Airlines from around the world are adjusting to the situation in Japan.
Many airlines are shifting to airports that are further away from Tokyo.
A photographer who flew to Tokyo from London said “I’ve never been on such an empty flight. It was a (300-seat Boeing) 777 with barely 20 people on board.”
Flights out of Japan are packed. More and more foreign governments are telling their staff to leave, as well as foreign companies.
NHK interviewed an economic official (analyst?) who said the economic situation in Japan is now a matter of national security, as a result of the Fukushima disaster.
Some Japanese companies have announced plans to re-start operations, but that is contingent upon the ongoing situation with aftershocks, infrastructure issues and nuclear problems.
Toyota announced that its Japanese factories will remain closed for another week. Toyota will not increase production at foreign factories.
Three prefectures are asking for 33,000 temporary homes. The emergency shelters are overwhelmed.
The Bank of Japan continued to flood billions of cash into the finance and investment markets.
Electronics industry analyst are warning that if parts supply from Japan is down for a few weeks it will drastically raise prices for electronic items.
Economic losses for Japan are predicted to hit $200 billion.
A number of countries are closing their embassies in Tokyo, due to fears of radiation exposure. Other countries are moving their embassy staff away from the Tokyo area. Travel bans and warnings have also been issued.
Iraq, Bahrain and Angola are closing their embassies. Austria and Panama are moving their staff.
The Japanese government is asking foreign governments to remain calm.
Japanese Self Defense Forces stopped dropping water by helicopter because radiation levels above the plant are too high, exceeding 50 millisieverts.
The United States military said it was sending two water trucks to help spray water on the reactors from the ground.
NHK reporting that Fukushima Daiichi officials say 514 spent fuel rods at reactor 3 overheated, and they can not cool them down. This is why they asked the JSDF to use helicopters to dump water on them.
Plant officials said they would prefer to pump sea water from the ground, but they do not have that capability, currently.
NHK reporting that officials said reactor 4 active rods had been temporarily stored with spent rods, while reactor 4 underwent maintenance, before the 9.0 quake. Earlier officials admitted reactor 4 exploded.
Japanese Self Defense Forces helicopters dropping water on reactor 3, Fukushima Daiichi.
Reactor 3 is the source of the white smoke that has been coming from the plant.
General Electric is sending gas turbine generators to help provide power to the Fukushima nuclear plants.
GE stands to lose $1 billion in sales, due to the fact that GE designed the Fukushima reactors. Three General Electric scientists resigned from their jobs, 35 years ago, because they realized the nuclear reactor design (used at Fukushima Daiichi, and at several U.S. nuke power plants) could lead to a catastrophe.
Their concern is that the rapid loss of coolant could make the containment structure fail. This is exactly what is happening now.
The situation in Japan continues to influence other governments view of nuclear power; Switzerland has put on hold the renewal of three old reactors.
At latest press conference by plant officials, they said the JSDF are preparing helicopters to drop water on the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Reactor 1 core has been exposed. Sea water being pumped in.
Reactor 2 separation pool damaged. Spike in radiation levels likely came from reactor 2.
Reactors 5 & 6, spent fuel pools overheated, attempting to cool down.
There are several stories on the internet which show that TEPCO, operator of the Fukushima nuclear plants, and business partner of General Electric (who built most of the plants), has a long history of covering up mismanagement, accidents, and disasters.
GE’s close relationship with TEPCO, and the fact that GE has been involved with many of Japan’s nuclear plants, might be the real reason why U.S. officials are so quick to “help”.
Articles reporting TEPCO’s lies go back to 2002. In fact it was a General Electric employee that revealed to the Japanese government, in 2002, that TEPCO was bullshitting them. But why has the Japanese government put up with it? Could it have something to do with the connection to big and powerful GE?
Most of the cover ups involved earthquake safety violations. It is now clear that TEPCO never stopped that shady behavior. In fact, in one case TEPCO was ordered to post on their website a list of “..Cases of Misconduct”. (I wasn’t able to find it, but there is a disclaimer on the English site that says it doesn’t have everything that’s on the Japanese site)
The unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan, probably due to shady corporate operators, has French officials ordering immediate inspections of all nuclear plants in France. Germany’ Angela Merkel, who’s political party is pro-nuclear power, is now going fourth with closing down nuclear plants in Germany.
The lesson here, as always, is that you can not trust corporate authorities, you can not trust government authorities who might be in the pockets of those corporate authorities.