Japan Talk #199: My views on the Tokyo Earthquake aftermath

[FASTMOVINGBROOK]

Thank you so much for your opinion!

Right after the nuclear disaster, I offered my

friend in Tokyo, a place to stay here in America.

He got really mad at me and told me that

I didn't know what the situation was.

Now, he wont even talk to me.

[FASTMOVINGBROOK]

@FASTMOVINGBROOK (AND) A simailar situation

happened with my step father and his family in

Tokyo. I get the impression they dont want to

feel like they're losing their identity as Japanese

if they leave, when the government says stay.

I only hope that we dont push this under the carpet

because we're scared. LET US BE STRONG AND SMART AND ADAPTIVE:)

[japundit]

@FASTMOVINGBROOK

That's a pretty strange reaction by your friend.... but then again strange reactions were pretty much the norm here right after the quake.

[shironbo7441]

Flyjin problem shows why Japan should not trust foreigner.

They get too panics easily and put a Japan into confusion.

The lesson we learned from this unprecedented disaster is that Gaijin is only Gaijin after all.

they are not member of our society.

Flyjin's disgraceful behavior must have been a good result for the ties of solidarity of Japan.

Thanks to you,Now,Japan is more united than ever.

Japan is Japanese race's country.

thx

[Chousakan]

@shironbo7441 Ahhh a nutty nationalist... shouldn't you be riding around in a black van trying to guilt your fellow Japanese into following you and your ilk into obscurity?

[Kelly62u]

Well said JP. You know when Katrina hit Louisiana all folks living there migrated to Texas. Some folks still haven't left. We never complained about it, and we never shamed them for doing it either.

In Japan, there is just a ton of unnecessary pride there to back up all of the down play on the crisis. Typical Japanese stuff going on there..lol Good thing not all people, Japanese or foreigners, will drink that cool aide (James Town Reference) and will make sound decisions for themselves.

[chevkoch]

Have you seen this? watch?v=yp9iJ3pPuL8

[japundit]

@chevkoch

Great vid! Thanks for the heads up.

[chevkoch]

@japundit You bet. I found it via the Japan Earthquake LIVE blog that's listed (among other related news/info links) here: fukushima . wikispaces . com

[japundit]

@chevkoch

Well... I must say thank you again!

[saiyouken]

This was great. It was balanced and to the point.

I am equally as frightened by people who panic and by people who are apathetic. It's serious we know that. We have to continue to be open to all information, educate ourselves and make precaution choices.

[japundit]

@saiyouken

Thanks. Checked out our channel and find that you share some of the same concerns that I have. In the end we all just need to do what we need to do. Another Japan Talk episode coming soon. (YouTube taking a long time with the upload.)

[ploysr08]

I still love Japan and want to stay. But right now I don't know what's really going on. The biggest worry would be the nuclear reactor and the radiation we get in food and others. I hope things will be ok. People around the affected area will need our help for years though. It's not over yet. Awesome podcast Edward!

[japundit]

@ploysr08 Thank you, Ploy. I wish we could find out more detailed news about what is happening. Will have another podcast ready tomorrow.

[mimei]

Hear hear! Excellent podcast, esp the comments on Tokyo. I was confounded by some of the stuff coming out of the expat community that was getting SO MUCH mileage on twitter because it just wasn't what I was seeing (everything was "normal" here in Tokyo?! O rly? Only foreigners leaving? Uh-huh..? Jp press is always right? Wah..!?).

It's really hard to know what to believe right now about the crisis though..I keep reading and reading to little avail.

[japundit]

@mimei That's the most frustrating part, isn't it? And with each passing day it seems like there is less and less information.

[tokyocooney]

Great and thoughtful video. Though I disagree with some points I agree with your disclaimer.

[japundit]

@tokyocooney Thanks much for the comment.

[ProjectVanBand]

oh yeah and i also worry about.....they often say *drinking the milk for a year is such and such amount of exposure* or *what is in the air is such and such* etc etc....but it is not like we are JUST drinking the water, or JUST in the air, or JUST eating the foods....we do it all at the same time....so i wonder what the ACCUMULATIVE amount of exposure is...

[japundit]

@ProjectVanBand Those are the big questions, aren't they?

[ProjectVanBand]

Wow what a great vid! you make great points....of course farther is always better, and i think basically, with no other factors in life, everyone would choose farther than closer. alas life makes that hard tho.....i didnt know about the instances in history where the protection against panic caused deaths etc.  i would love to know the names of these incidences to search them out and show my family! maybe they will take it more seriously. we are stil young and hope to have kids one day....

[japundit]

@ProjectVanBand Right on all points there, Van. We all do what we can as we see fit. My point was not that it is necessarily panic time, but neither can we say everything is fine nor is it correct to come down on people who could and did leave. I am sorry if I was unclear, but wasn't referring to instances where panic caused deaths, but rather where information was withheld to avoid panic or confusion, and the withholding of info caused later problems. (Better not show that to worried family!)

[ProjectVanBand]

@japundit i see! i do everything in a rush and obviously just misheard. undoubtedly my mistake, not your lack of clarity. and actually i dont think my family or rather, my in laws are worried enough (their worry level is pretty close to zero!) Anyhow thanks again for the video!

[edtomorrow]

Im diggin your glasses Very cool. LOve this video and your opinion. Or your disclaimer. Very important for people to realize thats all we have to offer. There is no right answer. Just ones that are right per THAT individual. Good for you!!! I love how you say that you hope everyone can laugh at the exodus. Thats good. I hope so to but in the case that it was a good idea, well... Like you said, only TIME will tell. That is yet to be seen and for some naturally may never be known. Etc. Great video

[japundit]

@edtomorrow Thanks much for your kind comments. Here's hoping there really was nothing to worry about.

[PinkGloom]

Wow I called them pussies on Twitter...I wonder if I am the guilty party?

[japundit]

@PinkGloom No. It wasn't you I was thinking of.

[HomleandSecurity]

The flyjin who left Japan showed that they don't love Japan. Most of them are cowardly investment bankers. When they come back we need to take them out. The flyjin are about making money. When you see these pussy cowards, take them out in the streets. Kill them. Kill the investment banker cowards, especially BNP Parisbas and RBS employees.

[birdwingsvids]

@japundit Anything special planned for episode 200??

[japundit]

@birdwingsvids Good question. While it would be nice to do something special, I don't think I am up to investing the energy right now. Maybe for Episode #300....

[chevkoch]

Glad to hear someone speak with a sense of clarity. I watched a conference with Dr. Alexey Yablokov (Chernobyl consequences expert) speaking on the situation in Japan, where it was said that there is no safe amount of radiation. It's only ever a calculated risk. The conference video is on YouTube, first part here: watch?v=tiMG5uWOmXU

[ludovicdetassigny]

That's great that you could make a podcast!

You were absolutely right to move. it was the right thing to do. The whole world is underestimating the seriousness of the situation.

Stay safe and please continue to keep us posted, your news and your opinion are precious :)

[knowntothose]

This is a very serious situation and people whether they are in Japan or not need to hear a level headed well thought out opinion. You sir made some serious points about the Japanese situation that needed to be told. And overreaction or not people will not stop being themselves or feeling what they need to. They made a choice, it was their right, so other people need to stop judging others. It is not making the situation any better.

[lunarheart14]

jeez, that was quite the disclaimer xD

But in all seriousness, I completely agree with you about how serious radiation is. With stuff like this, its so much better to be safe than sorry.

[MyassWins]

I have a friend who is in Japan via her school, and started talking about how dumb her school is for making her leave.

The way I view it, she has a way to go home and could always go back via the school. Right now, as someone who can leave easily, she is using resources that the people who can not leave are short on and really need.

Unfortunately she thinks the western media is making up all the stories about shortages and the reactor having any issues at all.

[hippykiller1]

These are the things I have been thinking a lot about the past few weeks. I wish there were more transparency on the nuclear issue.

[japundit]

@hippykiller1

Did you see this in a report about the contaminated seawater?

TEPCO's Fukushima office acknowledged Saturday that it had known earlier that the radiation in the underground level of the turbine building of one of the reactors was extremely high, but had not made the information available to pertinent parties.

[97North]

@relatharr I have to agree that the plant in its current configuration can never be used again. The news has said over and over that the sea water pumped in would destroy the reactor cores at a cost of one billion dollars. And that's before the radiation problem has been addressed.

[GreenEggsAndHamster]

Thank you for your wise words. It's great to hear someone give a calm, rational talk about this. Stay safe; there's nothing wrong with that!

[japundit]

@GreenEggsAndHamster Thanks much for your comment.

[TheJapanNut]

My family left japan, despite people re-assuring us that we are safe living there. My parents and i know to stay completely safe! We'll head back once given the word that it's ACTUALLY safe :)

[japundit]

@TheJapanNut

Did you do the right thing? Or overreact? Only time will tell.

[nismobeach]

Japundit FTW. He's old school and knows what's up with the lies about the radiation being no big deal. The threat is real folks. Inform yourselves and visit infowars(dot)com

[japundit]

@nismobeach Amen to that, friend.

[bestiaccia]

FINALLY!!!! Thanks for sharing this rational opinion!!!!

I had enough of listening to people laughing at those who chose to leave and be safe, just in case! If only the future will tell us about the danger of this situation, then it's reasonable to be concerned about it. And it's a right people should have without being ridiculed.

I wonder where this sense of guilt for caring about being alive and healthy comes from.

[japundit]

@bestiaccia I agree. Even if the risk is a few percent, if you have the means to cut it to zero, why not?

[bestiaccia]

@japundit Exactly; it's like wearing a seat belt. Should we laugh at those who do it? Should we make them feel guilty for being selfish by wearing a seatbelt? It's crazy!

[stana079]

great show , thanks



[japundit]

@stana079 Thank you for your nice comment.

[qiranger]

Loved the podcast!

[japundit]

@qiranger

Thanks guy. Digging your vids, too. Will be getting back to doing more commenting and liking from early next week when I get more settled.

[kannnbaa]

Great Video Edward, thanks for the information.

[japundit]

@kannnbaa Thanks.

[Relatharr]

Apart from the ongoing problems with the nuclear reactor, I have a certain question. Even if they get all the problems under control, how can that plant ever go back to normal operation? Localized irradiation, the knowledge that there is, and will always be, structural problems with the plant *due* to the natural disasters all seem to be rather large points in favour of not having the plant normally operating now *or* in the future.

Just my opinion on the matter.

[japundit]

@Relatharr I heard from a reliable source that some experts are wondering what the J-government is thinking in this regard. They feel that everything should be buried as soon as possible.

[lisaswetz1]

Thank You Thank You Thank You !!!!!!! You are the only one who has said the truth! You are the only one with your head not in the sand!! They have been soooo arrogant and soooo condesending!!! I said one thing like be careful and stay alert and I was told I was a blight on humanity, Being like that gets people killed and hurt. Thank you Thank You Thank you for speaking the truth!!!!

[japundit]

@lisaswetz1 Thanks. I have been biting my tongue for a long time on this.

[japundit]

@lisaswetz1

"I said one thing like be careful and stay alert and I was told I was a blight on humanity."

Things that that really bother me. It's the classic example of people declaring what they are doing correct, normal and moral, and then deducing that those who are not acting the same way are wrong, abnormal and immoral.

[NikkeinJapan]

God, you make more sense that 99% of everyone else reporting on these situations. Better than I could, that's why I shut up about it all, even though I'm in Fukushima.

[japundit]

@NikkeinJapan Where are you in Fukushima. Not on the coast, I hope.

[NikkeinJapan]

@japundit West Fukushima, nearer to Niigata than anything else.

[japundit]

@NikkeinJapan

Lucky you. Please stay safe.

[sanshinboi]

I have to agree with you on exposer levels I fought in Vietnam in areas that agent orange was heavly used. I personally as of yet not had any physical problems but some of the people I fought with have problems. So like you said everyone has differrent levels of tolerance. Very nice perspective on the whole subject thank you very much.

[japundit]

@sanshinboi Agent orange, smoking, air pollution, and everything else. As far as I know, the DNA of some people are more prone to cancer than others.

[ozzy78]

good vid. thanks for the information and ur opinion. i have been in canada for 2 years now. if i was over there, i would not which i would have gone. stay or leave. i guess each person decides based on their specific situation. hopefully things work out with fukushima.

[japundit]

@ozzy78 A lot of people, both Japanese and gaijin, and agonizing daily about what to do.

[TheNanoCarbon]

I just have to say... FIRST! AND WHO NEEDS TO WATCH IN HIGH DEFINITION ANYWAY? Cool kids watch (listen) to videos in 240p. xD

[japundit]

@TheNanoCarbon I'll remember that the next time I'm a kid.