Mass protests are rare in Tokyo. Been 4 of them in the past month. Not a word in our media about it

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/innovation/2011/0527/1224297521162.html

The Irish Times - Friday, May 27, 2011

The sun sets on Japan's nuclear age

DAVID McNEILL

NUCLEAR FALLOUT: The meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant has grave implications for Japan’s planned atomic energy expansion, and also its long-term economic growth

IN A CITY where mass demonstrations are rare and generally tame, Tokyo has seen at least four in the past month, all against nuclear power. Thousands of people have marched past the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) shouting slogans at the executives they hold responsible for the world’s worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl.

Furious parents from Fukushima Prefecture this month dumped irradiated soil from school playgrounds on the desks of government bureaucrats. More protests are planned in the sweltering summer months, when looming power cuts and leaking radiation from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi power plant will make life very uncomfortable for citizens in this densely populated, sprawling metropolis.

Could these angry, scattered voices from below congeal to topple Japan’s entire energy policy, or even abort the global turn to nuclear power? Prime minister Naoto Kan has already thrown a huge bone to the anti-nuclear lobby by asking for the temporary closure of the Hamaoka plant southwest of Tokyo.

[pscot]

1. Nothing to see here

Just move along then.

[Denninmi]

2. Our "media" didn't cover a rally of over 100,000 in Madison, WI, either.

But bus in 15 teabaggers, give them some signs paid for by Koch $$$, and it will make the national news on every network.

[SpiralHawk]

20. Our 'media' is just a RepubliCorp (R) diversion machine

with no interest in serving the people or the truth.

Disgustipating...

[abelenkpe]

3. Not really covering protests across the globe

Tokyo, Europe, Middle East.

What up? Are they afraid we might get ideas?

[NNN0LHI]

4. When the anti-nuclear protesters get fired up over here again I will be with them

Again.

Don

[Art_from_Ark]

5. With all due respect, the leaking radiation from Fukushima

is not going to make life uncomfortable in the "densely populated, sprawling metropolis" of Tokyo this summer, but the "looming power cuts" will likely make things more uncomfortable than they are in a typical summer.

[NNN0LHI]

8. I don't see how the US is not offering refugee status to any Japanese citizens with children

Seems almost criminal not to be offering asylum to them.

Don

[Art_from_Ark]

12. I'm not sure if many Japanese would accept asylum in the US

It's hard enough for Japanese evacuees to adapt to a different part of their own country, it would be really hard for them to adopt to life in a country like the US where there would be big language and cultural problems, as well as resentment by teabaggers, etc. However, I can envision some younger Japanese taking such an offer, if one were made.

[AsahinaKimi]

16. My dad offered his brother the chance to come

to the USA if he wanted to, if things became too bad, and my uncle kindly refused. His family will stay put in Osaka no matter what.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. It's really hard to pull up stakes and move to a foreign country

I can understand why your uncle would wish to remain in Osaka. And Osaka's generally not that bad, although I prefer northern Osaka to the Namba area.

[kristopher]

13. Why do you feel the need to belittle the legitimate concerns of the public?

Your opinion seems to be that they only care about air conditioning; is that the gist of what you are saying?

Really?

[Art_from_Ark]

14. Why do you feel the need to exaggerate the situation here in Japan?

According to you, it was no longer possible to have cherry tree parties, sorry, hana-mi, in Japan because of radiation, yet I attended one last month and except for the lack of electric lanterns this year (because of the need to conserve electricity), it was pretty much the same as years past.

Really, even during the worst of the Fukushima crisis, when reactor buildings were having hydrogen explosions, the radiation readings in Tokyo spiked for a short time, and that was admittedly a scary time. But they have been normal for a month and a half, with very little, if any, measurable fallout detected in Tokyo.

http://monitoring.tokyo-eiken.go.jp/monitoring/f-past_data.html

[kristopher]

18. Ah the famous strawman rears its ugly head again.

I'm sure that your take is why NHK spends several hours daily covering Fukushima related stories; why the country is changing its energy policy in spite of intense pressure from the global nuclear industry - both internally and externally - to continue promoting nuclear power and why every Japanese I know is tied up in knots about what has happened and is happening to their homeland.

Pointing to radiation readings as an indication that the motives of the protesters is selfishly based on loss of creature comforts instead of genuine empathy for their fellows who are suffering marks you clearly as not only an outsider, but an outsider that is completely out of place in that environment.

Cherry tree party. Right.

[Hannah Bell]

23. you did make the comments on cherry-blossom viewing. and calling art an "outsider"

in japan from your perch in the us is laughable.

i believe he's been there as long as you were, speaks/reads japanese, works in japan & has a japanese spouse.

he just didn't do sophia's english-language japanese culture program. big whoop.

[Art_from_Ark]

15. I'll tell you another thing

The concern about this summer's electric power supply is not just a matter of air conditioning-- it also extends to concerns like cutting off electricity to things like refrigerators in homes and traffic systems. For example, during the previous rolling blackouts, there were quite a few traffic accidents due to the lack of working traffic lights, including some fatal accidents. Also, the Tokyo train and subway systems are completely electrified, so power outages can have a major impact on public transportation.

But even regarding air conditioning, there are many buildings in Tokyo that have little air circulation due to either being surrounded by other buildings, or having sealed windows. And when the outside temperature is 80 degrees and you are working in an office with sealed windows, or living in a home that is squeezed in among other homes, then yes, air conditioning can be a BIG concern.

[truedelphi]

6. Gotta make sure that we Americans understand that what

Happened over in Japan cannot happen here.

After all - that was Japan!

Meanwhile Rolling Stone article of about a month ago laid out how the same type of nuke plant exists here.

But then, Rolling Stone is not pushing the Nuclear Industry/Obama energy plan -where over forty five billion bucks will be "loaned" to utilities so they can continue to build nukes.

Too bad that money is not going to alt energy sources instead.

[Exultant Democracy]

7. Comparing this news coverage to Chernobyl's when this is worse indicates a media brownout

the media is not on our side period.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

9. It's about time

we all acknowledge (especially those who participate here at DU) that the media is no longer interested in functioning according to tradition. We simply don't have real journalism in the MSM..... :shrug:

[abelenkpe]

11. It's because big media

like big finance and big energy need to be broken up.

My six year old asked me why we didn't just stop using dirty energy and start using green energy and I told him we don't have a choice really how to power our apartment. How is that not a monopoly? Big business likes to say let the market decide as if we'll all choose a different way to power our cars and homes. We don't really have much choice on those things.

Did buy a hybrid tho....

Anyway media....they all get their news feeds from the same few sources and upper managemnet sets the talking points what gets talked about and what gets ignored everyday. No variety there. Just hundreds of channels showing the same thing....

[Welibs]

10. GE doesn't want the publicity! They made those defective

reactors. They should have gone with the Candu Reactors made in Canada. Everyone knew they were superior quality. GE probably bribed someone there to get the business.

[NuttyFluffers]

19. wow. now that is something!

i hope something good comes from this. blithe acceptance means consent. i'd be quite impressed if the Japanese people really shake their government into action.

[femrap]

21. In a better time,

the prez of TEPCO would kill himself instead of just resigning.

[Hannah Bell]

22. there have been mass protests all over the world recently. our media is only covering the ones

that are US-sponsored.

besides which, protests in japan aren't so rare as all that & there is a fairly active anti-nuclear movement which is very much part of the popular context.