Fukushima Daiichi Plant Manager Steps Down Due To Illness

[Octafish]

Source: Wall Street Journal

By Mitsuru Obe
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

TOKYO (Dow Jones)--The manager of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has taken ill and will step down from his post after serving as on-site crisis manager over the last eight months, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501.TO) said Monday.

Masao Yoshida's departure comes less than a month before the plant is expected to achieve a safe shutdown, with the damaged reactors being brought under full control and kept at low temperatures.

Yoshida will be succeeded by Takeshi Takahashi, director of Tepco's nuclear management division, on Dec. 1, the utility said.

Yoshida has been unable to report to the plant over the past two weeks and checked into hospital last Thursday. Tepco didn't specify the illness or how long he would be in hospital.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111128-704314.html

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Mr. Yoshida has made great personal sacrifices to mitigate the atomic disaster at Fukushima.

[aquart]

1. On site?

Not healthy.

[Octafish]

4. Japanese TV personality now suffers leukemia after eating Fukushima produce.

Japan TV star suffering acute leukemia after eating Fukushima produce

[snagglepuss]

6. That photo really sums up the mentality of many people in the world, namely

eat whatever crap that is being fed to you and keep smiling.

[Old and In the Way]

7. What's really sad is how his actions might have made other's feel it's safe.

If there was a nuclear accident in the US, I could see Fox News personalities doing the same thing. "See, the food's fine...it's not glowing. Don't let those environmentalists scare you." Of course, I suspect they'd be smarter than this guy and eat food that they knew wasn't contaminated.

[snagglepuss]

8. What is frightening is that this man actually believed the propaganda.

It's mind-boggling that he and his anchor didn't demand eating non-Fukishima food which is what Fox personalities would have done.

[Old and In the Way]

2. The people who stayed to deal with this catastrophy ought to be

considered national hero's.

[angel823]

3. world-wide

Heros. Definitely.

Angel in Houston

[aquart]

11. Heroes.

[angel823]

13. thanks

lack of caffeine this morning....

[Octafish]

5. Agree wholeheartedly, NOaItW. Incredible courage and dedication to others.

They stayed to fight knowing that in doing so meant their doom.

Atomic Samurai -- IAEA Humbled By Worker Courage at Fukushima Daiichi

[aquart]

12. Heroes.

[Hubert Flottz]

9. Radiation is some mean stuff...

I've tangled with it's bad side before and if it bites you the pain is hard to deal with. The wounds take forever to heal and you are always expecting cancer to attack you after the burns gets well, for the rest of your days. Hard on the body and the mind.

I feel sorry for the people who have lost their homes, probably forever, in Japan and the Ukraine. When you look at the pain Japan is going through now, it makes the hard times here not seem as bad.

[Yo_Mama]

10. They say it's not caused by radiation.

I'm doubtful, but given the man's working schedule, it could well be more caused by exhaustion and stress.

I believe he was exposed to some pretty high radiation levels early on.

I agree, what Japan is experiencing is dire. The 3/11 quake-tsunami appears to have killed over 19,000. The destruction is immense. The financial impact is tremendous - the rebuilding needs are great. Well over a hundred thousand people are dislocated.

Then add to that a nuclear disaster - plus financial problems.