i'm going to Japan

So are you there, OP?

Are you in Japan now?

What's going on????

yes I am but when i was in Tokyo it was full rain... met a few people but none with good enough english to have a proper chat
full fail
(sorry)

Originally posted by mrbillshow
Please ask the people of Hokkaido why they haven't taken into their homes any of the hundreds of thousands of nuclear and tsunami refugees, particularly children and the elderly.

put yourself in the skin of people from fukushima... would you enjoy being "relocated" in house of people you don't know !? well i wouldn't.

anyway there are centers in Hokkaïdo that are hosting Fukushima refugees. from the little I've seen on local tv it looks comfortable and human (no army, no uniform, no weapon - not like how we could imagine fema camp i mean)

Originally posted by Expat888
No offense but last thing we need over here are gaijin tourists running around getting in the way of recovery and rebuilding work.. Go home

no offense but last thing we need in this world is corporate mercenaries or shall i say highly paid corporate slaves (yes kapo is synonymous too). resign or go back your country, they are already enough polluted by corporate globalization here, thanks.
[+ remember the case better : it is people like you (those "expats") that have installed the electronic that was running Fukushima;
+ imagine those kind Japanese people becoming as vulgar and violent as the average american... how sad it would be for collective consciousness... ]

Originally posted by eagleeye2
In fact i doubt going home will help.
Japanese economy rely on tourist.
It's a way to help.

sorry i don't fit in this stereotype either...

I had to say I enjoyed reading you verbally take the expat man down a peg or two. As a woman in Japan who has to live alongside those creeps who come here to try and have sex with as many Japanese women as possible, whilst treating them with zero respect, and arrogantly seem to think that they own Japan, and lecture everyone around on `how things are in Japan` and `what Japan needs`. Arrogant, presumptive so and so`s....

Hope you enjoyed Hokkaido. Its much nicer there than Tokyo.

Thanks. Cheered me up no end. Now if you can tell me how to deal with the old gaijin drunk that called me and my (skinny) youngest daughter fat, and kept trying to hassle us when we were doing our shopping and minding our own business, that would be fabulous. (joke).

reply to post by XmikaX


What can WE do, for the people there?

reply to post by beezzer


You can push for the Japanese government to take radioactive contaminated food off shelves. To make it known that it is not ok for kids to receive the same dose as an American nuclear power worker. Im here, in Tokyo, and to hear that they are removing radioactive dust from school playgrounds, and that these children are at risk breaks my heart.

There was a news item recently about how Finnish mothers had sent ready made formula and baby food to the devestated areas. In some areas the water is still tainted with caesium, and radiation has been found in breast milk in Tokyo, Chiba, Fukushima etc. This was very gratefully received. You can find the addresses for shelters on Amazon.jp. They also send right to the shelters, I think. It is my understanding that Fukushima evacuees are being treated a lot worse than those in Sendai. A lot of what has been sent to the shelters is not useful at the moment - cold weather clothes when it is now warmer, things that cannot be stored. Baby milk, some reading material, that kind of thing should be appreciated, if anyone wants to make that kind of contribution.

Keep pushing for the truth. For it to be made clear what the risks are, what the levels are. Im tired of all the deflection. We all know it is bad, I think the world deserves to know HOW bad it is. Tepco are verging on the criminal.

Apart from that, I dont think that there is much that can be done from outside of Japan. People need sanitation, housing, and a bit of hope that things will get better.

Tokyo is fine. A bit bumpy now and again, but more or less ok. The air is at a `new normal` level of radiation, the tap water now has non detectable levels of radiation. What is going to hurt people is the ingested radiation from tainted foods. I have to trust that veg is from where it says it is from.

If anyone is up for a vacation, south and north - Kyushu, Osaka, Kyoto and Hokkaido etc are safe, and Im sure any tourism will help a lot. Kyoto is quite lovely.

The shelters are not quite as safe as people think. This week a volunteer woman was stabbed by a refugee man in a shelter. There have been a few reports of sexual assaults. There are police now in the shelters though. In general things have been amazingly calm. There are just a lot of people packed in very uncomfortable conditions, with sanitation issues, and who are traumatised. Things are moving, but not very fast. Thing is a lot of these people do not want to leave these areas, they have no money to set themselves up away from the shelters. They would not get free food like they are now, their jobs have disappeared. THey are totally dependent on the state. They have nowhere TO go to, and no means to start again. It will get better, just not quickly.

Could you please stop in Iwaki and make sure that I locked all the doors on our house? We won't be going back for a long time, if at all.

reply to post by tamusan


Im so sorry to hear you had to leave. I hope you and loved ones got out safely.

There is no way in hell Im going to Fukushima, but if I can do anything else from Tokyo/Chiba for you, Ild be happy to help.

reply to post by ThousandIslandSunny


We are in the U.S., and doing fine, despite being homesick, and missing what I believe is the worlds best seafood. Most of my inlaws have followed us, but who know how long they can stay. It looks like they will get a special status,, so that's good if they wish to stay away from Japan. My wifes uncle and aunt won't leave Iwaki. They are farmers and feel the need to protest. Others are in some form of public service, so they have a duty to stay.

I left because I have already beaten cancer, caused by radiation once in my life, and do not wish to try it again.

I hope you are able to keep safe, and thank you for going to Japan in order to bring out an accurate depiction of the situation.

reply to post by ThousandIslandSunny


[hokkaido is freezing, not used with that... me migrating bird... fortunately my beloved is keeping me warm while waiting for warmer days]

i may have a line for you but it's not mine : sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me

however i prefer much much more the french version, colorful & poetic : the toad foam cannot reach the white dove

reply to post by tamusan


Tamusan, Ive been here for many years, and have a young family here, I havent travelled here recently. Im a permanent resident.

I wish we could leave, but it is very hard for us to do that, when financially it would ruin us. We are looking for work outside of Japan, but there is nothing. If we found work we would be on the first plane out of here. Personally, I would say to hell with the money, lets go, but my other half is more sensible than I am. To be honest, even if it bankrupted us, if I had been in Iwaki, I would have run for the hills too. You have done the right thing, Im sure (not that my opinion means anything).


I do hope your family who stayed in Iwake are safe, and manage to be heard. They should be fully compensated by Tepco. It is disgusting how farmers have been treated.

If there is anything I can do for you from Chiba/ Tokyo let me know.

reply to post by XmikaX


Hokkaido is freezing, but before I landed here I grew up with freezing. I always think it is very pretty there, much nicer than ugly old Tokyo. It is very pleasant in summertime, if my power goes this summer leaving us with no air con, Im heading for Sapporo. If I have to stay in Japan, Ild prefer to live in Kyoto/Hyogo. If you make it that way Mount Shosha/ Engyogi temple is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Well worth the hike.

I was generally going with the `F-off you drunk old fool and stop talking to my 12 year old daughter or Ill set the dog on you`, though I really do like the French version, certainly more poetic.