The magazine of The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan

March 2016, Volume 48
No. 3, ¥400

SAFE?
FIVE YEARS ON:

Seawalls and thechanging coastline of Tohoku
Coal vs Nuclear
The rebuilding of Otsuchi
Radiation monitoring by
Fukushima school kids

Vol. 48, Number 3

March 2016

contact the editors

no.1shimbun@fccj.or.jp
Publisher FCCJThe rebuilding of thecoast at Otsuchi: photoby Sonja Blaschke for her
article on seawalls. See
also Charles Pomeroy on
his hometown.

In this issue

p6 & p8

The Front Page
From the President by Suvendrini Kakuchi
Collections: Fukushima by the numbers
From the archives by Charles Pomeroy

445Life behind walls
by Sonja Blaschke

6

Return of a perilous beauty
by Charles Pomeroy

8

Is coal the answer to Japan’s nuclear aversion?
by Gavin Blair

10

When the big one comesby Geoff Tudor

12

Fukushima students turn to science, shun hysteria
by Julian Ryall

13

ProfileShiuan Sheng Fang
by Suvendrini Kakuchi

FCCJ

MARCH 2016

FCCJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Suvendrini Kakuchi,
University World News, UK
1st Vice President Peter Langan, Freelance
2nd Vice President Imad Ajami, IRIS Media
Secretary Mary Corbett, Cresner MediaTreasurer Robert Whiting, Freelance
Directors at Large
Masaaki Fukunaga, the Sanmarg
Milton Isa, Associate Member
Yuichi Otsuka, Associate Member
James Simms, Forbes Contributor, Freelance
Ex-officio Lucy Birmingham
Kanji William Sposato, Freelance
FCCJ COMMITTEE CHAIRSAssociate Members Liaison Milton Isa
Compliance Kunio Hamada
DeRoy Memorial Scholarship Masaaki Fukunaga
Entertainment Sandra Mori, Suvendrini Kakuchi
Exhibition Bruce Osborn
Film Karen Severns
Finance Robert Whiting
Food & Beverage Robert Whiting
Freedom of Press Pio d’Emilia, Khaldon AzhariHouse & Property Peter Langan
Human Resources Suvendrini Kakuchi
Information Technology Roger Williams
Library, Archives & Workroom Koichi Ishiyama,
Suvendrini Kakuchi
Membership Peter O’Connor, Monzurul Huq
Membership Marketing Bill Shin, Rie Sakamoto
Professional Activities David McNeill,
Tetsuo Jimbo
Publications Gavin Blair
Special Projects Haruko Watanabe
Web Committee Gavin Blair
70th Anniversary Panel Yoshio Murakami
Foreign Press in Japan Justin McCurry

14

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan
Yurakucho Denki Building, North Tower 20F,
1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006.
Tel: (03) 3211-3161 Fax: (03) 3211-3168 fccj.or.jp
Published by the FCCJ All opinions contained within
Number 1 Shimbun are those of the authors. As such,these opinions do not constitute an official positionof Number 1 Shimbun, the editor or the Foreign
Correspondents’ Club of Japan.

Exhibition
Road to Recovery: Five Years and Counting
by Shinpei Kikuchi
Club News
Seeing Greens/Join the Film Committee . . . /Heard at the Club
New Members/New in the library

Editor Gregory Starr
Art Director Andrew Pothecarywww.forbiddencolour.com
Editorial Assistants Naomichi Iwamura,Tyler Rothmar
Photo Coordinator Akiko Miyake
Publications committee members
Gavin Blair, Freelance (Chair); Geoffrey Tudor,
Orient Aviation; Monzurul Huq, Prothom Alo;
Julian Ryall, Daily Telegraph; Patrick Zoll, Neue
Zürcher Zeitung; Sonja Blaschke, Freelance;
John R. Harris, Freelance

17

Please pitch and send articles and photographs, oraddress comments to no.1shimbun@fccj.or.jp
Read the Number 1 Shimbun online:
fccj.or.jp/number-1-shimbun/
Cover design by Andrew Pothecary3

FRONT PAGE

Number of evacuees

COLLECTIONS

4

Percentage of Fukushima rice which
tested above 100Bq/kg limit

0%

Fukushima Prefecture, inspection period: 08/20/201502/22/2016, 10,431,307 items

Percentage of seafood which tested
above 100Bq/kg limit

2011: 39.8% of 1,972 items checked
2012: 16.5% of 5,580 items checked
2013: 3.7% of 7,641 items checked
2014: 0.9% of 8,722items checked
2015: 0.05% of 8,577 items checked
www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/inspection/index.html
www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=618

How much land area has been
"decontaminated" at least once

www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/151947.pdf

From 1st round (preliminary baseline screening):
116 malignancy or suspicion of malignancy✓ NARAHA,TAMURA,✓ KAWAUCHI,✓ OKUMA,✓✓
KATSURAO,KAWAMATA✓IITATE . . . , MINAMISOMA . . . , NAMIE . . . ,TOMIOKA . . . , FUTABA . . .

100 CONFIRMED CANCERS
from 2nd round (full-scale screening):
51 malignancy or suspicion of malignancy

16 CONFIRMED CANCERS

Progress of decontamination

As of Nov. 2015. (Decontamination undertaken at least once;
based on areas designated, not actual totals of what exists)

80% 50%70% 40%of households

www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/09/
national/fukushima-nuclear-evacueesfall-100000/#.VpIFy5N96CW

Number of Fukushima
children diagnosed withthyroid cancer

As of Jan. 2016.
In Fukushima Special Decontamination Area (original
evacuation zone) 11 municipalities total (213 km2)
Decontamination completed: 6 (68 km) 32%

of farm fields, public facilities

June 2012

99,991LET ME START OFF my column this month with animportant reminder for Regular Members. The next
General Membership Meeting, a crucial event for Club
business, has been scheduled for March 8. Members
will be asked to vote on the fiscal 2016 budget andbusiness plan, a labor union settlement that represents
the end of the contentious legal suit that has dogged
FCCJ finances for many years and other important
motions that will affect our upcoming move to the
new location in Marunouchi. The Board has worked
hard to find solutions to these important issues and if
members agree with our recommendations, we believe
the officers will be able to work hard toward making
progress over the next few months.
I know many of our Regular Members are busy andhave little time to devote to Club business. In fact,
at the last GMM – though it was a Special GMM andnot on the regular annual calendar – a quorum wasn’t
reached, leaving important Club issues on the backburner. So let me also point out that under the present
koeki status, GMMs are now held only twice annually,making them even more decisive dates for members.
On the other hand, members are now permitted toread the motions and background prior to the GMM,
so that they can send in their votes and proxies without
being physically present. I understand that devoting avaluable evening to the FCCJ’s rather raucous GMMs
can be demanding, so if you’d rather do it remotely,please send in your vote electronically – by email orfax. Also, if some members do not have the time to
study the details of the issues facing the FCCJ thisMarch, please feel free to send in your queries to Board
officers. The FCCJ is your club – and participation isvital for its longevity.
Another date to remember is March 17. Some wellknown former correspondent Members – Bill Emmottfrom the Economist, William Horsley from the BBC
and Fernando Mezzetti from La Stampa – have timed avisit to the FCCJ where they will be speaking on theirlatest activities. All were based in Tokyo in the 80’s
and 90’s and have covered Japan and East Asian issues
widely. I have reserved a corner of the bar that evening
for members to meet the journalists and share a drink
at lowered prices. The event highlights our ties to thepast, when journalists mingled with other journalists andassociate members, giving the Club its vitality of open
exchange and networking, the hallmarks of our character.
I also want to take this opportunity to offer kudos to
the Food and Beverage committee for their fantastic
February wine-tasting events. The four sessions, whichwere organized by the committee this time, showed
great results – with total ticket sales of 329, thehighest total since 2008 and overwhelmingly higher
than recent years. Moreover, wine sales surpassed¥2.5 million. This revised and revived wine tasting
program will mean increased income for the FCCJ in
the coming months.
– Suvendrini Kakuchi

Dec. 2015(56,463 in
Fukushima Pref.,3,497 outside)

164,218

From thePresident

FUKUSHIMA BY
THE NUMBERS

116 CONFIRMED(Total out of 167 suspected)

of forests in living areas

1st round target population: 367,685
screened: 300,476, results: 300,476
2nd round, 381,261 eligible
236,595 screened, 220,088 resultsof roads

http://fmu-global.jp/survey/proceedings-of-the22nd-prefectural-oversight-committee-meetingfor-fukushima-health-management-survey/

MARCH 2016

FCCJ

FCCJ

MARCH 2016

FROM THE ARCHIVESSADAKO OGATA,HUMANIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

Sadako Ogata, two years after becoming U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), voiced her opinions at the Club on June 23, 1992,
while FCCJ President David Powers (BBC), in the foreground, and Clayton
Jones (Christian Science Monitor) listen attentively. She was to appear
again at the FCCJ as a guest speaker in 1999.
Sadako Ogata’s life story is extraordinary. Born in 1927, she camefrom an illustrious family, with a former prime minister, Tsuyoshi
Inukai – assassinated in 1932 by Japanese Navy officers – asher great-grandfather and a former foreign minister, Kenkichi
Yoshizawa, as her grandfather.
Dedicating her early life to an academic career, Ogata followed up
on her BA from Sacred Heart in Tokyo with graduate study in the U.S.,
earning an MA in international relations from Georgetown in 1953
and a doctorate in political science from the University of California
in 1963. Returning to Japan, she lectured at Sacred Heart and theInternational Christian University, becoming an Associate Professor of
Diplomatic History and International Relations there in 1974. In 1980,
following a move to Sophia University, she became a professor, thenDirector of the Institute of International Relations, and in 1989 theDean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies.
Ogata’s scholarly work led to stints from 1968 onward withJapan’s U.N. mission, and in 1978 she became envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary. During this time she also served as
Chairman of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive
Board, and from 1982 to 1985 she was Japan’s Representative on
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. She assumed
leadership of UNHCR in January of 1991, which she held until she
retired in 2012.
Ogata contributed greatly to making this a better world, including
writing books addressing refugee problems. She also raised a family,a son and a daughter, with husband Shijuro Ogata, a senior officialof the Bank of Japan and a key person in opening the Japanesebureaucracy to the foreign press.
Sadako Ogata has been a dedicated tennis player since her student
days and still plays at age 88, as attested to by Kazuo Abiko. A former
president of the FCCJ and retired AP stalwart, Kaz recently partneredwith her to win a doubles match at the Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club.

— Charles Pomeroy
5

FEATURE

Life behind walls
While some believe seawalls are part of reconstruction, others fear they could
lead to a false sense of security, destroy nature and tear communities apart.

PHOTOS: SONJA BLASCHKEFIVE YEARSK

But Sugawara and other opponents
eiko Sugawara is smiling as she
by SONJA BLASCHKE
fear that these concrete bulwarks mighttalks about seawalls. Standing in
destroy what little is left of the assets of
Kesennuma harbor in front of thethe area, like the picturesque rugged ria
recently constructed wall of concrete thatcoast. They worry about potential negative effects on tourism
soars four times her height, she seems unaware of the ice-coldand the fishing industry, which could hamper job prospects
winds strong enough to pierce the skin on this cold February
for young people in particular. Another fear is that people
Sunday. Her pleasant expression, however, is disconcerting;could develop a false sense of security behind the walls andher speech is agitated, and there is something else behind herdelay their escape after a strong earthquake – especially since
smile: sadness, frustration, maybe even despair. She is afraid
the walls will block any view of the sea. This could lead to anthat the walls might ruin the future of the children of Keseneven higher death toll next time a tsunami hits.
numa by destroying what she sees as the city’s biggest asset– its natural resources and beautiful natural surroundings. “I
SUGAWARA EMPHASIZES THAT SHE is not against seawalls per
really don’t like adults pushing decisions onto children,” says
se. “Walls of a certain size are necessary to protect harbor
the stylish, young-looking 49-year old. “It hurts my heart.”
areas from high tide and high waves in stormy weather,” sheDriving along the east coast of Tohoku, where a magnitude
says. “But I am against such gigantic concrete walls.” On
9.0 quake unleashed a towering tsunami which devastatedaverage, they will measure about 10 meters high.
over 400 kilometers of coastline on March 11, 2011, it is easy
Initially on the side of the walls’ supporters, she had a change
to get lost. It has become hard to judge when to rely on carof heart after realizing that the walls would not be effective
navigation and when to ignore it. In Otsuchi, for example, theagainst a tsunami of the same scale as five years ago – an event
system shows our car traveling on a railway track, when we’resaid to occur only once in several hundred years. They would
actually on a dirt road. In Minamisanriku, the empty frame
only hold back the smaller, though more frequent, ones. Also,of the disaster prevention center, which used to be a sort oflittle to no maintenance of the walls was planned, meaning
landmark, can now easily be missed in its location among sevthey would only be taken care of after the next disaster.
eral huge pyramid-like embankments of bare earth, meant to
But vocal opponents like Sugawara seem to be few and far
eventually host industrial and public facilities.
between, and some fear the seawall issue might even tear the
What will even further change the landscape is the decisioncommunities apart. There is always the risk of being ostraof many communities to build large seawalls. Proponents say
cized by the tightly knit local communities and labeled asthese will keep citizens safe and allow reconstruction to speed
someone holding up reconstruction. “When I talk with people
up. “We only get money from the government for reconstrucin private, many agree,” Sugawara says, “but they are afraidtion if we build this wall,” was a statement heard coming fromto speak up in public.”
many local politicians’ election campaigns.
6

MARCH 2016

FCCJ

Sugawara did find backing from Setsuko Komatsu, ature of openly discussing pros and cons of a project, without
former local assemblywoman. Komatsu’s house, close toa predetermined outcome. Sugawara confirms that this is
the riverbank, was swept away by the tsunami. Now thewhat happened, that explanatory meetings were only held to68 year old shares two units in temporary housing with herreport a decision already made.
extended family in Oya, half an hour south of Kesennuma.
“Good leadership and a strong sense of community are
Sugawara sometimes visits Komatsu, exchanging ideas overkey,” says Dimmer, before mentioning the town of Onagacoffee in a crammed 4.5-square-meter living space. Now
wa. Despite losing 570 of its then 10,000 citizens and 80
Komatsu and her 70-year-old husband are planning to move
percent of the town’s buildings, Onagawa quickly decided
to an elevated spot. “People moved to higher ground after
against building a seawall. Some say that is why reconstrucprevious inundations, too,” she says. In her opinion, one oftion in the town has progressed so rapidly and so well. “We
the biggest obstacles in their fight against the walls is thatlive from the sea and with it,” is what one often hears frompeople cannot really imagine what these tall walls will look
locals in Onagawa.
like. Sugawara suggests building a model to help understandDespite the setbacks, clearly represented by the towering
the concept.
walls at her back, Sugawara does not want to give up her camMuch to their surprise, the two women received support
paign against the walls. “I will do what I can, tirelessly,” shefrom an unexpected source: Shigemitsu Sato is in charge ofsaid, “to combat the false information that is being spread.”
CSR activities at Sugawara Industry, a company of 30 employShe is afraid that once the walls in Tohoku are finished, it will
ees that is building the seawall in Kesennuma. “There are
set a precedent for the rest of the country, and even more
only few jobs here, and I need tolive off something,” the 40-yearold father of two explains. “I had
hoped I could influence the process from the inside.” Dressed injeans and a stained blue-down
jacket, he joined Sugawara for
an impromptu meeting at theseawall section close to the prefectural government office in
Kesennuma.
“The walls will destroy the value of our town,” he says. “It is my
mission to destroy them.” Laterhe clarified his statement, saying
he wants to build more innovative ones. Sato’s criticism is thatthe walls were mostly designed at
the corporate level, without considering the surroundings. Moreresearch should have been done,
he says – and he also expresses
doubt about the calculations
behind the strength of the walls.
He points to the small window
slits in the walls. “The only reason they were added was so thereport would be accepted by the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Another brick in the wall
Transport and Tourism,” he says.
Keiko Sugawara stands before the seawall under construction in Kesennuma; the changing coastline;“Isn’t that ridiculous?” Both heformer local assemblywoman Setsuko Komatsu at home in her temporary housing.
and Sugawara criticize the wall’s
shape: Once water spills over, the structure will block it fromwalls will be built. She hopes people can be inspired to reconflowing back out to sea, thereby creating a huge lagoon.
sider the value of their hometowns.
In neighboring Minamisanriku, Yutaka Tabata, a pensioner
While she remains passionate in her beliefs, Sugawara hasin his seventies, is aware of the debate going on in Kesennuma.
not been immune to social pressure. Once, during an inforHe is sitting with several elderly women at a table in a new recmation session, she was asked to leave by the organizer, who
reation room next to a newly built apartment block, making
was aware of her position on the issue. She also fears that her
dolls from pieces of cloth and Q-tips. “The walls are built for
activities might hurt her family’s business, a small electronic
safety and to feel safe,” says Toshiko Sato, one of the women.
appliances store. She tries to fly under the radar, but is still
While Tabata agrees with her, he also wants broad escapein the fight, belonging to two local opposition groups androutes built and disaster drills held. Like activist Sugawara, hefrequently posting on Facebook. “I have not told my family
fears that the walls could lead to people delaying escape.
about what I’m doing,” she said with a somewhat sad smile,“but maybe they already know.” ❶“THERE ARE NO SIMPLE truths when it comes to the seawall
Sonja Blaschke is a German freelance journalist writing for
issue,” says Dr. Christian Dimmer, a German urban studies
publications in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She also works as ascholar architect and assistant professor of urban design at
TV producer.
Tokyo University. He says that what Japan lacks most is a culFCCJ

MARCH 2016

7

FEATURE
FIVE YEARSThe story of a tsunami-battered town trying to get back on its feetis a tale of struggle, conflict, bureaucracy and, yes, hope.

ALAN MOCKRIDGE

Return of a perilous beauty

by CHARLES POMEROYN

ot all has gone smoothly in the town of Otsuchi as it
struggles to recover from the tsunami devastation
wreaked upon it five years ago. (See my story, “The
Perilous Beauty of Otsuchi,” in the April, 2011 edition of No. 1
Shimbun.) For starters, the loss of its mayor, Koki Kato, together
with key department heads and the more than 30 experienced
staff that made up a quarter of the town’s civil servants meantthat there was no one to immediately get to work on a masterplan for recovery. It wasn’t until January 2012 that a draft was
finally completed, under a new mayor, Yutaka Ikarigawa.
Mayor Ikarigawa was faced with a number of tough issues,
from organizing housing for survivors to sorting out land
problems for the dead and missing. And over the next several
years some progress was made, including a partial revival of
the fisheries industry and construction of new residences toreplace the temporary structures housing survivors.
But two key projects in the master plan led to discontent, as
the long-range view of those who had forged the plan clashedwith the more immediate desires of the survivors. One was aplan to raise the ground level in central Otsuchi by 2.5 meters;
the other, to build a huge seawall 14.5 meters high.
The plan to raise the ground level, intended as a safeguard
against smaller tsunami and future rises in the sea level, willbring it up to the level of the entry road from National Highway
45 and the new town offices, formerly the burned-out elementary school. It is a six-year project, started in 2012 with debris
clearing, followed by incremental landfill scheduled through2016, and finally ending with a year of waiting for it all to settle
before rebuilding can begin in 2018. But after months of uncertainty following the tsunami, many displaced townspeople
could not wait another six years and departed for other locales.
8

The changing landscape

Above, a March 2015 view of the progress of the incremental landfill
operations in central Otsuchi that began in 2013 following debrisclearing. To the left is the district of Ando, with its fishing jetty
protruding into the harbor; across the Kozuchi River to the right isNobematsu, now connected by a temporary span that replaced theoriginal bridge and its six-meter high floodgates.

THE PLAN TO BUILD the huge seawall – favored by Tokyo
bureaucrats, but with the responsibility in the hands of theprefecture – has yet to get underway. Strong doubts havebeen expressed about its usefulness in protecting the town
against future, perhaps even larger, tsunami. Critics also saythat any concrete structure of this kind will deteriorate andrequire replacement in 50 years, which will mean anotherhuge outlay of tax money. They prefer an enhanced systemof tsunami alerts and evacuation routes, which are alreadyincluded in the master plan for central Otsuchi.
In particular, opposition was voiced by the fisheries folk in
Akahama, which is also home to Tokyo University’s International Coastal Research Center (ICRC). Akahama also has awalkway to Horaijima, an islet known to most Japanese froma popular 1960s NHK puppet program Hyokkori Hyotan-jimathat featured a popular theme song. Many of its residents werelost in the 2011 tsunami, opponents said, because the earlier
seawall at 6.5 meters had blocked their view of the “drawback”– receding water from the harbor that preceded the onslaught– that would have alerted them to seek higher ground. In theiropinion, a seawall 14.5 meters high would just make such
future situations even worse.
Opponents had their point made for them with the release
MARCH 2016

FCCJ

in April, 2015, of a documentary by
struction and a reduction in suchdirector Haruko Konishi, titled Akafunds for the next five-year phasehama Rock’n Roll. The film makes afrom fiscal 2016, this only added tostrong case for the more traditional
their pessimism.
fishery environment rather than
Despite these negatives, one ofa high seawall. Even Akie Abe, theour family members, a brother-inprime minister’s wife, expressed
law in his mid-60s who spent most
sympathy for the opponents’ causeof his adult life in Tokyo, returned
at a UN Disaster Prevention Conferto Otsuchi after retiring in 2015. Heence in Sendai last year, according
now works part time to supplement
to newspaper reports.
his retirement income while looking
After losing almost 10 percent offor new opportunities in his homeits 15,239 citizens to the tsunami
town. So far he has found none.
(one of the largest losses among theStill, all is not lost, and perhaps
affected towns), Otsuchi’s populathe long-range planning of Ikarigation continues to drop. In fact, it
wa’s experts, representing central
had fallen by 23.2 percent by theand prefectural governments as
end of 2015, according to a reportwell as academia and knowledgein Asahi Shimbun. This is far andable locals, will see a new dawnaway the largest decrease among
ing in Otsuchi. But he won’t be in athe coastal communities affected
position to lead it. Difficulties withby the tsunami, with the next highhis master plan’s implementation
est being Rikuzentakata at 15.2
eventually led to his defeat in thepercent. The reasons were various.
August 2015 election. His victoriSome former residents who had
ous opponent, Kozo Hirano, ran on
evacuated to inland towns just opta platform calling for a review of the
ed not to return to the gutted complanned reconstruction projects.
Before and the aftermath
munity. But the biggest hit came
In addition to the slow but ongoTop, the author’s wife Atsuko and sister-in-law, Noriko,from the post-tsunami exodus ofing recovery of the fisheries, posihiking in 2009 with Otsuchi harbor and bay in theyounger people looking for work ortive signs include the revival of
background. Above, Charles’ No. 1 Shimbun feature onschooling elsewhere.
the old railway line by Sanriku
Otsuchi in the April 2011 earthquake special.
Aside from cleanup and landfill
Railways in 2021 and the complework and rebuilding, long-term jobs
tion of the new Sanriku coastalthat can help persuade locals to stay are in short supply to thisexpressway in 2022. Both will make Otsuchi more accessible
day. Although the partially recovered fishery industry continfor commerce and tourism as well as much easier to live in,ues to offer opportunities, these jobs seem to offer little appeal
especially for students who had pleaded for a return of thefor the younger generation. And though MAST – Otsuchi’srailway to enable commuting to schools in other towns. This
major shopping center that attracted many residents of surshould also increase the town’s attraction for families withrounding communities – reopened in December 2011, its conschool-age children.
sumer base began eroding after 2013 as a result of increasing
competition from shopping centers in nearby towns, espeOUR HOME WAS AMONG the 3,359 in Otsuchi destroyed bycially the Aeon shopping center in nearby Kamaishi.
the tsunami. My wife Atsuko and I plan to begin rebuilding in
Driving home the reality of a shrinking population was
2018 on our small parcel of land at the southern edge of thethe merger of three elementary schools in April 2013. Today,
central district, which will allow us to continue our retireOtsuchi has become a town occupied mostly by retirees andment that began there in 2004. It will again put us within atransient workers.
five-minute walk of the family gravesite at Dainenji, and give
us easy access to that mountain’s scenic hiking trail.
TO ENCOURAGE REBUILDING IN Otsuchi, government subsiSadly, we will no longer be joined on these hikes by ourdies totaling ¥5 million are on offer to qualifying families.
favorite companion, Atsuko’s elder sister, Noriko, who had
But no rebuilding can take place in the town center until 2018,
lived nearby. She and her husband, Yuji, were both lost to theand those who want to build in other areas face escalatingtsunami. Her remains were not identified until August of 2011
construction costs. That is assuming, of course, that a conand his were never found. The addition of her ashes to thestruction company can be found, for even local governmentsfamily gravesite has made our visits for the annual Obon Budare having difficulty in obtaining bids for their projects.
dhist observances even more poignant.
Costs have been rising not only from demand in the stricken
Half of our neighbors were also lost to the tsunami and,areas of Sanriku, but also from the general upgrading of theapparently, none among the surviving families will return. So
national infrastructure by the Abe administration, a situation
we will start afresh with new neighbors, but bedrock support
further aggravated by the decision to hold the 2020 Summer
from Atsuko’s brother and other relatives as well as friends
Olympics in Tokyo.
dating back to her childhood.
These developments have fed growing cynicism among
And with any luck, some of our favorite local shops willsurvivors all along the Sanriku coast. Many sense they arerestart their businesses. In particular, I would like to see thebeing abandoned, or at least having their futures downgradreappearance of Akabu Sakaya, which made it a point to keep
ed in favor of other government projects. These feelings
my favorite gin and vermouth in stock. ❶have only increased following the decision to hold the OlymCharles Pomeroy retired from journalism 12 years ago. He is thepics. And when the central government recently announced
author of Tsunami Reflections—Otsuchi Remembered.
an end to the intensive five-year phase of Tohoku reconFCCJ

MARCH 2016

9

FEATURE
FIVE YEARSThe government’s energy policy is in the midst of asea change, as it shifts away from nuclear-generated
power to a coal-based industry.

Is coalthe answer
to Japan’s
nuclear aversion?
by GAVIN BLAIR

T

he five years since
the triple meltdowns
atFukushima
Daiichihave seen a major shift in Japaneseenergy policy. While some had hopedthat shift would be one toward a brave newworld of safe, clean, renewable energy, the reality has been an inching back to nuclear and a rush in
the direction of old king coal.
Though international pressure has recently grown for amove away from coal due to its high carbon emissions, thereality is that it is still responsible for generating 40 percent
of electricity globally. Coal’s share of total energy supply isjust under 30 percent, though being the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel means it is responsible for 44 percent of CO2
emissions. Coal mining also leads to thousands of deaths
worldwide each year through accidents and lung disease,with tens of thousands more attributed to its burning forheat and electricity generation.
While the U.K. has announced it will eliminate coal frompower generation by 2025 and the U.S. has plans to drastically curtail it, Japan is building dozens of new coal-fired power
stations and investing heavily in overseas mining and generation projects. The deregulation of the domestic electricity
industry that is coming into effect in April will increase competition and looks set to give coal a further boost.
With most of Japan’s nuclear reactors likely to remain
offline for years to come, the government has made a deliberate policy shift in favor of coal, which – according to environmental groups – means it will fail to meet its targets for carbon emission reductions. The government and major power
utilities point to the efficiency and relatively lower emissionsof new Japanese coal technology, which they are also promoting for export, and claim there is no alternative given the
nuclear-generation shortfall.
On Feb. 9, in a move that drew fire from opponents, Japan’s
Ministry of the Environment (MOE) approved the construc10

tionof
new coalfired power
plants on theconditionthatemission standards are
met. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
and the Ministry of the Environment,
which will set standards and assess emissions, said they will
require stricter controls, but it is clearly a huge policy U-turn.
The environment ministry had previously rejected applications for a series of coal-fired plants. The Basic Energy
Plan announced last summer called for a cut in the amountof coal-generated energy from 30.3 percent to 26 percent by
2030. The plan also called for an expansion of power fromrenewables to around 23 percent, with a similar percentage
to come from nuclear; power from Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)
was meant to fall from 43.2 percent to 27. Now, however, withboth the restart of reactors and the development of renewables moving slowly, an upwards revision of coal’s shareseems unavoidable.
Last year saw record imports of more than 114 million
tons of coal, up 4.8 percent from 2014 and almost double
the amount recorded at the turn of the century. Meanwhile,
LNG imports dropped 3.9 percent to 85 million tons, the firstdecline since the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Plant mothballed the nation’s nuclear reactors.
According to Japanese NGO Kiko Network, there are now
47 new coal-fired plants at various stages of planning andconstruction across the country, with more likely in the near
future. This is ushering in “the beginning of a new era forcoal power plants,” says Kiko’s international director Kimiko
Hirata. Contrary to the ministries’ statements about raisingemission standards, Hirata maintains that “environmental
assessments have been weakened” and that incentives havebeen created to stimulate the building of new coal plants, in
MARCH 2016

FCCJ

what she calls “a clear reversal of government policy.”
Current state-of-the-art Japanese coal power plants produce
around 800 grams of CO2 emissions per kilowatt hour (kWh) ofelectricity generated – an industry standard measurement –says Hirata. The newer IGCC plants, which gasify coal, cut thatto around 700gm/kWh, but that is still “around double that of
LNG plants,” according to Hirata. “Using coal is incompatible
with the long-term goals of the recent Paris climate agreement, and these plants will be in operation for 40 years.”
Along with most other commodities, the price of coal has
collapsed, almost halving over the last five years, increasing
its appeal to the utilities and the government. “It is true thatthe drop in fuel prices is one of the reasons why we are making a profit recently,” says a spokesperson from Tepco, whichcurrently operates four coal-fired generators and is building
more. “While all of the nuclear power plants are shut down,
coal power plants are in operation at full capacity except during inspections or repair because they are more fuel-efficientthan natural gas-fired or oil-fired power plants.”
Environmental campaigners point out that the price of lower-emission LNG has fallen even more dramatically than coal.
Aside from straightforward price considerations, Japanese companies are deeply involved in the coal industry
overseas, through both mining joint ventures and supplying
equipment and technology, programs that are often backed
by government loans. “There are long-standing supply relationships with overseas projects – and the trading houses
are heavily invested in coal,” says Tom O’Sullivan, a Tokyobased energy consultant at Mathyos. “They probably won’t
get off that unless they’re pushed.”
Japan invested around $25 billion in overseas coal plants,
technology and mining between 2007 and 2014, according
to a report issued jointly last year by The Natural Resources
Defense Council, Oil Change International and the WWF. That accounts
for around a quarter of international
funding in the coal power sector andmakes Japan by far the biggest overseas supporter at a time when othercountries are continuing to disinvest.
Japanese policy is aimed at bothsecuring supply for the domestic
market and selling advanced coaltechnology overseas. “They are targeting developing countries – Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia – to export
clean coal tech. Abenomics is predicated on exports, so this is
one area of opportunity,” says O’Sullivan.
Last November, OECD countries reached agreement toseverely restrict export financing of coal power plants,
despite objections from Japan. However, the restrictions only
cover around 10 percent of Japan-funded projects, according
to Yuki Tanabe, researcher at the Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES). “About 90 percent
of Japan’s financing is in joint-venture projects, which are
not affected. That’s why the government went along with thedeal,” says Tanabe.
Most of the funding is done through the Japan Bank forInternational Cooperation (JBIC) in the form of loans, risk
guarantees and insurance, which are effectively public subsidies for coal, suggests Tanabe.
JACSES has an ongoing dialogue on the issue with the Ministry of Finance, but the official line is that rather than facilitating the use of fossil fuels, Japan is helping reduce emissions. “Because Japanese coal technology is more efficientthan Chinese, the government’s position is that it’s being
pro-environment by exporting it,” says Tanabe.

JBIC is also developing plans to support the export of Japanese nuclear-power technology, according to Tanabe, after
a hiatus following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. In
December, Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi signed a memorandum on cooperation between the two
Asian nations on nuclear energy. Environmental organizations, including JACSES and Kiko Network, oppose the development of nuclear power plants, whether in Japan or abroad,arguing the risks of accidents and issues with disposal of
spent fuel outweigh the benefit of close-to-zero emission
electricity generation.
The target of 22 percent of domestic electricity generated via
nuclear by 2030 would require around 20 plants in Japan coming back online, according to O’Sullivan of Mathyos. He predicts that while there will be no new reactors built, the present
reactors’ lives will be extended, despite safety concerns.
Tepco is currently working toward the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s largest nuclear-power station, its
seven reactors being the company’s only remaining operable units. “For the restart, we will accurately respond to
the review [by regulators] with safety as a top priority, while
proceeding by putting our best efforts into sincere explanations about safety concerns from local residents,” said the
Tepco spokesperson.
This April will see a shake-up of Japan’s ¥7.5 trillion electricity retail market – with similar plans for the gas market scheduled for next year – designed to end the monopoly of the 10
regional utilities. Tepco expects “tougher competition in the
Kanto region . . . the most attractive area for electricity suppliers.” Globally, long-term results have varied for deregulation,
pushing up prices in some countries, reducing it in others. In
the short term though, fiercer price competition looks inevitable. Approximately 200 companies and entities (including
local municipalities) have applied forlicenses related to generation and distribution, according to O’Sullivan.
Surveys of Japanese customers
have found they will be overwhelmingly focused on the price of electricity when choosing new suppliers,
with little interest in how it is generated. Kiko Network’s Hirata notesthat “there are no mandatory measures to make new companies disclose their power source”
and says the “political signal is to reduce prices.”
So, in spite of public concerns over restarting reactors andclimate change, consumer choices after deregulation look set
to increase generation from nuclear and coal-fired plants.
The falling population and workforce, along with the ongoing offshoring of manufacturing, mean electricity demand inJapan is likely to continue falling. Power generation in 2015
fell to 866.26 billion kilowatt hours, the fifth straight yearof decline and lowest level since 1998. However, a shrinking
market full of new players will likely be even more competitive on price, driving up demand for coal-fired power andincreasing pressure to restart idled nuclear reactors.
Kiko Network’s solution calls for a mix of energy efficiency,
increasing the share of renewables and a shift from coal to LNG.
The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC)
has a target of a 35 percent cut in the nation’s CO2 emissions
by 2030, though many of its member companies are involvedin building new coal-fired plants. The FEPC didn’t respond to arequest for comment on how it aims to achieve this. ❶“Because Japanese coaltechnology is efficient,
the government’s
position is that it’s being
pro-environment.”

FCCJ

MARCH 2016

Gavin Blair covers Japanese business, society and culture forpublications in America, Asia and Europe.

11

BE PREPAREDRADIATION READINGSThe Tokyo government is preparing residents for a major earthquake– with some sage advice and a little help from a rhinoceros.

Some Tohoku high school kids began radiation monitoring of
their daily surroundings – and got some surprising results.

When the big one comes

Fukushima students turnto science, shun hysteria

by GEOFF TUDOR

by JULIAN RYALLA FRIEND WHO LIVES in a village close
to my home in the Vale of Chichibu,
some 80km northwest of Tokyo,
was recently approached by a realestate agent who had a client seeking
a country retreat: “Would she beinterested in selling her house?”
It transpired that the client was
looking for a safe haven in caseof a future Tokyo earthquake.
Chichibu’s mountainous
geological formations are rocksolid, unlike the wobbly partsof reclaimed Tokyo prone toliquefaction. Although quakes
are not unknown in this scenic
valley, the risk of major damage isconsidered to be slight. Just how
serious was this house-hunting?
There was no need to look far.
“It is predicted that there
is a 70 percent possibility ofan earthquake directly hitting
Tokyo in the next 30 years. Are
you prepared?” So reads theintroduction to Tokyo Bosai – Disaster
Preparedness Tokyo – a 340-pagemanual from the city government’s
Disaster Prevention Division publishedlast September.
It is a comprehensive guide to how
to react to disasters striking Tokyo,
including typhoons and volcanic
eruptions. (A little-known fact isthat there are 21 active volcanoes in
the Tokyo Metropolitan area.) But
the emphasis of the bright yellow
paperback volume is on earthquake
preparedness, survival tips andessential information you should know
before the event.
Geoff Tudor writes for Orient Aviation,
Hong Kong.
12

A staggering 7.35 million copies
of Tokyo Bosai have already been
distributed to Tokyo citizens, including
about 30,000 copies in English.
Of special value are sections
covering four basic essentials
including stockpiling supplies,
preparation inside the home,

preparation outside the home andpreparation through communication
with neighbors.
There are lists of recommended
items for stockpiling at home andfor preparing emergency bags forindividuals, plus tips on how to makeemergency toilets and adapt the sizeof batteries to fit different appliances.
Newspapers can be useful too, to makebedding. Journalists might be glad tofind another use for newsprint, apartfrom wrapping fish and chips.
Inevitably, I suppose, there is a
Disaster Preparedness Tokyo character– Bosai the rhinoceros. Bosai is
Japanese for disaster preparedness
and sai is the word for rhinoceros. He
appears throughout the manual, andThe disaster preparedness mascot, top;
ways of using newspaper to keep warm
post-disaster, above; and a frame fromthe book's manga, below.
if you flick the pages in the bottom
right-hand corner, you’ll see ananimated Bosai reminding people tobe prepared.
In general, the tone of thetext is very straightforward
and almost reassuring. But two
sections in particular caught
my attention.
On pages 72 through 76 are
moving interviews given by
survivors of the earthquakes
in Kobe in 1995 and Tohoku
in 2011, conveying theirexperiences and in somecases, recommendations.
And the back of the bookfeatures a 14-page manga
treatment of Tokyo X Day, bywriter/artist Kaiji Kawaguchi,
which depicts the great quake tocome in dramatic drawings.
Ominously, the caption on the title
page reads: “This is not a ‘what if’story. One of these days, this story issure to become reality.”
So, be prepared. Chichibu, anyone? ❶PDF versions in English, Chinese andKorean can be downloaded free ofcharge from these sites:www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/GUIDE/BOSAI/index.htm
www.metro.tokyo.jp/CHINESE/GUIDE/BOSAI/index.htm
www.metro.tokyo.jp/KOREAN/GUIDE/BOSAI/index.htm
The book is also available in the Club library
MARCH 2016

FCCJ

HARUKA ONODERA MAY ONLY be aforced to leave their homes within ateenage high-school student, but an
20-kilometer exclusion zone imposed
experiment that she initiated hasaround the plant, turning communities
convinced her that when it comessuch as Naraha and Tomioka into
to the accident at the Fukushima
ghost towns. Five years on, theDaiichi nuclear plant, scientifically
government has declared its efforts
proven facts trump panic-stricken
to decontaminate many of the villages
proclamations that we are all doomed.
around the plant to be a success and is
A pupil at Fukushima High School,
encouraging people to return.
Onodera is one of a group of students
There is understandable reluctance
who set out to monitor their exposure
to trust the word of the authorities,
to radiation in the aftermath of the
however, which makes independent,
crisis. With thepeer-reviewed
subsequentstudies – suchassistance ofas the one
Ryugo Hayano,by Onodera,
a professor inwhich hasthe Physics
been printed
Department atin thethe University
journal of theof Tokyo, theSociety forinvestigation
Radiologicaltook on anProtection
international– moreHaruka Onodera and Ryugo Hayano at the Club
dimension
important.
as students in France, Belarus andConducted over two weeks in
Poland were also invited to record
2014, students at six high schools intheir daily exposure levels.
Fukushima Prefecture and a further
In results that may come as asix schools across the rest of Japansurprise to some, the research bywere issued personal dosimetersthe 216 students showed that the
known as D-shuttles. Worn around theindividual external doses that students
neck or placed beside the students'
in Fukushima Prefecture are currently
beds at night, the devices measured
being exposed to are “well within thehourly dose rates and, combined withterrestrial background radiation levels
personal activity journals, permittedof other regions.”
the students carrying out the study to“There have been various opinions
determine hourly and total exposure
among the students about ourto radioactivity, as well as locations
investigation, but the one thing
where they were exposed to thethat we share is the importance ofgreatest amounts of radiation.
basing our judgments on objective
On closer examination, the figures
facts,” Onodera said at a February
showed that Onodera was exposed topress conference at the FCCJ. “Withgreater amounts of radiation at her
this information, I believe that eachhome – a largely wooden structure
person can evaluate their own risk
– than at her school, which is madeand take measures,” she said. “Butof reinforced concrete and serves
making a judgment based on scientific
to shield her. The devices were later
facts is the best way of improving theprovided to 40 students in Paris, 28
situation.” That is not, however, to play
pupils in Poland and 12 in Belarus.
down the severity of the situation at“The data shows that the dosethe plant, 225 kilometers northeast of
rates were almost equal in all areas,”
Tokyo, she said.
Onodera said, exhibiting the team’s
Some 160,000 people were initiallyresearch in a series of diagrams. “TheFCCJMARCH 2016

results show that the distribution of
the exposure is almost the same within
Fukushima Prefecture as elsewhere in
Japan and overseas.”
The data showed that results weresimilar for the extrapolated annual
doses, meaning that students inFukushima Prefecture – although,significantly, the study was not able
to monitor rates in the exclusion zone
around the plant – are exposed to thesame amount of radiation as students
in Nara and Kanagawa prefectures, aswell as in Paris, Corsica, Warsaw and
the Belarusian city of Gomel.
When a group of the European
students travelled to Japan to visit
Fukushima Prefecture, the dramatic
spikes on their dosimeter readings were
due to passing through airport security
scanners and the flight to Japan.
So why, nearly five years after thedisaster, are radiation levels in thevast majority of northeast Japan backwithin normal levels? “Mostly, thisis due to the decay of cesium 134,
which has a half-life of two years
and was the dominant contributor inthose early stages,” said Prof. Hayano.
“Decontamination work must havecontributed to some extent, but the
decay of the cesium 134 is the biggest
factor. The remaining contamination
is from cesium 137, which has a halflife of 30 years, so this will be there formany more years.
“Fortunately,” Hayano pointed
out, “the natural background levelsof radiation in Fukushima frompotassium, uranium and thorium arenaturally low, so even with the added
contribution from the cesium, overalllevels remain at about the same level asother parts of the world.”
The professor also displayed a hintof irritation in response to a question
about his optimism. “It is unfortunatethat the power plant carries the
Fukushima name because any time thatanyone used that word, it has come tomean the power plant,” he said. “Thesituation there is not the same as in thehigh schools, the cities, the rest of theprefecture. We need to be careful how
we use the word Fukushima.
“We are not declaring that the wholeof Fukushima is completely safe, but
I would say that people living in areas
outside the 20-kilometer exclusion zone
can lead a normal life,” he added. ❶[The study can be found at
http://iopscience.iop.org/
article/10.1088/0952-4746/36/1/49]
Julian Ryall is Japan correspondent for
the Daily Telegraph.
13

SERIESPROFILE

Shiuan Sheng Fang
by SUVENDRINI KAKUCHI

A

two days after the disaster scrambling for news in the chaos, realizing how ill-prepared he was to cover such a majordisaster. As the radiation threat spread, he was ordered toreturn to Tokyo by his company and stayed in the city whilecollecting information. “Getting real data and quotes was a
problem for foreign reporters in Japan during that time,” hesays. He emphasized that the FCCJ was a beacon for him atthat time.
Still, for Shiuan, the most importantangle in his stories was the huge donations that had begun pouring in from his
homeland. In fact, tiny Taiwan, along with
the U.S., topped the list of foreign contributions to Japan – pouring almost US$3
billion in humanitarian aid through the
Red Cross and other organizations.
He was determined to give the generous
Taiwanese public as much information as
possible about how their money was spentin the disaster areas, and a regular themein Shiuan’s stories was the deep appreciation expressed by the disaster survivors
who had received the aid. “Their sincerity and smiles when I interviewed themtouched me deeply,” he explains. He continued to find and file positive stories,
contrasting with the tragedy and despairthat surrounded him. His reports from
Iwate, Fukushima and Sendai where he spoke to Taiwanese
doctors, volunteers and organizations, conveyed the struggle
for survival that he found all around him. “Taiwanese people,
who also face natural disasters in their country, are spontaneously willing to help others. Reaching out to each otherduring a tragedy is a natural social trait. Yet even I was surprised at how much they were willing to give to help,” says
Shiuan.
The story he told his audience in Taiwan during the firstyear after the disaster was
the importance of foreign aid
to resilience and recovery.
“In my reporting I learned
an important lesson which
I made sure was expressedin my stories – people werecoming together in Japan and were working together to help
the survivors and rebuild the devastation. I felt the world
was one,” he says.
Now Shiuan is collecting survivor viewpoints on the recovery progress and efforts to overcome the drastic changes intheir lives, especially in areas close to the Fukushima nuclear
plant. As a journalist, his stories will have to reach an audience saturated with glossy popular themes. Taiwanese youth
love Japanese ramen, pop stars and fashion. Shiuan competes against this trend. “I want to tell in-depth stories on the
IN 2001 HE ARRIVED here once again as Tokyo corresponTohoku disaster on television
dent, and still remains. The bigSuvendrini Kakuchi is a correspondent for the UK-basedthat make people think forgest story filed after his return
University World News, with a focus on higher education issues.
themselves. This is the mission
was the triple disaster of March
She is president of the FCCJ.
of true journalism,” he said. ❶2011. He travelled to Fukushimas with many Tokyo-based foreign correspondents, it
was a strong interest in Japan that led Shiuan Sheng
Fang and his journalism career to this country. Bornin Taipei, Shiuan attended Taiwan’s World Journalism University, a leading school that has produced many of Taiwan’s best
scribes. He took a landmark step when – instead of taking
the normal path of getting a job in Taipei – Shiuan applied to
Sophia University in Tokyo. “I wanted to
study Japanese journalism because I had astrong interest in the media,” he says. “Myfriends in Taiwan were going to the U.S.
for further study but I decided to stay in
Asia and learn something different.”
At Sophia, Shiuan gained a deep insight
into the Japanese media, an industry hefeels is “unique.” He refers to the pressclub system for gathering news, something that he finds starkly different toother countries. He also points to themarketing strategy where the newspaper companies, representing some of theworld’s most lucrative circulations, maintain these figures mostly because of theirlinks to professional baseball teams.
Shiuan also views the way Japanesejournalists are treated as salarymen –faithful servants to a company where
loyaltyandseniority
aredeeplyentrenched in the management systems – as unique.
After completing his four-year degree in journalism, Shiuan returned to Taipei to join China TV, the country’s largest broadcaster. While learning the ropes of journalism in thefield, Shiuan – who had an edge over his colleagues because of
his Japanese knowledge – was soon recognized by his bosses
as the best reporter on East Asia. In 1990 he achieved his lifelong ambition to be sent to Japan as Tokyo correspondent.
The big topics he covered were the April 1994 China Airlines
crash in Nagoya and Japan’stense East Asia relations.
“The work was quite grueling because of the investigative
work I had to do,” recalls Shiuan.
“When I look back now I realize
I was covering a different Japanto what I see now.” At first, his coverage focused on Japan asa much-admired economic leader in Asia. Later, however, his
reporting began to focus on how the country was struggling
with the long recession and the problems that marked the endof Japan’s much-admired postwar growth. Telling this story toreaders in Taiwan who had so much respect for Japan requireda sensitive analysis, says Shiuan. In 1995 he returned to a desk
job at his company’s Taipei headquarters.
ANDREW POTHECARY“When I look back now I realize
I was covering a different
Japan to what I see now.”

14

MARCH 2016

FCCJ

FCCJ

MARCH 201615

FCCJ EXHIBITION

CLUB NEWSSEEING GREENSThe FCCJ’s 70th Anniversary Year Golf
Tournament was held last Nov. 20 at the
U.S. Army’s Zama course (at a much morereasonable fee than comparative courses inJapan). First Vice President Peter Langan led agroup of 29 around the links on a beautiful fallday. Winner in the Regular Member category
was Duke Ishikawa, with Kiyotaka Yoshidataking the overall crown. In the women’scategory, Sachiko Mori walked off with theprize. The participants toasted the winners at alater event at the Club.

JOIN THE FILM COMMITTEE . . .

I LIVE IN THE town of Kamaishi in Iwate
Prefecture, in the Tohoku region ofJapan. When the great earthquake
struck on 3/11, five years ago, I
grabbed a camera and fled towards
the evacuation center located in the
grounds of the local junior high school,with the tsunami close on my heels.
From that day on, my family and I
began life as refugees.
Also from that day, I started to slip
out from the evacuation center earlyin the morning while most people
were still asleep, and walk through thedevastation wrought by the earthquake
and tsunami, photographing the various
sights until dusk fell. This became mydaily routine.
Five years have now passed since
I began to record everyday life –the turning of the seasons, various
traditional events and the gradualchanges that have taken place. Even
today, the situation is such that forvarious reasons a large number ofdisaster victims are forced to remain in
temporary housing.
I intend to continue to photographthe people as they strive to rebuild theirtowns and communities, showing themas they come together to enjoy local
festivals and folk entertainments, inorder to ensure that memories of thiscatastrophe do not fade away. ❶16. . . on Thurs., Mar. 17 for Lowlife Love, Eiji Uchida’s blackly comic exposé ofJapan’s no-budget film industry. In a recent Japan Times article about the reallife travails of SMAP and Becky, Mark Schilling wrote: “Eiji Uchida’s scabrous
new comedy about the struggles of a down-and-out indie film director, Lowlife
Love, confirms what I have known for years: Japanese show business can be
brutal to the weak or clueless. They end up used and discarded, like so many
human Kleenexes.” He went on to call the film “required viewing.” Based onsome of the more extreme incidents told to and witnessed by the acclaimed
writer-director, the film was produced by Adam Torel (Fukuchan of Fukufuku
Flats). Lowlife Love focuses on the desperate, misogynistic subculture ofcinematic strivers, and features another indelible performance by indie star
Kiyohiko Shibukawa, who will join Uchida and Torel for the Q&A.
(Japan, 2016; 110 minutes; Japanese with English subtitles)

Road to Recovery:
Five Years and Counting
by Shinpei Kikuchi

HEARD AT THE CLUB“Looking at corporate income and theenvironment of household income, we still
have grounds to say thatthe economy isgradually recovering.”
Masahiko Shibayama,
Special Advisor to thePrime Minister,
on the negative growthof the Oct.-Dec. quarter.
Feb. 24, 2016

Shinpei Kikuchi graduated from the Tokyo College of Photography and studied
under Tadashi Fujiwara at Photo Studio Fujiwara in Tokyo for 5 years. He returned
to Kamaishi in August 1975. After the death of his father he took over the Kikuchi
Photo Studio. His house/studio escaped total destruction on 3/11, but all his
photographic data was carried away by the tsunami. Since that time he has devoted
himself to producing a photographic record of the changes in the disaster area.

MARCH 2016

FCCJ

FCCJ

MARCH 201617

CLUB NEWS

New
Members

Discount LexisNexis
Subscriptions
for FCCJ Members

KAKUYA OGATA is the managing director of the International
Department of Kyodo News, which is in charge of Kyodo’s
foreign-language news services and global strategy. He joined
the company in April 1984 after graduating from Keio University.
Ogata was the Bonn bureau chief, concurrently serving ashead of the Berlin and Warsaw bureaus, and later served ascorrespondent at the Washington bureau, where he covered theWhite House and the State Department. He assumed his present
post in June 2015 after stints as deputy managing director of theDigital Operations Department and deputy managing director of
the Strategic Planning Office.

The FCCJ is pleased to offer
members a substantial discount on
subscriptions to LexisNexis’ news
database service, Nexis.com
The Members-only deal
allows for flat-rate access at¥7,900 per month – offering
big savings on a service that
normally costs ¥126,000 per month

PROFESSIONAL/JOURNALISTASSOCIATE MEMBER
Amy Chavez, Japan Times
REINSTATEMENT (P/JA)
Rinjiro Sodei, Hosei University

The service will be billed by theClub. The FCCJ benefits from all
subscriptions sold under thisarrangement.
Nexis provides access to news andinformation from more than 34,000
sources, including Kyodo News, Jiji,
Yonhap, Xinhua, AP, Reuters, AFP,
all major world newspapers andspecialist news sources. Also
included is a database of U.S. andinternational company information,
biographical databases, country
profiles and a U.S. legal database.

For those already in on the secret,the application form is available
on the FCCJ website or from the
19F Club office.

REGULAR MEMBERS

JUNO KONDO is currently the executive director of Kyodo
News in charge of international strategy, digital services, sports
data and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Kondo joined thecompany in April 1979 after graduating from Waseda University.
Much of his career has been in positions at bureaus overseas,
including stints as bureau chief in Nicosia, Phnom Penh, Bangkok
and London. Prior to assuming his present position in June 2013,
he was deputy head of the Organizational and Systemic Reform
Implementation Headquarters, chief of the Audio-Visual News
Center, and one of the deputy managing editors of the News
Section.

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Rachi higaishatachi omigoroshi ni shita Abe
Shinzo to reiketsu namenmenToru Hasuike
Kodansha
Gift from Toru Hasuike
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sekai ni hirui naki nihon
bunkaHenry Scott-Stokes ;Hideaki Kase; Hiroyuki
Fujita (trans.)
Shodensha
Gift from Hiroyuki Fujita
Ogata Taketora to CIA:
Amerika kobunsho ga
kataru hoshu seijika no
jitsuzo
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Heibonsha
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Kyodo Tsushin news
yotei, 2016
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Henshukyoku
Yotei Senta ed.
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Gift from Takeshi Fujita(Kyodo News)The Republic of China
Yearbook, 2015.
Department ofInformation Services,
Executive Yuan (Comp.)
The Executive Yuan,
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Gift from Taipei
Economic and Cultural
Representative Office(Japan)Daughters of theSamurai: A Journey from
East to West and Back
Janice P. Nimura
W.W. Norton & Company

Flowers That Kill:
Communicative Opacity
in Political Spaces
Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney
Stanford University Press
A Handbook for Travellers
in Japan (reproduction of
the 3rd ed.)
Revised and for the mostpart re-written, by BasilHall Chamberlain and W.
B. Mason.
John Murray
Rediscovering Rikyu andthe Beginnings of theJapanese Tea Ceremony
Herbert Plutschow
Global Oriental
Kokkai benran, 139
editionShuhari Initiative Ltd.

MARCH 2016

FCCJ