Annex 5Questions and Answers from the Fukushima Prefecture
December 15, 2011
Human Rights Now
Human Rights Now (HRN) made telephone inquiries to departments of the Fukushima
government from November 30 to December 5 of 2011 and obtained the followinganswers. HRN sent a written summary of the answers to the Fukushima government andfinalized it by reflecting corrections made by the government. The content of thisdocument has been confirmed to be accurate by the Fukushima government as ofDecember 15, 2011.

1. Safety of Food
<Q: For each region where food is produced, data on the levels of radiation detected inrice, vegetables and other products is published in the newspaper on a daily basis.
How is food test sampling determined, and what kind of detection equipment is used tomeasure the amount of radiation?

Also, who is in charge of the actual inspections? >＜Answer from Environment Conservation and Agriculture Division on November 3＞
The monitoring is conducted jointly by the government and the prefecture, where theprefecture is in charge of sample inspections (although the exact department depends on
the item in question.)
The majority of detected values are examined at Fukushima Agricultural Technology
Center in Koriyama city. Germanium semiconductor detectors are used to perform theinspections.
<Q: What is the sampling protocol that your division follows to perform emergency
radiation inspection of your rice? ><Answer from the Crop Production Division on December 1>
Fukushima city (Kyu-Oguni-mura,) is one of the areas under emergency inspection, andthere, we inspect all bags of rice harvested at each rice farm by taking one sample out ofeach bag (30kg.) Also, in areas designated as Specific Areas Recommended forEvacuation, including (three cities), the rule is to examine one sample per household.
In the event that a single farm ships more than 50 bags, we test an extra sample forevery 50 bags. Also, we have decided to carry out further inspections in areas whereradiation was detected in rice during the monitoring process (29 municipalities), and weare currently considering the method of performing those sample inspections.
<Q: What is the sampling protocol your division follows to monitor radiation invegetables? ><Answer from Horticulture Division on December 1>
We conduct pre-shipment inspections on every item. The Horticultural Division
determines the items, the location of sampling, and point-based rating for the sample
inspection, and then notifies the regional offices of the prefecture. Regional offices
work with each municipality to determine the vegetables to be inspected. Staff of theFukushima Prefecture visit specified fields (approximately 5 to 10) and take 600g to1kg of vegetables as a sample which is then sent to them Fukushima Agricultural
Technology Center. Then, the sample is examined by the staff at the center.
<Q: What is your sampling protocol your division follows for monitoring radiation inmushrooms and sansai (Japanese culinary “mountain vegetables” including fern andparsley sprouts)? ><Answer from Forestry Promotion Division on December 1>
In order to avoid bias regarding the regions from which the samples are taken, it is thePrefecture which determines items and regions for the inspections. In general, theminimum amount per sample is at least 500g.
Artificially cultivated mushrooms: The Prefecture is in charge of the inspection.

Ingeneral, a 500g sample is taken, without bias, from each producer. While the production

amount varies with the producer (production can range from several hundreds to ten
thousands products), the quantity of the sample taken is always 500g.
Wild mushrooms: The prefecture frequently acquires samples from people who arefamiliar with mountain or from those who sell wild mushrooms in produce stands.
Sometimes local officials with knowledge of mountains conduct the sampling. We
usually ask for at least 300g as a sample, but sometimes this cannot be provided. In suchcases, we ask for at least 200g.
Sansai ("Mountain vegetables"): Samples are taken by people who are familiar with themountains or by local officials. There is no set standard for sampling, but in avoid anybias, we take samples from clusters of mountain vegetables. We take 300-500g ofsample.
< Q: What is the sampling protocol your division follows to monitor radiation in marine
products? >< Answer from Fisheries Division on December 1>
In general, we carry out inspections once a week by taking roughly 100 products as asample. The samples are examined at Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center.
Sea-surface inspection
The marine area of Fukushima Prefecture is divided into nine sections and we takesamples from a different section each week. Using fishing gear, we take several
hundreds of samples of small fish and one or two samples of big fish. For the samples,
we take the parts of the fish consumed by humans. Because cesium accumulates inmuscles, the muscles are taken from fish whose bones are not consumed; if the internalorgans are consumed, then the internal organs would also be sampled.
Departments in charge of sampling
1. Prefecture (which handles less than 50 percent of the sample inspections usingresearch ships)
2. Japan Fisheries Cooperative Association (JFCA) (JFCA asks its subordinate body,Japan Fisheries Cooperative, to take samples. The prefecture acquires the samples fromJFCA.)
Inland water
1. Rivers and lakes
Samples are taken by using cast nets, gill nets, and fishing poles. The Japan Fisheries
Cooperative is to asked to make sure that it takes samples from various rivers. Ingeneral, sampling is carried out in each river once a month.

Large rivers are examined

as needed.
2. Aquafarm
We choose one farm from each municipality for the sampling and notify the farm before
we take samples.
The way fish parts are determined for sampling is the same as with sea-surface
inspections.
< Q: What is the sampling protocol your division follows to monitor radiation inprocessed food? >< Answer from Food Sanitation Division, Social Health & Welfare Department on
December 1)
The Prefectural Public Health Institute measures radiation levels using three
Germanium semiconductor detectors. We conduct an inspection at each place ofproduction and manufacturing factory and take 500g as a sample from each item. The
inspection standard is very strict because it is based on the Food Sanitation Act (whichhas been implemented before the accident). We request a voluntary recall or sales
restraint for processed food products whose level of radiation exceeds the provisional
limit.
<Q：Does Fukushima Prefecture have a monitoring system to check the accuracy ofradiation inspection of food? ><Answer from Environment Conservation and Agricultural Division on November 30>

The inspection system is set up as follows.
1. Regarding the accuracy of measured values, the staff of the Fukushima AgriculturalTechnology Center, which is itself in charge of taking the measurements, is responsiblefor validating the values.
2. After validation at the center, the Off-site Center briefly checks the values.
<Answer from a staff at Off-site Center, December 1>
The Off-site Center does not perform on-site examinations. We check the measured
values only for numerical errors such as extreme values (for example, 10,000 Bq).
< Q: How many and what kind of inspection machines is the Prefecture using for theinspection? Are there any plans to use anything additional? ><Answer from Environment Conservation and Agriculture Division on December 1>
The information about the installation of inspection machines is as follows (as ofNovember 18.)
The number of Germanium semiconductor detectors
Fukushima Prefecture: 27 (The breakdown is described below.)
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishery Department: 12 [10 at Fukushima Agricultural
Technology Center (4 of those are borrowed from Minister of Economy, Trade andIndustry,) 2 at Fishery Experiment Center (which are expected to be installed by
the end of 2011).
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Centre: 10
Fukushima Institute for Public Health: 3
Fukushima Technology Centre (High Tech Plaza): 2 (Koriyama:1, Aizu: 1)
The number of simple radioactivity measuring devices (NaI scintillation detector γ-rayspectrometer)
Fukushima Prefecture:17 (The breakdown is described as below.)
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishery Department:16 (installed around the prefecture)
Consumer Empowerment Center:1 (used when citizens bring in items forinspections)2. Radiation Measurement<Q: HRN received comments from residents in Fukushima and Koriyama city claimingthat “the government does not measure radiation in this area even though the levels arehigh” and that “the government does not categorize the area as evacuation area eventhough the radiation levels actually exceed 20mSv per year.” Who is responsible formeasuring the radiation, the prefecture or the municipalities? ><Answer from Monitoring Team, Fukushima Nuclear Emergency Response
Headquarters on December 1>
Given that the nuclear power plant accident affected a wide area not just limited to theareas surrounding the power plant, it is the governmental organizations and theprefecture in coordination with the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Scienceand Technology (MEXT) who are conducting radiation measurement. In addition, somelocal municipalities carry out the measurement in response to residents’ requests. Eitherway, based on the results of the monitoring, Nuclear Emergency Response Headquartersof the government makes decisions based on radiation safeguarding measures, such as
the designation of evacuation areas, and gives instructions to local municipalities.
< Q: Has the prefecture set up a standard for selecting the locations subject tomeasurement? >< Answer >In the case of a nuclear disaster, we measure radiation using “monitoring posts”(devices that detect radiation) which are located around the nuclear power plant.
Additionally, the prefecture has decided to measure radiation levels at each of the 7
Development Bureaus. However, since the areas affected by the nuclear disaster had
expanded, the prefecture began measuring radiation on a day-to-day basis in locations
recognizable to residents, such as local municipal offices, in all municipalities.

< Q: Does the prefecture have a system in place to check radiation measurements
conducted by local municipalities? How are the results of the measurements disclosed
to residents? >< Answer>
The prefecture does not check the radiation measurements conducted by local
municipalities. However, it does encourage accurate measuring by holding seminars
about radiation measurement methods. Also, local municipalities publish the results of
their measurements on their website. They are not required to report the results to theprefecture and the prefecture does not publish the results on their behalf.
< Q: Does the government have a system in place to check the radiation measurements
conducted by the prefecture and local municipalities? >< Answer>
At this point in time, MEXT has set a policy for monitoring and created a manual forradiation measurements. In addition, all of the prefectures have endeavored to performaccurate measurements by taking part in the accuracy control projects of radiation
measurement organizations organized by MEXT. However, apart from thesemeasurements, the government has conducted accuracy control.

3.Health Examination< Q: HRN received complaints from residents in Fukushima and Koriyama city that
residents have not received official internal exposure examinations. How are theseinternal exposure exams progressing? It is recognized that, under the circumstances, theprefecture may be placing priority on the municipalities in the Coastal Region, but HRN
would also like to know what plans there are for performing examinations of internal
exposure. >< Answer from Local Medical Care Division on December 1 >Currently, the city is concerned that it would not be able to take prompt action regarding
inquiries about examinations due to the very limited number of whole-body counters.

(There are two counters in Fukushima Prefecture, and four in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Fukushima Prefecture plans to acquire five more counters by the end of March 2011.)
Therefore, the city has not established a consultation center nor published any schedulefor examinations. Furthermore, the priority for conducting examinations is given toFutaba country, which is designated as an evacuation area. The city is responding to theresidents’ needs by conducting examinations in Fukushima Prefecture as well as at a
research and development organization in Ibaraki Prefecture, and furthermore byoffering shuttle services for examinees.
Also, Fukushima Prefecture plans to purchase 7 more counters. In addition, since it has
been heard that each municipalities will also purchase a counter, the municipalities will
be asked to conduct examinations.
The examination itself usually takes five to six minutes per person. However, since weprovide extra instructions depending on the result (for example, to explain the units ofmeasurement), the number of people we can examine per day is about 40 to 50 people
per counter. The results of the examinations are published on the prefecture website.
< Q: What is a situation like regarding urine and thyroid testing? >< Answer from Fukushima Health Management Survey Office, Fukushima Medical
University on December 1>
A plan for thyroid testing has been established and published. Regarding urine testing,the city plans to conduct examinations in two ways as described below.
1. Urine testing will be offered as a second examination for residents who havebeen determined to require an extra examination in addition to the thyroid testing.
Regarding thyroid testing, the city has been conducting the first round of thyroid
ultrasound for residents of Fukushima Prefecture who were under the age of 18 at
the time of the incident (including residents who evacuated to other prefectures) inorder to confirm the current state of the problem. In 2010, the thyroid examination
was carried out in municipalities, including evacuation areas. For 2011, the cityplans to conduct these examinations in other municipalities until the end 2012.
After 2013, the city plans to conduct thyroid examination twice a year for theresidents under the age of 20, and once every five years for those who are 20 andolder.

2. Testing of occult blood in urine is to be conducted in addition to a regular
medical examination for residents in areas such as evacuation areas.
< Q: Are there any plans to conduct additional examinations, such as internal exposure,urine and thyroid, as part of the health examinations conducted at elementary,junior-high, and high schools in 2012? ><Answer from Fukushima Health Management Survey Office, Fukushima Medical
University on December 1 >Regarding to thyroid testing, we will continue the first round of thyroid ultrasoundfor Fukushima residents who were under the age of 18 at the time of the accident(including residents who had evacuated to other prefectures.)< Q: Why does the questionnaire form for the Fukushima Health Management Survey
include only questions about residents’ behavior and not their health condition? ><Answer from Fukushima Health Management Survey Office, Fukushima Medical
University on December 1 >The purpose of the basic survey of Fukushima Health Management Survey is to record
residents’ behaviors from March 11 to July 11 in order to estimate the level of theirinternal exposure. After receiving their answers, we will examine the data at theNational Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba Prefecture and send the resultsback to each respondent. Based on the results of the basic survey, we will determine
those who need further examination and then conduct the health examinations byproviding special examinations, for instance a leukocyte count.
< Q: How are examinations of internal exposure, urine, and thyroid being conducted forevacuees, including voluntary evacuees? >< Answer from Health Management Survey Office, Fukushima Social Health andWelfare department, December 1 >Basically, each municipality is responsible for notifying evacuees about examinations.

Children and expecting mothers are given priority. The examinations are conducted atcenters and hospitals in the prefecture. In the event that it is difficult for evacuees tohave examinations in Fukushima, we ask the prefectures in which they are residing toconduct the examinations, which in fact has been the case in Niigata Prefecture.
Regarding thyroid testing, we are preparing examinations for evacuees at medical
agencies both within and outside of the prefecture.
< Q: HRN has heard complaints from voluntary evacuees outside of Fukushima
Prefecture that some examinations have not been conducted. Is this true? >< Answer from Health Management Survey Office of Fukushima Social Health andWelfare department and Health Management Survey Office of Fukushima Medical
University >Each municipality is generally aware of the addresses of its voluntary evacuees.

If anaddress or other contact information is not available, examinations can be offered upon
contact from the voluntary evacuee. It is possible that some evacuees have not received
information about examinations.
< Q: Can you tell us about the plans regarding the Fukushima Health Management
Survey? >< Answer from Health Management Survey Office of Fukushima Social Health andWelfare department >The survey is intended provide a long-term monitoring of residents’ health. For
example, we have plans to continue health examinations and thyroid ultrasound for
Fukushima residents.
< Q: What is the position of the government and the prefecture on the subsidizing of
medical expenses for the treatment of diseases thought to be caused by radiation? >< Answer from Health Management Survey Office of Fukushima Social Health andWelfare department on December 1 >The prefecture is requesting the government to take comprehensive measures onmedical treatments and welfare for diseases caused by radiation exposure.

In addition,

it is requesting that medical expenses be free for all Fukushima residents under the ageof 18.

4. Safety of school lunch<Q: How is the government ensuring the safety of school lunches? Does it know thenumber of municipalities that have installed food radiation counters for the food atschool lunch centers, or the number of schools that have installed the counters in theirschool kitchen? >< Answer from

School Guidance and

Health Education Division, Board ofEducation on December 5 >The government does not know the current state radiation counter installations in eachmunicipality. Telephone inquiries have been made to municipalities where foodcontamination was reported by other means.
< Q: HRN believes that the inspection of food contamination should be conducted oneach meal at all of the schools. Does the government or the prefecture plan to allocatemoney for such an inspection system either in the third supplementary budget or thenext year’s budget? >< Answer from School Guidance and

Health Education Division, Board ofEducation on December 5 >According to the government’s third supplementary budget, the government plans toallocate 10 million yen for the strengthening of inspection systems in 17 prefectures. It
is estimated that each of the 17 prefectures will be able to purchase five radiation
counters with the budget. We cannot provide information on the next year’s budget.