On March 13, 2012, the Japanese government imposed sanctions against another Iranian bank, the 21st since last year.
It’s called Bank Tejarat, and is the third largest in Iran. There’s just one problem, most of the deals involve Iranians buying Japanese products, not the other way round!
In 2011 Iranians bought U.S.$1.65 billion worth of Japanese industrial products. The majority of those transactions went through Bank Tejarat. What this means is that in the name of trying to maintain good relations with the United States (after announcing $10 billion deal to dump U.S. bonds for Chinese) the leaders of Japan have possibly destroyed any chances of economic recovery.
As usual Japanese leaders are masters of understatement: “There may be a slight impact, but we believe that it is now most important to carry out international cooperation.”-Koichiro Gemba, Foreign Minister of Japan
On March 13, 2012, the Chinese government approved a request from Japan, to buy U.S.$10 billion worth of bonds.
Japanese officials admitted the move was to help them “diversify” away from U.S. bonds. The move signals the growing influence of the Chinese yuan, as a international currency.
It also comes as BRICS countries prepare to sign an agreement on March 29 that would create a new international banking system that refuses to use the U.S. dollar.
A ghostly reminder of the March 11, 2011, Mega Quake and tsunami that hit north eastern Honshu, Japan, made its way back home.
The boat belonged to a fisherman from Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture. Otsuchi is one of the coastal towns devastated by the tsunami. The fisherman did not survive the monster tidal surge, but his boat amazingly did.
Nearly one year after the disaster the ravaged boat was found drifting, more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away, on the other side of Japan, in the Sea of Japan (aka East Sea). It was returned to the fisherman’s son, who lives in Kamaishi City.
The son said he intends to repair the boat and go fishing.
Sales of Japanese beer, and beer based drinks, hit all time lows in February, 2012.
Japanese brewers shipped less than 360,000 kiloliters (95,101,938 U.S. liquid gallons), that’s the lowest amount in February since such record keeping was started in 1992.
Nippon beer makers blame the cold weather! They say demand dropped in the areas of Japan that were hit hard by unusual cold temps and heavy snowfall. They also blame being forced to make more non-alcoholic drinks.
On March 11, 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company officials claimed they’ve handed out $5.4 billion in compensation for the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.
There’s a major problem; almost half the people who’re supposed to be getting that say they’re still waiting for it!
NHK reporting that about 40% of the people who’ve applied for the compensation are still stuck in application limbo. People say TEPCo is deliberately making the process difficult.
TEPCo didn’t even start paying out compensation until October 2011, when they were finally ordered to by the Japanese government! If 40% of the applicants are stuck in limbo, then who got that $5.4 billion paid out so far?
“When the disasters occurred in Japan, we responded quickly and we continue to help. Much good has been accomplished, but a year later there are still thousands of animals in desperate need. The headlines may have faded away, but the crisis has not. There is still much work to be done and we need good hearted people everywhere to help until all the animals are safe, secure and reunited with those they love.”-Robin Ganzert, American Humane Association
The March 11, 2011, tsunami destroyed many lives, including farm animals and pets. And just as those humans who survived were made homeless, so were the pets. The resulting nuclear disaster made things worse. People who still had their homes were forced to flee the radiation, many pets and farm animals left behind.
The Japanese government said their efforts resulted in only 330 animals being rescued. Some private groups disobeyed government orders, and attempted to rescue the animals, but hundreds still starved to death (there is video on YouTube, it’s disturbing). One year later the situation for pets is only a little better.
In one city, Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, there are 26 statues. They represent the bodies who could not be identified. 1,555 residents of Rikuzentakata died on March 11, 2011.
In Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, relief volunteers are still working there one year later. Before they started yet another day of work, 300 volunteers gave a sunrise prayer for the thousands of missing and dead.
Minamisanriku Town was one of the hardest hit by the tsunami. It’s where Miki Endo stayed at her Disaster Center post blasting evacuation orders over the town’s loudspeaker system, until the tsunami blasted away the three story building she was in. Watch haunting Japanese video report here: Minamisanriku, hometown of Heroine Miki Endo is becoming Atlantis
But Miki was not alone in that Disaster Center, she had dozens of co-workers as well as her boss, all hoping they could help.
One co-worker was at the hill top Evacuation Center, but he couldn’t bear seeing what was happening and returned to the Disaster Center. He led many of his co-workers to the top of the three story building, unfortunately the tsunami was four stories tall, and all were killed.
The skeletal remains of the Disaster Center has become a shrine.
Don’t forget the eight firefighters of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture. The 57 year old firefighter, Fujio Koshita, rang a warning bell even as the tsunami headed right for him! Seven other firefighters died helping people get to higher ground.
They say Fujio violated his own rule about personal safety: “Don’t die. Rescuers must stay alive.”
Watch the Brian Barnes video of Otsuchi tsunami. In the video you can see that water levels rose even before the tsunami hit, it caught videographers by surprise. At 6:20 into the video they realize the city was already flooding. At 8:00 in the tsunami finally hits, you can hear cracking sounds as buildings break.
According to the latest official Japanese government numbers, more than 19,000 people were killed. Many more are still without permanent places to live. 3,000 people are still listed as missing. I’m sure there are many dozens of other heroes and heroines that we will never hear about. But true heroes never die: “…The fireman was brave. I’m proud of him.”-16 year old Kaito Yamasaki
I’ve been following this tragedy since March 11, 2011, and the one constant in all this is the unbelievable level of incompetence within the government leadership, and with the corporations in charge of the nuclear power industry in Japan!
Today, March 11, 2012, an official report says the corporate & government leadership of Japan still don’t know what is really going on with the General Electric designed nuclear disaster reactors at Fukushima Daiichi!
Dozens of government sanctioned investigation teams have revealed the insufficient measures against tsunami, and the inadequate responses to the nuclear accident. But, no one knows just how bad it is inside the reactor units!
Of major concern: Radiation levels emitted from the power plant are still so high that TEPCo still doesn’t know where the high levels of radiation are actually coming from, so far everything they’ve been telling the media has been a wild ass guess! TEPCo (Tokyo Electric) has recently admitted that radiation levels are so high around some areas of the nuclear compound that they can not send people in to find out what’s going on!
You know, I’ve said it many times before, Bill Nye (that old science guy) has said it many times, the Ukrainians and Russians have said it: Why don’t they dump sand, lead and concrete on the damn thing?
On March 11, 2011, a 17 ton tourist bus was left on top of a two story community hall building, after the tsunami sucked itself back out to sea.
That was in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (Nippon).
On March 10, 2012, nearly one year later, the bus was finally removed from the roof. Many survivors said it was a bad reminder of the tsunami. The owner of the bus company said the sight of his bus on the roof drove him to swear that he will operate his bus line again.
The bus had been sitting in a garage, 500 meters (1,640 feet) from its resting place, when the tsunami swept it away. Watch NHK reporter who filmed as she ran from disaster video to see the bus immediately after the tsunami.
Days after a UBS oil analyst said ten countries (allies of the U.S.) would be destroyed if Iranian oil was cut off, a dumb U.S. Senator proposes to cut off Iranian oil!
In a Friday interview with C-SPAN’s (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) Newsmakers program, democrat Carl Levin says he wants to use the U.S. Navy to blockade Iranian oil shipments.
Levin is inviting other countries to join in: “I think (these are) options that whoever is willing to participate should explore, including Israel and including the United States.”
Levin admitted that alternative oil supplies would have to be found for the allies of the United States. Mmmm, you mean like the United States now that it actually has too much oil on hand (recently the CEO of Exxon Mobil said the U.S. oil“…markets are well supplied.”)? Now we know the real reason for going to war against the World’s second largest petroleum producer (oil from Canada and North Dakota is actually creating a surplus in the U.S.).
