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Decent people who have been through a strong quake experience simple do not giggle and laugh at others going through the same. Full. Stop.

 

It was a strong quake right from the minute it happened and was being reported as such.

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Not sure he was suggesting they were laughing at the disaster but are still getting on with life and having a laugh now and again as normal. We too in our office have had a laugh or two today. Not laughing about what has happened but other things we would normally laugh about. It's good to have some release from all terrible news and concerns.

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I understand that Go Native, but if that is what he meant then perhaps that is what he should have written. Rather than this:

 

Originally Posted By: Hirataka
Even after the images started coming in the Japanese teachers here were still making jokes and giggling about it.
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Perhaps this discussion here actually does illustrate how people who have been through a major earthquake experience are affected by it and scars remain and are quickly re-opened. Like many of us here in Niigata, myself included, after our Chuetsu Earthquake in October 2004.

 

But let's get off that particular line of talk shall we rather than escalate it any further.

 

Thanks

friend

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Yeah that doesn't read well at all. Agreed. I find it hard to believe any Japanese were laughing at the images coming in!! I find it hard to believe anyone could find anything funny in any of the images coming in...

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Originally Posted By: JackY
I'm just scared of the radiation exposure, it appears that it all depending on how strong the wind's blowing and which direction that it's blowing...

Man up, dude! Chernobyl was 1000 times more intense and went on for months, but the only people who suffered health issues from radiation were those living in the same (small) town as the reactor. Fukushima is 600km (400 miles) from Niseko. The wind can blow in that direction all it likes, it's not going to give you cancer or grow you three heads.
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Its not a case of saying "man up", people get worried when radiation is mentioned, it conjures up a lot of negative imagery. BUT what Tripler has said is true, the radiation levels thats been picked up in Tokyo/Yokohama are still tiny, even although its slightly higher than normal. Its still way below leels that you receive from a X-ray, CT Scan or a long haul flight back to your home country. It has to be put into perspective. We are constantly exposed to radiation and not just from the sun. The soil and other rocks naturally give off low levels of radiation and at some places its higher than others and people still live there healthily, have families and go about their life. We only think of RADIATION as being the 1950's disaster movie

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I did some quick calculations and worked out that you would probably receive up to 5 times the amount of radiation than what was received in Tokyo yesterday (when prevailing winds were straight out of Fukushima down to the city) purely by flying from Australia to Japan. People have no idea how much more radiation you receive by heading up more than 30,000ft in the atmosphere. Anyone going nuts over the terribly dangerous radiation levels they receive from intercontinental flights? No because they are not dangerous. The levels in Tokyo yesterday and in fact the levels anywhere beyond the immediate vicinity of the reactors were not dangerous.

 

It is interesting how much of the rest of the world appears to be working themselves up into a fearful, hysterical mass when relative calm remains here in Japan.

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I'm riding the silver lining of this mega disaster, and lovin' it! Instead of having to suck my boss's Japanese dick to get a morning off on a powder day, I've got all the holidays I want. Got paid a few days ago, all of which I'll be donating to Nozawa's snack bars and izakaya, in an effort to single-handedly save the Japanese economy in this time of need.

 

Temperature has plummeted, been snowing all day. Not sure if the powder was Bollinger or Moet, but definitely champagne. No punters to get in the way, still snowing hard; tomorrow should be bottomlessly awesome!

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GN I really appreciate you shedding some scientific common sense on the current situation. Did you study Physics at Uni or just a super keen hobbyist?

 

I am sick to the gut with the pathetic Australian media. And I have sympathy for any idiot who listens to the opinions on Sunrise whilst they eat their cornflakes.

 

 

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Well I did some physics subjects up to 3rd year in uni for my meteorology major but to be honest I don't know that much more than anyone else who has a science background. I certainly am no expert on nuclear physics and radiation. Most of us who have any idea at all about science (which is unfortunately a pitifully small proportion of the population) do have a better ability though to weed out the bullshit science and lies and misunderstandings that the media try and peadle to improve their sales and ratings.

 

I am not trying to understate the crisis here. It is extremely serious and radiation in the vicinity of the reactors has reached levels that would be fatal for anyone close by for any length of time without protection but as far as I am aware no one outside of the 20km exlusion zone has been exposed to seriously harmful doses of radiation. Certainly areas like Tokyo have not experienced any levels currently that would be a cause for concern in the short or long terms (not even close).

 

I'd say at the very least those who own houses or businesses within 10km of the reactors may as well forget the idea of returning to them for the forseeable future. There will be some relatively long term serious environmental effects around the reactors.

This is not anything close to a Chernobyl like event though. In Chernobyl the core was completely exposed by a massive explosion that sent omaterial many km's into the atmosphere. Thus far the explosions at the reactors at Fukushima have not sent material higher than around 500m into the atmosphere and the cores have not been completely exposed. So there is no chance that the affects will be anywhere near as widespread and the amounts of radiation released have been several orders of magnitude less than what was experienced at Chernobyl. So although we have a very serious ongoing situation that will have long terms affects in the immediate area surrounding the reactors this is not something that will affect all of Japan or even much of the Fukushima prefecture (In terms of harmful radiation). It could still get worse of course but currently the catastrophe is reasonably contained to a fairly small region.

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Arrived in Chitose under clear blue skies and 0 deg C temps at mid-day today.

 

Same on the drive to the Niseko area, but within 30 mins of arriving in Niseko Hirafu the temps dropped significantly and the flakes started falling. Hasn't stopped since.

 

Kiroro tomorrow to pick up my seasons pass and see what's fallen.

 

For anyone in two minds about visiting the mountains of Hokkaido, I haven't witnessed any damage or lack of goods or services in the short time I've been here.

 

Energy provision is not a problem, night skiing is still fully operational.

 

Hirafu is quiet but there are still people here very much enjoying the quality of snow and the lack of crowds.

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