Massive 8.9 quake rocks Japan

[Shinpachi]

I appreciate your courage to comment, RabidAlien and BikerBabe.

The Japanese did not make war this time but as many as estimated 30,000 were killed by the quake and tsunami. Besides, the nuclear powerplant crisis is still going on.

I can't find out any proper reasons why people must kill people in the war anymore.

 

[Erich]

its called evil intentions Shin. prayers are with you and your kin during this tough, terrible time.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Erich.
This will be a good lesson for us again.
I appreciate your supports.

 

[BikerBabe]

Dear Shinpachi.

Japan and all of her people - living and dead - are definitely in my prayers these days, but I must admit that I've got nothing but a sorrow-tinged admiration and incredible deep respect for the people who do what they can to work on the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
They of all people know a lot more about what they're dealing with, compared with those of us far away that only has a somewhat faint idea - and yet they struggle to save their families and country from a much worse catastrophe than the earthquake, however impossible that might sound.
Sonkei.
I pray for them and I pray for their families.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thank you very much Bikerbabe for your great respect and prayer for us.
It sounds too much.

What I am surprised now is the fact that President of Tokyo Electric Power Co Ltd does not come out from his office, saying he overworked. This is their real nature of old men who have been enjoying high salary with no sweat in our society. Sad.

I appreciate again for your fullest supports!

 

[Maximowitz]

Glad to hear you are ok my friend. Hopefully things will become easier soon..

 

[Wayne Little]

Unbelievable series of photo's....

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Paul and Wayne for your care.

Yesterday, a Chinese patrol plane was reported approached to the Japanese southern islands Senkaku of the territorial argument between two nations in order to check our defense system after the earthquake.

We all laughed.
They seem having nothing to do with the chivalry.
This has also been a good chance for us to know what they are.

 

[Torch]

Some further video of the tsunami,still unbelievable......http://freevideocoding.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fflash.vx.roo.com%2FstreamingVX%2F63056%2F1458%2F20110311_japan_wave_successions_sky_1000k.mp4&autostart=true

 

[ppopsie]

Thanks for all of your assistance extended to us so that we survivors can live at least for now especially to the US armed forces and its personnel in Japan. Having no means for assistance other than donating and watching TV, I am now using my own time for making the 1/32 Mustangs in three different models, all from scratch. If the situation turns in favor to us and if I could get through, or can survive this thing, then I will upload the detail of the Mustang models on the modeling section. I promise that.

 

[razor1uk]

Nice Stangs' there Ppopsie

Continued wishes, and hopes of oldmen being more honest than before.
I think in future hindsight, the events and their effects will be for joint public private accountablity, like the 1274 Invasion was for the Tradition of Individualistic Combat (exclueding Dueling naturally).
And the current situation(s) becoming more stablised, news is dropping off rapidly in UK - the hegeomny of conceivably more corrupt press (much more than it was believed to be; since it also is used for/by police, anti-terroristism, spies spying etc too,) focuses general population attention elsewhere.
My thoughts are still with all invloved, hoping to add to their Shitno, Bhuddist, Christian, Aetheist etc, beliefs to surmount these events.

I'd virtually like to post a wooden docket at a Shinto/Bhuddist Shrine for the People of Japan, expressing hope, wishes of a quick resolution and better clearer managment public accountability (should events be serious enough to warrent them; as currently, it certiantly is).

 

[Shinpachi]

In my impression watching news, Japanese goverment seems beginning to admit at last that all fuel rods of three reactors have been melted down to stay on the bottom of drywell. My concern is how efficiently and quickly they are going to collect the leaking tens of thousand tons of radioactivity pollution water to recycle as coolant.

 

[drgondog]

Shinpachi - I am late to this thread but my prayers are with you and all the families of the fallen, and those workers that will also fall at the Nuclear plant - we all know they willingly exposed themselves to almost certain lethal exposures.

The individual courage of the Japanese people is legendary, and never moreso than now. Godspeed.

PS - I have to laugh at myself when I recall my exposure to my first earthquake as a young child in Japan in the late 40's.. it might have been a 6 - and I have no comprehension what a '1000x' more magnitude means.

 

[Shinpachi]

I'm glad to hear from you again, drgondog and appreciate your so cordial warm words for us.

Our government is idiot but the US scientists team in Tokyo seems kicking up their a** with many appropriate advices.

Also, Russia is reported offered their polluted water treatment facility which is movable and was used for Chernobyl today.

Very helpful and thankful for the kindest and immediate aid from around the world.

Thank you very much!

 

[Airframes]

I hope you alll come through this well, and my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

I hope you are doing well Ppopsie and Shinpachi. Stay safe over there!

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks for your care Airframes and Vassili Zaitzev!

The incidents this time has been a good opportunity for us to filter who is useful or not to solve problems which are coming up one after another.

The people are hard to survive kicking down or neglecting those incompetent politicians, bureaucrats and corporate executives though such reality is not necessarily coming up to the surface. That is a sort of traditional tacit understanding among the people as I have never witnessed that here are so many constructive arguments about the futue of nation on the net as well as media.

Recovery is going on detouring the Fukushima area and the prime minister Kan though he is still hard to recover his respects from the people. A media says "He is the biggest obstacle to recover the nation now. If we should show any respect to our leader, let's place it on our Emperor temporarily as he is harmless."
Sad.

 

[GrauGeist]

Shinpachi, there is always going to be the political aftermath of a disaster, especially one of this magnatude.

I can think of a number of places where I'd like to see nature visit this sort of devestation on, but certainly not on Japan and her people.

Please be careful, both you and Ppopsie...thoughts and prayers to both your families and your nation for a safe and speedy recovery.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks GG for your kindest care for us as always!

Yesterday, we had the nationwide local elections and the prime minister Mr.Kan's party DPJ set back.
That is a good news at the moment.
Thanks.

 

[Shinpachi]

For your basic knowledge about the Japanese Disaster management system, please let me introduce it as follows.

(English information issued by Asian Disaster Reduction Center
and Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Japan)

General Disaster management system

1. Administrative system
Japan has three (3) administrative levels of governance; national, prefectural and municipal. Each level of governments has its own disaster management organizations, policy frameworks and budgets. When disasters occur, municipalities respond first. In case disasters are large in scale beyond their capacity, national and prefectural governments provide every possible support.

2. Legal system, legal framework
The cornerstone of legislation on disaster risk reduction is the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act enacted in 1961.

Main Features of the Act 2
• Responsibilities of national and local governments as well as the private sector and people
• Organization of multi-sectoral coordination bodies for disaster management at the national and local levels
• Disaster management planning system
• Basic actions to be taken in each phase of the disaster management cycle: prevention/preparedness, emergency response, and recovery/rehabilitation
• Annual Government Official Report on Disaster Countermeasures

A number of laws are enacted to address all the phases of disaster reduction.
For example, Large-scale Earthquake Countermeasures Special Act and Earthquake Disaster Management Special Measures Act for building nation and communities resilient to disasters.

Disaster Relief Act and Act Regarding Special Measures to Weigh the Preservation of Rights and Profits of the Victims of Specified Disasters for immediate support to the affected populations and local authorities.

Act Concerning Support for Reconstructing Livelihoods of Disaster Victims and Act Concerning Special Financial Support to Deal with Designated Disasters of Extreme Severity for better recovery to safer communities.

3. Structure of disaster management
(Cabinet Office and the Minister of State for Disaster Management)

All the line ministries and agencies have responsibility to take actions related to disaster reduction within their own mandate. The Cabinet Office is responsible for formulating basic policies, strategies and guidelines for disaster reduction and for securing coordination of government disaster reduction activities.

A post of Minister of State for Disaster Management was newly established in the Cabinet in 2001 who takes lead in the responsibilities for disaster reduction in the Natural Government.

(Central Disaster Management Council)
Under the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, the Central Disaster Management Council was formed to ensure multi-ministerial and multi-sectoral involvement in disaster reduction in a coordinated manner.

The Prime Minister is its Chair and the Minister of State for Disaster Management supports the Chair. Not only all the Ministers but also Heads of relevant public corporations such as the Bank of Japan, the Japanese Red Cross Society, NHK (public broadcasting corporation) and NTT (telecommunication company) , and some academic experts are the member of the Council.

The Council formulates the Disaster Management Basic Plan and other basic policies, strategies and guidelines.

4. Priority on disaster risk management
Reducing damage caused by disasters, especially sudden on-set earthquakes and tsunamis, through wider involvement of all the stakeholders in disaster reduction activities is continuously required. Among others the prioritized issues are as follows:

(1)Decrease the number of casualties by earthquakes
• Retrofit/rebuild old existing houses and buildings
• Affix furniture and adhere protective films on old windows
• Encourage companies to make Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

(2)Decrease the number of casualties by tsunamis
• Distribute tsunami hazard maps
• Disseminate tsunami warnings effectively
• Ensure that people are evacuated to safe places

(3)Further decrease the number casualties by typhoons and floods
• Provide early evacuation alerts for the elderly and disabled
• Distribute flood hazard maps

Disaster management plan

Based on the Disaster Management Basic Act, the Central Disaster Management Council formulates and reviews the Basic Disaster Management Plan (latest amendments in July 2005). In accordance with the Basic Plan, all the government ministries and agencies as well as designated major public corporations formulate their own Disaster Management Operation Plan. All the local authorities also formulate their own Local Disaster Management Plan.

Disaster reduction perspectives are incorporated into relevant development plans such as Comprehensive National Development Plan, Social Infrastructure Development Priority Plan, Land Use Plan and urban and rural planning

Budget size on national level
Disaster risk reduction is covered in the budget of national and local governments. At the national level, the annual budget for disaster risk reduction is approximately $ 34 billion, which is about 5% of the total general-account budget expenditure.

Progress and situations of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)

Among others the recent prioritized efforts for the implementation of the HFA in Japan are as follows:
1. Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation

(a) Initiated nation-wide movement for disaster reduction
A committee on the promotion of nation-wide movement for disaster reduction was established under the Central Disaster Management Council in July 2005 with members from various stakeholders to formulate basic plan of action for the nation-wide movement.

(b) Formulated Earthquake Disaster Reduction Strategy
The Central Disaster Management Council formulated Earthquake Disaster Reduction Strategy in March 2005, which set an overarching goal to halve estimated damage caused by possible large-scale earthquakes and tsunamis in the next decade.

2. Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning

(c) Promoting hazard mapping for various disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and floods at community level

(d) Enhancing early warning capabilities for all the possible disasters including thorough R&D for emergency earthquake alerts by using the arrival time difference of P and S waves of earthquakes

3. Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels.

(e) Promoting disaster reduction education for school children including thorough participation-oriented events to involve children in practical disaster exercises

4. Reduce the underlying risk factors

(f) Promoting rebuilding and retrofitting of old houses and buildings vulnerable to earthquakes

To accomplish a strategic goal to decrease the ratio of old housed from 25% to 10% in ten years, the Government is increasing the budget for subsidies and developing a new tax reduction policy for building safer houses.

(g) Promoting efforts of the private sector to make Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

5. Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels

(h) Formulating emergency contingency planning in response to possible large-scale earthquakes such as Tonanka and Nankai Earthquake


Nuclear Safety
(Information by Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Japan - NISA)

.... to be continued.