(LinkAsia: April 12, 2013)
Thuy Vu:
More bad news for Japan's nuclear energy industry. Radioactive water is leaking out of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and crews are rushing to contain it before it spills into the ocean. For more on the story, here's NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: April 9, 2013

Reporter:
This plant has sprung leaks, and lots of them. Water is seeping in from underground through walls damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Once inside it's contaminated, so workers are forming a seemingly dangerous task removing the water to temporary storage tanks and underground pools.

Masayuki Ono:
There have been leaks since a state of cold shutdown was achieved, but the recent case is probably the largest ever.

Reporter:
The pools sit about 800 meters from the shore. But Ono says there's no fear that the water leaked directly into the ocean. TEPCO investigators suspect the problem rides with the design and construction of storage facilities. Each pool is six meters deep. Three layers of water proof sheets cover the sides and bottom. Crews poked a hole in the sheets so that they could insert a sensor to monitor any leakage. Spokespersons say the holes themselves became the problem. The water pressure pulled the sheets down and widened the holes, allowing the water to leak out. Trade and industry minister, Toshimitsu Motegi asked the TEPCO president Naomi Hirose, to fix the problem.

Toshimitsu Motegi:
I would like you to make sure that contaminated water won't leak into the sea.

Reporter:
The assurances from TEPCO have not calmed residents.

Fusayaki Nanbu:
The leaks should never have happened in the first place. Regardless of whether or not the water has reached the ocean. TEPCO should deal with the matter more seriously.

Reporter:
Crews face another challenge too. They are running out of space. They've been filling up the seven pools and hundreds of tanks. But the tanks are nearly full. And now, the integrity of the pools is in question. So the people who run the plant are searching for somewhere else to put water that just keeps on coming.

(LinkAsia: September 14, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Last year's Fukushima-Daiichi disaster led to an international concern over corruption and mismanagement of Japan's nuclear industry. Under heavy pressure, Japan's cabinet members have finalized plans for an independent nuclear watchdog - free of influence from both the government and utility companies. Here's NHK with the story.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: September 11, 2012

Reporter:
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's cabinet decided to inaugurate the watchdog on Wednesday of next week. The new commission will replace the nuclear and industrial safety agency. That agency is controlled by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, which has promoted atomic energy. People criticized it after the Fukushima accident for lacking independence.

Goshi Hosono:
I expect the commission to make every effort to win public understanding so people will see that nuclear regulation has changed for the better.

(LinkAsia: July 20, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
In Fukushima, the Noda administration is making all sorts of promises to revitalize the area after last year's nuclear accident. But as NHK report shows, progress is hard to see.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: July 13, 2012

Mayuko Ambe, Reporter, NHK World:
Fukushima is a shadow of its once vibrant self. Towns and villages surrounding the nuclear plant appear deserted. The ghostly figures of decontamination crews dot the landscape. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to live in temporary housing.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says fixing the problems in Fukushima is his number one national policy. His cabinet approved a plan to revitalize the prefecture. It says his government will continue to be active in decontamination work. The plan sets a goal of reducing residents’ exposure levels to 1 millisievert per year or lower in the long term. That’s in line with international standards. The plan addresses the mounds of toxic top soil that are piling up because of the clean-up effort. It says government officials will consider temporarily storing the contaminated dirt on state-owned property.

The impact of radioactive material on public health is one of the major concerns in Fukushima. Noda is promising to subsidize thyroid tests for children to check for signs of symptoms of exposure.

The plan doesn’t mention raising subsidies for businesses operating in the prefecture even though Fukushima authorities strongly requested the addition. However, it does reflect the prefecture’s goal of creating communities that don’t depend on nuclear power. The prime minister wants to promote the introduction of renewable resources. His goal is for green energy projects to create jobs.

The problems in Fukushima seem to pile up with each passing month. 160,000 people still can’t go home. A significant number of residents don’t have work. Some people in the prefecture say the new plan lacks concrete details. They want the government to work harder and work faster, so they can restart the lives they were leading before the disaster changed everything.

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Yul Kwon:
Japan’s environment ministry estimates that the total cost of cleaning up the soil could exceed 14 billion dollars.

(LinkAsia: June 1, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Over in Japan, the country is still grappling with the effects of last year's enormous earthquake and tsunami. The ensuing disaster at Fukushima-Daiichi shook many peoples' faith in nuclear power.

Now, a government advisory panel has articulated four options regarding the future of the nuclear power industry. These options range from completely abandoning nuclear power to allowing the market to decide how much to produce. Here's NHK with the details of the plan.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: May 29, 2012

Chie Yamagishi:
The de-reliance option is aimed at preventing another nuclear accident in Japan, where earthquakes occur frequently. It would also stop nuclear waste from building up. But Japan's utilities would have to increase electricity output by using thermal power generation for the time being, meaning carbon dioxide emission would rise. Japan would need to quickly switch to renewable energy sources for this option to succeed.

The second option is in line with the Noda administration's policy of decommissioning nuclear plants within 40 years of operation and holding off on building new ones. This plan delays the decision of whether to abolish atomic energy and through sufficient efforts have been made to promote renewable alternatives and improve nuclear safety. Some committee members criticize this proposal saying it lacks direction and postpones a critical decision.

The third option reflects the fact that Japan has limited natural resources and keeps nuclear power in the energy portfolio along with other sources. However, there are challenges. Safe power generation and the disposal of nuclear waste are just a couple of them. Japanese leaders also need to convince the general public that atomic energy is safe in the wake of the Fukushima-Daiichi accident.

The fourth option demands utility companies include the social costs of power generation in their pricing. Subsidies for nuclear plants would be abolished. Consumers would be able to decide what kind of energy they want based on their electricity bills. But opponents of this option say if government officials don't draw up Japan's energy policy and leave it up to the market, the country won't be able to secure a stable power supply.

Cabinet members will look at the proposals. The Noda administration is also promising to get input from the public. Some members of the committee are demanding the government listen sincerely to citizens.

Junko Edahiro, Environmental Journalist:
The government should think about how to reflect public discussion in its policy. It is also important to explain the options in a fair way and to set the stage for discussion.

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Yul Kwon:
Right now, all of Japan's 50 functional nuclear reactors are offline, which is making some officials nervous about power shortages this summer.

(LinkAsia: May 4, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Over in Japan, power company officials are looking ahead to the summer, and they're already sweating. If this summer is anything like the record one from 2010, they say electricity shortages will be inevitable unless they can restart a number of nuclear reactors that have been shut down for maintenance this past year. NHK explains what's going on.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: May 1, 2012

Reporter:
They are currently 50 nuclear reactors in Japan. Over the last year, those that were still in service were taken offline for inspections one after another. The only one still in operation is Hokkaido Electric's Tomari plant, but it too will be shut down for regular inspection this coming Saturday. Japan's nine power companies have released their estimates for supply and demand this summer. They assume temperatures this year would reach the record highs of 2010. The estimates suggest Hokkaido, Kansai and Kyushu electric power companies will all face shortages. The situation is especially serious for Kansai Electric, which is the most dependent on nuclear power.

Kansai Electric Power Company Official:
A summer as hot as in 2010 will generate a power demand of 30.3 kilowatts, but we will be 16.3 percent short.

Reporter:
The analysts predicted corporations and consumers would contribute to efforts to save power, including the Cool Biz campaign. Demand could exceed supply if the summer turns out to be hotter than expected, resulting in blackouts. Utilities imposed planned blackouts last year to prevent such a situation. That forced many factories to curb production and had a significant impact on peoples' lives.

Yul Kwon:
Now in an effort to produce more energy, Japanese government officials are planning to restart two nuclear reactors at the Ohi plant in central Japan. But ever since last year's nuclear disaster in Fukushima-Daiichi, Japanese consumers have been concerned about nuclear safety, and so are local officials, who are pushing back on the national government's plan to restart the reactors.

Reporter:
Kiyoshi Yamada heads Tokyo's crisis management team. He met with Tetsui Yamamoto, a senior representative of the government's nuclear and industrial safety agency. Yamamoto explained that the government is dedicated to putting new safety standards in place following the accident at Fukushima-Daiichi. That explanation wasn't enough for Yamada.

Kiyoshi Yamada, Kyoto Official:
Your explanations are inconsistent with our demands.

Reporter:
Government officials decided last month that the Ohi reactors need to be restarted to provide sufficient power to the region during the summer. The reactors are now offline for regular checkups.

(LinkAsia: March 9, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Last March, a terrible earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale hit Japan, triggering a massive tsunami and leading to a disaster at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. More than 15,000 people died, and about 3,300 other people are still missing. As part of our series on the fallout from the Fukushima disaster, we bring you this story from Miyagi prefecture, where more than 300 people are still unaccounted for. NHK follows the story of one man who struggled with a difficult decision after the disappearance of his son.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: March 5, 2012

Reporter:
On a cold day in February, Shun Makino shows us where he once lived.

Shun Makino, Noritaka's Father:
There was a bathroom here. And my son's house was over there.

Reporter:
A house that sheltered generations of his family. Now, just a foundation. But, Makino lost much more on that day. His son, Noritaka, who was a town official in Minamisanriku. The March 11th tsunami swept Minamisanriku. Noritaka was a man with the officials at the local government disaster control center, helping with rescue operations. The water started to flood the three-story building. The officials ran to the roof, but the tsunami swallowed the structure whole. It swept away Noritaka and about 30 others.

Masami Chiba, Neighbor:
Noritaka was honest, sincere and modest.

Reporter:
He could be called courageous as well. Noritaka wasn't even supposed to be at the disaster center. He'd been in the hills around Minamisanriku conducting a forest survey when the quake hit. He descended immediately and went straight to the disaster control center. He wanted to help any way he could.

Shun Makino:
He probably felt responsible as a town official. But I believe he shouldn't have run toward the tsunami.

Reporter:
Makino, along with other families, searched daily for any information on the whereabouts of the missing after March 11th.

Shun Makino:
I read the inquiries of about 5,000 people. Soon I was overwhelmed. I felt helpless and finally gave up.

Reporter:
He gave up, but he still hoped that authorities would find his son's body. However, days and months passed without any news. So in February, Makino made the difficult decision to hold a funeral. He wanted to honor his son ahead of the first anniversary of his disappearance. Noritaka's wife put songs and letters written to him by his children into an urn in place of his ashes.

Shun Makino:
How depressing, to honor my son, I have to hold a funeral without his ashes. But if I don't, I feel my son cannot rest in peace.

Reporter:
And so, reluctantly, Makino said goodbye to his son, but he's still waiting for closure.

Shun Makino:
I am hoping DNA tests identify my son soon. I'm expecting that will happen. I cannot bear to think my son's body is lying somewhere unattended.

Reporter:
Makino, like many others in the northeast, will continue to do what they've done for months now. Wait. And perhaps reflect on all that they lost one year ago. Daisuke Azuma, NHK World, Minamisanriku.

(LinkAsia: March 2, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
An independent report slams the Japanese government's handling of the Fukushima-Daiichi disaster. It also concludes that the reactor's owner, Tokyo Electric Power, as well as the agency that's supposed to regulate it, failed in their responsibilities both before and after the accident. Here's NHK with the story.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: February 29, 2012

Reporter:
They spent months studying the response to the Fukushima accident, which happened after last year's March 11th earthquake and tsunami. They tried to interview authorities at Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the plant, but TEPCO turned down their request.

Koichi Kitazawa, Committee Chairman:
The direct causes of the nuclear accident were the unpreparedness of Tokyo Electric Power for a serious accident and the government's lack of a sense of responsibility.

Reporter:
The report blames the government's response on its failure to anticipate the combined impact of a quake and tsunami. That rendered its crisis management manual useless. The report says the problem was compounded by politicians' lack of basic legal knowledge. The document also points to delays in providing the prime minister's office with accurate information, as well as insufficient support by advisors. It urges immediate debate on improving the situation. The report condemns the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency for failing to give professionals proper safety training. It says the agency could not draw up plans to put the Fukushima plant under control because of a lack of skill and personnel. The report blames TEPCO for initially making things worse at the facility, not better. TEPCO workers did not immediately switch to an alternative cooling system after realizing the emergency condenser was not working. Then, they took too long to start the venting procedure to avert a major crisis. The committee chairman says the investigation has revealed what was going on inside the prime minister's office and elsewhere at the time of the accident. The chairman also says Japan's organizations are ill-prepared to deal with a crisis, a problem that needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Yul Kwon: 
The report also details some other failures. For example, bureaucrats never told politicians about a monitoring system that had been set up to predict the spread of radiation after the accident.

(LinkAsia: January 20, 2012) 

Sydnie Kohara:

The International Energy Agency says that Japan is generating electricity from oil, because only 5 of the country’s 54 nuclear reactors are in operation. According to the utility TEPCO, two reactors in Niigata prefecture just passed an earthquake stress test, which means they can stay open. But Japanese broadcaster NHK tells us the governor of Niigata is skeptical.

 

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NHK World NEWSLINE

Airdate: January 16, 2012

 

Reporter:

TEPCO gave the nuclear and industrial safety agency the results of tests on the number one and number 7 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata prefecture. The tests are a precondition for restarting the reactors. Tepco claims the reactors could endure a tsunami of up to 15 meters, nearly 5 times as high than the safety standards set by the company.

 

Zengo Aizawa (TEPCO):

We considered the two reactors more than safe enough. We want to explain the results to local residents and authorities. We also want to consult with them about how to proceed.

 

Reporter:

Niigata governor Hirohiko Izumida says it’s still too early to decide whether to restart the reactors.

 

Hirohiko Izumida (Niigata governor):

Doing stress tests is better than nothing. Of course, TEPCO has to factor in what really happened at Fukushima-Daiichi. Otherwise, what’s the point in having this kind of computer simulation?

 

Reporter:

Japan’s utilities have submitted stress test results for 14 reactors. That’s nearly 30 percent of the reactors that have been shut down for inspections.