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Interview: I fear radiation and so does everyone in my community — Decontamination has gone nowhere after a year (VIDEO)

Published: July 4th, 2012 at 7:57 am ET
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Minamisoma Odaka resident interview Story 1
Uploaded by JAmilkpig
Speaker: Akio Otomo
Interviewer: Yuri Yamamoto
Photos: from Otomo family and Yuri Yamamoto
Recorded: May 25, 2012 in Kashima, Minamisoma
Published: Jul 2, 2012

The 20-km-radius exclusion zone around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant was revised on April 15, 2012. As a result, the restriction to travel to Odaka, Minamisoma was lifted. On May 25, I visited Odaka with residents of Kamiyama, Odaka. After the visit, a resident shared his thoughts. This is the first of 4 stories.

At 3:15 in

I have a fear of radiation. Such fear is shared by everyone in my community.

At 6:30 in

Decontamination has not gone anywhere after one year.

Published: July 4th, 2012 at 7:57 am ET
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6 comments

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July 4th, 2012 | Category: Audio/Video Clips, Outside Tokyo
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6 comments to Interview: I fear radiation and so does everyone in my community — Decontamination has gone nowhere after a year (VIDEO)

  • Sickputer
    July 4, 2012 at 9:48 am

    Where are you now Mr. Yamagata imported celebrity Daniel Kahl? You had a lot to say here on June 28th on how you think people like Akio are brainwashed:

    "Actually, people are moving back into parts of the former evacuation zone which have been judged safe. I visited the Odaka District of Minami-Soma city on May 5, 2012, the day after it opened, and stood on the beach just 10 km from FNPP1. The area looked eaxactly the same as the day after 3/11/11. No clean-up. Many people were really upset because the gov't took so long to approve their return. And why did it take so long? Well, at least partially because there was so much hype about alleged danger to health, etc. Why was the gov't so cautious? Ask yourselves."

    SP: You are too cowardly to stand up for the real heroes in Japan like Akio.

    Pretty soon I expect you will quietly fly away from your adopted country when you also fear for your life.


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    • kintaman kintaman
      July 4, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Folks like "Daniel Kahl" and other notable "no danger in Japan" gaijin are living in a dream world. They are well intentioned folks who have a strong love for Japan but they are simply not looking at the reality of what has happened. In some cases these people have developed such a strong tie to Japan that the thought of going back to their home country to try and recreate a life is simply unimaginable so they choose not too accept the reality of what is happening now in Japan.

      The danger part, particularly in the case of Mr Khal, is that they attempt to spread a message of Japan being safe and that people who are concerned about Fukushima and nuclear fallout are party pooping scaremongers. The world has really become a much crazier place since 3.11 last year. I wish us all the best but I do not have high expectations.

      I do side with Mr. Khal with regard to his love of Japan as I constantly year to be back living my life in Tokyo as before 3.11. I miss my friends, coworkers, relatives and everything about Japan. I think back to all the hours I wasted sitting in front of a computer screen working/playing when I should have been outside more enjoying every minute of the beautiful land.

      I wish the harshest punishment possible for ALL those responsible for the initial accident at Fukushima Daiichi and the subsequent mishandling and then deception to the public. This extends beyond TEPCO to include the Japanese gov, media and nuclear "experts". On site clean up…


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    • GeoHarvey
      July 4, 2012 at 1:07 pm

      Different people believe different things for different reasons.
      I think a lot of people in the nuclear industry believe nuclear power is safe, clean, reliable, etc., because it pays well.
      Some people believe what they do because they learned it at some point, and facing reality is much more painful than pretending.
      I know a little old lady who promotes nuclear power whenever she can. Personally, I think she was always in love with her husband, a nuclear engineer, who is now gone. Looking at reality would mean denying his value to some degree.
      But mostly, I think nuclear safety is a concept born of greed for money and power, greed without feeling for human suffering, greed without care for the future.


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      • Maggie123
        July 4, 2012 at 2:12 pm

        You offer very important insight – "different people believe different things for different reasons." The widow who possibly links dedication to nuclear power to feelings for her husband is a poignant, if uncommon, example.

        Believing "nuclear is power safe, clean, reliable, etc., because it pays well" is far more common, IMO.

        At one end of a continuum, support for nuclear by monetary value may be "ignorant" (well-meaning person prefers life to "feel" pleasant and just doesn't "see" the threat). At the other end are those so deeply corrupted by lust for wealth/power that they're "pumped" – willing to deceive to keep the game going. Like a gambling addict at a slot machine – but the slot player's damage is limited. The potential for wealth/power addicted nuclear "players" to wreak utter havoc and misery is absolute. (Same re other life/earth destroying power games – some of the same players are likely in multiple mega-destructive games!)

        We need to continue and increase public conversation on "integrity vs corruption" in every arena. We need to keep your main insight in mind for compassion's sake – while also taking steps to curb behavior of power addicts. Tough task! Dominant culturally-based belief, across modern industrialized societies and those who govern, continues to praise power/wealth, and to link value/choice to monetary measure.


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