Although I tried to choose some of all voices, I could not decide which to choose after reading all. I’d like to introduce all voices.
Masatoshi Takeshita
Normal
0
10 pt
0
2
false
false
false
EN-US
JA
X-NONE
$([{£¥‘“〈《「『【〔$([{「£¥
!%),.:;?]}¢°’”‰′″℃、。々〉》」』】〕゛゜ゝゞ・ヽヾ!%),.:;?]}。」、・゙゚¢
Male in his
sixties in Minamisoma City
Male in his
sixties living in temporary housing, Iwaki City
Male in his sixties,
living in temporary housing, Iwaki City
Mr. A in his seventies living in temporary housing
(from Ookuma-machi)
Male in his
seventies living in temporary housing, Iwaki City
Male in his
sixties in Nakadori, Fukushima
English translation of a Japanese article: Daiki Nakashita’s Blog – October 4, 2012 –
I’m
sending out tweets about candid voices of people living for their life in Fukushima,
whose permission I’ve gotten. I’d like
to introduce their voices on my blog, too.
I’m sending out tweets about candid voices of
people living for their life in Fukushima whose permission I’ve gotten.
I’ll post the voices which have received a great
response, on my blog, too.
Please read them if you like.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
eighties living in temporary housing, Fukushima City
“Decontamination is practically the same as
the situation in our young days (during the war) when we were forced to cry out
diabolical cruelties against all Americans and English with bamboo spears. Everybody knows that
the government’s response is superficial and useless. However, if we voice it, we are criticized. It
is peer pressure; we are forced to conform to group norms.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Takenaka
Corporation, building contractor, receives a request for house decontamination
at a cost of 5.6 million yen. On-site subcontractors
carry out the decontamination operations with 0.7 million yen after a lot of
rake-off is paid to the corporation. An
end subcontractor worker is paid approximately eight thousand yen a day.
Subcontractor workers do sloppy work
because they fall out of work after finishing decontamination. Thus, ensuring job security achieves business
turnaround. This is the reality of
decontamination business.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I have worked at a nuclear plant for
thirty years, but I cannot work now because I was exposed to radiation. People escape from reality if they are faced
with bitter reality. I deliberately
avoid thinking about future. I amuse
myself by attempting to sing karaoke while drinking sake. I myself feel miserable, thinking of what I’m
doing at my age.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Do you ask how we could stop nuclear power
generation? It’s simple. Unless another nuclear power plant explodes
and land is too contaminated for people to live, it is impossible to stop
operation of nuclear plants. It is
another problem that U.S., business circles and bureaucrats put pressure upon
politiciasn.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“We approved of
building nuclear power plants to live a stable life without going away to work
during the winter time and to live at the same place with my children and
grandchildren. I approved of
building nuclear power plants for affluent life and stable growth, and continued
to work in a power plant. I can’t believe what dropped in my lap unexpectedly.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“There are sufferers and sufferers.
Situations differ. People who
lost families and those who families survive; people who lost jobs and those
who have jobs; people whose houses were swept away and those who have houses; people
who have places they can return to and those who don’t; people who have money
and those who have no money. There is
one thing I’m sure of, that disparities which existed before the earthquake
have got revealed now.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
fifties in Minamisoma City
“Recently I often think
that human beings are more terrifying than radiation. I feel that in some places of Fukushima prevails
an atmosphere in which the mere talk about radiation makes people face peer
pressure. There are many people
who intentionally desperately refuse to think about radiation issue. It is a sort of brain breeze. I wonder it is self-protection.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male in his
seventies living in temporary housing, Fukushima
“I have long worked in a nuclear power
plant, but have had subcontractor workers perform dangerous work. Although we knew that people from Sanya and
Kamagasaki, where day laborers gather, were taken to the plant, we turned blind
eyes to it. Looking back on the accident
now, I might be an assailant like TEPCO.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I was astonished
to listen to the radio. The Fukushima
Prefecture Board of Education appealed on radio to children to become strong
enough to defeat radiation.
Residents in Nakadori are almost unaware of the fact that they are
victims. Therefore, the Board of Education criticizes people who evacuated from
the prefecture. Few people wear masks
now.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
twenties in Minamisoma City
“I have never studied about nuclear power
plants. However, it was not until my
husband working for a subcontractor of TEPCO was hospitalized after exposure to
radiation that I was awakened to reality.
Although I have been exposed to radiation since March 11 last year, I
have lived a carefree life, thinking “I am safe because somebody will do
something necessary” as if the accident were someone else’s problem. Finally I have realized that indifference will
destroys myself.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
forties living in temporary housing, Iwaki City
“In temporary housing a middle-aged man
committed suicide. This might happen to
me tomorrow……
However, whatever it takes, I can’t say to
children ‘where there is life, there is hope.’
Bright future is absolutely impossible here in Fukushima. I have never thought how difficult it is to
live an ordinary life.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
twenties in Minamisoma City
“Every time I hear about
my female friends who got an abortion, I think it is impossible to have a
child. Although my husband and
mother-in-law seem to want a child, I think it is impossible to raise a child
in Fukushima. I
am surprised when I measure radiation dose near my home. Even if I give birth to a child, I won’t let
the child play outside. I’ll feel
sorry for the child.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
twenties in Minamisoma City
“I have always criticized others such as
the country, politics and TEPCO since the nuclear disaster. However, thinking about myself carefully, I
have never been to the polls, never read newspapers, and watch only comedy
shows on TV. Although I live near the
nuclear power plants, I have never tried to know something about nuclear power
plants. Now I’m ashamed of myself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male in his sixties (from Ookuma-machi) living
in temporary housing, Aizu-Wakamatsu City
“Please, think about our town. Ookuma is just a country town without
employment, money or industries. The
town will get a significant benefit if it invites to set up nuclear power
plants there. How many people could
refuse to eat it if the enticing carrot is dangled in front of them? I think that there are some people who are
never influenced by the power of money, but a very small number of people if
any.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male in his
fifties living in temporary housing, Fukushima
“I went to Sendai. I saw a lot of home builders from across the
country get together in Sendai, which enjoys a reconstruction bubble
economy. I heard a business manager say
that he enjoyed making profits. I don’t
want him to say aloud even if he really thinks so. This is because a significant number of
people were killed here in Tohoku district.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male in his
fifties living in temporary housing, Fukushima
“Two acquaintances
of mine have committed suicide for the past several months. Men are weak if they lose work or
family. They had played a good hand
thanks to the titles on a name card, but they had lost everything after 3/11. I am also unemployed. There is a salon at a meeting place in
temporary housing. Do you think that a grown
man can join it alone?”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female in her
twenties living in temporary housing, Fukushima
“As I have children, I want to study about
radiation exposure and try to participate in lecture meetings in the prefecture
as often as possible. However, great teachers say “Radiation dose is almost zero,” “There is
no internal exposure” or “Fukushima is all right.” I cannot get correct information. If I voice it, I am criticized more severely.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male in his
sixties (from Ookuma-machi) living in temporary housing, Aizu
“I have already
prepared myself fully. There is no
debris disposal site other than the area near the nuclear power plants where
nobody can live any longer. If
there is money for decontamination, the government should buy up vacant lots in
the neighborhood of the power plants to build a debris disposal plant. No local residents
think that they will be able to return to Ookuma.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male in his
fifties in Minamisoma City
“The way of TEPCO
and the government is disgusting. They
never treat us as human beings. However,
I have always depended on TEPCO and the government. What is the most wrong is my way of living
without a spirit of independence.
I have fallen into brain freeze, thinking it is fine if I can enjoy
myself now and I can make money all to myself.
I have lived, hushing up a disagreeable affair.”