Anyone in Japan? Tsunami alert - any more news ? PLEASE

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DH who gets these things has had a tsunami alert for Japan. Does anyone have any more info? Itsjust breaking news about the massive earthquake at the moment.

Sorry correct link

Good article. Germany does seem to be responding in a completely illogical, hysterical way - there was no inherent fault in the Japanese reactors to cause the current situation, apart from being sited in a place vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.

Unless there has been a major shift in geology, Germany is not in any danger from earthquakes or tsunamis so I cannot see any logic whatsoever in shutting down their nuclear plants because of what is happening in Japan.

I'm no fan of nuclear power, but this is crazy. I hope there are a few other voices of sanity in Germany too.

Not many, exexpat, I am afraid. I am making myself scarce on my German forum as they are all a bit at the moment.

Funny - I just noticed the author of the Spiegel piece - I think I went to school with him (David Crossland - German-born brit).

I lived in Japan for eleven years and the account given in that link sounds very accurate, mmmwine.

Japan is extremely well prepared for earthquakes, because there are minor earthquakes all the time, and major earthquakes often enough for everyone to be aware. There is a lot you can do to mitigate the effects of even huge earthquakes with good engineering, building codes and systems - as the fact that most of central Sendai is still standing proves.

Tsunami unfortunately are another matter - there is little anyone can do to prepare for a massive wall of water hundreds of kilometres long and 10 metres high moving at the speed of a train. You can't build 15 metre high coastal defence walls round an entire country, or insist that all buildings must be reinforced concrete and at least 5 storeys high.

Sorry - should have added, the one possible inaccuracy I can spot is about the trains - as far as I know, all the trains were fine in the earthquake - they all have automatic stop systems - but I think a few did get washed away in the tsunami.

Great blog post.

Think the bit about the trains has been edited now.

It's not looking good on the BBC this morning.

I do get annoyed when engineers start talking about the impossible feats of engineering that would be required to ward off a Tsunami. ALl you need is trees. The tsunami is not inherently dangerous per se,(within reason) it's the way people have chosen to live that is dangerous. There are literally no trees in Japanese cities. IN case you think I'm being simplistic, there was a middle-aged woman who did actually have a tree outside her house and as the Tsunami swept her away she grabbed onto that single, solitary tree. Well, the tree didn't get swept away, and she's alive.
I don't understand why people destroy nature, then get surprised when something bad happens that could have been avoided if nature was given more respect. Not only can you hold onto trees, but they're the best natural barricade, they would slow the water down.

how are you Sakura?

my db is flying home on Saturday, after my mother and his dw insisted.
Will be nice to see him.

shocked by the news today about shortage of food in hospitals and relief centres.

I'm also getting angry that there's so many power stations here. There is just no need for it. YOu go to the countryside for a nice mountain walk, and what do you see halfway up the mountain, but a vending machine serving hot and cold drinks anytime of the year that suck electricity. The massive Pachinko gambling halls, the all night convenience stores with no customers. Srsly, we need a few women running this country. Stop the madness.

HI seth, was thinking about your brother.
He was really confident about his safety at the beginning of the week,but things have really changed since then, haven't they.

yes, and it's the uncertainty which has been stressing out us concerned relatives I think.
It is not totally necessary for him to leave Japan - he could have just gone south or west - but he can work remotely and given that much of Japan will be full of other people fleeing Tokyo he can probably do this more easily in another country. Plus his dw is probably desperate to be with him!

are there fears that your area could be affected or are you far enough south for it not to be an issue?

hard to say, I'm sure some radiation will reach here but will it be negligible? Will they be honest about the effects. I think I'm a bit traumatised with how Wales was affected by Chernobyl, seeing classmates get cancer in their teens. The effects come years later and when they do, the nuclear company can't be pinpointed as the cause.

MmeLindt, I wonder if you'd be prepared to divulge your German forum, or recommend a good one to me? I'm rather and my German is v fluent. Maybe PM me with one if you don't want to make it public on here? I've been thinking for a while I'd like to tap into European green thinking.

Sakura, I sympathise with you. I remember vividly the day the Chernobyl cloud wafted over the UK, and it was surreal. Everyone knew it was happening, but there was no guidance about what to do about it, and everything carried on as normal. I had paid to go to a v expensive conference, and after much agonising I went, but I scuttled between buildings, and worried about the rain.

Morning all, I read last night that the Americans are expecting raised levels of radiation in calafornia by the end of the weekend and the Chinese are concerned too. The Chinese starement seemed concerned that the Japanese weren't/wouldn't be open about what is happening. We do like a good dig about the japanse here though so it could just be scare mongering.

Doesn't stop me worrying if a trip home or to dhs home wouldn't be a good idea, irrational as that may be.

My Ayi came in yesterday complaining that she couldn't get any salt yesterday as everyone is bulk buying to protect against radiation.

Hope you're ok today Sakura, plastic flamingo and other Japan based MNers.

I know, I'm planning a trip in the back of my mind. Aunt has invited me to Oz, which would be nice. But this is my home... not sure what to do except wait. And I'm at learning about the amount of radiation levels you get on a long-haul flight. I had no idea.

All OK down here, 50kms south of Tokyo.

just got this link from a Canadian expert.

Nuclear situation

he writes: "In Tokyo the levels of radiation are higher than the usual amount but are about 1/3 of the everyday radiation levels inside of the U.S. Capitol Building which is built from mildly radioactive granite and marble"

Off to put my washing outside - its a lovely sunny day here

sakura - there is now a Facebook group called [[http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_208414332504552&notif_t=group_activity We're Staying for Now, Thanks" - I have just joined

oops FB group

For people worried about the current radiation levels in Tokyo - this is quite a good blog with graphs showing normal background radiation levels in Tokyo (very low), and the brief spike in the last few days which brought it up to almost US or Cornish levels - ie still absolutely safe. Other useful comparative stuff too.

I know Sakura. DH flies weekly too. This week alone he went Beijing, Singapore, heathrow, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Singapore, Beijing. It can't be good. :(

The frequent flier points are nice though

also, I do agree with sakura about the serious shortage of trees

(although, I would disagree with the statement "there are literally no trees in Japanese cities" - not true! of course there are some trees in cities!)

I work for an environmental research institute (in admin not research) and we have a Forest Conservation project which works to protect forests in SE Asia/Pacific islands mostly. We really need to re-forest Japan too - and not just with pollen-producing cedar trees

okay, not literally but I live in the inaka and when you see how many trees Japan is supposed to have, you realise how many they've got rid of IYSWIM. IN wales the mountains are pretty bare and rocky but Japanese mountains are dense with trees and bamboo. There is an obsession here with cutting down trees and building roads, you'd agree?

yes, agree

although, I live in a city (60,000) but I can see lush green mountains on both sides of the bay...I work up in a smaller town, in the middle of the mountains. you kind of lose sight of the fact that there are not enough, when you can see them all around.

I'll tell you where is grim - the area round Tokyo Disneyland (which has still not reopened and won't for while yet). It is all reclaimed land, and they experienced liquidification after the earthquake. There seemed to be literally no trees when I watched the TV report from there the other day....

Can you believe its a week since the quake??