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What to expect for the next few months? 2011/3/14 07:54
So, I've read most updates on the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear subject.

I was currently making plans to go to tokyo as an exchange student starting this summer (august or september), and staying one year.
Will the situation likely return to normal at this time?
I mean, I saw that Tokyo wasn't really damaged, but i'm not too sure...

Also, how bad are the risks of a nuclear disaster?
Some of my friends are actually thinking about leaving Japan because they fear the whole place is gonna become like chernobyl...

I know it is very early to be worried about my trip, but i have to reconsider my whole school year if i cancel my plans...
by Ororocchi (guest)  

... 2011/3/14 14:06
Unfortunately the nuclear issue is treated highly sensationalistic by a big part of the media, creating images of "another Chernobyl".

Nobody can say right now how the issue is going to end, but every single expert I have heard on the subject has ridiculed the comparison with Chernobyl even if the worst-case scenario would happen in Fukushima.

How will it look in a few months? It is pure speculation right now. I personally think that virtually all areas of Japan, with the exception of the damaged coast, will be generally back to normal by the summer, if they are not already.

Here are some basics about the current situation:
http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0018.html
by Uji rate this post as useful

any news of Matsushima Bay? 2011/3/14 16:13
would anyone have news of Matsushima Bay? We were booked to go there in a few months so I feel attached to it. Even though we probably wont go there regardless (I think my family is wanting to go well inland now), I have been hoping against hope that somehow it was spared.
by Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

... 2011/3/14 16:57
Matsushima was hit by the tsunami. There are pictures of a sightseeing cruise boat on land in Shiogama Port, lifted there by the tsunami.

I am not sure about human casualties. The neighboring municipalities came up in damage reports, but I have not heard about Matsushima itself. The shape of the bay and maybe even the pine covered islands might have had a certain protective effect on the town, but that is just personal, non-expert speculation.

I also heard once that some of the shops along the coastal road seemed to have suffered damage, but i am not sure about the extent.

I can't find any news on on the Godaido Hall and Zuiganji Temple, which stand very close to the water. No word is hopefully a good sign that no major damage happened.

So, overall, there are some signs that the local damage was not as devastating as elsewhere along the coast.
by Uji rate this post as useful

Thanks! 2011/3/14 17:35
I'll keep my fingers crossed for everyone
by Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

what about radiation 2011/3/16 01:27
Since i asked this question, the news channels in europe have announced that there was a high risk of nuclear radiations and such that have reached tokyo by now.

Does it change something?
i don't know a lot about nuclear powers, but if there really was a contamination, will it be safe to travel to tokyo in a few months?
(i mean, is it more likely that everything will be back to normal, or that the situation will evolve in a chernobyl-like situation??)
by Ororocchi (guest) rate this post as useful

... 2011/3/16 08:22
Does it change something?

So, far the radiation does not pose any health risks outside the evacuation area. When listening to experts, you get the feeling that the worst is over, but when you listen to a lot of the foreign media, you get the feeling that another Chernobyl is just about to happen.

i don't know a lot about nuclear powers, but if there really was a contamination, will it be safe to travel to tokyo in a few months?

Wait and see.

i mean, is it more likely that everything will be back to normal, or that the situation will evolve in a chernobyl-like situation??

Informed experts agree that a the incident cannot be compared to Chernobyl. Even if it should escalate again, it is unlikely to damage comparable to Chernobyl.
by Uji rate this post as useful

Tokyo 2011/3/16 10:36
Officials have warned people within 20-30km (12-19 miles) of the site to either leave the area or stay indoors.

That is quite a ways away from Tokyo, so as of now it's not radiating Tokyo..
by Momel rate this post as useful

Risks? 2011/3/16 10:43
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/ferguswalsh/

One of the main health effects of the Japanese radiation leak maybe the psychological impact. Professor Jones said the stress of being displaced from your home and the fear of radiation contamination could have serious consequences. And that fear factor extends as far as Tokyo, 155 miles from the nuclear plant. "Even though people in Tokyo maybe completely safe, it is understandable that they are nervous and that can lead to stress and ill-health", he said.
by Momel rate this post as useful

What to expect for the next few months? 2011/3/16 10:58
Would be very challenging for the government and hopes for citizens. We can't foretell what lies ahead but we know WHO HOLDS MY HANDS.
by bingbeauty rate this post as useful

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