Stories about Japan from March, 2011
Japan: Waiting for the Right Moment to Help
A blogger calls for people to quell the instinctive and emotional reaction to head towards the disaster area in a message to "the kindhearted young, who want to help the afflicted".
USA: Science Bloggers Explain Fukushima
The horror of Friday 11 March's earthquake and resulting tsunami near the east coast of Honshu, Japan soon gave way to widespread panic as explosions rocked the Fukushima nuclear power plant. However, one community in the blogosphere seemed to be more measured in response to Fukushima - science bloggers.
Japan: Tell the World to Help
A simple search for pictures posted on Twitter can bring up amazing things. Search the characters “宮城” (Miyagi) and a handful of different pictures come up from the prefecture, one of the hardest-hit in Japan by the recent tsunami. Scroll down, and one picture stands out, a blob of brown and blue until you click it…
Japan: How Can I Donate
Rick Martin is maintaining a list of ways to donate to Japan.
Japan: Earthquake Crisis Mapping on Ushahidi
OpenStreetMap Foundation Japan is using Ushahidi to map crisis information. Volunteers can submit reports through a form or by tweeting location information along with the hashtags #jishin (earthquake), #j_j_helpme (call for help), #hinan (evacuation), #anpi (safety status), or #311care (medical support). The hashtag for people working on the service is...
Japan: Radiation levels and the human body
To “put the radiation levels at Fukushima into perspective”, @gakuranman translated an infographic of radiation levels and their effects to the human body. He has also been updating his website with ongoing announcements.
India: A Poem For Japan
Raja Basu at Potpourri has this to say to the earthquake and Tsunami victim Japan: “Your ancestors faced Hiroshima bombing, and constructed a new Japan from the rubble of that devastation. Repeat that valour of your ancestors, and prove once again the resilience and buoyancy of your great nation.”
Japan: Earthquake, “how to protect yourself” in 30 languages
TUFS students launched a website with advices on risk management translated in more than 30 languages. The website provides “a basic guide in several languages to what to do when you have to evacuate because of the earthquake.”
Japan: On Catastrophes and Miracles, a Personal Account
Blogger Chikirin shares her personal story of how she experienced the Japanese earthquake on March 13, 2011, with the post “On Catastrophes and Miracles”. She was on a business trip to Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, when the quake hit some 250 kilometers away.
Japan: “Not That Sound Again”
The sound of Japan's Earthquake Early Warning system is stuck in people's heads, as aftershocks continue in the days following the major earthquake on March 11, 2011. The alert is starting to wear on citizens, and comments from microblogging site Twitter show the fear and uncertainty that is inherent with the familiar tone.
China: Learning from Japan
Ministry of Tofu blogs about Chinese netizens’ reflection upon their own anti-quake measures after seeing how Japanese government and society handled the deadly magnitude 9.0 earthquake.
Old Feud Lost During Disaster, Korean Responses to Japan Quake
Korean's old feud against Japanese colonization rule has momentarily lost, as more reports came out revealing the aftermath of Japan's disastrous earthquake, @pebmedia tweeted the link [en] that aggregated Korean responses to Japan's earthquake.
Japan: Info on earthquake for Chinese residents and tourists
Tomitamakoto set up an information website in Chinese with news on the earthquake and suggestions on what to do in these circumstances.
Japan: Social Translation in Times of Crisis
When disaster struck on March 11, 2011, Japan was thrust into the center of attention. As inquiries, goodwill, advice, and donations pour in from around the world, citizens have stood up to participate in social translation.
Japan: Toxic Rain, Earthquake Weapons and Other False Rumors
Following the major earthquake on March 11th, numerous rumors made its rounds on Twitter and chain mails. Some spread like wildfire, as idle curiosity and malicious intent met with a strong dose of anxiety, exhaustion, and simple inexperience. Prolific blogger, editor and critic Chiki Ogiue posted a comprehensive roundup of such cases, while dispersing logical advice on how to improve one’s instinct for sniffing out falsehoods and what everyone can do as not to add to the confusion.
Japan: “Why do we need nuclear power?”
Debates over the risks and benefits of nuclear power plants have sparked worldwide, since an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Friday, 11 March causing widespread fear that the nuclear reactors of at least two power plants near Fukushima may be at risk of melt down.
Ukraine, Japan: Fukushima Discussion at Pripyat.com
Forum users of Pripyat.com (RUS), a portal devoted to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, are examining news reports and discussing the technical aspects of the situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and the response to it on the ground, pointing out some of the differences between the current disaster and...
Japan: Iodine Distribution Needed
@Traysizzzle writes: “I hope #Japan starts distributing #iodine asap to anyone close to the radiation…it's not #Chernobyl but its prognosis is not good…”
Ukraine, Japan: Drink Red Wine to Reduce Radiation Toxicity
@DJLoli shares a health tip that was popular in Ukraine in 1986: “If u r in the area affected by Japan radiation: drink red Wine to get it out. It what helped us in Ukraine during #Chernobyl. […]” (Here's an article on a 2008 study that showed that “resveratrol, the...
Japan: Fukushima Reactor Has Different Design Type Than Chernobyl
@BrianDunning, author of a science podcast Skeptoid, explains: “Fukushima nuclear plant does NOT have a combustible graphite core like Chernobyl. A total meltdown should flow into underground containment.” (This explanation has been retweeted by over 100 people already.)
Japan: Onagawa, the Hometown I Once Knew
A personal account of evacuation in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture: Twitter user @kombu_s evacuated to Sendai City and posted tweets and images from her journey, saying "I am an ordinary person that went to pick up her family."
