I AM DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE UN ANNOUNCEMENT ON NO HEALTH HAZARDS FROM FUKUSHIMA 10 YEAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
英語と日本語のバイリンガルの手紙は2013年1月のアーカイブからご覧ください
English and Japanese bilingual texts can be viewed from January, 2013.
日英のトップページはここから→http://savekidsjapan.blogspot.com/2013/01/open-letter-to-un-on-health-hazards.html
Open Letter to the United Nations and its Related Agencies
February, 2013
Mari Takenouchi, freelance journalist
Greeting from Japan
My name is Mari Takenouchi, a freelance journalist and a mother
of three year old in Okinawa, Japan. I am writing this letter to inform you
of grave situation in Japan after March 11, 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.
Fortunately, Mr. Anand Grover from UN Human Rights Council made
some investigation and stated an excellent report on November 26, 2012. http://unic.or.jp/unic/press_release/2869/#entry-english
As Mr. Grover stated, there are many grave concerns after
Fukushima. In this letter, I put my
focus on matters that are not reported in main stream media. It is a little long,
but contains very important information. Children are already getting sick. I
would appreciate it if you could forward this information ASAP to related
department/personnel.
Thanks you very much in advance.
Mari Takenouchi
PS. To my sadness, On February 12, 2013, North Korea conducted a
nuclear test. However, I feel very
strange to hear that UN Securities Council will tackle this issue though they
are the ones who conducted nuclear tests in the past and altered the level or
global environmental radiation permanently.
Without facing the historical issues of the past, I think there
will be no solution for nuclear problems.
I earnestly ask you to read through the following chapters. Especially chapter XIII and XIV are related
with issues of the United Nations as well.
Contents of this letter
I)
Tokyo March 15, 2011
II)
Thyroid Test and Silence of
Doctors
III)
Deadly ETHOS Came to Fukushima
IV) 5 Reasons Why ICRP Is Wrong
V)
Bandazhevsky Studies and Heart
Anomaly in Ibaraki
VI) Tokyo Univ. Controversial WBC Study
VII) Govt and Medical Societies Aiming at Economic Profit in
Fukushima
VIII) Incineration of Contaminated Debris
IX) Decontamination and Nuclear Workers
X)
Crimes of Media; NHK and
Yomiuri
XI) Potential Catastrophic Accident
XII) Unit 731, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Chernobyl, Fukushima
XIII) UN and Nuclear Issues
XIV) 5 Requests to UN
XV) Epilogue
I)
Tokyo on March 15, 2011
After the Fukushima nuclear
accident on March 11, 2011, I escaped from Tokyo to Okinawa with my 1 year and
4 months old son in the afternoon of March 15.
My personal story was covered in an Australian newspaper. http://www.theage.com.au/world/escape-to-okinawa-20111205-1ofh3.html
In the morning of March 15, I
was outside with my son riding a bicycle, when the thickest radioactive cloud
was passing. The Tokyo Metropolitan
government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs detected 1100Bq of inhaled radiation from 10:00 to 11:00 am on March 15. But it was never announced through any media
at that time, and in stead, this important data was only updated on the
Bureau’s webpage, which was rarely known to the public.
Even 100Bq/kg material was
disposed as low-level nuclear waste in a drum can before the accident. Currently, this 100Bq/kg is applied for
Japanese food standard including staple food rice, and as an initial exposure,
residents in Tokyo have already inhaled equivalent to 10kg of radioactive fine
particles in their respiratory system as initial exposure in only one hour on
March 15! http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/INET/CHOUSA/2011/12/DATA/60lcq104.pdf
Furthermore, people in Tokyo had inhaled radioactive material of
3600Bq in March 2011. Residents in Tokyo
have already inhaled equivalent to 36kg of low level nuclear waste particles
into their respiratory system! (Of course, exposure levels differ depending on
each person who was either inside or outside in these hours.) http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/INET/CHOUSA/2011/12/DATA/60lcq103.pdf
This alone, is an amazing data, but US DOE provides further shocking raw data
on the contamination. In here, gross
alpha radionuclide data, which has never been provided by Japanese government,
is listed. As for gross beta, the
contamination level much higher by the order of 2 or 3. https://explore.data.gov/Geography-and-Environment/US-DOE-NNSA-Response-to-2011-Fukushima-Incident-Ra/9zd5-qd8t
Since immediately after the accident, various blog sites
collected complaints from Tokyo
metropolitan residents who suffered from various symptoms such as
nose-bleeding, fever, rashes, coughing, diarrhea, goiter, etc, which were
totally ignored by the government and media. A-bomb survivor, Dr. Shuntaro Hida, stated the
above symptoms were heard among Fukushima residents right after the accident
and also were observed in the health consultation meeting held in Tokyo in June
2011.
Thyroid abnormality rate among
Tokyo children is as high as the one in Fukushima as of December 2012. Some scientists and journalists insist that
this means that Fukushima is not dangerous.
But I think it would be more natural to think that people in Tokyo have
already exposed to radiation, especially through initial exposure, to the level
in which people’s thyroid had some impact as in the case of Fukushima (I
would elaborate on this in a later paragraph).
One month after the March 15, I and my son had prolonged high
fever and coughing. I had more than 103
F fever for eight days continuously and my son had 101 F on and off for a dozen
times in three months.
I am still susceptible to catching cold and I have irritating
feeling around my throat always with stuck phlegm. Even almost 2 years after the accident, an
otolaryngologist told me that due to inflammation on the epiglottis (part
between nose and throat), I have such irritation. I have no allergy to anything, and such
symptom was the first time in my life.
There are a number of people who have experienced some
abnormalities in their health nationwide, and their voices are covered in the
Fukushima Radioactive Contamination Research blog. https://sites.google.com/site/sos311home/
At the end of 2012, my son and I took the thyroid echo
examination. In the first hospital, we
were told that there the result showed no abnormalities, so I was quite
relieved. But several days after, I had
the second opinion at another hospital that was equipped with high quality echo
image machine. Then the image showed
that I had 2 nodules around 1.3mm each and my son had countless nodules around
0.1mm-0.2mm.
According to the doctor in this
hospital, she found this type of small nodules in almost everybody who was in
Tokyo metropolitan area , though there was none among those who were living in
Osaka area. Nodules usually do not
disappear, so this can be called as an omen of a grave situation in the future.
Also, I heard from a mother who had been living in Tokyo until
one year after the accident that she had thyroid test and found that she had 5
mm nodule. Though the doctor told her a second
test was not necessary, she persistently asked for a biopsy. As a result, cancer was found in her thyroid.
In her case, she was riding
bicycle everyday in Tokyo and she said it was quite an exercise. Hence, she was
breathing in more air and could have been exposed to radiation in her respiratory
system more than her 7 year old son.
Currently, Fukushima prefecture is conducting biopsy test of
thyroid is conducted only those who have nodules more than 5mm or cysts more
than 20mm and the result of blood/urine test showed abnormality.
This way of categorization relying
on the size of nodules or cysts is not sufficient since cancer could be
overlooked and it
could be too late for potential cancer patients at the next health examination
after 2 years. The size of cancer
varies, and even small one could be malignant, which might lead to metastasis
on other organs.
Since there is such a case of the Tokyo mother, who had thyroid
cancer in her 5mm nodule, there should be a system for patients with more than
5mm nodules to go through biopsy test for early detection of cancer.
According to Asahi Newspaper on December 1, even in Tokyo, 36% of 2785 children were
detected with thyroid anomaly based on the data since 2003 provided by Ito
Hospital that specializes in thyroid diseases.
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.jp/2012/12/are-36-thyroid-cysts-in-tokyo-children.html
The article concluded that the Fukushima incident rate was not high
since Tokyo was the same rate. But
strangely, Ito Hospital did not provide the incidence rate before and after the
accident even though they are being asked by journalists.
As I stated in the beginning, since people in Tokyo also exposed
to 3600Bq through inhalation, it is not natural to think that there would be no
impact at all. As for this issue, I
believe thyroid echo control study is urgently needed in uncontaminated areas
either in Japan or overseas using the same machine by a third party not
influenced by Japanese government.
The other day, my Tokyo
friend who moved to Okinawa told me a shocking news. Her mother got a stage III lung cancer. Judging from the form of the cancer, her
doctor told her that it must have been originated after the accident timing
wise. Her mother also came to Okinawa on
March 16, so I suspect her mother’s cancer could have been triggered by
the thick radioactive cloud that passed on March 15 in Tokyo.
I believe this issue could be even graver than the concealment
of SPEEDI system, which was not provided to Japanese nationals though it was provided
to US military on the night of March 14.
Why didn’t Tokyo metropolitan government, along with national
government and related agencies disclose this terribly important March 15th
real-time radionuclide measurement data in the air? Was there any intention behind it? Cannot this be called an act of
negligence? I would like this issue to
be investigated by a third party.
On December 26, 2012, it was reported that 8 US Navy workers
sued TEPCO for causing dangerous level of radiation exposure that lead to
irreparable harm to their life expectancy and sought for damages including
medical expenses (http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/12/26/53414.htm). Amazingly,
within two years, there are already those who have become sick such as
testicular cancer, leukemia, blindness, brain legions, etc. They were allegedly healthy before the
accident. http://enenews.com/navy-sailors-after-311-theyve-leukemia-testicular-cancer-age-21-growths-theyve-surgery-remove-brain-legions-lost-sight-eye-video.
I truly hope there will be a thorough fact-finding investigation
on this radiation exposure issue to compensate all the people, including
foreign nationals, who were affected by Fukushima accident.
II) Thyroid
Examination Results and Silence among Japanese Doctors
The most prominent example of health effects on Fukushima
children is observed in the Fukushima prefectural health control survey for
children under 18. Amazingly, thyroid cysts or nodules were observed among 43% of the
subjects and among the girls between 6 to 10 years old, the figures exceed
50%.
The leader of this health survey team, Dr. Shunichi Yamashita
had conducted thyroid echo tests on 250 children in Nagasaki in 2000, and only
2 (0.8%) were detected with nodules.
However, Fukushima health survey team made an excuse that the current
echo machine is more refined and can detect 1mm nodule image while the one in
10 years ago detected only 5mm or above.
As for this issue, Dr. Masamichi Nishio, the director of
Hokkaido Cancer Center compared children with nodules more than 5.1mm in
Fukushima one and half years after the accident with the one in Chernobyl 10
years after the accident. Dr. Nishio
said that already 5 times more children are detected with nodules of 5.1mm or
larger in Fukushima compared to Chernobyl and this figure could be even bigger
as the time elapses.
It is not only thyroid cancer which is caused
by radiation. If people have inhaled a
large amount of radionuclides, respiratory abnormalities surely can be
predicted and I’ve heard and read that there have been many respiratory
diseases observed in Chernobyl contaminated areas. According to Dr. Akira Sugenoya, who had
worked in Belarus for 5 years for medical support, one in 6 thyroid cancer
child patient later developed lung cancer.
Contrary to these grave situations, Thyroid Association announced a written
notice to thyroid doctors in Japan not to conduct further thyroid tests on
Fukushima children, which hampers the parents from getting second opinions or
second test. However, some parents managed to get the second opinion and
some found more number of nodules or cysts in their children’s thyroid
compared to the test done by Fukushima prefecture.
The interval of 2 years for the next examination
may become too late for some patients considering the possibility of
aggravation of nodules and cysts, metastasis of cancer to lymph and other
tissues. Also as I mentioned before,
there was a patient whose nodule was only 5mm and cancer was found. Irrespective of the size, biopsy should be
available for all the patients.
On September 11, 2012,
regretfully, the first thyroid cancer patient was found only a road away from
the evacuation zone. At the
announcement of this sad news, the causal relationship with the radiation was
denied promptly by the committee members of the prefecture.
However, immediately after this announcement, it was revealed
that secret meetings had been held among
the committee members and the members were told not to reveal the existence of
the meeting (http://enenews.com/govt-held-inappropriate-secret-meetings-about-human-health-impacts-from-fukushima-crisis).
Before the announcement of the 1st thyroid cancer
patient, members were practicing how to be prepared to answer questions so that
they could deny the causal relationship between radiation and thyroid
abnormalities, and eventually, Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, the committee leader apologized
on this incident (http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121119p2a00m0na017000c.html).
Even more serious issue is that the government stopped
announcement of further thyroid cancer cases.
There was a additional case of a child who needed further testing in
2011 October, but the result has been concealed. On my telephone inquiry, the person in charge
at Fukushima prefecture health examination told me, “We are not aware of
the result, though the result should have been released sometime ago.”
My acquainted doctor knows the case of two other children who
got thyroid cancer in Fukushima. In total, at least three children got thyroid
cancer in Fukushima, but only one case has been released so far.
A sad news came finally
on February 13, it was reported on the net and local news that 3 thyroid cancer
patients were found among Fukushima children out of 38000 who had gone through
medical inspection. Compared to the regular thyroid cancer incident rate among
children with 1 out of 180000 according to National Cancer Center data, so this
is approcimately10 times high! Moreover, 7 more children are now highly
suspected to have cancer among the above children. Moreover, 7 more children are now highly
suspected to have cancer!
This is such a scandal and I believe this could be the top news
in the world. However, since the sole state owned TV station NHK, has not broadcasted
on Fukushima children’s thyroid examination itself, this scandal is amazingly
not known to public.
On the contrary, Dr.
Shunichi Yamashita, who has been gathering the most criticisms from the
citizens by nuclear accident affected areas, was honored with “Dr. Takemi (the name of former president of Japan Medical
Association and also World Medical Association) Memorial Award” in December 2012. This
simple fact shows how medical associations are corrupt with interested groups.
Dr. Yamashita was also chosen as the speaker for Warren K.
Sinclair Keynote Address (Dr. Sinclair is the NCRP President Emeritus) on this
coming March 11, 2013, 2 years after the nuclear accident. How ironic this is!
http://www.ncrponline.org/Annual_Mtgs/2013_Ann_Mtg/Yamashita-WKS.pdf
Truly, it is a very scary fact that a doctor like Shunichi Yamashita is the President of the
Japan Thyroid Association and Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for
Research on Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Response Network. He was the one who told Fukushima residents
immediately after the accident, “It is no problem to be outside until
the air dose will reach 100 micro Sv/h,” and corrected himself 10 days
later on March 22, saying, “It was 10 micro Sv/h, not 100 micro
Sv/h. I apologize.”
Moreover, I heard quite an amazing story from a doctor I
know. According to him, at a radiation
related symposium for medical workers, a radiation expert doctor stated in his
speech, “At the time of echo examination for
arteriosclerosis in neck area, tell the echo technician not to leave a photo or
written record of thyroid even if a cyst is found there.” According to this doctor, he
has never heard of this kind of restriction since he became a doctor decades
before.
Not only that, he mentioned that similar kinds of self –restraints are
widely observed in hospitals avoiding the topic of radiation exposure. It is quite a matter of concern that Japanese
doctors themselves avoid the issues of radiation exposure in their daily
practices in this contaminated land.
Sources:
1. Fukushima prefecture thyroid
test progress and result as of November 1, 2012
|
Results
|
Number
|
%
|
Number
|
%
|
|
A1 No cysts or nodules
|
24,469
|
64.2%
|
33,158
|
57.3%
|
|
A2 Cysts not more than 5.0mm or nodules
not more than 20.0mm
|
13,459
|
35.5%
|
24,367
|
42.1%
|
|
B Cysts not less than 5.1mm or nodules
not less than 20.0mm
|
186
|
0.5%
|
314
|
0.5%
|
|
C Second test is needed immediately.
|
0
|
0.0%
|
1
|
0.001%
|
Results by age/sex/year (%)
|
0ー5 years
|
6ー10 years
|
11ー15 years
|
16 yearsー
| ||||
|
2011
|
2012
|
2011
|
2012
|
2011
|
2012
|
2011
|
2012
|
|
M 13.7
|
M 19.5
|
M 37.6
|
M 48.4
|
M 42.9
|
M 48.6
|
M 38.8
|
M 43.1
|
|
F 14.0
|
F 22.9
|
F 42.4
|
F 53.1
|
F 49.6
|
F 54.0
|
F 44.5
|
F 46.4
|
2. Comparison Between Chernobyl
and Fukushima Thyroid Result
|
|
Chernobyl
|
Fukushima
|
|
Nodules 5.1mm or larger
|
0.5% (10 years after)
|
2.5% (1 year after)
|
|
Cysts 5.1mm or larger
|
0.5% (10 years after)
|
0.5% (1 year after)
|
Source: Dr. Masamichi Nishio, Director, Hokkaido Cancer Center
4. Personal communication with Dr.
Hiroshi Okayama from Tohoku University
https://twitter.com/mariscontact/statuses/266637491958841344
III)
Deadly Ethos Came to Fukushima!
Fukushima Ethos (http://ethos-fukushima.blogspot.jp/), in which residents are
encouraged to live resourcefully in contaminated areas, is a dangerous program.
This program seems to be solely taking an advantage of Fukushima residents who
do not want to be relocated and at the same time, sacrificing health of the
residents, especially children.
In ETHOS Belarus, experts
advised people to voluntarily measure radiation to reduce radiation levels in
the environment. I suspect this is to
make residents to cooperate on ETHOS scientists’ study. Also doctors cooperated measuring residents’ internal exposure
using whole body counters (WBC) and recorded some decrease in their
bodies.
However, while these figures were measured and recorded for ETHOS
studies, the number of children with ill-health increased dramatically,
sometimes more than 10 times, after years in Belarus. As for this issue, former WHO advisor Michel Fernex explained in the following video,
which I would recommend strongly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_oKtjnh52c&feature=yout...
Also, in
the following film, there are a number of conscience scientists and scientists
who try to cover up health hazards of radiation exposed children. The shocking fact that WHO is in
collaboration with IAEA, nuclear promoting organization is also depicted. I would like this film to be watched by
citizens in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVvFmlk8bN0&feature=player_embedded
Original title: Controversies nucléaires by Wladimir Tchertkoff
This Belarus ETHOS project has been conducted by the director of CEPN, Mr. Jacque Lochard（http://www.oecd-nea.org/press/press-kits/lochard.pdf）, the director of a NGO
called CEPN. Amazingly, the members of CEPN are from four nuclear stakeholders- EDF, IRSN, CEA, AREVA (http://www.cepn.asso.fr/spip.php?lang=en.). Mr. Lochard was invited to give a presentation
on risk of low level radiation, along with his colleague, Terry Schnider from CEPN and IRPA, at the Japanese Cabinet Office in
November 2011. http://www.cas.go/jp/jp/genpatsujiko/info/twg/dai5/siryou2.pdf. (The Cabinet
Office presentation was deleted now.)
As
for Mr. Jack Lochard and Mr. Terry
Schneider, he reported on ETHOS Belarus (1996-1998) in Hiroshima in 2000 http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/pdf/E11.pdf.
In page 9, the report said, “A daily intake of 50 Bq (corresponding
to an annual budget of about 20000 Bq and an annual dose of about 0.2 mSv) was
retained as the target value of 300 Bq per day (100000 Bq and 1.3 mSv per year)
as the frontier beyond which it was not recommended to
go.”
Why
didn’t they give warning to Japanese government when they set
the food regulation as 500Bq/kg in 2011 when he visited Japan? Also, why don’t they give warning to the current
100Bq/kg in Japan, which is way too high considering their recommended
50Bq/day, since adults consume more than 2kg of food/drink.
In
addition, on page 11 of the report, “From
medical point of view it will be difficult to see improvements, if any, before
a few years, taking for granted that mothers will
maintain their vigilance. However, it is
interesting to mention that during the three years a profound change with
regard to radiological protection took place and several interesting lessons
can be drawn.”
By reading this, we can see that ETHOS project does not concentrate on
human health, which is supposed to be the top priority more than anything else.
As
a matter of fact, Mr. Lochard was
involved in the IAEA Chernobyl Project in 1990-1991, which concluded that
there was no direct health damages observed caused by radiation.
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub894_web.pdf
Mr.
Jacque Lochard is an economist. He
conducted cost benefit analysis on the evaluation for relocation in this IAEA
Chernobyl Project. While the former
Soviet Union scholars demanded the residents relocation above 1mSv/year, and
experts from ICRP and WHO for above
5mSv/yr, Mr. Lochard insisted that it could be up to 100mSv considering the
cost. Since Mr. Lochard suggested such
an unbelievable figure, scientists made the compromise to 5mSv. In his report, there was no mentioning about
children and pregnant women.
Mr. Lochard has been visiting Fukushima for promoting ETHOS Fukushima along
with the Japanese counterpart, Ms. Ryoko
Ando (strangely, she is not using her real name and her real name is Yoko
Kamata, who wrote a paper to Journal of Health Physics in Japan and contributed
her study to Kyoto University ), the director of ETHOS Fukushima, another NGO.
It seems that a NGO was established as a disguise for conducting
ETHOS project both in Belrus and Japan, since people’s distrust against the
government is prominent.
Mr. Lochard sent an open letter to Ms. Ryoko Ando,
the director of Fukushima ETHOS and he said, “The decision
about the 20 mSv is a good news. This will allow many people to return to their
home soon. “http://ethos-fukushima.blogspot.jp/2012_01_01_archive.html
However, when the Japanese government came up with 20mSv
relocation standard, countless number of
Japanese mothers opposed to it and gathered around the building of Ministry
of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. However, the Japanese government totally
ignored these voices.
In this way, the same people from ETHOS project have been working both in Chernobyl and in Fukushima. While they try to appear to be helping those
who cannot relocate by themselves under NGO organization, in reality, this
program has been backed up by international nuclear lobby such as IAEA, ICRP,
UNSCEAR , IRPA and nuclear power states including Japan!
In Chernobyl already, millions of residents and children have
been suffering from various symptoms and their death rate has been increased. And now
in Japan, health damages have been observed including the increase of death
rate in Fukushima. This is the world
scandal of the centuries and I would like to let the citizens of the world to
be aware of this horrendous facts.
It is a criminal acts of Japanese and overseas scholars to
downplay the risk of radiation, which consequently lead to a number of
residents’ health hazards both in Chernobyl and in Fukushima. I believe these facts should be known to the
world and eventually, those responsible should be referred to the International
Criminal Court.
IV) 5
Reasons Why ICRP Is Wrong
This
is rather too basic to mention, but radioactive materials are toxic materials. It
is a matter for granted that toxic materials behave differently when they are
outside or inside one’s body. This is so obvious that even elementary school
kids would understand.
Nobody
would dare to take poison inside their body.
Nobody would say poison inside one’s body and outside one’s body behave in the same way or gives the same effect on
human health.
However,
ICPR on which ETHOS project relies on released a shocking report recently. According to the Summary Report of ICRP Task
Group 84, titled as Issues Identified from the NPP Accident in Japan and
Recommendations to Improve the System of Radiological Protection, it states, “ICRP considers that for a given radiation dose the same radiation
risk should be expected, whether irradiation is from outside or inside the body.”
However, this seems to be theoretically fraud. First of all, even if we only focuses on
physical aspect of radiation, radiation
effects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the
radiation source. Surely the
distance of the radiation source and bodily cells are smaller in internal
radiation compared to the external one, so this theory alone can prove the obvious
mistake made by ICRP theory.
Moreover, it should be theoretically impossible where
radioactive particles are settled in individual bodies, so evaluating the
health risk alone should be impossible for each person in exact manner.
In 2000 at Columbia University,
it was proven that even a single alpha emitter could cause genetic alternation
that can lead to cancer. It is not
theoretical to argue about individual risk citing a low percentage cancer
incidence based on studies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For those who developed cancer, their organs
are their only ones, and their lives are their only lives.
Second, there are as many as 560 radionuclides whose half life Is more than 1 hour and 2400 with
half life of less than 1 hour, but their chemical, metal, and radiological
toxicities (including alpha, beta, and gamma rays and their synergetic toxic
effects are widely unknown. Of course
biological synergetic toxicities are not known either especially when these
substances are organically bound in the environment and living bodies. (However, substance like strontium or tritium
are known to be quite toxic when it is organically bound. This alone can prove that internal radiation
is dangerous since they are included in food and water!)
Thirdly, recent findings for knowing low-level radiation
effects, such as Petkau effect, by-standar effect, binominal effect, genome
instability etc are intentionally downplayed and/or ignored by ICRP. Petkau effect in which all sorts of diseases
could be caused by free radicals under low dose, by-standar effects that causes
damages surrounding cells around the target cells, bi-nominal effects in which
genome recovery signal cannot be generated under very low doses (http://www.pnas.org/content/107/32/14205.long http://www.pnas.org/content/100/9/5057.long), all of these gives the explanation
why low dose internal radiation could be harmful to human beings.
In particular, as for genome
instability, it harms not only the target individual, but also its off-springs. All
the government owned radiation protection agencies insist“radiation genetic
effects have not been proven among human beings though it has been proven by
animal experiments.” This sounds quite
unscientific. In reality, many independent
scholars organization such as IPPNW Germany or ECCR gives various evidences on
genetic damages by radiation.
In fact, if you take a
look at Biological Mechanisms of Radiation Actions at Low Doses by UNSCEAR
2012, most of the mechanisms above are explained and further studies are
encouraged since the causality association is not well established
yet. However, ignoring these mechanism under low dose radiation is totally
irresponsible deeds considering for residents especially the young who are left
to live in the contaminated areas.
Forth,
the fomula that converts Bq to Sv cannot be a definite one and thus the figures
calculated cannot be reliable. For
example, according to Belarus ETHOS report, which relies on ICRP conversion
formula, it states that 50Bq/day corresponds to 20,000 Bq/year or
0.2mSV/yr. If you look at the following
section on Bandazhevsky’s paper, 10Bq/kg bodily concentration is even risky for
heart function. You would realize 50Bq/day intake
is way too high and the calculated Sv based on Bq does not seem to show the
real risk.
On
top of that, through a dialogue with ECRR Dr. Chris Busby, Dr. Jack Valentine who had been the scientific secretary at ICRP for 20
years stated that radiation effects from internal dose could be different from
external does in the magnitude of 2 digit.
Dr. Valentine’s statement is quite a shocking
one, which is supposed to be top news in the world. http://vimeo.com/15382750
Fifth,
genetic effects of radiation is totally ignored. In Hiroshima, there were countless witnesses
of midwives who claimed that the congenital deformation was quite often seen
after A-bomb explosion.
In
addition, Nagasaki Medical University Professor Ichiro Hayashi (former member
of UNIT 731) who conducted autopsy on thousands of fetus and babies reported
that the congenital abnormality rate among radiation exposed parents were 22.3% while it was 8.7% from non-exposed
parents in 1949 to 1950. For some unknown reason, this figure is not
discussed today.
Also,
in Chernobyl, there are countless
reports on genetic effects not only in former Soviet Union but also various
countries in Europe according to books titled ” Health Effects of Radiation” by IPPNW Germany or “Consequences of the Catastrophe for
People and the Environment” by New York Academy of Science.
In
spite of these reports, international radiation protection agencies such as
ICRP or UNSCEAR claims that there is no evidence of genetic effects on human
being though it is a proven fact among animals.
This seems to be quite a political,
not scientific to say that only human-beings, even human eggs and sperms
can avert radiation genetic hazard.
In fact, there is an evidence which
show the radiation effect on the next generation among government sided
agencies. In a
symposium by National Institute for Radiological Science http://www.nirs.go.jp/index.shtml,
it was clearly stated that due to miscarriage, infant cancer rate is less among
fetus compared to infants under the same radiation dose and this phrase was
printed on the procedure of the symposium.
In another word, deaths of embryos
or fetus are actually occurring but they are not even counted under the science
of radiology. These scientists are taking advantage of those
who can never raise their voice. I would
call this as a “scientific crime.”
It
is quite hard to prove the connection with radiation, but obviously, the rate
of infertile women and men are on the increase among Japanese. I also heard that congenital disorders are
high among Japanese new born.
As
a mother of an infant, I have strong resentment against this inhumane attitude
of today’s radiology and radiation protection science.
V) Bandazhevsky Paper and Heart Anomaly in Ibaraki
Extraordinary high Japanese government standard for food
contamination limit of 100Bq/kg is equivalent to low level radioactive waste
that is supposed to be stored in drum cans.
If this standard is continued to be applied, Japan, with a dense
nationwide distribution network unlike Chernobyl, may suffer from health
damages nationwide in the future.
The risk is not limited in Japan. Fish caught in the contaminated Pacific Ocean
are canned to be sold all over Japan and even to overseas. To retain freshness, it is impossible to
measure all the fish before the shipment.
Yet, among the limited number of samples, 25000 Bq/kg rock trout was
found off the coast of Fukushima.
As for strontium 90, one of the
most dangerous radionuclide, Japan is not even measuring it at all. If this situation continues, health damages
will be heard in the uncontaminated areas in Japan and in the world.
Strontium 90 causes leukemia and cancer, and its daughter
nuclide yttrium 90 concentrates in pancreas causing pancreas cancer and
diabetes. I recently heard diabetes
children are increasing in Fukushima and Iwate prefectures. I heard that type I diabetes increased
drastically among Chernobyl children from Dr. Michel Fernex, the former WHO
advisor.
Tokyo University Hospital Radiology Department Associate
Professor, Dr. Keiichi Nakagawa has
been saying, “It is totally safe to eat fish,” groundlessly. Dr. Nakagawa has been always saying that no
additional person will get cancer after Fukushima and it is totally fine to
live in Fukushima both on TV and his books.
However, I recently heard the following episode of Dr. Nakagawa.
After one TV program in the backstage, TV
crew asked Dr. Nakagawa, “Well how is the situation in reality?” Dr. Nakagawa
answered with pale face, “No no no no no….” and hastily left the studio.
In Iwate prefecture, a
university student who was a frequent fish eater found his urine contaminated
with strontium 90. I tweeted about
it, with the warning of risk of Strontium 90.
Lots of people reacted but there were some people on the net who tried
to obstruct my sending information. One person even sent me a death threat
saying, “I will kill you, old woman” on twitter.
Contaminated areas’ canned fish are exported to developing
nations such as Cambodia, Ghana, Senegal, Congo, Sri Lanka etc for school lunch. (http://stophamaokanuclearpp.com/en/?p=138)
Coincidently, a mysterious disease is spreading among Cambodian
children
(http://www.examiner.com/article/who-investigating-mystery-disease-cambodia-which-has-killed-61-children),
and we never know whether this is caused by radiation-chemical contaminated
fish exported from Japan or not, but based on the preventive measures, in
coordination with UN World Food Program,
such export should be suspended immediately.
The former rector of Gomel Medical School, Dr. Bandazhevsky found out that radiocesium concentration of 10Bq/kg
in human body could cause heart abnormality.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz1fZmrqFppsNzE4Y2JhMjQtYzc4Yy00MmY3LTkxMmItMzRmY2U3MzhjMTE4/edit?hl=en_US
In addition, according to Fig. 2.12, child organs were found to have more cesium concentration compared to
adult. Concentration in myocardium and
thyroid are as much as three times high among children compared to adults.
The vice director of Belrad Institute, Mr. Vladimier Babenko,
through his experience, said that children should be eating zero Bq food in
order to keep health. Bandazhevsky’s paper gives evidence on his
words.
In addition, while the discussion for radiation health hazards
has been focused only on cancer incidence, it is a shocking the fact that Dr. Bandazhevsky explained in Fig. 2. 8,
showing more than 52% death in Belarus is caused by cardiovascular diseases, is
quite shocking.
However, Japanese medical doctors and scholars who are in charge
of radiation protection have never officially discussed this issue, which is
even more shocking. Under the pressure
of Japanese government policy, they give various excuses such as the sample
number is too small or methodology is doubtful and never try to face these
grave issues explained in Bandazhevsky paper, though they don’t have any counterarguments
studies themselves.
Mr. Jacque Lochard, the
previously mentioned director of CEPN and a member of ICRP stated in Fukushima
ETHOS meeting as follows, “Mothers would not understand
science. Measure the food and it would
be OK to eat to eat 20Bq/kg.” http://ethos-fukushima.blogspot.jp/2012/07/nhk-icrp.html
As for Mr. Lochard’s statement, there are two big
mistakes.
Before the accident, cesium concentration in rice, Japanese staple food, was only
0.02Bq/kg, and children should be eating foods less than 1Bq/kg as I have
previously said in accordance with Bandazhevsky’s paper.
This kind of knowledge is widely known among Japanese mothers
who use internet and social media, such as facebook and twitter. Mothers,
who are most earnest on protecting children study most, often study more than
ordinary doctors in Japan. Conscious
mothers are the ones who are knowledgeable of internal radiation risks and
active on protecting children.
Therefore, it is a pity that there are still many residents who
do not have access to internet or a big bookstore like in Fukushima and who
cannot get information about such risks.
In this regard, mass media’s plays a very important role and it
is a sin not to disseminate the truth under this situation. (See chapter X of this letter)
A sad news
was reported while I was writing this.
According to Tokyo newspaper dated on December 26,２011.
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/ibaraki/20121226/CK2012122602000145.html),
heart anomaly was raised among elementary and junior high school students in
Toride city, 190km south of Fukushima nuclear power plant. Among the 1655 students tested, 73 needs
further testing, 2.6 times up compared to last year of 28. Those who had some heart disease was
increased to 24 in 2012 compared to 21 in 2011 and 9 in 2010. QT allongemant syndromes which could lead to
sudden death and its suspected cases were 8 compared to 2 in 2011 and 1 in
2010.
This means that we have no time to be wasted. I believe paper by Dr. Bandazhevsky (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz1fZmrqFppsNzE4Y2JhMjQtYzc4Yy00MmY3LTkxMmItMzRmY2U3MzhjMTE4/edit?hl=en_US)
should be read by all the doctors and medical societies in radiation
contaminated areas and there should be immediate countermeasures to protect
lives of children in Japan and overseas.
Source: ICRP 111
VI) Controversies on WBC Study by Tokyo University
In ETHOS Belarus, residents’ internal radiation had been measured
with whole body counter and the report said that the figures were successfully
decreased, though the most important health improvement was not reflected by
it. Please see http://savekidsjapan.blogspot.jp/2013/01/blog-post_8310.html
WBC can measure only gamma rays and cannot detect alpha and beta
rays, which are much more harmful on human bodies as internal exposure
sources. To detect radionuclides, we
need to conduct urine test.
As you probably know, in Minamisoma city, which is outside of
evacuation zone, Dr. Masaharu Tsubokura from Tokyo University Medical Science
Institute, measured the residents’ internal exposure using WBC and
submitted the thesis to JAMA in August 2012
(http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1346169).
In November 2011, I met Dr. Tsubokura in person at a radiation
seminar held in Okinawa and directly asked him whether he had read paper by Dr.
Bandazhevsky. His answer was, “Yes, I have read Bandazhevsky paper. As a matter of fact, I feel troubled. Every food should be measured before the
local residents would eat, but we do not have enough equipment.”
In Febrary 2012, Dr. Tsubokura even mentioned about Dr.
Bandazhevsky’s study in his own blog, http://medg.jp/mt/2012/02/vol410wbc.html. In here, he stated that long-time follow-up
will be needed including electrocardiogram test for residents since there is a
report by Bandazhevsky that says 10Bq/kgー20Bq/kg cesium concentration in body
causes heart malfunction.
According to the JAMA report by Dr. Tsubokura in August 2012,
there were even people with more than
50Bq/kg and many with 10Bq/kgー20Bq/kg among
adults and children. This figure is of
grave concern itself in the light of Dr. Bandazhevsky’s study. Strangely however, the conclusion of Dr.
Tsubokura’s study was the residents’ exposure level was low, with all the
subjects’ exposure less than 1mSV with only one
exception of 1.07mSV effective committed dose.
In addition, quite strangely, an internet site was made in May
2012, saying that Bandazhevsky was denied by Dr. Tsubokura quite bluntaly
(http://togetter.com/li/303308). This
was stated by Mr. Makoto Omori, the chief of broadcast section at TV You
Fukushima who falsified the death cause of Fukushima high school student from
sudden death to traffic accident (See chapter X). What Mr. Omori was saying was quite contrary
to the saying I heard from Dr. Tsubokura directly.
As for the WBC study, Professor Masahiro Kami,
Tokyo University Medical Science Institute, is in charge. Amazingly, the purpose of the study says;
“The purpose of this study is to conduct medical checkup and medical
consultations to resolve anxiety of the residents in costal line area in
Fukushima greatly damaged by the nuclear disaster and to study the effects of nuclear
disaster on human bodies including low-level radiation effects.”
It clearly stipulates the purpose as studying
low-level radiation effects on human body!
This is nothing but a human experiment using radiation!
Moreover, one of my friend’s acquaintances and my own
acquaintance heard Professor Kami’s personal statement as follows;
“It would be impossible to evacuate
residents in Fukushima City and Kohriyama City.
I guess in the future, they would file a class action lawsuit.”
“Minamisoma City is at risk. “(Minamisoma is one of the cities along the costal area of Fukushima
where the WBC study is being conducted by Professor Kami himself.)
In this area at risk, Professor Kami himself is conducting WBC
study including local children and pregnant women with his subordinate doctor
Masahiro Tsubokura. This is nothing but a
recurrence of Unit 731 evil human experiment with prolonged time span.
As a matter of fact, Tokyo University
Medical Science Institute used to be a hub for Unit 731 human experiment
studies. (See chapter XII)
In addition, Dr. Kami stated as
follows in his lecture held outside of
Fukushima prefecture.
“I would not be surprised if
health abnormalities would be emerging among children in 10 years. ”
This is
the esteemed medical doctor’s word who has been conducting studies using Fukushima children in Manamisoma city.
I sincerely ask for international organizations
to stop these Tokyo University doctors’ medical
experiments and please relocate the residents in high risk area, especially
pregnant women, children.
VII) Gov’t and Medical Societies Aiming at Economic Effects out of
Fukushima!?
In July 2011, Fukushima Collective Evacuation Trial was filed
by a secondary school mothers, but the district court dismissed their plea
saying that there is no health hazard up to 100 mSV and relocation stress is
greater than radiation.
The main scientific base from the city government side on this
trial was provided by Dr. Keiichi
Nakagawa, Tokyo University Hospital Radiology associate professor (See chapter
V), who wrote a book called “Truth about
Radiation Exposure and Oncogenesis” in which he stated
an amazing theory, “There will be increase of cancer
patients in Fukushima.”
As there are many doubtful statements in his book, so I sent
more than 100 questions to him, but there has been reply from him yet. Furthermore, in Dr. Nakagawa’s latest book, “Low Level Radiation KEY BOOK,” he ridiculed my activity, which supported mothers who opposed to
bringing in Tohoku snow to Okinawa for children to play with.
In a recently published comic
book called, “Love Curie,” Dr. Nakagawa also ridiculed Dr. Chris Busby the head of
ECRR, giving false allegation that Dr. Busby is trying to make money by selling
expensive detox pills to Japanese children.
As special rapporteur of UN Human Rights Coucil, Mr. Anand Grover
had described, there are numerous amount of books and thesis that show health
hazards under 100 mSV, but Japanese scholars, doctors, administration and
judicature are purposely ignoring these scientific data.
Children’s relocation issue must be the
paramount issue as of now. In fact,
there has been increase among children’s death in Fukushima. The director of
Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation, Mr. Seiichi Nakate, found
out that the number of minors’ death in Fukushima went up 1.5 times compared
to the year before the accident.
Especially, heart disease went up by double and increases were observed
in cancer, leukemia, infectious disease, and pneumonia.
Even as for
adults, according to acting director of Dr. Toshiyuki Ishihara, Ohara Medical
Center, Fukushima city, heart diseases have been increased significantly after
the accident. Prior to the accident in 2010, there were 143 heart failures and
266 heart strokes, but in the first half of 2012, there were already 184 heart
failures and 212 heart strokes in only 6 months period.
Even the state
and municipal government acknowledged that the number of death is increasing in
quake-hit areas, and the government Reconstruction Agency announced the
establishment of a project team for examination and countermeasures on death
related to the disaster. However, among
the causes listed in this government project, cesium influence on heart is
excluded for examination though the stress-causing heart failure is included.
In December 2012, I heard that 2 brothers in Fukushima became
acute leukemia at the same timing.
Brothers would have inhaled the same air and eaten the same food, and
there is a possibility that simultaneous acute leukemia could have been caused
by radiation.
I made a phone call to Fukushima Prefectural Medical Society in
December 2012 and I was astounded when I was told, “There have been no
health damage observed in relation with radiation in Fukushima.” Even at this stage, official
position on radiation related health damage is totally “a denial.”
I stressed that they should tackle this issue more promptly since the
situation could become too late especially for children in contaminated areas
In fact, the silence among Japanese doctors on radiation
exposure issue is beyond imagination. I
made another phone call to the Japan Medical Association, and their answer was,
“We have not
determined our position regarding this issue.
We will make announcement on this in March 2014.” How relaxed they are! I repeated the acute leukemia story in
Fukushima to them too, stressing the need to immediately tackle this
issue.
As a matter of fact, though I asked for this to the Medical Association,
I have no expectation from them.
Because, after the nuclear accident, amazingly, the government decided to stop tracking the statistics of leukemia
patient number in Fukushima and south of Miyagi, where the radiation exposure
was the highest! How can this be
justified? I would like this fact to be
known to the world.
This
kind of intentional negligence is
widely observed among layers of medical society. For example, in a mailing list
with members of pediatricians, obstetricians and para-medicals, one member told
me that some Fukushima pediatrician strongly denies any health hazards by
radiation in Fukushima and controls the opinions of the mailing list telling
concerned members not to listen to some activists and journalists. One person told me my name was listed among
others.
It is a matter of grave concern that doctors, who
are supposed to protect children’s health, have been behaving like this. It is not only a concern, already a calamity
is started to be emerged.
Considering these things, children in Fukushima should be
relocated at the earliest possible timing, but in the contrary, the government
and Fukushima prefecture is to terminated the subsidiary for volunteer evacuees
the end of 2012 and furthermore, the government has declared to let all the
Fukushima residents back to their hometown by 2020. This is solely an insane
policy.
Furthermore, Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry allocated a large amount of budget to constructors to extend
state of the art medical facilities in Fukushima. Amazingly,
the summary of the plan states that it aims at positive economic effect of 120
billion yen! http://www.jice.or.jp/sinsai/sinsai_detail.php?id=2485
It is totally inappropriate to
build large sized hospitals in these contaminated areas. Immediately after March 11, dozens of
in-hospital patients died while being evacuated. There may still be possibilities of further
catastrophic accident in Fukushima.
Also, especially those who are
sick, challenged and aged people who need care could be vulnerable to low level
radiation, so they should be entitled to obtain medical treatment in
uncontaminated area.
Fukushima prefectural medical
circle is tied with ETHOS project and the director of Fukushima Prefectural
Medical Association Dr. Nobuo Tanji was giving lecture for ETHOS. Also, children and pregnant women are not
supposed to stay in contaminated areas.
I call for immediate relocation of these people.
There are some hot spots even in Tokyo and other prefectures
equivalent to optional relocation spots of Chernobyl accident, I sincerely hope
children and pregnant women would be able to be relocated as an established
system.
While the Japanese government involves doctors in ETHOS project
to keep Fukushima residents for studying low-level radiation effects and
further, discard the statistics of leukemia patients, and construct cancer
hospitals for future economic effects, I think it is an urgent matter for
Fukushima residents, especially for children to be able to relocate through
international organizations support as soon as possible.
Sources
1.
Data from Mr. Seiichi Nakate, Director, Fukushima Network
for Saving Children from Radiation *The
figures are based on the JPN government dynamic statistics of population.
Comparison of No. of death among
Fukushima children 2010-2011
Age 1~19, March to November
|
Number of Child Death in
Fukushima, in year 2010 (blue) and year 2011 (purple).
The vertical axis shows the
number of deaths and horizontal axis show the No. of months. Bar graph shows monthly figures and lines
show the accumulated figures in 2010 and 2011.
Number of death among Fukushima children under 19
Comparison 2011/2012 by Disease
|
VIII Incineration of Contaminated Debris
Another issue of concern is the further spread of radioactive
contamination through incineration of contaminated debris and distribution of
contaminated food and other materials.
This is really an issue of concern for a small sized country like Japan
with nationwide distribution network is extensive.
The current Japanese government policy to incinerate
contaminated debris nationwide is totally wrong. The boiling point of cesium is
680 degrees Celsius (950 degree in Fahrenheit) and strontium 1400 Celsius and
1600 Fahrenheit.
Once incinerated, they will contaminate the air, land, water and
human body through respiratory system.
According to an animal experiment with plutonium oxide, 80% of inhaled
radiation stayed in the body even after 10 years.
Even in Kitakyushu City (south part of Japan), after the start
of incineration, the air dose of the surrounding area went up by several to
dozens of times (Note: Japanese only http://onodekita.sblo.jp/archives/20120922-1.html), and various abnormalities
such as throat pain, coughing, nose bleeding are heard among neighboring
residents especially children (Note: Japanese only
http://wonderful-ww.jugem.jp/?eid=625).
According to the Ministry of Environment, the radiation level is
measured 1 meter away from the debris without checking any particular
radionuclide or toxic chemical substances.
In this method, nobody would be able to judge whether there
would be environmental contamination leading to health impact. In addition, when such substances were
gasified, they will become finer particles which is easier to travel more
distance and easier to be inhaled in human bodies. This could even give some adverse impacts on
neighboring countries, such as Korea and China.
In addition, besides radioactive materials, there are countless
number of chemical or heavy metal materials in these debris. Even
spreading one chemical such as asbestos is banned legally. Why the disaster caused debris that contains
a number of toxins which have never been measured could be incinerated without
any limitation? It is said that a
number of corporations with interests of carrying and incinerating debris are
involved in this matter.
As for the disposal of contaminated debris, the only solution is
to place them in Fukushima after people are evacuated. Or as for some Tohoku areas, there are some
municipalities that would like to utilize debris as Tsunami blockade. By building a blockade with tightly
contaminated debris inside, they can achieve safety along with job creation,
and the blockade would give a long time memory for people to live in
tsunami-prone these regions.
It is a basic principle to evacuate people and contain
contaminated materials in case of nuclear accident. The policy of incinerating contaminated
debris is contrary of this principle,
and it has been promoted by many interested corporations. This stupid policy which hampers people’s health and decreases
habitable land should be abolished immediately.
Already, the world conscience
scientists and citizens are paying great attention on this issue. Nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen says that by
burning the radioactive debris “we are basically recreating
Fukushima all over again and the radioactive clouds will
continue across the Pacific to the west coast of the US and Canada.”
http://enenews.com/forum-about-japan-burning-radioactive-debris
I strongly hope the UN will immediately stop the Japanese
government to incinerate radiation contaminated debris.
XI) Decontamination Work and Radiation Exposure Workers
including Incineration Plants
As for Fukushima where 70%
of the land is mountainous area, many say efficient decontamination is
practically impossible. As you have
stated, it is quite regretful that in some cases, residents without enough
knowledge or gadget are conducting decontamination. Most of all, we need to see the limit of
decontamination.
Rather than letting people at
risk of further radiation exposure, we should gather contaminated substances in
evacuation zones, putting an emphasis on people’s relocation to decontaminated
area first.
For debris incineration nationwide and decontamination in East
Japan, large amount of budget is
allocated for the benefit of general constructor companies and transporting
companies (some are even former nuclear plant constructing companies), but the
priority should be saving people’s lives and health.
From a humanitarian point of view, I would appreciate it if pressure
and concrete recommendation should be given to the government of Japan to put
priority on people’s evacuation rather than decontamination and
reconstruction of the contaminated areas.
As Mr. Anand Grover from UN HRC has pointed out, Japanese
government also needs to continue these workers’ health monitoring for a long time. We
need to maintain the soundness of the working conditions for decontamination
workers and nuclear power plant workers along with incineration plant workers
(there have been reports of sudden death among incineration plant workers, too)
to protect them from radiation exposure.
Needless to say, they are the people who are on the highest risk, and
without their work, we cannot live a normal life at all.
However, it is a pity
that the health check-up for nuclear power plant workers were even terminated
by the Japanese government. It is
against humanity if nuclear workers, the most exposed to radiation are not
medically examined and/or treated under the responsibility of the
government. The accident has not been
controlled yet and if this situation continues, due to the lack of workers, the
situation could become out of control soon or later.
Also, it
is not scientific that the coverage of diseases caused by radiation is limited
only to thyroid cancer. After Chernobyl,
all sorts of diseases including myocardial infarction, respiratory diseases,
diabetes, kidney failures, leukemia, etc have been increased. In Japan, too, due to the observation among
A-bomb survivors, myocardial infarction is listed for compensation, which is
strangely not applied for nuclear workers.
Thus, a former nuclear power
plant worker, Mr. Ryusuke Umeda has sued the government for developing
myocardial infarction in 2012.
(Please
see his speech at Foreign Correspondence Club in Japan; he was the last speaker. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18530453 )
In addition, the horrible working conditions such as kickbacks,
lack of safety, loss of information of end workers have been long time social
issues since the start of nuclear power plant operation. All the end workers conditions should be
supervised by the government and parent company, and if possible by international organization such as ILO.
Once again, a recommendation with comprehensive measures should
be given regarding the working conditions in Japan, which includes fully covered medical examination and
treatment, and adequate compensation even after leaving their jobs.
X) Media’s Deadly Sins: NHK etc
During the world war II, Japanese Imperial Headquarter released
false news one after another stating that Japanese Army was winning the war
until immediately before the war. This falsified news was released by NHK
radio, the sole state-owned media in those days. Now in Japan, NHK TV is the
main source of domestic news. Particularly this is the case in Fukushima where
the internet-use population is quite limited.
Nowadays, a lot of citizens in Japan are saying that NHK is repeating the Imperial Army’s falsified announcement after Fukushima nuclear accident.
For example, NHK is keeping the all-out silence on emerging health abnormality, including Fukushima children’s 42 % thyroid abnormality rate
(more than 50% for elementary and junior high school girls) and the first
thyroid cancer incident, either. This is extraordinary.
On the contrary, NHK has been broadcasting programs in which
residents in Fukushima are encouraged to stay living or returnees to Fukushima
are promoted. Moreover, mushroom dishes, which are said to be highly cesium
concentrated foods, are often promoted using famous chefs, and fish dishes, of
which strontium 90 has never been measured, are often broadcasted. The other
day, there was a cooking special program
titled, “How to make kids
like to eat mushrooms.” I am not exaggerating when I
say NHK is committing a deadly sin.
In the autumn of 2011, I myself was
telephone-interviewed by a NHK director who was going to make a program
focusing on mothers tackling with radiation contaminated food issues. That
female director knew that Japanese food standard of 500Bq/kg (100Bq since April
2012, but still too high.) at that time was way too high compared to that of
Germany with 8Bq/kg for adults and 4Bq/kg for children.
I sent her materials on risks of
radiation including Bandazhevsky’s paper and compiled document on Sr
90. On the phone, she agreed with what I was saying on the extraordinary loose
Japanese food standard. She was even asking me whether it would be OK to put my
face photo on TV.
However, I was astounded when I saw the program. The contents of the program was the totally
opposite. It didn’t mention about the risks of food contamination and it
said that Japanese standard of 500 Bq/kg was quite a neutral figure!
NHK viewer’s fee is more than 24000 yen (approximately
250 US dollars)for a household per year, but it does not function at all to
protect lives of the people from radiation exposure. On the contrary, NHK
produces various programs to encourage Fukushima’s industry and people’s continued efforts to keep
living there under the name of people’s bond (Kizuna).
NHK Fukushima bureau even
broadcasts ETHOS program for encouraging local residents to participate, though
it does not show it on nationwide network in a sneaky manner. http://ethos-fukushima.blogspot.jp/2012/07/nhk-icrp.html
Further, it showed a program to encourage evacuees to go back to
their hometown, in which a student going back to almost an empty classroom. In an extreme case, in Minami-soma City,
children’s marathon race was held on a road with as high as 0.6
micro SV/h (this is equivalent to radiation controlled area, and the dose
before the accident was 0.038 in Fukushima) and most media companies were
listed as sponsors! It is a sad truth that media companies often appeals false
safety in Fukushima, making children exposed to dangerous level of radiation!
In another case, there was a
conscious news fabrication by a local TV. In 2011, two high school students
from Fukushima Prefectural High School died. One died from long-time illness
and another died from a sudden death. There were a lot of rumors regarding
these young students death in relation with radiation.
Then, Mr. Makoto Omori, the news broadcast chief at TV You Fukushima (TUF:
http://www.tuf.co.jp/), tweeted that one died from long time illness and the
other one died from traffic accident! I double checked this fact with the vice
principal of this high school and also with the TV station personnel in general
affair’s division. He admitted Mr. Omori’s false statement, but said there would be no need to
correct Mr. Omori’s statement since it was only tweeted and not broadcasted
in their TV program! It is simply extraordinary that a TV journalist spread a
false news on his tweet to suppress the residents anxiety on radiation!
Looking back, my disillusion against
media especially on nuclear issue is a long standing one. I became anti-nuclear
power when I first heard about station black-out scenario by a US scientist
1999. Since then on, I became afraid of earthquake and nuclear issue and
disseminated information through telephone and FAX to major media companies,
which had been totally ignored.
In 2002, I finally received an offer from NHK Nagoya branch
director who said that he wanted to make a program on earthquake and nuclear
power plant issue based on the information I provided. I was very pleased and
kept sending him information. But one day, he suddenly visited my house from a
far distance using a bullet train and apologized, saying, "I cannot make the program any longer"
without telling me why. My disappointment
was big since I wanted to prevent a nuclear accident before a major earthquake would
hit.
In 2008, I was able to plan one TBS
(Tokyo Broadcast Station) documentary program on Kashiwazaki nuclear power
plant and active faults with cooperation of Mr. Sunao Ogose, the sole Japanese
geologist who has been opposing to the construction of the nuclear power since
early 1970s. The program was well made and Tokyo Electric gave us a phone call
saying that there was not a single scientific mistake.
In 2009, a NHK producer Mr. Katsuhiko
Hayashi saw my program and offered that he would like to make programs on
nuclear issues based on my program plan. I was overjoyed by his offer and came
up with several plans and submitted them to Mr. Hayashi. Then, he was earnestly
listening to each of my plan, and some weeks after, he bruntally told me that
he would not make any program after all in a frivolous manner. I realized that he gave me such empty offer for obtaining
information from me for unknown some reason.
In particular, the last plan I gave
to the NHK producer, Mr. Hayashi is on a
homicide suspected incident of an employee at Donen (Power Reactor and Nuclear
Fuel Development Corporation=PNC), with the involvement of the nuclear company,
politicians, and even police.
When I showed the Monju (Fast Breeder Reactor) Nishimura Incident
plan, Mr. Hayashi, the NHK producer showed a tremendous interest in it, so
I brought transcript of the interview I had with Mrs. Nishimura when I had the
appointment with Mr. Hayashi next time.
Mr. Hayashi seemed to have been very impressed by what I have shown
him. Then unbelievably, he came up with the
following statement.
“Do you think I could ever make a program
of an incident which could shake the very foundation of this country? No way.”
I was speechless. This NHK journalist, admitting the high
probability of incident being homicide, clearly stated that he would never report
it because the incident was too scary for him owing to the deep involvement of
the Japanese government itself. There is a person who was actually killed! And he admitted that revealing this incident
could collapse the very foundation of Japan, which he dared not to do it.
Let me introduce the summary of the
incident. In December of 1995, the fast
breeder reactor Monju had a sodium leak accident and the in-house investigation
team was set up. The investigation team leader Mr. Shigeo Nishimura was
reported to have committed a suicide by jumping off from the eighth floor of
the hotel.
However, his X-ray showed that he died not because of jumping-off suicide but
of being battered, since there was no bone fracture either on his skull or
neck. Mrs. Nishimura who became a
widow consulted three forensic doctors and all of them told her that his body
showed he did not commit a jump-off suicide.
It is
strongly suspected that this incident is involved with Japanese nuclear lobby,
Liberal Democratic Party (then and the current regime), police and media. Though the medical record tells
the high probability of homicide, the truth has not been revealed even after 17
years, due to the cover-up of the government of Japan and nuclear lobby. I hope the fact finding mission to be carried
out by any relevant international organization and overseas media.
Monju Fast
Breeder Reactor can produce weapon level pure plutonium and Japanese pro-nuclear
weapon politicians have been seeking for its technology. Even after the
Fukushima accident, Democratic Party of Japan and the current regime, Liberal
Democratic Party have been promoting the restart of Monju, though this is the
most dangerous type of nuclear power plant which is susceptible to earthquakes
and Shiraki fault is in vicinity.
Looking back, the major media’s control over nuclear issue
has been started since the onset of peaceful use of atom in Japan. When the Bikini Atoll H-bomb test victimized
Japanese fishermen, Mr. Yasuhiro
Nakasone, who became a Prime Minister later on, passed the first nuclear budget
at the Diet.
Though anti-nuclear movement spread
nationwide, the CIA adopted the policy, “A poison neutralize another poison,” and in cooperation with media giant Mr. Matsutaro Shoriki (the
former president of Yomiuri Shinbum and the founder of Nippon TV, also known as
CIA agent called Podam), strongly promoted nuclear energy in cooperation with
the US government.
Even today, Yomiuri Newspaper has never apologized of its nuclear promotion policy
and even after the Fukushima accident, it has still been promoting nuclear
energy. According to Yomiuri’s editorial dated on January
24, 2013, it concludes, “The restart of nuclear power plant should be dependent on the
government decision and the proposal for the residents referendum on this issue
is out of question. Tokyo Electric
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant should be restarted smoothly once the
safety is ensured.”
In 2007,
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant was hit by M 6.8 earthquake directly
below the premise and there have been more than 3000 parts failures, releasing
radioactive material of 900million Bq though this leak became no news. Some seismologists predict even
M8 class quake would hit in this area in the future.
In a
predicted large sized earthquake, even IAEA estimated that there could be a 2
to 3 meter upheaval of land in Kashiwazaki plant premise, but Nuclear and
Industrial Safety Agency erased that part from the Japanese translation! (I realized about this missing translation while I was
writing an article on this issue for a magazine called Shukan Kinyobi.)
Japanese
media has been controlled since the introduction of nuclear energy and even
after the accident, the situation has been so.
Unless this pro-nuke puppet regime is changed, there may be another
catastrophic nuclear accident which might affect the entire world.
It is my strong hope that the nuclear
and Japanese media issue to be shared by conscious world organization, media
and citizens as early as possible.
XI) Potential
Catastrophic Accident in Japan
There is one difference between Fukushima accident and Chernobyl
accident. That is, in a very high probability, there may be another catastrophic
accident anywhere in Japan with still active seismic
activities, especially on Fukushima Daiichi with continuing radiation leak.
In addition to daily radiation exposure, considering the
possibility of another catastrophic accident such as collapse of inclined 4th spent fuel pool, Fukushima could
become the acute symptom area. Again, in
Fukushima, there should be no children and potential child rearing
generation.
The issue of possible catastrophic accident is not the issue
solely for Japan. It is an issue for the
entire world. It was not only Fukushima
where nuclear accident could have taken place.
At the time of the earthquake in 2011, Tokai Daini nuclear power
plant, 100km away from Tokyo would have had a station blackout, same as
Fukushima Daiichi, if tsunami had been only 40cm higher. In addition, when M7 class earthquake hit on
April 7 again on Tohoku area, Higashi Dori nuclear reactor and Rokkasho
reprocessing plant experienced station blackout, and barely managed to recover
relying on backup generators.
Ohi nuclear power plant, where some scholars point out the
existence of an active fault in its vicinity, has been restarted without safety
confirmation. Strangely enough, the
government of Japan has been discussing over the safety issue of already
restarted Ohi power plant without stopping the operation. This is quite inconsistent and illogical.
If Ohi had a severe accident,
Koreas and China would have devastating damages including serious sea
pollution. As a matter of fact, there
maybe another accident anywhere in this earthquake prone country.
The paramount concern is the issue of already massively destructed
Fukushima nuclear power plant with 11,138 spent fuel rods in the entire premise. According to Dr. Robert Alvarez, the former
Department of Energy chief, the total
amount of spent fuel in the inclined No. 4 with damaged spent fuel pool is 10
times and as for Fukushima Daiichi plant as a whole, 85 times of those emitted
in Chernobyl.
If a major accident took place and the entire Fukushima
Daiichi plant becomes out of control, 3000km zone from the accident site would
become the evacuation area. In such a worst
case scenario, not only Japan and Asia, also the US and European Continents would
be covered by radioactive particles carried by circumpolar westerlies, which would
devastate the world environment and the civilization. http://enenews.com/nuclear-expert-fukushima-spent-fuel-85-times-cesium-released-chernobyl-destroy-world-environment-civilization-issue-human-survival-former-adviser
On December 9, 2012, No 4
reactor’s spent fuel cooling system had some malfunction and the
temperature of the spent fuel raised.
The former Swiss Ambassador Mr. Mitsuhei Murata obtained this
information from a credible source and immediately gave the information to the
government, Fukushima prefecture, related agencies and media.
However, the government had not
reported that to Fukushima prefecture and no media company disclosed it. Likewise, No. 2 reactor’s incidence at the end of 2012 was
not reported at all by media. This shows
that unfortunately, the secrecy of the Japanese nuclear village is still
prevailed and the Japanese government would not disclose the risk at a timely
manner in a potential coming disaster.
As for preventing such catastrophe, state of the art
international expert team should be established in stead of solely relying on
Japanese government, or other pro-nuclear organization such as IAEA. There should be the worst case scenario
assumption and accordingly, realistic preventive measures should be implemented
beforehand. In order to do that, pro-nuclear
organizations and governments cannot function effectively enough. There
should be an international independent team to prevent further catastrophe.
As a matter of fact, regarding potential
nuclear accident and urgent need to relocate children from the contaminated
areas, the above mentioned Mr. Mitsuhei
Murata and the former UN staff Mr. Akio Matsumura http://akiomatsumura.com/
tried to persuade leading political figures including the current Japanese
Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe, who reacted with indifference in October 2012.
I was really shocked to hear
this. If Japan’s top leader, the Prime Minister is not reacting at all to
this state crisis with deteriorating children’s health and potential coming nuclear
accident, there will be no hope. This is one of the reasons why I am writing
this lengthy letter since people of Japan has no choice rather than asking for
help from international societies.
This on-going nuclear danger issue is not limited in Japan. There could be this kind of disaster anywhere
in the world as long as there are nuclear power plants.
Even in Chernobyl, there is a
theory that an earthquake immediately before the site obstructed the insert of
the control rod leading to the accident. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365764/. (This theory has not been seriously
considered, but through studying about it with geologist Mr. Sunao Ogose, who
has predicted Great Kobe Earthquake in 1995, I thought this theory worth being
reconsidered..)
Nuclear power was introduced
before the plate tectonics theory was introduced, and more than 400 nuclear reactors
are aging in the world. On top of aged reactor and piping system, if a
natural disaster, such as earthquake or tsunami hit the site, an accident like
Fukushima could occur.
This kind of danger is real and eminent not only in Japan but
also in the world. Therefore, taking
Fukushima accident as an opportunity, a new international system to prevent
further danger should be in place before another nuclear catastrophe would risk
the global citizen’s civilization and future generations’ very survival.
XII)
Unit
731, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Chernobyl, Fukushima
Looking back, Japan is a A-bomb victim country
with 200,000 death toll in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in1945 alone, and still there
are hundreds of thousands radiation late effects suffers as of today.
Meanwhile, the US and Japanese government
established Atomic Bomb Casualties Commission with the participation of both
countries’ number of scholars who conducted research on
radiation exposed people. However, these
scholars did not treat or cure the patients and they simply checked and studied
them.
In fact, it is reported that the US medical team
came to Hiroshima Army First Hospital Ujina Clinic accompanies by Japanese
Tokyo University medical team, and they
focused on autopsy rather than treatment, while patients were mainly treated by
nurses and corpsmen.
In addition, the effect of internal radiation has
been concealed for many years, and scholars have said that there have been no
health effects apart from those who developed acute syndromes or those who were
living in 2km of the epicenter. As late
as 2008, it was admitted that those who were living further than 2km radius
area could have been exposed to radiation by the intake of radioactive
materials in their bodies. In this way, more than half a century,
doctors and scholars have stood on the side of the governments (Japan and the
US) not on the side of the A-bomb suffers.
US wanted to downplay the effects of radiation for
concealing the cruelty of their own act and Japan wanted to keep the
compensation money for A-bomb survivors as little as possible.
After
Chernobyl accident, former directors of Radiation Effects Research Foundation
(RERF), the successor of ABCC, Dr. Itsuzo Shigematsu and Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki
played important roles to downplay the health damages observed among residents,
especially children in the Chernoobyl contaminated areas.
This
is such a shameful history of Japanese medical circles. Japan is the victim of A-bombs, but at the
same time the perpetrator, since Japanese medical doctors have been downplaying
or ignoring the sufferings of the nuclear weapons and nuclear power victims in
and outside of Japan to take the side of the nuclear industry and the
governments.
This sad history has been repeated now in
Fukushima. Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki, who denied the health damages after Chernobyl,
and his follower, Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, along with the Tokyo University
Hospital radiology authority, Dr. Keiichi Nakagawa are telling Fukushima
residents groundlessly that this level of radiation has no self damage.
Even nearly 2 years after the accident, Japanese medical societies officially
states that has never been a single person whose health was affected by
radiation after Fukushima accident!
During
the World War II, Unit 731 with more than 3000 medical staff under the Japanese
Imperial Army, conducted horrendous human experiments including pregnant women
and children. While some medical doctors in the Far East Trial were executed for
abusing the POWs, the former 731 Units members were not sued at all.
As
a matter of fact, the Unit 731’s immunity from punishment was
obtained in exchange of providing the data to the US military and cooperating
the studies on Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb survivors.
In a NHK program in 2010, there was a testimony
made by a former Japanese Imperial Army doctor saying, “(Beside providing the human experiment data to the US,) cooperating
the research on A-bomb victim was used as a card for obtaining immunity of Unit
731.” In fact,
as early as December 1945, a booklet on A-bomb causalities was prepared by Dr.
Tachiyumaru Ishikawa, an expert of pathological autopsy in Unit 731.
Other names in the US-Japan Joint Research Team on
A-bomb were, Dr. Tomio Ogata from Tokyo Imperial University and Dr. Ren Kimura
from Kyoto Imperial University, Both of
them were former Unit 731 members. Dr. Stafford Warren who was leading human
experiment with plutonium injection in the US, and Dr. Shields Warren, another
doctor who was involved in US human experiment, later became famous for his
A-bomb survivors’ epidemiological study and also became a founding member of UNSCEAR.
This
is how ABCC was born. Doctors in the US and
in Japan, who got involved in human experiments, came together for studying radiation
exposure on exposed people.
Dr. Austin Bruce, who conducted human experiment on A-bomb victims,
visited major medical schools including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, met the former Unit 731 members and built up the network for the
foundation of ABCC inaugurated in 1947.
The
epidemiological expert, Dr. Itsuzo
Shigematsu (who graduated from Tokyo Imperial
University, Havard University School of Public Health), is well known as RERF director who
downplayed the health hazards among A-bomb survivors.
Dr.
Shigematsu is also known as the IAEA Chernobyl Project leader who denied any
health hazards among residents in contaminated area in 1991. Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki (who also graduated from Tokyo
University, Havard Medical School, and Nagasaki University) was one of Dr.
Shigematsu’s followers, Both Dr.
Shigematsu and Dr. Nagataki denied the health effects by Hiroshima, Nagasaki,
and Chernobyl (later admitted only thyroid cancer.)
And now, the follower of Dr.
Nagataki, Dr. Shunichi Yamashita (who is
from Nagasaki University) has been denying heath hazards in Chernobyl and in
Fukushima. In this way, the doctors
who are involved in human experiment and deny the radiation effects on the side
of industry are closely connected.
I have been always felt the same kind of cruelty as Unit
731, on Dr. Shunichi Yamashita’s thyroid examination on Fukushima children, whose anomaly
rate is nearly 50%. Then I found out that there is a connection
between Unit 731 and Dr. Itsuzo Shigematsu, who was Yamashita’s teacher.
Dr.
Shigematsu had his own master in epidemiology who played an important role in
Unit 731. His name was, Dr. Keizo Noheji, the director of Tokyo Imperial University
Epidemiology Laboratory, who sent many medical scientists to Unit 731 for
developing biological weapons.
This
Tokyo Imperial University Epidemiology Laboratory was later divided into 3
institutes; Tokyo University Medical Science Institute (Currently conducting
WBC radiation exposure human experiment in Minamisoma city in Fukushima. Please
see chapter VI), National Institute of Health (NIH, which gave the materials of
both Unit 731 and A-bomb survivors’data to the US military.), and the Institute of Public Health (where
Dr. Noheji and Dr. Shigematsu belonged).
Since
1955, Dr. Keizo Noheji, the former director of Tokyo Imperial University
Epidemiology Laboratory and the top epidemiology expert in Unit 731, became the
epidemiological director of ABCC, and since 1981, Dr. Itsuzo Shigematu, Dr.
Noheji’s
top follower became the director of RERF, the succeeding organization of
ABCC. We can see the strong personnel
connection here from Unit 731 to ABCC (human experiment on A-bomb victims)
through Tokyo University.
As
I mentioned before, Professor Masahiro Kami and Dr. Masaharu Tsubokura from
Tokyo University Medical Science Institute are conducting human experiment
including children using WBC in Minamisoma city in Fukushima.
In his personal conversation, Professor Kami
was saying, “Minamisoma
is at risk.” “In
the future, Fukushima people may file a class action lawsuit.” Professor
Kami even stated in his lecture outside of Fukushima, “I
would not be surprised if Fukushima children becomes ill within 10 years.”
In
addition, another prominent figure after Fukushima accident is an associate
professor of Tokyo University Hospital Department of Radiology, Dr. Keiichi
Nakagawa. In his book, “Truth on Radiation Exposure and Carcinogenesis,” he
states that there have been no health damages observed and will not be observed
in Fukushima. Since
there are many scientifically doubtful points in his book, I sent him more than
100 questions, but none of them have been answered yet. http://koukaishitsumon.blogspot.jp/
Historically, former Unit 731 members have ties
with the society of radiation medicine. For
example, Dr. Masa Miyagawa, a leader of
X-ray team, who conducted lethal dose irradiation on human experiment in Unit
731, later became the leading professor of radiology class at Tokyo University
Medical Department after the war.
After
the H-bomb Bravo test in 1954, Dr. Miyagawa denied radiation damages on Japanese
fishermen other than the Fifth Lucky Dragon ship, downplaying the radiation
damage for the US government. It is said that there were approximately 800
boats that were exposed to radiation from the H-bomb.
Dr.
Miyagawa involved in the establishment of Nuclear Institute for Radiological
Science (NIRS), Japan’s leading radiology medicine
institute.
NIRS
has been functioning as the organization to follow the pro-nuclear government
policy, and the Japanese representative of UNSCEAR has been always NIRS member
for the past half century. Nearly 2 year
after the Fukushima accident, NIRS totally deny any health damages caused by
radiation.
Also, there are connections between Unit 731, ABCC, and
Fukushima through other famous universities.
In Nagasaki, Dr. Ichiro
Hayashi (Kyoto Imperial University, Nagasaki University), who conducted
thousands of autopsy on fetus and babies of A-bomb survivors used to belong to
Unit 731 and his master was Dr. Kenji Kiyono (Kyoto Imperial University), whose
followers were Dr. Shiro Ishii (Kyoto Imperial University), the leader of Unit 731.
Dr. Hayashi’s study was once cited in the film called, “The World is Feared (Sekai wa Kyofu suru)” (1957) in which the narrator said that 22.3% of babies born among
A-bomb survivors had malformation while 8.7% among non-survivors. However, this citation was denied by Dr.
Hayashi himself and the genetic effects after Hiroshima and Nagasaki is said to
have been not observed, which remains as a mystery.
Unit
731’s
influence is not only on radiation business but also on blood business. Dr. Ryoichi Naito, a right-hand man of Unit
731 leader Dr. Shiro Ishii, is a founder of Japan Blood Bank, predecessor of
Japan Green Cross, which caused the infection of HIV to thousands of
hemophiliac patients in collusion with Ministry of Health.
It is amazing that Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, the leader of Fukushima Prefectural Health
Examination was assigned as the leader of HIV infected hemophiliac patients
just before the Fukushima nuclear accident took place. In his report on the start of the HIV
patients study, he said that this kind of mistake shall never take place, and
immediately after that, he went to Fukushima Medical University responding to
the nuclear accident to persuade the residents not to worry about radiation up to
100mSV.
My
friend HIV patient is feeling strong resentment on Dr. Yamashita’s
behaviors saying, “How could there be a medicine that does not focus on the health of
people for the first place?” “I would never forgive any
doctor to treat anybody as a specimen of human experiment”
Today, various scholars and doctors from many
famous universities and institutes are using even pregnant women and children in
Fukushima for their studies. This is
obviously a human experiment in the extended period of time span, but most
doctors keep their silence because their teachers and schools have been
controlled by the Japanese government and policy historically.
In order to save the lives and health of children
whose health have been deteriorating, I would like the people in the world to
know the criminality of Japanese medical societies in the past and
present.
XIII) UN and Nuclear Power Issue
According to Hiroshima
A-bomb survivor Dr. Shuntaro Hida (for whom I have been assisting his
translation works)who has been treating A-bomb victims as a medical doctor, he
was shocked when he saw 1968 UN Secretary
General Mr. “U Thant Report” saying, “All the A-bomb survivors have no health
problems.”
Dr. Hida even went to the UN explaining the fact that there have
been countless ill health survivors.
Then upon the UN request, he conducted more than 11000 survivors’ survey, and an international
conference by UN and NGOs was realized in 1977 focusing on the reality of
A-bomb late effects on survivors.
In order to downplay the inhumane cruelty of nuclear weapons, scientifically
groundless theory had been prevailed for many years until the A-bomb survivors’ raised their
voices. As this episode shows, the truth
could be hidden unless the victims’ voices are heard.
As a matter of fact, a person like Dr. Hida was totally
exceptional in Japan, and sadly enough almost all the other doctors took the
side of the US and Japanese governments to obtain research money on A-bomb
survivors to downplay the late effects.
There is a history among A-bomb survivors who were forced to be silent
about A-bombs for years after the attack, and survivors at distant areas were
not recognized as victims. As late as 2008, A-bomb survivors outside
of 2km radius of the epicenter were finally recognized as the radiation victims
by the court.
Since no doctors wrote books on
true effects of radiation, Dr. Hida translated 5 books from English to Japanese
and 2 of his translated books, “The Radiation Impact” written by the US doctor
Donnell W. Boardman and “The Deadly Deceit” by Jay M Gould and Benjamin
Goldman gave the scientific grounds to the low level radiation exposed A-bomb
survivors at the court.
However, genetic effects of
radiation has been denied even as of today except those who were exposed in
mothers’ wombs, and therefore second generation of A-bomb
survivors have never been recognized even though there are many suffers.
I think it is a shame of Japan’s history that our scholars
have been siding on the government to conceal the facts about radiation effects
domestically and internationally.
In 1991, the leader of International
Chernobyl Project lead by IAEA, Dr. Itsuzo Shigematsu, who was the director of
Radiation Effects Research Foundation stated that no health disorder has been
caused directly by radiation exposure and that negative impacts were caused
only by stress. I heard the
disappointment felt by local doctors and residents who at first had some
expectation from Dr. Shigematsu who had researched on A-bomb victims were
really great. They had observed and
reported various radiation caused health damages before the 1991 IAEA report.
However, in 1996, IAEA
admitted that they had made a mistake on the additional thousands of cases of
thyroid cancer. This means that a
proper warning was not given at a timely manner and that residents in the
contaminated area may have been exposed to further risks without any
advice. Considering a preventive measure for protecting health, the then
members of IAEA Project Team should extend apologies to the residents in the
contaminated area, but such apologies have never been heard, which is ethically
quite wrong.
The reason why I put particular stress on this point is that
scholars of this kind tend to repeat the same kind of mistakes
intentionally. Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki, the direct disciple of Dr. Itsuzo Shigematsu
said, “As of today, no health hazards caused by
cesium has been recognized yet both in Chernobyl and in Fukushima.”
Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, the
direct disciple of Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki said immediately after the Fukushima
accident, “There will be no
health damage under 100 mSv,” to Fukushima residents
right after the accident, causing many people exposed to radiation.
In 2005, IAEA reported that the final death toll by Chernobyl
would be 4000, but this number is
considered to be an extreme underestimation.
Prior to this in year 2000, the then Secretary General of UN, Mr. Kofi Annan stated that seven million people were
affected by the accident and three million children require physical treatment in the foreward of UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)2000 http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/Chernobyl_2000.pdf
However, against this tremendously
important statement, the then UNSCEAR
chair, Mr. Lars-Erik Holm bruntly denied Mr. Annan’s concern. http://mailman.mcmaster.ca/mailman/private/cdn-nucl-l/0506/msg00011.html But prior to this, Mr.Lars-Erik Holm announced that
there were only 30 death toll after Chernobyl accident, on which he has never
apologized.
Mr. Holm is currently a Medical Officer of Health for Sweden and also have
worked as Director General of the Swedish Radiation Protection
Authority, Chairman of the ICRP, Swedish Representative of UNSCEAR, a member of
the Commission on Safety Standards of then IAEA and a member of the Board of
the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate.
Isn’t it contradictory to have a single
person to have multiple posts as nuclear promotion agencies and health
agencies? (This situation
is similar in Japan, such as medical
doctors from Tokyo University have been playing important roles to promote
nuclear policy as well)
When
UNSCEAR was founded in 1955, genetics scholar such as the Nobel laureate Dr.
Muller was excluded. In stead, some US
energy commissioners were invited and most problematic matter was that Navy
Colonel Dr. Shields Warren who was known as his involvement in human
experiments in the US and in Japan was a founding member.
In the award-winning non-fiction book, “Plutonium Files” by Ms. Eileen Welsome, Dr. Shields
Warren’s following statement is cited;
“We already have nearly sufficient experiment results. Hiroshima and Nagasaki was more than 200,
000 human experiment. I myself saw
A-bomb survivors who developed heath damages in the city.”
In the
beginning of 2013, a journalist called Mr. James Conca contributed an amazing
article called “Like We ‘ve Been Saying, Radiation In Not A Big Deal,” to the Forbes stating that according to UNSCEAR report,
no health hazard has been reported and will not be reported by Fukushima
accident. This was an extraordinary
article which angered many Japanese citizens.
In
another word, those who were involved in human experiments both in the US and
in Japan have never been blamed and in stead, they took the position of
internationally esteemed organizations for the interests of nuclear weapon and
nuclear power industries. They took the
control of human radiation effects data to keep promoting nuclear industries,
while sacrificing the human-beings’ most
precious heritage-human genes.
Particularly, babies and fetus cannot talk. In Nuclear Institute for Radiological
Studies, the Japan’s leading radiological institute’s symposium resume, it says
that a fetus is less likely to develop
child cancer under the same dose, and the reason is that an embryo or fetus sometimes
gets lost due to a miscarriage. Isn’t this a murder to a voiceless
life?
In fact, since the onset of nuclear age, the rate of
Japanese infertile couples seems to be increasing.
The US dropped two A-bombs on
Japanese civilians killing 200, 000 people on the spot and still hundreds of
thousands people have been suffering for late radiation effects. The US also dropped depleted uranium weapons,
obviously radiological weapons, in Iraq and Afghanistan, causing increase of
child leukemia and genetic damages among local residents.
In addition, all the five
Securities Council states conducted nuclear testing conducted nuclear tests,
giving tremendous suffers to local residents and even raised the radiation level
of the entire globe, leaving irreversible damages to all the living beings and
the environment.
In the first place, it is not
logical that pro-nuclear IAEA directly under UN Securities Council consisted of
five nuclear states has tremendous rights over the control of nuclear accident
and its consecutive health hazards.
Moreover, IAEA, which brought
tremendous damages to Chernobyl victims, is now working in Fukushima,
underestimating the damages and keeping the local residents including pregnant
women and children under contaminated areas 4 times worse than Chernobyl to
collect human experiments data.
This is solely an unforgivable
situation and immediate justice needs to be brought through an international
organization such as International Criminal Court. Radiation effects go beyond generations-we
know from our experiences.
Those who committed radiation crimes
today and in the past need to be punished.
There should not be statutes of limitation since unfortunately, the
radiation hazards continues and will be beyond generation.
Accordingly, I call upon the United Nations to pursue the truth
based upon humanitarian spirits not upon interests of nuclear states and to
bring justice to those who committed crimes.
In order to do that, the power
of UN departments that tackles with humanitarian affairs should be reinforced
and as for radiation exposure issue, there should be an independent surveys
conducted by the 3rd party scientific organizations free from the
control of UNSCEAR, IAEA, etc.
Regretfully, we cannot expect much from scientists who are
affiliated with national governments promoting nuclear including Japan. The situation is pressing. I would like to make the 5 proposals in the
following chapter XIV.
ＸIV) 5 Requests to the
United Nations
In Japan under
Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb attacks and their radiation effects afterwards,
hundreds of thousands of people were killed or have been suffering from various
kinds of sickness. Radiation exposed people (Hibakusya) were almost used as human guinea pigs to provide data for nuclear
armament strategy and also for “Peaceful Use of
Atom,” while their
genetic effects and internal exposure risks were concealed for the prosperity
of nuclear industry.
When the Bikini
nuclear test attacked Japanese fishermen, under the policy of “A poison neutralize another poison,” between the US and Japanese
governments, nuclear power was hastily introduced by a former Prime Minister
Mr. Yasuhiro Nakasone, former president of 2 big media companies Mr. Matsutaro
Shoriki, former president of Tokyo University Mr. Seiji Kaya and so on, in
spite of the concerned voices of earthquakes and radiation exposure.
And now, after
Fukushima accident, again, Japanese citizens, even pregnant women and children,
are being used as guinea pigs under radiation exposure. Here, I would like to make an urgent appeal as a journalist and a
mother of an infant.
On November 26, 2011, UN Human Rights Council Special
Rapporteur Mr. Anand Grover kindly investigated and reported the facts about the
contaminated area from humanitarian aspect.
Many Japanese citizens are grateful of Mr. Grover’s courageous and righteous action. We
never want to see repeated nuclear accident tragedy such as Chernobyl where
less than 20% of children are healthy in contaminated area. It is our urgent
task to help children suffering from radiation exposure and to prevent such
hazard.
My appeal should
not be limited to Fukushima, since our world has more than 400 nuclear reactors
and some of them are already aging and nuclear wastes have been piled up in
many countries. Health Issues are common to all the people on this planet
regardless of pro or anti nuclear.
On February 12,
2013, North Korea conducted nuclear testing, which shocked the world. But as a Japanese national, I want the world
know about the truth on radiation exposure and its criminality since the onset
of nuclear age in 1945. Countless people
and their off springs are still suffering and the level of environmental
radiation has been raised no matter where we go on this planet.
Without looking
at this truth, we cannot solve the matter at all. It is quite illogical that nuclear states in
the Securities Council which conducted nuclear tests or actually used nuclear
weapons including depleted weapons in recent years are trying to judge the deeds
of North Korea without having being judged.
I, truly believe
that instead of Securities Council, non-nuclear states should come up with
solution and bring justice. Criminals
are not supposed to judge other criminals. Thus, solutions without any influence of
Securities Council or IAEA should bring be achieved. The United Nations’ decision after Fukushima accident may alter the destiny
of entire human civilization and the environment in the future.
Therefore, in
order to prevent further radiation exposure health hazards of not only
Fukushima residents but also the citizens of the world, I call upon the United
Nations for the followings.
１．
(Urgent
Need for Residents’ Relocation)To
relocate residents, especially households with minors in contaminated areas to
non-contaminated areas. By letting the residents continuously living in
contaminated areas, their health damages has been aggravated. In fact, already
various health hazards such as thyroid anomalies, acute leukemia, heart
failures, type I diabetes among both children and adults, have been known.
Besides radiation exposure on these residents, through
agricultural/fishery/forestry and other production activities, contaminated materials/foods
are being distributed nationwide and even overseas.
Currently, large
amount of budget is allocated for extension of hospitals in Fukushima to expect
some economical return by Ministry of Economy in Japan, which is just insane.
Those who are suffering from ailment and handicaps should be able to get
medical treatment in uncontaminated areas.
After
Fukushima accident, contaminated area includes even 30 million population Tokyo
Metropolitan area, and as I said in the beginning, some people have already
shown serious symptoms. Our country does not have enough land to relocate all
these people. In addition, there may be further hazards in Japan which has 54
nuclear power plants nationwide on actively seismic land. Accordingly, with the
priority of children and reproductive generation, I would like to ask UN to
take an initiative of enabling Japanese relocation to overseas.
２． (Immediate Suspension of Dispersion of Radioactive
Materials into the Environment)The incineration of contaminated
debris should be stopped immediately. Raised air dose and various health
damages among children have been already observed even in southern Japan,
Kyushu by radioactive materials released into the atmosphere by the
incineration. Contaminated materials should be gathered and stored in
contaminated areas, where habitation is no longer possible.
In this
regard, decontamination work is also spreading the radioactive materials in the
environment while further exposing residents and workers to radioactive
materials. It is not wise to use the Fukushima
restoration budget for decontamination and incineration of debris, causing
further radiation exposure to the residents and decontamination workers.
Regretfully in Japan the same stakeholders of nuclear construction are working
on decontamination obtaining profits. We would like to have the common standard
not to spread radioactive materials while evacuating people to prevent further
radiation exposure.
３． (Prevention of Further Accident) Unless we
prevent a Second Fukushima accident, nuclear catastrophe would devastate not
only Japan but surrounding nations. In order to avert this catastrophe,
operating Ohi nuclear reactor in Fukui prefecture should be shut down
immediately, and an international expert team should be established immediately
for controlling Fukushima and other nuclear facilities so that spent fuels
shall be safe in upcoming major earthquakes.
While the
aging of the reactors is progressing, this kind of accident could occur
anywhere in the world. There are even some scientists who claim that the cause
of the Chernobyl accident was a local minor earthquake, of which theory has not
been seriously considered.
Introduction
of nuclear reactor came before the establishment of Plate Tectonics Theory, the
foundation of today’s seismology.
This issue needs to be addressed immediately among all the nuclear power states
and for this purpose, the United Nations is required to take the initiative to
secure the safety of the world nuclear power plants with the cooperation of
international scholars from the field of seismology, geology, nuclear
technology, earthquake resistance civil engineering, piping engineering, etc.
４．(Social
Responsibilities of Nuclear Corporations)
The generation of nuclear energy apparently is in
conflict with corporate ethics and social responsibilities. Not only is there a
massive release of radiation at the time of accidents, but also the release of
radiation under normal operating conditions damages the environment and people’s health.
There are
so many issues surrounding this industry for which its legitimacy should be
questioned, such as issues of the disposal of nuclear waste, and workers exposed
to radiation.
If the
manufacturing of asbestos can be banned, then the mining of uranium, the
manufacture of nuclear fuel, the operation of nuclear reactors and the
reprocessing of spent fuel should be banned all the more strictly.
Needless
to say, nuclear weapons and radiological weapons such as depleted uranium
weapon should be banned totally along with the fabrication process facilities.
Nuclear
corporations should change their central role from that of further promoting
nuclear energy to the elimination and control of radioactive contamination and
nuclear waste.
In
addition, health damages inflicted upon on nuclear workers and residents as
results of nuclear accident and environmental contamination, the nuclear
corporations should not downplay the damages and provide appropriate
compensations as responsible party. In this regard, I would like the United
Nations to have the right to conduct surveillance on nuclear corporations to
make them abide by the corporate ethics and responsibility.
５． (Pursuit of Criminals at the International Criminal Court
) It is quite
illogical that the A-bomb attacks and nuclear tests conducted worldwide and
catastrophic nuclear accidents, which harmed tremendous number of lives and the
global environment have never been blamed for their criminality.
It is also
a grave issue that the effects by radiological weapon such as depleted uranium
weapons has been ignored. This is attributable to the belittlement of the
radiation effects on human beings and environment.
Japan,
though it is the world first A-bomb attacked country, the damages caused by
internal radiation on A-bomb victims, nuclear testing victims, nuclear workers
and now victims after Fukushima accident have been concealed by the Japanese
government.
Concealment
of health damages is a slow paced homicide by the establishment including
nuclear corporations, bureaucrats, and academics, politicians and media, and
overseeing this means the further generation of radiation exposed victims.
Even after
Fukushima accident that has not been resolved, Japanese government has been
trying to export nuclear reactors to Asia and Africa, concealing the real
effects of nuclear accident. When we look at the massive destruction of human
health and environment, this can be equivalent to a wartime crime. It could be
even more when it hampers future generations as well.
Accordingly, please refer the following people to the
International Criminal Court.
A) Those who
contributed to A-bomb attacks, nuclear testing, depleted uranium attacks, etc
which caused radiological damages on living matters and the environment.
As for
Japan, in spite of the local residents concern and resistance, those who are
responsible for the import of the first nuclear power plant to Japan and those who
have tremendously contributed to the promotion of nuclear power in Japan, the
world most earthquake prone country. （ex: politicians, scientists, media, bureaucrats）
B) Scientists
and doctors who have been denying the health hazards of internal radiation on
A-bomb victims, nuclear testing victims, nuclear workers and currently,
residents who complain various health problems in Fukushima and other radiation
contaminated areas. Also please do not exclude Japanese former Unit 731 doctors
who became immune from their crimes.
Before the next
nuclear accident takes place, it should be necessary to refer all the
perpetrating countries of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing, and
international nuclear power corporations for their negligence to the
International Criminal Court.
As a Japanese citizen of which states has been inflicting
tremendous sufferings to the Asian citizens, I hope the justice will be brought
to the Japanese war criminals who were not punished as soon as possible.
Currently, Japanese nuclear power promoters are even
using reconstruction budget for exporting nuclear power to African and Asian
nation. I heard Taiwanese anti-nuclear activists saying, “Japanese export of nuclear power to
Taiwan is the 2nd aggression by Japan after the World War II.”
As mentioned
before, doctors who have been connected to the war-time criminals are involved
in studying radiation effects not only foreign nationals, but also on their own
people including pregnant women and children. In order to stop such criminal
deeds, those who are involved in any human experiments need to be brought to
justice.
In order to prevent further aggravation of the current
Fukushima situation and to prevent any further tragedy anywhere in the world, I
hope the Fukushima accident would give a chance for all of us.
For this
purpose, it is my sincere hope that the United Nations along with International
Criminal Court will start tackling the above issues at the earliest possible
stage.
Epilogue:
Please Help Kids in Japan!
I came to know
the issue of nuclear power for the first time in the summer of 1999. A US
scientist talked about the possibility of station blackout of nuclear power
plant in relation with Y2K. Until I heard her lecture, I have never heard of
any danger of nuclear power plant in my life and was greatly shocked. Even
after the Chernobyl, Japanese media was telling us that accident is totally
irrelevant to Japan since the type of nuclear reactor was different, and I
simply believed it.
What shocked me most was the large number of late death compared
to the small number of immediate death. "I didn't
know there is such a horror in this society..." While I was translating
the nuclear station-blackout scenario, I just couldn't stop crying.
I was very
quick to get down to the action once I got to know its danger. I went to Prime
Minister’s
Residence with a person I got to know, and talked to the Cabinet Secretary
Crisis Management Officer with the information I translated. The Officer scolded
both me and the man who introduced me to him, yelling, “Japanese nuclear power is absolutely
safe. Do not bring a weird person in this office!”
Since I found
that there was nothing to be done by the government of Japan, I went to Europe
and visited energy expert in European Green Party at European parliament with
some materials. Amazingly, he welcomed my visit for that information, and came
up with a resolution draft only in 2 days! As he recommended, I visited conservative
parties in the Parliament with the draft, and was able to obtain their support.
2 months later, I heard the resolution was passed unanimously in the
Parliament. At that time, I was truly impressed by the European politicians who
listened to me for what I was saying not for who I was.
Meanwhile,
only 2 months after I was kicked out by the Chief Cabinet Crisis Management
Officer, the first nuclear accident with (official) death toll took place in
Japan. In September 1999, there was a criticality accident at JCO, nuclear fuel
fabrication factory leaving 2 workers killed and more than 600 people exposed
to neutron rays. However, the health damages claimed by residents were totally
denied including Mr. and Mrs. Oizumi who was only 120m from the accident site.
Blood test
showed that DNA was damaged in 6 residents samples but amazingly, Ibaraki
prefecture concealed it at that time. (Now Fukushima prefecture is concealing
the results of blood tests of Fukushima children.)
Quite pitifully, it is a common practice for
the government and municipalities to conceal the inconvenient health related
data on nuclear exposure. I came to realize that after communicating with some
former nuclear plant workers. The nuclear power plant workers deteriorated
health conditions had always been denied by the government side under
collaboration with doctors.
Since year
2000 onward, I was doing activities for nuclear and earthquake issue because I
thought it was probable that station black out could be caused by earthquake in
such a seismic country like Japan. Between 2001 and 2002, I was working as a
translator for an anti-nuclear NPO and in the meantime, Hamaoka nuclear power
plant had two serious accidents in a row.
Hamaoka nuclear
power plant is located on the plate boundary and M8 class earthquake could
occur at any time, so I really wanted to prevent a earthquake caused nuclear
disaster by any means before it actually takes place.
However, there
may invisible restrictions on even citizen organization. That organization,
which has been receiving budgetary money from some US foundations, did not
tackle nuclear and earthquake issues in those days.
After the
nuclear accident, a number of citizens' groups were established, but not many
of them call for "Need for children’s evacuation"and "Opposition
to incinerating the contaminated debris."
A former Tokyo
Electric Power Company worker said, "there was an agent in anti-nuke
citizens groups and fax came the day before their action." In this way, outstanding citizens’ group have
been filtrated by electric companies. (Therefore I strongly believe it is important
to make actions not relying too much on citizens’ organizations.)
In 2002, I visited IAEA alone to directly make a plea
on Japanese nuclear and earthquake issue. However,
when I told a person (a Japanese female) from Department of Nuclear Safety
Engineering Safety Section regarding the danger of nuclear plant due to
obsolete seismic resistant desing at the time of construction and some
possibilities of pipe rupture to be caused by earthquake, she kept saying, “No matter how damaged, nuclear power
plant will not release any radiation outside.” Listening to her illogical layman’s excuse, I could not believe she was
from Nuclear Safety Department.
I also talked
with Mr. Tomihiro Taniguchi, who later received the Nobel Prize as the Deputy
Director General of Nuclear Safety Department. After listening to my talk and
glancing the materials I brought, he interestingly asked me the following
question without commenting on my plea.
“Can you make your living by doing these
kinds of things?”
(To be honest, I think I spent millions of yen
for anti-nuke activities, but I didn’t think I was doing anything special, since this
is an issue of life itself not a matter of money. I had been always wondering
why so little people had been doing anti-nuclear activities. Even now so. I
wish more people who are better off than a single mother like me will make more
actions to protect lives.)
After that, I
personally talked with a person from Nuclear Safeguards Department, who was my acquaintance’s acquaintance. He frankly told me the
following, “Ms.
Takenouchi, to be honest, this issue is
too big to tackle with. Unless everybody in Japan calls for anti-nuclear power,
nuclear power plants will not be stopped. If an accident takes place and 5
million people were killed, there would be nothing we could do. I am
frankly amazed to see most Japanese living normally without being feared. My
family? Well, all my family members are living here in Vienna with me.”
Now the
accident did happen and I am deeply sad. What made me astounded was that the
government of Japan concealed the emitted radiation after the accident. Specifically, the SPEEDI data was secretly
passed onto the US military on the night of 14th while it was
concealed from the people. Also, the real time rising radiation data was not
announced to the public including Tokyo in the early morning of 15th
thought the US military advised Japanese government. So the people were not
asked to stay inside and lots of people were outside including me.
Mr. Yukio
Edano, the then Chief Cabinet Secretary repeated only,“There will be no immediate health
hazards.” He did not
give any warning during 15th when the radioactive cloud was thickest
in Tokyo, leaving tens of millions of people exposed to radiation.
I myself and
my son got exposed to radiation listening to his statements. I knew his
information was too optimistic and wanted to give true warning to people in
Fukushima (my late grandparents are from Fukushima) and northern Japan area
while I was in Tokyo.
On the 13th,
I answered the interview of French Channel 2 TV reporter in the anti-nuclear
NGO saying that the Japanese government was concealing the information. On the
14th, I wanted to give information to Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Japan along with a Hiroshima
radiation exposed Dr. Shuntaro Hida regarding the danger of internal radiation
so that foreign media would give warning to Japanese people since no Japanese
media was doing it.
(After all, it
wasn’t realized
since Dr. Hida was concerned that it would be disturbing for rescue works
conducted for Tsunami victims.)
It really didn’t cross my mind that the government
would conceal the real time radiation data. Then we got exposed and we had some
symptoms and thyroid nodules I wrote in the beginning.
However, I
recently heard of an unbelievable information. Amazingly, the then Chief
Cabinet Yukio Edano made his wife and children fly to Singapore right after the
accident! If this is true, Mr. Edano was doing some criminal action. I sincerely
want the truth to be sought.
I think the most important issue on
this nuclear accident is the already emerging health damages that would become
really serious in the future. In order to appeal this point, I organized a
press conference called, “No More Hibakusha, No More Nuclear Power” in Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo on November
2011, there has been almost no report though there were 40 or 50 journalists at
the site. However, there was not a single report on this!
I believe this absence of major report on health damages emerging in Japan is the issue of paramount concern in the aftermath of Fukushima nuclear accident. Below are the speakers in order of the presentation. In order to know the real consequences of radiation exposed people, I hope you would see this 1 hour youtube video.
The following are the speakers in order;
Mari Takenouchi
(Coordinator/interpreter, low level radiation hibakusya)
Dr. Shuntaro Hida (physician &
Hiroshima A bomb hibakusha),
Matashichi Oishi, Hibakusha (former
Lucky Dragon crew),
Sachiko Sato (representative,
Fukushima Network for Saving Children),
Ryusuke Umeda (former power plant
worker)
Lastly, the current Prime Minister Abe is not only pro-nuclear power but also pro-nuclear weapon. In 2002, at a lecture made in Waseda University, he stated, “If an enemy gets ready for an attack, we should recognize it as an attack. An inter-continental ballistic missile is not unconstitutional. If it is a small sized one, it wouldn’t be a problem to possess a nuclear weapon.”
The Vice Prime Minister Taro Aso is also pro-nuclear weapon and said, “Possessing a nuclear weapon should be one of our option,” when he was a Foreign Minister.
Prime Minister Abe’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, was a A-class war criminal who was the Trade and Technology Minister during the WWII, but through negotiations with CIA, he became the Prime Minister after the war. As early as 1957, he already mentioned, “For self-defense purpose, Japan could be nuclear armed.” During Mr. Kishi’s regime, Japan’s first nuclear reactor was introduced from UK. The First one was Calder Hall type reactor, which could be easily used for manufacturing nuclear weapon.
Prior to
the introduction of a nuclear power plant to Japan, in 1961, Science and
Technology Agency estimated the damage to be caused by a catastrophic accident.
The estimate was grave. A total of 17.6 million would have to be temporarily
evacuated. Forty percent of the land would have to be restricted from
agricultural use at least for one year.
The
estimated total amount of damage in the report was more than double the
national budget in those days. Yet, this amount was greatly underestimated. It
assumed that just 850,000 yen (US$8,500) would be paid for each death, and
consideration was only given to acute patients. All later health hazards, such
as cancer and leukemia, were ignored.
Without any attack from overseas, Japan has as many as 54 nuclear power plants on such a seismically active land. There is no space for negotiation with earthquakes. How foolish! Moreover, even after the Fukushima accident, the current regime is promoting nuclear energy, furthermore eyeing on restart of Monju and Rokkasho reprocessing plant, which shows their intention to continue nuclearization. I feel a strong resentment on foolish aspiration of Japanese politicians.
Particularly, owing to these small number of idiot politicians, our beautiful land is being harmed permanently and our most precious treasure, children and future generation’s DNAs are being damaged at this moment. I cannot stand this anymore.
Without supports from conscience citizens and international organizations, Japanese children would be slaughtered for many years to come by this foolish policy.
Please help Japanese children. This is my cri de Coeur as a mother.
Mari Takenouchi, Journalist, A mother of three year old
son
Worldwide map of nuclear power stations and earthquake zones
Worldwide map of nuclear power stations and earthquake zones