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Quite frankly im more worried about more earthquakes then those reactors. A holiday is a holiday. If you cant relax then I wouldnt go to get more stressed. I would encourage people to do something to deal with the stress of the situation. Paint, Ski, have sex, anything to not give yourself a headache daily.

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Originally Posted By: Go Native
Unless you are planning on visiting the reactors themselves I don't think you have too much to worry about. But it's your decision.


Brilliant. lol
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I think GN is probably right about the low chance of radiation exposure. We'll know within a few days whether there is anything to worry about. However, depending on where you are flying into you may have some trouble getting around. I live about 500kms from the effected areas but we are still having blackouts, train closures and a run on supplies.

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Originally Posted By: rider69
Quite frankly im more worried about more earthquakes then those reactors. A holiday is a holiday. If you cant relax then I wouldnt go to get more stressed. I would encourage people to do something to deal with the stress of the situation. Paint, Ski, have sex, anything to not give yourself a headache daily.


The region where Niseko is situated is one of the least active areas in all of Japan in terms of earthquakes. In my 7 years here I can only recall feeling 3 quakes and all were very small (no bigger than a 3) with many people not even noticing them. Even the one of Friday was only a 3 in this area and caused no damage whatsoever. Quakes are generally not an issue in this little part of Japan.

People do seem to struggle with the idea that Japan stretches a very long way from north to south. Hokkaido is a completely separate island to Honshu. What has happened down that way has had little effect whatsoever up here.
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Jolly? I don't think anyone in Japan is jolly. Today we have been arranging a truck to collect all the goods people have got together for the relief effort. All companies and individuals I know here are being very generous and donating what they can in goods, money etc. Beyond that though there is no disruption to any services, no disruption to any workplaces except a few affected by the tsunami on the coast. All transport is running as normal. What can I say? Of course we're all deeply concerned and shocked about what has happened down south but we are relatively unaffected. And life must go on.

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Whatever. If you want to make a point about it go ahead. Little effect is relative. Compared to what has been experienced on Honshu we have been very fortunate and life must go on.

What should we be doing? All sitting at home with our eyes glued to the news? Should even areas relatively unaffected also come to a complete standstill?

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Yes but people who visit Niseko will be worried about the effect on Niseko. Not comparing it to other areas - although obviously will be thinking about it. You are painting a picture of Niseko being open as normal and everything being just dandy. While the resort is open etc, I would suggest it is far from being fun town right now.

 

"Life go on" for sure but, incredibly, some people might not think that's their idea of a holiday.

 

Quote:
All sitting at home with our eyes glued to the news? Should even areas relatively unaffected also come to a complete standstill?

 

Of course not.

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Niseko is open as normal. Nothing affected in terms of operation of the resort or the ability to get here. People will have to make their own decisions whether or not they choose to travel at this time. And I make no judgements on them if they choose to come or not. There are some very legitimate fears and there are very legitimate concerns over having a holiday in a country that has just been through such a huge disaster.

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How is the food supply situation in Niseko ? I planned a trip for early April and still want to go, but I'm concerned about basic logistics ( I was previously concerned about snow quality only).

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Look if we shut down this country and stop working and spending money this wont help the people that need us to go on. We need to make money for them. When the government is in a position to ask for our direct help to re-build or clean up some should go. Right now it is up to the army to get this done. They don't need the burden of volunteers that would also need to be fed. So as GN said life must go on. Spend money people. Spend money at 25% more than normal. If we crash the economy by hoarding we will further destroy Japan.

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Originally Posted By: ju87
How is the food supply situation in Niseko ? I planned a trip for early April and still want to go, but I'm concerned about basic logistics ( I was previously concerned about snow quality only).


As I keep trying to point out Hokkaido is basically unaffected. Besides the mental anguish we all feel life is going on as normal here. No supply issues I know of. No rolling blackouts, no issues with transportation. Basically no issues in terms of any logistics I am aware of.
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The only issue I've noticed in Furano is with Takyubin services. There are several days delay in sending packages, depending on which prefecture you are sending to. Apart from that, it is just really quiet.

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I don't really understand all this... I teach at a school in Kansai and although there is obviously some sombre people around, almost everyone is just going on as normal. What choice is there really? Even after the images started coming in the Japanese teachers here were still making jokes and giggling about it. Obviously the media has hammered this story internationally and I can understand some foreigners cancelling their trips due to media induced fear, but honestly I just can't grasp the reason that locals (expats and japanese) aren't going, unless you are relying on trains and planes that have been disrupted or you are in some way involved in the tradgedy.

 

I booked a trip for Hakuba (tsugaike) yesterday - leaving thursday night on an overnight bus and returning on Sunday morning. Should be great, right?

 

Most of the conversation here in this thread is focusing on Hokkaido, to my dissappointment. Frankly I think it's downright weird that people would be cancelling trips to Hokkaido, but then I don't really know much about raditation...?

 

But seriously, the evacuation zone from the reactor is 20km right? Hakuba is a hell of a lot further than that... So, like, what about all the Japanese people who live within 100km? Are they all fleeing the area? I kind of feel like, if it's good for the goose...

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I think the problem is that most people are first flying into Tokyo before heading to Hokkaido. Narita airport certainly isn't that far away from all of the problems right now.

 

Regarding you question about people fleeing the area, in fact, I think they are. My wife's aunt and uncle made it from Fukushima to Utsunomiya where they were staying with their children. They have now decided to fly to Osaka because of rumours that the coming storm will bring with it 'black rain'. These rumours are probably completely unfounded but they are causing people to panic a little. I also have a friend heading here from Tokyo to stay with us for a few days because of the situation there and another very good friend of mine is leaving the city with his family as well.

 

Personally, I'm not panicked about anything but I'm a pretty chilled dude. wink

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Originally Posted By: Hirakata
I don't really understand all this...


That much is obvious.

Originally Posted By: Hirakata
Even after the images started coming in the Japanese teachers here were still making jokes and giggling about it.


They sound like a fine bunch of folk.
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Originally Posted By: Hirakata
I booked a trip for Hakuba (tsugaike) yesterday - leaving thursday night on an overnight bus and returning on Sunday morning. Should be great, right?


I hope you don't want to use the Ropeway and Gondola.
Because they are closed.

Personally, I cannot see resorts continuing as planned for the season when there are only literally only a handful of people out there.
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Originally Posted By: muikabochi
Originally Posted By: Hirakata
I don't really understand all this...


That much is obvious.

Originally Posted By: Hirakata
Even after the images started coming in the Japanese teachers here were still making jokes and giggling about it.


They sound like a fine bunch of folk.


I don't think it's necessay so judgemental (and rude) muikabochi.... Your post doesn't really add much to the discussion.
They are just used to the experience of quakes and tsunami and didn't realise at that stage the toll would be so great. I suppose my point (which I made badly) was that not many people around here are freaking out, unless thay are linked to in the tradgedy somehow through family or friends.

Originally Posted By: best skier in hakuba
Originally Posted By: Hirakata
I booked a trip for Hakuba (tsugaike) yesterday - leaving thursday night on an overnight bus and returning on Sunday morning. Should be great, right?


I hope you don't want to use the Ropeway and Gondola.
Because they are closed.


Yeah, I read that on the snow reports. That's fine - Tsugaike has alternative routes to the top. BTW isn't the ropeway closed in winter anyway?

Originally Posted By: Black Mountain
Regarding you question about people fleeing the area, in fact, I think they are. My wife's aunt and uncle made it from Fukushima to Utsunomiya where they were staying with their children. They have now decided to fly to Osaka because of rumours that the coming storm will bring with it 'black rain'. These rumours are probably completely unfounded but they are causing people to panic a little. I also have a friend heading here from Tokyo to stay with us for a few days because of the situation there and another very good friend of mine is leaving the city with his family as well.


Wow I had no idea about that! I guess it's hard to know what to believe.
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Its interesting to hear how Kansai people react, since the Great Hanshin Earthquake was only 16 years ago.

 

As for the radiation question, apparently no deaths or cancers were ever attributed to the Three Mile Island accident, which everyone seems to agree was worse than has happened in Fukushima so far. While there have been numerous nuclear power-related coverups in Japan, the level of corruption and theft and lack of oversight are nowhere near the Brezhnev-era Soviet Union that bequeathed us Chernobyl, to say nothing of the reactor design itself.

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If someone from Kansai laughs and giggles, they almost certainly did not go through the disaster there.

Unless they are a robot with absolutely no emotion, or just a really unlikable person.

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I wasn't being rude at all. It is obvious that you have not experienced the trauma of a big disaster. Otherwise you would understand.

 

I find it almost impossible to believe that someone who has experienced a strong earthquake and the trauma it brings would 'laugh and giggle' at other people currently experiencing the same.

 

I think I've have 'added (way) much more to discussions' on these Forums than you have Hirataka, so don't give me any of that on the basis of one comment.

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Originally Posted By: muikabochi
I wasn't being rude at all.

I find it almost impossible to believe that someone who has experienced a strong earthquake and the trauma it brings would laugh and giggle at other people currently experiencing it.

I think I've have 'added (way) much more to discussions' on these Forums than you have Hirataka.


Please try to quote me accurately.

I'm sure you have added more to discussions on these forums, but your previous post on this thread added nothing except to have a go at someone. We can continue this line of conversation privately if you like.

Secondly, the first images were not of people being hurt. They were of the quake and mainly from Tokyo. Ideed, even now the casualties are not from the quake, but the tsunami, no?

When we felt it here they did not seem to be in the least concerned (I was!), even when the first pictures started coming out and we learned it had been a large quake (initially it was thought to be around 7.? on the scale).
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