 4, officials from the Fukushima prefectural government dropped by at the conference of the principals of metropolitan (public) high schools (in Tokyo) to promote Fukushima as the destination for the school trips. The number of students who visit Fukushima Prefecture on school trips has dropped off significantly due to the March 11, 2011 earthquake and the nuclear accident.

福島県には全国から毎年、およそ７０万人の子どもたちが修学旅行や合宿のために訪れていましたが、震災があった去年は９割がキャンセルとなり、ことしも震災前の水準に戻っていません。

About 700,000 children used to visit Fukushima Prefecture every year for school trips and training camps. However, last year after the disaster, 90% of these trips were canceled. It hasn't recovered to pre-disaster level yet this year.

このため福島県は関東地方の学校を中心に子どもたちの旅行を誘致する取り組みを始めていて、４日は、担当者が東京・文京区で開かれた都立高校の校長などが集まる校長会に参加しました。

So, the Fukushima prefectural government has started an initiative to attract school trips mainly by schools in Kanto Region. On September 4, the officials in charge participated in the conference of principals from metropolitan high schools, which was held in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.

この中で、福島県観光交流局の星春男局長は「津波や原発事故で被害を受けた被災地以外は平常に戻りつつあり、福島は安心だということを保護者の方々にも伝えてほしい」と話しました。

Mr. Haruo Hoshi, head of the Tourism and Exchange Bureau of Fukushima Prefecture, told the principals, "Except for the areas damaged by the tsunami and the nuclear accident, things are getting back to normal. I would like you to tell the parents [of your students] that Fukushima is safe."

続いて福島県の担当者が、東京から訪れる人も大学などの部活動の合宿を除いては大幅に減り、厳しい状況が続いていることや、県内の放射線量は原発に近い一部の地域を除いては健康に影響のないレベルであることを説明しました。

Then, other officials explained that visitors from Tokyo had dropped off dramatically except for training camps by college students, and the prospect was dire, but radiation levels were such that they wouldn't affect health except for part of Fukushima close to [Fukushima I] Nuclear Power Plant.

福島県観光交流局の星春男局長は「福島県には文化や歴史など魅力が多くあり、旅行のためのプログラムも充実しています。誘致活動に力をいれてなんとか震災前の数にまで戻していきたい」と話していました。

Mr. Hoshi said, "Fukushima has a lot of cultural and historical attractions, and we offer rich programs for school trips. We will do our best in attracting [the schools] and bring the number of visitors to the pre-disaster level."

Radiation levels are such that they won't affect health, meaning they are low except in the immediate neighborhood of Fukushima I Nuke Plant. Only in the minds of government officials in Fukushima.

To these officials from Fukushima City (that's where the prefectural government office is located), radiation levels in Fukushima City and in Nakadori (middle third) of Fukushima are not high. 1 microsievert/hour at 1 meter off the ground? Not a problem. Why? Because these officials live there and they say so.

What is this obsession of sending or bringing young people and children to Fukushima (of all places)? Remember the misguided attempt to send elementary school children to Date City to give cheer to the people there? The LDP city assemblyman in a city in Osaka who was going to co-sponsor the event was extremely indignant that he was roundly criticized for proposing the trip, which he eventually canceled. He clearly did not understand why people were upset with his project of good intention.

The school principals, being more of administrators than educators, will duly follow official recommendations.