tsunami lessons for reconstruction

Japan mulls tsunami lessons for reconstruction

By Jerome Cartillier (AFP) – 21 hours ago

TOKYO — Constructing taller buildings and moving towns to higher ground may be the key to rebuilding Japan's devastated northeast coast, experts say, as the threat of future tsunamis shapes ideas for reconstruction.

It was the monster wall of water, rather than March 11 magnitude 9.0 earthquake that spawned it, which tore through towns, destroying 300,000 homes and leaving 26,000 dead and missing.

"What we agreed with Prime Minister Naoto Kan is that it is not simply enough to restore things as they were before," said Makoto Iokibe, chairman of the Council of Reconstruction, established by Kan.

The daunting task of removing millions of tonnes of debris from destroyed homes and factories is the starting point for the remodelling of coastal towns in a region with an ageing population and fragile economy.

But the concept of relocating towns is a sensitive issue for those whose livelihoods revolve around them.

"It's actually a rather fundamental and philosophical question: where should people settle down? The sea is often the source of all their resources, so it's difficult to settle down away from it," said Yukio Nishimura, vice president of the University of Tokyo.

"When you talk to those who were affected by the tsunami, some want to settle down to higher places or even move to a bigger town but others want to stay put," he said.

The level of damage masks large regional disparities. The mountainous northernmost area paid the heaviest price, with numerous houses built on the narrow strip of land sandwiched between the sea and the mountains swept away.

"Topographically, these areas are very vulnerable to tsunamis so we need to completely re-think town planning," said Jun Iio, who chairs a group of experts that submits proposals to the reconstruction council.

Many specialists say detailed analysis of the topography of the 300 kilometres (200 miles) of devastated coastline on Honshu island should encourage rebuilding in higher places and further back from the sea.

Another recommendation for schools, hospitals and town halls is to construct buildings that are at least four or five storeys tall to offer refuge from the giant waves when a tsunami strikes.

Iokibe suggested the vast amount of rubble that forms the legacy of the March 11 disasters could be turned into landscaped hills.

"In normal times people would able to use these parks for recreation," he said. "During disasters, they would be used as evacuation zones."

Some fishing-related facilities will have to be relocated, he said.

Experts point out that while the huge concrete walls facing the sea seen in many coastal towns and villages can help, they cannot guarantee safety.

Several of the tsunami defences gave way under the force of the monster wave triggered by the earthquake, including the one that was supposed to protect the small fishing village of Taro, north of the city of Miyako, or they were simply not high enough.

Based on experience gained after the earthquake that hit the western port city of Kobe in 1995, Iokibe estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild the devastated northeast.

Japan faces a huge challenge in financing the mammoth rebuild without expanding a massive public debt of around 200 percent of gross domestic product.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's Wednesday warned that reconstruction costs could be as much as 50 trillion ($612 billion), higher than government estimates of up to 25 trillion yen.

A first disaster budget of four trillion yen will be financed by cuts in welfare programmes but the prime minister has said a further reconstruction budget will be funded by a "sizeable" bond issue.

For Nishimura, remembering the past is vital when rebuilding for the future.

Northeastern Honshu had already experienced the two largest tsunamis to hit the country in modern history, the 1896 Meiji Sanriku and the 1933 Showa Sanriku and plans were made at the time.

"Some were followed and some were forgotten. Some of these plans are still valid today," Nishimura said.

"It is very difficult to keep this kind of memory. But we have to learn from previous tsunamis," the professor of urban planning said.

"In some places, a few hundred metres (yards) away, houses are still standing and you can clearly see which areas are safer. If people can see it with their own eyes, they might start reconsider the situation" and be ready to move.

Photo 1 of 2
The destroyed town of Otsuchi in northeastern Japan is seen through the torii (gate) of a shrine

Map

Japanese manufacturers fear loss of Chinese workers

2011/04/29

Chinese seamstresses assemble garments at the plant of a Japanese affiliate in Shanghai. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The Great East Japan Earthquake forced Japanese manufacturers to cut production at plants in China. Now, they have another problem--hanging on to their newly idled workers.

There is a critical labor shortage in China, and any mass migration of workers would seriously hamper Japanese firms when they ramp production back up to normal levels.

In April, production dropped 30 percent from March, and, according to a 19-year-old worker at a transmission maker in Foshan city, Guangdong province, workers spent more time on job training than on the production lines.

Following strikes last spring, Japanese manufacturers in Guangdong province raised wages by about 30 to 40 percent, but labor shortages persist.

Another young Chinese worker said he is undecided on whether he will stay in his job and will probably do whatever his co-workers do.

Any prolonged suspension or significant cuts in production could easily lead to disputes between plant owners and workers, a situation the Guangdong provincial government is determined to avoid.

Japanese manufacturers believe it is crucial to maintain production levels in China, one of the world's biggest markets. With Japanese-made parts in short supply, they have allowed their Chinese plants to jump to the front of the parts line.

Nonetheless, Toyota Motor Corp. said it will cut production by 50 to 70 percent in China, while Honda Motor Co. expects to cut in half the number of Japan-made parts it sends to China. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said it could temporarily suspend production in the country.

Since the financial crisis in late 2008, many Japanese manufacturers have downsized personnel.

However, they now find themselves in a quandary: Any further reduction in their workforces would make full resumption of production impossible, while holding on to surplus workers for an extended period would be financially untenable, an official at the Guangzhou office of Japan External Trade Organization said.

Some firms, such as Nissan Motor Co., are giving top priority to continuing production, saying they do not want to hurt operations at parts suppliers and dealerships.

Others, including Honda, are using the downtime to train workers, while others are looking at setting up long-term leave systems.

Nobuyoshi Nakane, president of Pioneer Technology (Dongguan) Co., which suspended production on weekends after the March 11 quake, explained the firm's work-share program at a meeting with all 4,000 company employees.

Under the program, all employees would have their workloads reduced equally instead of having to lay off some workers.

"All we can do is communicate our intentions to our employees as clearly as possible and then see what happens," Nakane said.

One result of China's one-child policy has been a dearth of young workers. With Volkswagen AG planning to open a factory in the province in 2013 and the Chinese economy still expanding, jobs are expected to increase in the interior of Guangdong province, driving demand for skilled workers even higher.

A professor at Renmin University of China, who served as an adviser to a labor union during last spring's strike, said the work stoppage occurred because wages didn't match worker performances. He said employers must provide detailed explanations of current business conditions and how they plan to protect jobs.

(This article was written by Nozomu Hayashi and Keiko Yoshioka.)

狩野 探幽

Kano Tanyu's sketches: focusing on birds, animals and figures

美術雑誌『国華』創刊。
こっか〔コククワ Kokka〕【国華】 月刊美術雑誌。明治22年（1889）岡倉天心・高橋健三らが創刊。東洋美術、特に日本美術の作品紹介と研究論文を掲載。


Kanō Tan'yū (狩野 探幽^?, 4 March 1602 - 4 November 1674) was one of the foremost Japanese painters of the Kanō school. His original given name was Morinobu; he was the eldest son of Kanō Takanobu and grandson of Kanō Eitoku. Many of the most famous and widely known Kanō works today are by Tan'yū.
日本語

Kano Tanyu's sketches: focusing on birds, animals and figures

2011/04/28

This is a part of the Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons Screen.

Editor's Note: The following articles are translations of reviews carried by the latest issue ( No. 1386) of Kokka, a prestigious art magazine published in Japan. The publication, which specializes in old Japanese and Oriental art, was founded in 1889 by Tenshin Okakura, a well-known Japanese art critic and philosopher (1862-1913), among others. It is held in high esteem by researchers and experts aboard.

Plate 1 (color) Swan

by Kano Tanyu

Hanging scroll, color on paper

H. 56.5cm, W. 130.0cm

Hatakeyama Memorial Museum, Tokyo

By Hiroko Kato

What are we to be made of the sketches by Kano Tanyu (1602-1674)?

Tanyu's sketches and finished paintings have up to now been handled separately. Though Tanyu is heralded as a pioneer in sketching from life, because of the importance of his rank as a painter in service to the shogunate, he was criticized for not being able to display his pre-modern sensibilities in public or use his sketches in his main works. However, a clarifying full study based on the art work as to the reasons for the differences in the works has yet to be conducted.

Regardless of the fact that in the Edo period the terms shasei and shashin were used interchangeably, they have in the past been discussed separately based on genre differences between animal paintings and people portraits. This article discusses them together. Bird and flower paintings, for example, could be called "portraits of birds and animals," and it can be noted that he made shashin life-size sketches of birds and animals, with notations about the depictions (form and color information) on the works to indicate the individual features of each model. Thus, even in cases where corresponding sketches are not extant today, he did create finished works on the basis of related sketches and thus transferred important painting data from the sketch to the finished work.

In terms of the shashin of human figures that were created as sketches for portraits, judging from the records of the production process, it can be said that unlike present-day sketches Tanyu made "sketches from memory" after having fully observed his subject. Even if he did create works based on direct sketches, as indicated by the term shashin, the final goal was shin or idealized truth. This applies not only to human portraits, but also to animal paintings which are "portraits of bird and animals." Therefore we can argue that by necessity this led to a difference between the motifs in sketches and finished paintings. Further, in portraits the sitter's social rank and virtue were symbolized by costume and accompanying items, while with images of birds and animals in paintings importance is conveyed by the depiction of the fur or feathers covering the subject's body. The subject is separated visually by the emphasis on color and pattern rather than form. We can discern the underlying worldview of the artist from this tendency of vision and depiction to discern and depict difference. This is a world view that sees a union of subject and object, that confirms that all living beings are the manifestation of God's design, one that differs greatly from the post-Renaissance naturalism and the objective view established by the realism of the 19th century. If that is the case, then naturally there are divisions between the sketching form nature established in the Renaissance drawing study and the application of methods that collate the motifs in the finished picture.

The shin or truth that was Tanyu's goal was based on traditional forms and depictive methods, and on grasping immediately that which was not readily apparent, bringing in new reproductive depiction with iconographic information that was based on a subtle balance between those traditional factors and life sketching. If we recognize that the gap between sketches and finished bird and flower paintings seen in Tanyu, Ogata Korin and Watanabe Shiko was quite considerable by the time we reach Maruyama Okyo, then we can interpret this not as a reflection of the artist's social standing, but rather the change in the shin sought by the artist in each period. In the future, should we re-evaluate an artist or an art work based on whether or not a sketch motif was directly linked to a finished work and the degree to which it was reflected in that work, or rather should we clarify the change in the nature of the shin sought by the period and the artist?

The author is an art historian (Japanese painting) and research assistant at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.

* * *

Plates 2 and 3 (color)

Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons Screens

by Ito Jakuchu

Pair of six-panel screens, ink on paper

Four paintings on outer edges:

Each H. 134.8cm, W. 48.4cm

Other eight paintings:

Each H. 134.8cm, W. 51.1cm

By Hideyuki Okada

The mid-Edo period Kyoto-based painter Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800) painted this pair of six-panel screens with attached paintings. Working from the right end of the right screen, the paintings depict plum blossoms, peonies and butterflies, rooster and bamboos, bird and pine tree, mynah bird and willow tree, bird and lilies. Working from the right of the left screen, the images are chrysanthemums, tororo-aoi hibiscus, hawk and oak tree, bird and banana plant, Mandarin duck and reeds, and narcissus. Thus, these paintings clearly present from right to left a seasonal progression of spring, summer, autumn and winter birds and flowers.

These twelve paintings each have two different seals impressed upon them, for a total of 24 different seals. Of those, newly recognized seals on the works can be seen in the "To-Keiwa-shi" seal on the 5th panel of the right screen (5th painting), "Azana-iwaku-Keiwa" seal (7th painting), "To-shi-Keiwa" (10th painting) and "Nitto-To-Jokin (11th painting). The first panel on the right screen and the 6th panel on the left screen are inscribed with the date "Horeki 9" (1759), and thus we know that Jakuchu painted these works during the spring of his 44th year. That extremely productive year also saw the creation of five hanging scrolls from the Colorful Realm of Living Beings series and fifty fusuma sliding door panels for the Main Shoin of Rokuonji (Kinkakuji). This painting with its known production date is particularly important in the consideration of the development of Jakuchu's ink painting style.

The author is an art historian (Japanese painting) and curator of MIHO MUSEUM.

* * *

Plate 4 (color) Seated Image of Shoku

Wood

Fig. H. 88.6cm

Founders Hall, Engyoji, Hyogo Prefecture

By Yoshiteru Kawase

This wooden sculpture is said to be the image of Priest Shoku (1007). Shoku was a Tendai priest of the mid-Heian period, traditionally said to have founded Engyoji on Mt. Shosha in Hyogo prefecture in 966. This seated image is slightly bigger than life-size with a figure height of 88.6cm, with a head that is sharply pointed in the back. The eyes are downcast and the protruding eyebrows combine with the hands tucked into his sleeves in front of his waist to form a unique figural form.

According to production records, a fire occurred in the temple's Founders Memorial Hall in the 8th month of 1286, and this reduced the image created after Shoku's death to ashes. In 1288 the temple commissioned the Buddhist sculptor Keikai to created a new image based on a painted portrait. A glass jar containing Shoku's ashes had been found in the old sculpture, and records show that this same jar was placed inside the new sculpture.

This work was carved from kaya wood (torreya nucifera) and its style is generally faithful in an exaggerated expression, with naturally expressed drapery. Recent study of the image included an X-ray examination which revealed a globe-shaped, glass vessel, thought to contain bones and ash, inside the head, confirming the record about the transfer of the Shoku's remains.

In recent years, a portrait sculpture of a priest was discovered at the temple, greatly damaged overall but luckily with the carved surface of the head, torso and back area remaining in good condition. The carving and style appear to be from the end of the 10th century through the beginning of the 11th century, suggesting that this work dates almost back to the days of Shoku himself. It is possible that this figure was the very image damaged in the 1286 fire.

The author is an art historian (Japanese sculpture) and an investigator of the Fine Arts Division in the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

* * *

Research Material

The Self-Portrait of Matsudaira Sadanobu

Plate 5 (color)

Self-Portrait of Matsudaira Sadanobu

Hanging scroll, color on silk

H. 108.0cm, W. 110.0cm

Chinkokushukoku Shrine, Mie Prefecture

By Yasunao Kawanobe

Matsudaira Sadanobu (1759-1829) was a chief shogunal councilor and clan lord of the Shirakawa clan during the late Edo period. Born in Horeki 8・1758), he was the son of Tayasu Munetake, from one of the three Tokugawa families, and a descendant of the 8th Tokugawa shogun Yoshimune.

Today there are several images of Matsudaira Sadanobu known. The most famous example is the portrait in the Chinkokushukoku Shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, which is a self-portrait painted when he was 30 years of age. This image is said to have been used as a substitute for Sadanobu when he was absent from the Shirakawa clan lands.

In addition to this image there are several other images known which depict Sadanobu after his retirement and assumption of the artistic name Rakuo. The work in the collection of the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art is particularly well known. That image is also said to be a self-portrait. Another painting that closely resembles the Fukushima Museum image is today in Shogenji in Kuwana. The Shogenji work is stored in a box whose lid interior is inscribed in ink with the story of how the work was created. According to this box inscription, there was a self-portrait by Sadanobu of his own features, to which the oku-eshi painter to the shogunal family Kano Osanobu (1796-1846) jadded the body and garment sections. The portraits of Matsudaira Sadanobu are particularly fascinating materials in our understanding of the relationship between pre-modern clan lord portraits, self-portraiture and the work of shogunal oku-eshi painters.

The author is an art historian (Japanese painting) and curator of Fukushima Prefectural Museum

* * *

Translated by Martha J. McClintock

With Tokyo Collection shows canceled, designers hold events for 'hope'

2011/04/27

Mintdesigns' light and bright dress (Photo by Hiroshi Kawase)Olga, designer for Etw.Vonneguet, insisted that the show must go on. (Photo by Hiroshi Kawase)Jagged, pixilated mosaic patterns by Anrealage caught the eyes of the audience. (Photo provided by Anrealage Co.)The 1960s "Miyuki-zoku" Ivy League look in Japan inspired the beautiful people's designs. (Photo provided by beautiful people)

Although this year's events for the Tokyo Collection of 2011/2012 fall and winter fashions were canceled in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, designers based in the metropolis rallied to offer "new hope" for recovery.

Many found ways to present their collections on the Internet or by rescheduling fashion shows in the weeks that followed the Tokyo Collection's original mid- to late March timeslot.

"New hope" was the theme for Mintdesigns and Anrealage at their fashion shows in April.

Designers Hokuto Katsui and Nao Yagi at Mintdesigns presented a collection April 9 that featured a line of checkerboard A-line designs. The simple, colorful combinations provide visual impact while leaving a playful impression.

Originally, the designers had planned an inorganic, cold image for the show, but changed their minds after the quake, they said. Instead of blacks and browns, they filled the hall with light and the clothing with warm colors such as pink and yellow.

At the finale, all the lights were turned off throughout the hall, allowing fluorescent hair accessories worn by the models to illuminate the faces in the audience.

"We wanted offer a message of hope. Our mission is to help ensure the industry doesn't grind to a halt" amid the economic downturn following the quake, one designer said.

Anrealage was full of surprises, with pixilated mosaics in clashing colors against black backgrounds, reminiscent of '70s videogame screens. The enlarged, jagged pixel patterns leave one feeling strangely lost in a digital world.

Designer Kunihiko Morinaga's original keyword for the show was "resolution." He said he had at first intended to use sharper, high-resolution images on the fabric prints, but changed his mind after the disaster.

"I found that when the image resolution was lower, the original image could still be discerned when viewed from a distance. I changed the theme of the show to 'retained shape,'" Morinaga said.

Etw.Vonneguet was among the first labels to hold a show after the earthquake, with designer Olga having her hair cut live on stage on March 22.

The designer said that she felt she was only doing the right thing by staging a show. If she hadn't, she feared that people such as buyers would be faced with more trouble, Olga said.

Meanwhile, other labels, such as beautiful people, showcased individuality at exhibition-style shows.

Hidenori Kumakiri of beautiful people presented styles "made with traditional sturdiness but enhanced with a touch of frivolity."

In cooperation with the well-established Van brand, Kumakiri slightly altered the materials and regimented balance of jackets worn by the Miyuki-zoku--the young Japanese of the 1960s who were the first to adopt the Ivy League look. The result is something today's mods are sure to love.

One piece in Kumakiri's collection was a long, flowing dress inspired by the supersize transvestite TV celeb Matsuko Deluxe, Kumakiri said. The dress overflows with femininity and style, a humorous yet practical statement by the designer.

(This article was written by Makiko Takahashi and Mikako Abe.)

Japan fears post-quake rise in suicides

Officials are concerned that a lingering sense of hopelessness among quake victims may drive them to take their own lives. Authorities have provided hotlines, therapy and counseling in hopes of averting more deaths.

Healthcare workers keep watch for signs that sleeping evacuees might need assistance at a center for those displaced by the earthquake and tsunami, in Ishinomaki, Japan. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP/Getty Images / April 19, 2011)

• Related
• Displaced by disaster, Japanese contend with the big city
• A wary drive up to the gate of Fukushima
• Photos: Destruction in Japan quake's aftermath

By John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times

April 24, 2011

Reporting from Tokyo—

Naoko Sugimoto has heard the news through the nation's fledgling mental health grapevine, ominous reports of suicides in the region devastated by last month's magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami.

It's a trickle she fears may soon become a river: the farmer who hanged himself, distressed about a cabbage harvest ruined by radioactive fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant; the overworked government worker near the complex who took his life; the father who killed himself after a fruitless search for his child after the tsunami.

"I feel sorry for these people in the same way I do for those who died in the tsunami," said Sugimoto, 67, who heads a national suicide support group, Izoku Shien. "But they didn't die in the tsunami; they died afterward. They took their own lives. And that makes you ask yourself, 'What could we have done?'"

As Japan rebuilds from the March 11 disaster, public health officials worry that a lingering sense of hopelessness among those affected might lead to a surge in suicides in a nation already coping with one of the developed world's highest rates of self-inflicted deaths. They have created suicide hotlines, pumped more money into therapy programs and sent more suicide counselors into the field as they wait and worry.

In the coming months, as those displaced by the quake and tsunami seek to move on with their lives, the true gravity of the disaster will slowly sink in for many, say government officials, aid organizations and mental health workers.

Some who have lost homes, family and friends probably will ask: "What do I have to live for?"

Accurate statistics are not available, but the nation experienced a rise in suicides after the 1995 Kobe earthquake that killed more than 6,400 people. Those who chose to die included the city's deputy major, who doused himself with kerosene on the first anniversary of the disaster, Sugimoto said.

Now she frets about the soldiers and police officers who have spent weeks on the grim search for bodies, as well as nuclear plant employees working overtime to deal with the crippled reactor.

"They're all vulnerable to the effects of the disaster, which will take time to sink in," she said.

Japan's view of taking one's own life does not carry the connotations of sin or mental illness that it does in the West. For centuries, the country has maintained a romanticized notion of the noble suicide, fueled by tales of samurai warriors and World War II kamikaze pilots.

In 2007, after a Japanese Cabinet minister hanged himself with a dog leash while under investigation in for a series of political scandals, a national politician remarked that the minister "was a true samurai" because he had taken his life to preserve his honor.

Japan now confronts a suicide toll that soared after the 1997 Asian financial crisis and has reached 30,000 a year for 13 consecutive years.

Every 15 minutes, someone takes his or her own life in the island nation of 127 million, establishing suicide as the leading cause of death among Japanese men ages 20 to 44 and women ages 15 to 34.

Further, March is typically the month with the highest number of suicides, at the end of the Japanese fiscal year. Many of the deaths are "responsibility-driven" suicides by people hoping to make up for outstanding debts through a life insurance payout, experts say.

"There's something like 11 different cultural classifications for suicide in Japan; for the most part, there remains some sympathy for the act," said Gaithri Fernando, an assistant professor of psychology at Cal State Los Angeles who has conducted research on how culture affects a person's response to trauma.

"More than half the suicides each year are due to financial reasons, to win back collateral that friends and family had put on the line. It's become a macabre way to pay your debts."

Last month's disaster struck in northeastern Japan, a region that has traditionally grappled with higher suicide rates. A decade ago, the prefectures on the northern tip of Honshu, Japan's main island, faced suicide rates that were double the national average, a trend experts linked to the region's stoicism, inclement weather and preponderance of elderly shut-ins.

In 2007, central government officials passed a law requiring municipalities to help stem the rising rate nationwide, mandating that each prefecture fund a prevention office.

The suicide rate in northern Honshu has since dropped. But three prefectures in hard-hit disaster areas recently created a suicide hotline just for survivors, Sugimoto said.

Fernando said the Japanese government should establish a financial safety net for farmers, fishermen and others whose livelihoods have been hurt by the disaster.

"The potential for depression is out there," she said. "It's not just driven by the big traumas; it's the years afterward when people try to rebuild their lives, the daily hassles of getting water, kids with no electricity," she said.

Family members said the Fukushima prefecture farmer who took his life believed he had lost "everything he had ever worked for during his life." The man's daughter told reporters, "We have no idea how long this situation will continue. What will become of us? I think everyone involved in agriculture is worried. I pray there will be no more victims like my father."

Sugimoto has the same hope.

"We never know what we have waiting for us on the next page of our lives," she said. "People need to wait and see what happens."

核災現場的日製機械人姍姍來遲

核災現場的日製機械人姍姍來遲

日本的產業用供電品質Chip Makers Suffered Pre-Quake Outage in Japan

日本的產業用供電品質

• April 21, 2011, 9:39 PM ET

Chip Makers Suffered Pre-Quake Outage in Japan

By Don Clark

SanDisk and Toshiba make flash-memory chips at two jointly owned factories in Japan, which were far enough away from the Mar. 11 earthquake to escape physical damage and also dodged the rolling blackouts that followed. But the companies still have had their share of power problems.

Bloomberg News

SanDisk noted Thursday that one of the factories suffered a power outage three days before the earthquake, for unrelated reasons. That factory was in the process of returning to normal output at the time of the quake, which temporarily disrupted operations at both factories, the company said.

Such interruptions are no joke–often causing companies to scrap partly processed silicon wafers and pay other costs to get production tools up and running again. SanDisk said during its earnings call that both factories had fully recovered by Mar. 13, but noted the disruptions will lead to a $25 million charge.

What makes the situation more unusual is that the same factories experienced a similar problem in December, when Toshiba said a split-second interruption in power effectively required the factories to reboot. SanDisk took an $18 million charge following that outage.

One analyst during the call questioned SanDisk management about the frequency of the outages, and asked what the company is doing to try to prevent them. Sanjay Mehotra, SanDisk’s chief executive, stressed that the two events were quite different; the first was an interruption in electricity that came from the power grid that was outside the companies’ control, while the second was a “human operator error” associated with maintenance at the factories.

Mehotra said the company has installed equipment to help limit such externally caused problems, and changed processes and training to limit glitches caused by internal factors.

Still, the successive outages at the Japan site surprised longtime watchers of the semiconductor industry. “That is a real oddity in the manufacturing space,” said Risto Puhakka, an analyst at VLSI Research, which specializes on the sector. “It doesn’t lend a lot of credibility, to be frank.”

On a more positive note, SanDisk is optimistic about avoiding future problems in the wake of the quake such as shortages of silicon wafers and other supplies. “Our teams have been working very aggressively to ensure that we line up alternative sources of different materials or chemicals where need,” said Judy Bruner, the company’s executive vice president of administration and chief financial officer, in an interview.

がまん: 日本人的忍耐是災難 必須說出災民的忿怒與希望 Silenced by gaman

Japan

Silenced by gaman (がまん)

The world has admired Japan’s stoic spirit. But there is a worrying side to it

Apr 20th 2011 | TOKYO | from the print edition

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IN A nation of stoics, the most patient sufferers—by common consent—are those from Tohoku, the poor north-eastern area struck by earthquake and tsunami on March 11th. The best-known poem by the region’s most beloved poet, Kenji Miyazawa (born in 1896), starts “Be not defeated by the rain”. It extols the virtues of enduring harsh conditions with good grace. Rarely can Miyazawa’s fellow northerners have faced such a test of true grit. Yet the worry is that the longer they suffer in silence, the less they will act as a spur for revival in Japan.

In the past week three developments have cast doubt on the usefulness of Japan’s prevailing attitude of gaman, or endurance. First, on April 17th Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) laid out a nebulous six-to-nine-month plan to bring its damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear-power plant to a state of cold shutdown, in which it stops leaking radioactive matter. That is a long time for northern Japan to remain in radiation limbo. Yet there is no grand plan for dealing with the tens of thousands of evacuees—many in their 70s and 80s—from towns near Fukushima who are living in temporary shelters. They have been told by the central government that they may be able to return home once the nuclear situation stabilises, though many are understandably dubious about that possibility.

Some evacuees feel that if they move outside their prefecture, they will lose benefits and links to their communities. Families have been broken up by dysfunctional policies, such as evacuating pregnant women and young children, but not fathers and older children. Indebted farmers and business people have not been offered debt relief by the banks, though they have lost all sources of income. There are innumerable stories of personal hardship. Yet in the absence of concerted local pressure for financial support from Tokyo, the central government appears stuck in the comforting rituals of parliamentary squabbling with a myopic opposition.

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• Fukushima

Second, on April 14th Naoto Kan, the prime minister, inaugurated a 15-member task force that aims to develop a “New Tohoku Model” for rebuilding stricken areas. This may not be enough to head off rising frustration. North of Fukushima, the biggest challenge is rebuilding tsunami-destroyed areas in a way that makes them safe, economically successful and compact enough to benefit the many elderly residents who live there. Again, locals speak of their need for housing and places to work, but their communities have not organised to press those claims. The new task force has solid local representation. But it hardly sounded reassuring when Makoto Iokibe, who heads the panel, spoke dreamily on its first day of creating “Hills of Hope” on which to site the new towns.

A third area in need of public debate is energy policy. This ranges from the future of nuclear power, to the conflicts of interest between regulators and utilities, to the dysfunctional state of the national power grid. West and east Japan are unable to share electricity because of different transmission frequencies dating back more than a century. Conservation will help (see next story). But it will not allay the sense of unease. Thousands have gathered in anti-nuclear protests in Tokyo and elsewhere. An opinion poll by Asahi Shimbun, a national newspaper, showed that the percentage of those opposed to nuclear energy has risen to 41% from 28% in 2007 (women are the strongest opponents), though the share favouring the nuclear status quo barely fell from 53% to 51%.

Use the interactive "Graphics Carousel" to browse our coverage of catastrophe in Japan

But despite the protests, there have been few signs of real debate. And debate is important, because however much Japan stands to lose without nuclear power, it also needs to settle long-term structural issues, such as where to dispose of nuclear waste, and whether old plants such as Fukushima (started in 1971) should be replaced by newer ones.

In an article published in American newspapers on April 15th, Mr Kan said the crisis would reinvigorate energy policy and create a more vibrant nation. But for that to happen, Japan needs new voices to speak out. On the Tokyo Tower, a steel structure that dominates the capital’s skyline, a lit-up message says Ganbaro Nippon—“Keep it up, Japan”—a phrase that smacks of heads-down endurance, rather than the hope of better things to come. People in Tohoku are beginning to resent the phrase, because it sounds like a demand to endure even more. If they are finally running out of gaman, it might be a healthy sign.

from the print edition | Asia

Study finds wide variation in radiation levels within no-entry zone

BY AKIKO OKAZAKI STAFF WRITER

2011/04/23

A study of radiation levels within a 20-kilometer radius of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant revealed contamination levels in many locations would not currently pose a major threat to human health.

The research, conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Fukushima plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), assumed that current radiation levels would be unchanged for a year and that exposed individuals would remain outdoors for eight hours a day.

Of 128 locations within the 20-km zone, researchers projected that annual radiation exposure would exceed 100 millisieverts in only 17 places.

According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), annual radiation exposure exceeding 100 millisieverts poses dangers to health. Annual exposure exceeding 500 millisieverts is associated with a drop in lymphocyte cells in the blood.

The worst-contaminated location had a radiation level that might expose individuals to more than 500 millisieverts in a year. But nearly half of the sample locations had radiation levels below the 20 millisieverts standard used by the central government as a guideline for issuing evacuation orders.

Because of the huge impact of evacuation on the lives of residents, some experts argued the exclusion rules should be reviewed in the light of further research.

Shunichi Yamashita, a professor of radiation medicine at Nagasaki University and adviser to Fukushima Prefecture on radiation health risk control, said: "The ICRP has set 100 millisieverts as a limit so ordinary people will not be placed under the risk of radiation exposure. It will be difficult for residents to return soon to areas that have high levels of radiation."

But areas believed to pose that level of risk were mainly within a radius of between 1 and 6 kilometers of the Fukushima plant and to the northwest of the plant, including Namie town.

Wind direction and local topography has had a major influence on the dispersal of radioactive materials.

In Minami-Soma, a majority of study locations had radiation exposure levels less than 20 millisieverts. Even within a 10-kilometer radius of the Fukushima plant, there were 16 locations where projected radiation exposure levels were under 20 millisieverts.

Yutaka Kukita, deputy chairman of the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, told an April 20 news conference: "The reactors (at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant) continue to be in an unstable condition. We cannot ignore the possibility of radioactive material being emitted once again, so we decided to designate an area within a 20-kilometer radius as the no-entry zone for the time being."

But Yoshiya Shimada, a project leader on medical radiation research at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, said: "There is almost no risk of cancer if the radiation exposure level is about 20 millisieverts. For the elderly, the stress from living as an evacuee will have a much greater impact on their health than the risks from radiation exposure. Rather than look just at radiation levels, a more flexible response should be adopted in the future taking into account social, economic and psychological factors."

みつまた/三椏/三叉

＜花手帖＞三椏　　■文、攝影∕曾郁雯

《2011/04/15 18:33》

　對於三椏的印象都是停留在京都的哲學之道。
　 在台灣很少看到這種植物，春天去日本追櫻的時候，常常一大叢盛開的三椏，在哲學之道入口處，標示和北白川天神、詩仙堂的方向牌旁邊就有兩棵，沿路兩旁也不 時出現，遠看只有一大叢金黃色密密麻麻的花朵，沒有葉子只有光滑的枝幹，像飄浮在空中的棉絮；近看每一朵三椏就像一盞小燈籠，黃色的花心、白色細毛的花 冠，一瓣一瓣慢慢綻放，可遠觀也可近玩，各有樂趣。
　三椏在中國叫「結香花」因枝條柔軟可以打結得名，在江戶時期傳至日本，樹皮的纖維被當成和紙 的原料，我們熟知的棉紙原料以雁皮、楮皮、三椏為主，雁皮和三椏的纖維不像楮皮會產生樹脂，比較適合製造書畫用的宣紙。日本人的和紙藝術一直很發達，尤其 將和紙製造成各種傳統手工藝品，如扇子、燈籠、包裝紙、人偶等，都很受歡迎。
　沒想到風格獨具的三椏竟然是和紙的原料，梅花快謝的時候就是三椏盛 開的季節，是日本人當作春天來了的信差。但春天還有兩種鮮艷奪目的黃色花朵，就是山茱萸和連翹；山茱萸黃色的半球小花呈放射狀，像花火綻放，日本花藝大師 川瀨敏郎非常欣賞山茱萸的枝幹，風格如宋徽宗的瘦金體；連翹則垂立在枝幹上，一朵一朵像一長串的音符，在春陽中快樂歡唱。
　這些燦爛的金黃色花朵毅然宣告春天的來臨，比櫻花開得更早、更準、更久，如果春天再去哲學之道，除了仰望天際的櫻花之外，別忘了低頭看看水道兩旁不時出現的黃色花叢，不論是三椏、山茱萸或連翹，都安安靜靜卻熱熱鬧鬧陪著旅人揭開春天的序曲。

みつまた【三^×椏】

〔ジンチョウゲ科の低木〕a mitsumata; a paper bush

みつ‐また【三つ^×叉／三つ股】

撮影・朝倉秀之

１ 川・道路・木の枝・器物などが、3本に分かれていること。また、そのところや部分。「―のソケット」
２ 先端がY字形になった棒。物干しざおをかけたり、高い所の果実をとったりするのに用いる。さんまた。
３ （ふつう「三椏」「三叉」と書く）ジンチョウゲ科の落葉低木。高さ約2メートル。枝はすべて3本に分かれ、長楕円形の葉が互生する。晩秋につぼみをつけ、翌年春、葉の出る前に、筒形の黄色の小花が球状に集まって咲く。樹皮の繊維は強く、和紙の原料とする。中国の原産。《季 花＝春》「―の花雪片の飛べる中／青邨」

穀雨（こくう）之後

穀雨 - Wikipedia

穀雨（こくう）は、二十四節気の第6。三月中（通常旧暦3月内）。 現在広まっている定 気法では太陽黄経が30度のときで4月20日ごろ。暦ではそれが起こる日だが、天文学では その瞬間とする。恒気法では冬至から1/3年（約121.75日）後で4月22日ごろ。 ...

VOX POPULI: During reconstruction, we must not forget to respect old things

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun.

2011/04/22

Come to think of it, April 20 was "Kokuu" (literally grain rain), one of the 24 solar terms of the traditional East Asian calendar. It is the time of year when warm rain moistens rice paddies and fields and pastures and mountains get greener. But these last few days, quake-stricken areas in the Tohoku region saw cold rain and snow. I get impatient at the slow progress of spring.

"Tane-erabi" (seed selection) is a farming-related seasonal word for spring. As the first step in rice growing, farmers soak seed rice in salt water, remove chaff that floats and select solid seeds that remain at the bottom. "A wind blows from behind/ Brushing the ears/ Choosing seeds" is a haiku by Minoru Ameyama (1926-2000). While feeling a breeze on their back, the work must be a joy for farmers who have patiently waited for spring.

Farmers sow the seeds they chose, grow seedlings and plant them in rice paddies by early summer. Some readers may remember the last scene from the 1954 movie "Shichinin no Samurai" (Seven Samurai). The entire village turns out to plant rice in a radiant mood. Since ancient times, rice planting has been a religious ritual and feast. Although times have changed, even now, the spirit of "yui" (tying) under which villagers help each other to plant rice must be still alive in rural communities across Japan.

But this year, rice paddies that were destroyed or washed away by giant tsunami are said to make up about 20,000 hectares in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures alone. The government says there is no need to worry about a rice shortage because it can be covered by increased production in other prefectures. But the disappointment of farmers who cannot grow rice must be beyond imagination.

On April 20, NHK television aired footage of people who fled the disaster at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant help sow seeds in the places they sought refuge. They appeared lively. I heard that originally, the Japanese word "nariwai" (work to make a living) means working hard to grow grains such as rice and barley.

I am worried that communities that have traditionally engaged in such work might get weaker. No matter where, in the process of reconstruction, we must not forget to show respect for old things and things that bring back memories. After all, local histories and climates must have various things that cannot be drawn with rulers in armchair plans.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 21

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

Yukio Edano 枝野幸男/石原慎太郎 Shintarō Ishihara《斯巴達教育》

• Yukio Edano 枝野幸男
• 石原慎太郎 Shintarō Ishihara《斯巴達教育》

Tokyo ‘cool’ has swayed Japan for too long/日本重建最強大的資源：人民

日本擬撥1.5萬億日圓用於基礎設施重建
日本共同社週五援引民主黨議員的話稱﹐日本政府和民主黨考慮在編制首個災後重建特殊預算案時﹐將撥付約1.5萬億日圓（約合176億美元）用於災區基礎設施恢復。
日圓下跌將迫使“渡邊太太”改弦更張
日本考慮擴大防輻射疏散範圍
觀點﹕日本重建最強大的資源：人民

日本地震所展现的另一面

Tokyo ‘cool’ has swayed Japan for too long

作者：日本著名建筑师 隈研吾 为英国《金融时报》撰稿

Since ancient times, the Japanese people have been known for their fatalistic response to catastrophe. Their calm reaction to the latest disaster amazes foreign observers. But there is a darker side to this awful saga. The disaster has drawn attention to not only the economic disparities in what is traditionally depicted as a wealthy nation, but also to the high-handed and heedless stance of the urban elite towards poorer areas.	自古以来，日本人就因面对天灾时表现出的宿命主义反应而闻名。他们对最近灾难的平静反 应令外国观察人士惊讶不已。但这种令人敬畏的传奇表现也有着更为阴暗的一面。这场灾难不仅让人注意到，传统上被描绘为富国的日本存在着经济不平等，还让人 注意到了城市精英面对贫困地区时那种高高在上和漠不经心的态度。
The starkest example of this concerns the poverty of the northern Tohoku region, which was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. Life in its seaside towns has never been easy. Manufacturing never took root in the region and many people have traditionally had to migrate to the big cities, seeking seasonal work to support their families. In this latest disaster, countless people in closely packed settlements lost their livelihoods – if not their lives – in an instant.	最明显的例子就是日本东北地区的贫困，那里已被此次地震和海啸摧毁。海边小镇的生活从 来都不容易。制造业从未在这一地区扎根。长期以来，许多人不得不移居到大城市，寻找季节性工作贴补家用。在最近这起灾难中，无数居住在十分拥挤的村镇的人们，一瞬间就失去了生计——甚至丧失了生命。
When nuclear power stations are built, local residents receive generous subsidies. That is why, in spite of the risks, residents and local governments of Tohoku consented to host them in their region. The sight of such plants along the coastline is arguably one product of the disparities characterising the region.	建设核电站时，当地居民收到了丰厚的补贴。这也是为什么东北地区居民和地方政府甘冒风险同意把核电站建在当地。可以说，核电站矗立在海岸线的景象，就是该地区所特有的不平等的产物。
Major corporations and politicians in Tokyo seemed oblivious of these disparities. Tokyo Electric Power Company’s approach towards the maintenance of nuclear power plants hints at the complacency of a large urban-based organisation with regard to outlying regions. The wealth of Tokyo and other cities fails to trickle down to outlying regions while those same areas have to accept risks, such as nuclear power.	东京的大企业和政治人物似乎对这些不平等视而不见。从东京电力公司(Tokyo Electric Power Company)对待核电站维护工作的态度中，我们就可隐约看出这家城市企业对边远地区的倨傲。东京和其它城市的财富并没有渗透到边远地区，而边远地区却 不得不承受核电等风险。
The government has also been insensitive, adopting a “do-nothing” attitude to the large disparities in our small country. Though the populist policies espoused by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan resonate, this government has been even less sensitive to economic disparities than were its predecessors in the Liberal Democratic party. Now fate has sent a radiation scare, which serves as a warning against the “obliviousness” of the big-city organisations and the corporate media. Yet Tokyo has nothing to say.	日本政府也对我们这个小国悬殊的贫富差距毫无反应，采取了“不闻不问”的态度。虽然执 政党民主党(DPJ)主张的民粹主义政策引起了不小的反响，但对于经济不平等，民主党却比此前执政的自民党(LDP)更不敏感。如今，命运给我们带来了一 场辐射恐慌，对大城市机构和企业媒体的“漠不关心”提出了警告。可是东京仍然不为所动。
The September 11 terrorist attacks exposed the vulnerability of the skyscraper, the symbol of urban society. The March 11 disaster in Japan reveals the anger of the gods at the complacency and arrogance of urban life.	9/11恐怖袭击暴露了摩天大楼的弱点，而摩天大楼正是城市社会的象征。3/11日本天灾显示出众神对城市生活之自负和傲慢的愤怒。
To date, urban planning and architectural design have been the tools of our city-centric era. Architects and planners alike have served only urban needs. The responsibility lies not just with politicians and business leaders, but can also be assigned to the architects and planners who designed our landscape. We have “obliviously” pushed the light, translucent elements of popular urban design on to local regions and their citizens.	迄今为止，城市规划和建筑设计一直都是我们这个以城市为中心的时代的工具。建筑师和规 划师一样，都仅仅是在为城市的需求而服务。责任不应当只由政治人物和商界领袖承担，设计景观的建筑师和规划师也应承担起责任。我们“漠不关心地”将城市流 行设计中轻浮、半透明的元素推向地方，强加给地方居民。
The glib, and even facile transparency of Tokyo design, has become embedded in every area of Japan. People who are convinced this style of design is “cool” have continuously imitated Tokyo. So local regions have become physically – and culturally – weakened. In the past, Japan’s regions were recognised for their unique cultural strengths, but in the 20th century eyes have turned to Tokyo and local regions have been weakened.	东京设计中肤浅乃至浮夸的透明元素，已经嵌入了日本的各个地区。认定这种设计风格“很 酷”的人们一直在模仿东京。因此，地方无论是在物质方面还是在文化方面都遭到了削弱。过去，日本各地都因自己独特的文化优势而得到认可，然而在20世纪人 们的目光却转向东京，地方则被弱化了。
Now we must rethink how we design buildings for particular locations. Each place has its own history, culture – and potential risk. Each place must adopt a design that is adapted to the specific risks of an area.	现在，我们必须重新思考该如何为特定的地方设计建筑。每个地方都有自己的历史、文化——以及潜在的风险。每个地方都应当采取适于应对当地特殊风险的设计风格。
The appeal of small towns with a particular character was not recognised in the 20th century when industry was the economy’s main focus. However, as service industries become the focus in this century, we have to devote more attention to regional towns that can add vitality to the national economy.	20世纪，在工业成为经济的主要重心后，别具特色的小镇风情就不再受到认可。然而，随着服务业在本世纪成为重心，我们必须向能为国民经济注入活力的地方小镇倾注更多注意力。
Architects, too, must re-evaluate the maps that guide our planning. Looking at Tokyo, Paris or New York is no use. We must study the maps, and assess the risks and potential of each region. Only by evaluating such factors can we create a truly powerful design of buildings and towns but also of our nation. The earthquake has jolted us out of a complacency: for too long we in the cities have looked down on the provinces.	建筑师还必须对指导我们规划的地图重新进行评估。效仿东京、巴黎或纽约毫无益处。我们 必须研究地图，评估各个地方的风险和潜力。只有通过评估这些因素，我们才能拿出对建筑、城镇乃至我们国家的真正有力的设计。这次地震震醒了我们，让我们认 识到自己的自负之处：城市人轻视地方已经太久。
The writer, an award-winning architect, is principal of Kengo Kuma & Associates	注：本文作者是日本屡获大奖的建筑师、隈研吾建筑都市设计事务所(Kengo Kuma & Associates)所长。
	译者/王柯伦

隈研吾 自然的建筑

• Bruno Julius Florian Taut (1880-1938) 隈研吾 自然的建筑

でたらめ小林一茶

でたらめ小林一茶 - 野村宗弘 | ブクログのパブー
小林一茶は、人間くさくて大好きです。俳句には答えがない所が好きです。僕が挙げた句 にもいろんな解釈があると思います。「おらが世や そこらの草も 餅になる」これとか、 色んな意味含んでそうですよねーどういう...

でたらめ【出^×鱈目】

1 〔意味のないこと〕nonsense

でたらめを言う
talk nonsense／talk irresponsibly

あの話はでたらめだった
It was all nonsense.／There wasn't an ounce of truth in it.

2 〔いい加減〕

でたらめな本
an inaccurate book

でたらめな議論［演説］
an incoherent argument [speech]

でたらめな男
an irresponsible man

でたらめな天気
unstable [changeable] weather

でたらめな値段
an unreasonable [exorbitant] price

でたらめな返事をしておいた
I gave a haphazard answer.

でたらめに撃った弾が的に当たった
The bullet I had haphazardly fired hit the mark.

名簿の順序はでたらめです
The names are not listed in any particular order.

でたらめな順番じゃだめだよ
((口)) You can't just put them in any old order!

日本的災後災中: 外國人/"實習生"絕少/搜人/擴大疏散區/用過核料

新聞中的淺草寺 東京料理店 各地的櫻花祭
外國人絕少

許多災區的農產品農家 以前以"實習生"名義請進的中國外勞多半已離開 幾乎無法收成



Japan Accident Renews Focus On Spent Fuel In US
NPR
by Christopher Joyce The nuclear accident in Japan has rekindled debate about what to do with used reactor fuel. The Japanese power plant housed tons of highly radioactive used fuel in pools filled with water. Some of that water either leaked out or ...



Japan May Enlarge Evacuation Zone
Wall Street Journal
By TOKO SEKIGUCHI And MITSURU OBE TOKYO—Japan may look to extend the evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as the crisis there drags on, the government's top spokesman said Thursday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio ...

Search for Dead in Japan’s Evacuation Zone Begins

By ANDREW POLLACK 4:07 AM ET

Hundreds of police in protective suits fanned out in search of the bodies of people reported missing in an evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

• Japanese City’s Cry Resonates Around the World
• Core of Stricken Reactor Probably Leaked, U.S. Says

南相馬市市長求救

日本核電廠災難: 煉獄
Minamisōma (南相馬市, Minamisōma shi)市長

Desperate Plea From a Japanese City to the World Is Heard

By MARTIN FACKLER

Published: April 6, 2011

MINAMISOMA, Japan — It was a desperate plea for help, spoken into a small digital camcorder by the mayor of this seemingly forsaken city, and posted on the Internet like a bottle tossed into a digital sea.

Ko Sasaki for The New York Times

Katsunobu Sakurai, the mayor of Minamisoma, Japan, took to YouTube to request aid for his city.

Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai's Plea for Aid (Via YouTube)

Related

• Core of Stricken Reactor Probably Leaked, U.S. Says (April 7, 2011)

Enlarge This Image

Ko Sasaki for The New York Times

Sumio Tanaka, the owner and chef of Satsuki, a restaurant in Minamisoma, Japan.

In the 11-minute recording, the mayor, Katsunobu Sakurai, described the dire situation facing Minamisoma, whose residents were still reeling from a devastating earthquake and 60-foot tsunami when they were ordered to stay indoors because of radiation leaks from Japan’s crippled nuclear plant, 15 miles away. Those who had not fled now faced starvation, he said, as they were trapped in their homes or refugee shelters by the nuclear alert, which also prevented shipments of food from arriving.

“We are left isolated,” Mr. Sakurai said urgently into the camera, his brow furrowed and his voice strained with exhaustion. “I beg you, as the mayor of Minamisoma city, to help us.”

The video, posted on YouTube a day after it was recorded late on the night of March 24, became an instant sensation, and has since drawn more than 200,000 viewers. Almost two weeks later, the city hall is still getting phone calls, most from non-Japanese calling from abroad with offers to help. The city has also received hundreds of boxes of food and other supplies from individuals, and truckloads of relief goods from nonprofit organizations.

“It’s amazing how many of these donors say they saw us on YouTube,” said Noriyoshi Saito, who works in the City Hall economic section and is in charge of handling donated goods.

Mr. Sakurai described the online plea as a turning point in Minamisoma’s struggle against the triple disaster, which for a time had transformed this city of 75,000 people into a virtual ghost town. Some 50,000 residents fled in the first two weeks after the earthquake, though a small number have begun trickling back.

Mr. Sakurai credited the large-scale response to his video with helping those who remained in the stricken city to carry on.

“Suddenly, the world was extending its hand to us,” said Mr. Sakurai, 55, an energetic man who still wears the same beige uniform as in the video, but now smiles and seems more relaxed. “We learned we’re not alone.”

Today, the city is slowly coming back to life. While the order to stay indoors remains in place, many of the remaining residents have begun to ignore it. Gas stations and convenience stores are starting to reopen, though large stores remain closed. Cars are now plentiful on major thoroughfares, but most side streets and shops still remain eerily empty.

“I hope that by just opening my store I can set people’s hearts at ease,” said Yasuko Sanno, the owner of a small grocery store that was one of only a handful of businesses open recently on a shopping street. Ms. Sanno, who said she had returned after fleeing to a neighboring prefecture for nearly two weeks, had covered her shop’s windows with sheets proclaiming, “Hang in there, Minamisoma!”

In heavily damaged coastal areas, survivors were coming out to pick through the ruins for belongings, while rescue workers searched for bodies. Almost 1,500 people are believed to have been killed by the waves, which wiped away entire neighborhoods up to two miles inland, but the remains of only 358 have been found.

City residents say things are slowly getting closer to normal, though the continuing crisis at the nearby Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station still keeps the community stuck in limbo, uncertain of its fate.

Sumio Tanaka was able to reopen his sushi restaurant, Satsuki, on Monday for the first time since the earthquake. He said deliveries of food were starting to resume, though he had only a limited amount of fish from the far side of Japan, away from the nuclear plant.

While he did not know of the YouTube video, Mr. Tanaka credited the mayor for working hard to get the city back on its still wobbly feet.

“The mayor really put his heart into saving Minamisoma,” said Mr. Tanaka, 62.

Indeed, city employees said the video had drawn more attention abroad than in Japan. On a recent morning, a Japanese-American called from California to ask in halting Japanese where to send aid.

Mr. Sakurai describes the time when he made the video as the darkest moment in the disaster. Survivors had not even had time to recover the remains of loved ones from the wreckage of the tsunami when parts of the city were evacuated and people in others were ordered to remain indoors because of the plant accident. Food and fuel were running short as delivery trucks refused to enter within 18 miles of the plant, the area covered by the order to stay indoors.

“It was a terrifying time,” said Takamitsu Hoshi, a City Hall employee. “The furniture was constantly shaking from aftershocks, and we were constantly afraid of another explosion at the nuclear plant.”

Mr. Sakurai and other city employees described the video as a final call for help by a city that felt abandoned by the rest of Japan. The mayor said the city had even disappeared from news broadcasts because the reporters stationed in the City Hall press club had all run away.

In the video, titled, “S O S from Minamisoma mayor,” Mr. Sakurai spoke urgently of how city hall employees were “working under the threat of radiation.” He asked for volunteers to come to the city’s aid.

“Please help us before the contamination spreads further,” he said.

Mr. Sakurai said the idea for the video had come from local residents who came to City Hall to complain that so few volunteers were coming to help and urged him to make an appeal directly on the Internet. He admitted that he was skeptical of the idea at first, having never used YouTube. Still, he said he was desperate enough to try anything, so they shot the video in the mayor’s sparsely furnished meeting room.

“Until now, we waited for the mass media to come here and videotape us,” Mr. Sakurai recalled. “This time, we reversed the process by taking our own video and broadcasting it.”

While Mr. Sakurai spoke in Japanese, the resident who took the video, whom city officials said they did not know and could identify by only his family name, Nakata, later added English subtitles. Inquiries to the YouTube account that posted Mr. Sakurai’s video were unanswered, and city officials said Mr. Nakata was apparently among those who had fled Minamisoma.

While the video has remained online, Mr. Sakurai says the city’s situation has changed for the better since it was made. The city has added text to the video to tell would-be volunteers not to come because of the radiation threat, and asks that aid be sent instead. Food and fuel are flowing into the city again, though some trucking companies still refuse to come too close.

City officials said that more than anything, what the city really needed was for the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company to get the nuclear plant under control. Then the city can get on with the difficult work of cleaning up and rebuilding.

“We could have bounced back much more quickly if it were not for this nuclear accident,” said Mr. Hoshi, the City Hall employee. “It’s frustrating that our city’s fate rests in someone else’s hands.”

冷靜不誇大是媒體的基本道德Quake intensity at Fukushima plant exceeded safeguard standards

《朝日新聞》記者 野嶋剛："冷靜不誇大"是媒體的基本道德 東北大地震發生後三天，他到中國出差，那天，福島核電廠爆炸的消息才剛傳出來，他在電車上，看到東京人不安的臉孔。 三天後他回到東京，觀察電車上的旅客，又恢復平日的模樣，玩手機的玩手機，打電動的打電動。他在接受《天下》採訪團隊採訪時透露，扎實的訓練，是日本媒體震災表現沉穩的重要原因。 一九九二年我從上智大學新聞系畢業，期望一開始就到《朝日新聞》跑國際外交新聞。沒想到前三年被派到偏僻的佐賀縣，因為表現不錯，之後再調到福岡三年，然後又調回東京總社社會部三年。我是當了九年記者，才如願採訪國際新聞。 這是日本培訓記者的過程，讓你先從鄉下新聞開始做起，慢慢再處理複雜的新聞。 記者不能哽咽、流淚、激動 一開始寫稿，天天被上司罵、改稿，說不能太煽情、激動，否則就別當記者了。記者的責任是傳達事實和資訊，而不是表達自己的感情。慢慢的，我們已經習慣要客觀、冷靜的報導新聞。對日本媒體來說，冷靜、客觀、不誇大，是最基本的職業道德。 記者尤其不能在播報新聞時哽咽、流淚、激動，我在阿富汗戰地親眼看過很多屍體，也會難過的哭。但是，我可以對自己表達這種感情，卻不能在報導中流露。

《朝日新聞》總共有三千多個記者，地震一發生，報社就召集社會部、政治部、經濟部的編輯主管開會，成立對策本部，大家互相分享情報，並且組成一百多人的採訪團隊，深入災區採訪。後方還有兩百多個各路線的記者，提供各自專業的分析稿。 因為紙張供應不足，原本報紙每天一份四十張，地震過後，縮減為每天二十張。記者跑回來的新聞，除了報紙，還透過許多管道發表，例如推特、臉書和微博，我們每三分鐘就會發一則新聞。 我二十六歲時跑阪神大地震新聞，每天採訪十八個小時，卻因為版面有限，只能登一百多字。現在多元化的刊登管道，讓記者有更多方式，提供資訊給讀者。這是日本媒體從來沒用過的方式，相信未來會成為重大事件的標準處理模式。 **** 貼這篇並不表示我任同"東電"TEPCO 正相反 該公司問題多多 TEPCO: Quake intensity at Fukushima plant exceeded safeguard standards 2011/04/03 An aerial shot of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant taken on March 24, from an unmanned aircraft. (Provided by Air Photo Service)Black smoke rises July 16, 2007 at an electric transformer in the No. 3 reactor building of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture. (Provided by the Niigata prefectural government) The Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced Friday that the tremors that shook the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant during the March 11 earthquake exceeded plant's quake-resistance standards. Based on the government's 2006 revisions to quake-resistance guidelines, the level of tremor resistance was raised 60 percent by 2008, but it was still not enough to deal with the magnitude-9.0 temblor that struck northeastern Japan. It was the first time that an earthquake exceeded the revised standards, meaning that that quake-resistance measures currently in place at nuclear power plants throughout the country are insufficient. Because of that, other nuclear power plants will be required to take further anti-quake measures. TEPCO raised the intensity expected from underground tremors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2008, and reported to the government that the safety of the No. 3 and 5 reactors at the power plant were assured. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said that TEPCO's reports were appropriate. According to data recorded by seismometers at the lowest floors of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and released by TEPCO on Friday, the No. 2 reactor building suffered tremors of 550 gals, 1.25 times stronger than the maximum standard of 438 gals. (A gal is a unit that measures peak ground acceleration in earthquakes). The corresponding figure for No. 5 reactor building stood at 548 gals, bigger than the maximum standard 452 gals. The figure for No. 3 reactor building was 507 gals, stronger than the maximum standard 441 gals. TEPCO said its maximum standard for tremors was strong enough to withstand the Jogan Earthquake of 869, whose scale is considered to be similar to the Great East Japan Earthquake. They added that a quake with the intensity of the March 11 temblor takes place once every 10,000 to 1 million years. The guidelines in place prior to the government's 2006 revisions were problematic because they were not high enough. Three nuclear power plants (in Miyagi, Ishikawa and Niigata Prefectures) in years before the revisions were shook by quakes whose tremors exceeded standard levels. Since the revised guidelines, electric power companies have been re-examining the safety of their nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, TEPCO began spraying synthetic resins in the compound of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Friday in order to prevent radioactive dust from flying into the air. The resins prevent wind-borne dust for six-12 months. On the same day, a U.S. military ship began transferring fresh water to tanks in the compound of the nuclear power plant.

定位: 埼玉縣熊谷市/島根縣

日本B咖城市 放大缺點拚觀光

埼玉縣熊谷市以日本第一熱聞名。 （取自網路）

知名度倒數第一的島根縣，推出的自謔月曆。（取自網路）

編譯林翠儀／特稿

發展在地觀光，通常都會大力宣傳當地的美食、美景，吸引觀光客到此一遊，但日本有幾個在知名度或觀光發展上屬於「B咖」等級的城市，卻以自嘲方式宣傳在地的「缺點」，無厘頭的自謔手法，反而提高了曝光度。

位 於日本本州西側鄰日本海的島根縣，被評選為全日本47個都道府縣中，知名度吊車尾的縣。島根不但知名度低，而且經常被誤以為是鄰居鳥取縣境內的一個地名， 鳥取縣不但有全國知名景點「鳥取砂丘」，還出了一位妖怪漫畫家水木茂，觀光業蒸蒸日上。因此，島根縣決定來個「B咖」翻身大作戰！

島根 第47名打名號

島 根祭出的第一招，就是以該縣倒數第一的名知度逆向操作，請來動漫人物「秘密結社鷹之爪」主角「吉田君」代言，出版島根縣的「自謔」月曆，月曆的封面以大大 的字寫著：「日本第47名最有名的縣」，還有「喔，不！我們沒有砂丘」、「島根是鳥取的哪裡？」推出這份「自謔」月曆的島根縣東京辦事處說，希望透過這些 自嘲話語，激起更多人對島根縣產生興趣。

和歌山 寫壞話住宿9折

另一個「B咖」縣市和歌山縣，由於鄰近大阪、奈良及京都等知名觀光勝地，對關東地區居民而言，屬於「不會特地去一趟」的縣。為打響和歌山縣在關東地區的觀光知名度，該縣最近在東京進行一項特別民調，只要受訪者在問卷上寫下和歌山的「壞話」，就能在該縣享受9折的住宿優惠。

於是，有人寫下「沒興趣去」、「說到關西當然非京都、奈良、大阪莫屬」、「沒有非看不可的景點」，事實上和歌山縣擁有名列世界遺產的「熊野古道」，該縣希望透過這種「說壞話問卷」，既可檢討觀光發展的問題，也能打開知名度。

熊谷 利用溫度當話題

利 用在地「缺點」發展觀光，位於埼玉縣的熊谷市也是一個成功案例。熊谷在2007年8月曾以40.9度刷新日本史上最高溫紀錄，熱死人的熊谷便打出「比體溫 還熱的城市」、「日本第一熱」的口號，及太陽公公搖扇子的LOGO，商家則推出消暑聖品、極辣美食，在地人攜手舉辦活動反而打響知名度。

井上雄彦/本願寺/親鸞

井上雄彦创作“笑脸”漫画为灾民加油(图)

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搜狐 - 2011年3月14日

曾创作了《灌篮高手》、《浪客行》等多部知名漫画的日本漫画家井上雄彦，在自己的微博上接连发表了六十多幅速写系列漫画《Smile（微笑）》，鼓励日本民众打起精神并为 ...

Higashi Honganji - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- [ 翻譯此頁 ]Higashi Honganji (東本願寺, Higashi Hongan-ji), or, the Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, is one of two dominant sub-sects of Shin Buddhism in Japan and ...

Shinran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- [ 翻譯此頁 ]Shinran 親鸞 (May 21, 1173 – January 16, 1263) was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Kyoto) at the turbulent close of ...

本願/本願寺

'Slam Dunk' artist's folding screen honors monk Shinran

By MASHIO TAKEDA Staff Writer

2011/04/03

Manga artist Takehiko Inoue stands beside a folding screen he drew featuring Shinran at Higashi-Honganji temple in Kyoto on March 26. (Photos by Mashio Takeda)Inoue kneels beside his folding screen depicting the 13th-century monk Shinran and his followers.

KYOTO--Takehiko Inoue, creator of the basketball manga "Slam Dunk" and the "Vagabond" series about swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), unveiled in late March a folding screen he drew featuring the 13th-century Buddhist monk Shinran, founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect.

A free public viewing of the decorative screen is on at Higashi-Honganji temple in the city's Shimogyo Ward from April 4 to 17.

Last year, leaders of the Higashi-Honganji temple asked Inoue, 44, to do the job as part of a project to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the death of Shinran. The idea to ask the popular manga artist came from younger monks at the temple.

To develop his ideas for the huge folding screen, Inoue visited places closely associated with the renowned monk. The work was completed March 10 at his Tokyo studio.

Shinran gained many followers during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). His teachings say that anyone can attain entry to the Pure Land (Heaven) by chanting "Namu Amida Butsu."

Inoue portrayed Shinran and his followers wading through a muddy river on a series of folding panels that stand 2.12 meters high by 5.82 meters wide.

"I drew it imagining Shinran as a person in his 30s or 40s who lived among the people," Inoue said.

The Higashi-Honganji leaders said they plan to reproduce the folding screen images on posters and postcards for sale. Profits from the sales will be donated as relief funds for victims of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, it added.