April 11 2015, updated 4月11日更新
In the middest of Abe regime's dangerous control over Japanese politics, I would like to dedicate this song with English and French subtitles!
安倍政権が危険な政治を進めている中、この歌を捧げます。英語とフランス語の字幕付き!
I sang the above song out of my sincerest hope to save kids in contaminated areas and to spread the horrible situation in Japan regarding nuclear and earthquake... I saw Ms. Susan Boyle's video when I was pregnant and I was greatly moved to tears. Coincidently, she sang this song at the age of 47, which is my age, too! I am not a good singer like her, but the French translator told me that he was moved to tears by seeing me acting out of my sincere heart to save children.
They're getting sick and weak by radiation甲状腺の原因わかるよ
They're getting sick and weak 政府は検査して
Please save kids at least 子どもだけは避難させて
インドでは誕生日の人が周りの人に振舞うと言う習慣があります。とても美しい習慣だと思う。。。そこで私も、この日に起きたと思われる大事な事件についてと、自分の拙い歌を捧げます。 In India, there is a beautiful custom where a birthday person gives small gifts (such as candies) to other people...I think that is a very beautiful custom.
Therefore, I am dedicating my son and my songs to you. (Though we are not good singers...)
Before my songs, let me give you information about myself, Fukushima children, and a murder by a nuclear lobby in Japan which took place on this day of January 12, 1996.
それからもうひとつ、深部体温からおそらく1月12日に殺害されてしまった可能性の高い原子力村に関連する事件についてもどうか皆様、拡散ください。 Also, please do remember Mr. Nishimura who was probably killed on this day of January 12 in 1996 by nuclear village judging from his deep body temperature... http://takenouchimari.blogspot.jp/2013/04/blog-post_1741.html
*******************
元旦は、息子と一緒にカラオケに行ってきました。 I went to Karaoke with my beloved 5 year old son on New Year's Day. (We often go there...we are Karaoke lovers...)
ジバニャンのコスチュームは、クリスマスプレゼントに「ジバニャンとコマさんのおしゃべり人形」を買ってもらった息子が、どうしても「ママも自分にクリスマスプレゼントを買うべきである」と言うので、自分用にもじばにゃんコスチュームを買いました。 (ジバニャンというのは、飼い主の命を救うため、自分がトラックに轢かれて死んでしまった地縛霊の猫。息子はこの話が好きで何度も何度も見ていました。) Our costumes are "Jibanyan, the cat ghost," who saved his master's life by being run over by a truck. My son loves this story and this animation cartoon program is currently most popular in Japan... 息子のお年玉には、妖怪ウォッチと妖怪メダル、沖縄に来て初めて行った映画は妖怪ウォッチ。妖怪ウォッチだらけ。 そして初歌に妖怪ウォッチ。(息子のソロの部分に注目してやってください。私以上にエネルギッシュな息子のすごい迫力。3分後くらい) I think this program will be popular soon not only in Japan but in the world. 次はアナと雪(Frozen)のLet It Goより (福島の子供たちのための替え歌はこちらです!→http://maritakenouchiyoutube.blogspot.jp/2014/08/let-it-go.html 今回は替え歌にしていません) The next song is Let It Go in the movie Frozen. We are singing original version here, but I sang this song with altered Fukushima kids version in the URL below. http://maritakenouchiyoutube.blogspot.jp/2014/08/let-it-go.html
きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅメドレー、50歳近くのおばちゃんには息切れもの! Next one is Kary Pamyu Pamyu who may be the most popular Japanese singer now...as a 47 year old mom, I am getting out of breath... それとうちの息子が好きなカーペンターズのSing Next song is my son's favorite "Sing" by Carpenters
そして2014年の紅白で一番聞いて感動した薬師丸ひろ子の「Wの悲劇」 (メロディーをよく覚えていないので、音痴になっているかも・・いつものことだが) Next one is a Japanese song, "Woman."
そしてこちらがめちゃくちゃ老けていると噂だらけの沖縄大学での私の「原発」の授業。 原発事故後、視力の低下が激しく(東北に一度講演に行った時にはちょうどひどい角膜炎になり、3日間片目が激痛であけられなくなり、1か月赤目で以降さらに視力が下がった気がしています)、いつも眼鏡をかけているので、普段の私はこんな感じです。スクロールすると、すぐ下のページに私の話の文字起こしあります。 The following video and page shows me with glasses giving lecture at Okinawa University in November 2014. (Thank you so much, Okinawa University for letting me talk what I wanted to talk!!) After I gave a lecture in Tohoku (North East Japan) in 2011, I had a horrible corneitis on one eye and could not open it for 3 days. Since then, my eyesight got drastically worse and I am wearing glasses like below. Some people say that I look terribly old...(tears)
On September 5, 2011, after the Fukushima nuclear accident, he stated the above in spite of the fact that he was the very person who introduced nuclear power to earthquake prone country like Japan.
My deepest appreciation to the professor and the students who earnestly listened to my lecture and gave good comments! このような機会をくださった担当教官の先生に感謝! 久しぶりに学生さんの前で話をさせてもらい、緊張すると同時に、嬉しかったです。。。 授業の後、良い感想もたくさん書いて頂きました。。。(ありがとう!)
I am translating my lecture speech into English below. (Video is only in Japanese)
講義内容は以下に英文にもしています。(動画は日本語のみ)
While translating, I added some information both in Japanese and English.
翻訳をしながら、背景情報を日本語と英語で補足しました。
Prof Yoshii on the right and Mari Takenouchi on the left
Video 1's topics: The reason I became anti-nuclear
Danger of Sendai NPP which will restart soon
A geologist who pointed out the danger of Sendai in 1970s was criminally accused! etc... 私が反原発運動をすることになったきっかけと欧州ロビー活動の話。
I started my activities around when I was 30 year-old.(now I am 47) It wasn't fully information age and I didn't know what to do though I wanted to do something good for society even small...
My first chance came in 1998. Depleted uranium was used in 1991 Iraq war but the weapon was not recognized as nuclear weapon though it is radioactive. There were symptoms even among US soldiers and their offsprings. Among Iraqi people, it was all the more.
I encountered such lecture and photo exhibition and when I saw pictures of Iraqi babies, I was deeply shocked and couldn't stop crying. I went to the lecturer whether I could do somehing for help.
As I was working for companies using English, I started volunteer translation since then.
Next year in 1999, a US scientist who were accidently exposed to radiation came to Japan to talk about anti-nuclear lecture. She was telling the audience about a US simulation with station blackout with ensuing meltdown, causing many cancer death many years after the accident though there are not so many immediate deaths.
I was again truly shocked. I typed in her lecture frantically into my new personal computer. Later when I went back home, I translated the typed English into Japanese, which gave me the second shock that brought me tears for days. Since then on, I got deeply involved in anti-nuclear power activities.
Without any prior experience of citizens' movement, I was quite reckless then. (I am also reckless now..)
Have you heard about Y2K problem? People worried that there may be many bugs occuring on computer systems when the year reaches at 2000, such as unexpected accident at oil tankers etc. Even President Clinton was reserving foods and supplies etc in preparation for that.
When I heard the danger of Y2K in relation with year 2000 problem, there were only 6 months left.
I happened to hear from a middle aged man who was also listening to the US scientist lecture told me that he knew some people in Prime Minister's Residence.
"Please take me to the Prime Minister's Residence to let them know the danger!" I begged and actually we went to the Prime Minister's Residence.
In a book called, "Countdown Meltdown (Japanese book and no English translation)" by Yoichi Funahashi, the 2011 Cabinet Crisis Management Officer was depicted as a person who could not make any move to deal with Fukushima accident.
I remember I was kicked out of the 1999 Cabinet Crisis Management Officer who yelled at me, "Japanese nuclear power is absolutely safe! Dpn't bring in any wierdo person in the Prime Minister's Residence!"
The only exception was the then Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi who ordered his aide to write a cordial letter to me...(though the point was again Japanese nuclear power should be safe even with Y2K problem. However, one Fukushima nuclear power reactor had a computer bug where the position of the control rods could not been displayed at year 2000 roll over period. For this problem, the then Tokyo Electric Company president made an official appology, which became a small newspaper article.)
After the visit to the Prime Minister's Residence, one activist suggested me to go to European countries to spread this Y2K and nuclear power movement. Another person drafted a plan to visit 7 European countries with 5 members in one group....and I seriously took it as it is.
However, nobody did it apart from me except that some people joined me in Germany to have a meeting with anti-nuclear comrades and had dinner together.
(Since this experience, I thought sometimes a single person can do more than group of people who do not keep words and act.)
I traveled from UK, Holland and Belgium and thanks to an Belgium activist, I reached the European Parliament. I carried materials provided by the US scientist and explained how serious the nuclear power problem could be in relation with possible computer bugs, and then, the energy expert of Green Party said the following,
"As a matter of fact, I myself thought this problem could be serious and I myself planned to go to isolated islands with my family. I was wondering why nobody was raising voice. I am very appreciative of you visiting here with the materials. I will prepare the draft of resolution to submit the European Parliament."
He also said, "Nobody in other political parties would not listen to me belonging to Green's Party. So you should visit each political party to persuade them with your material and explanation." In this way, I was doing lobbying activities for the first time in my life.
ある時、ものすごいハンサムな4か国語くらいの同時通訳者(さすが欧州!)がカフェで私に話しかけてきた。「ねえねえ、君はジャーナリストですか?どこの国から来たの?その膨大な資料はなんなの?」
At one time in European Parliament, a very good looking interpreter of 4 European languages spoke to me at a cafe. "Are you a journalist? Which country are you from? What are your vast amount of documents about?"
Mari "I am a Japanese, a sort of a journalist, but I am doing lobbying activities, because nuclear power plants may be in danger in connection with year 2000 problem. I am now visiting every political party."
通訳者「へええ~なるほどねえ。僕もその問題、知らなかったよ。それで、その経費はだれが払ってくれているの?」
Interpreter: "Ummmm...I was not aware of the issue. And who is paying you for this lobbying activities?"
私「誰も払ってなんてくれないわよ。全部自分のポケットマネーでやっているのよ。」
Mari: "Nobody is paying. I am doing everything out of my pocket money."
通訳者(突然、お腹を抱えて笑い出して)「え!うわ~ははは!凄い人だね!君は!」
Interpreter (burst out into laughter) "My God! Wow~hahaha! What a remarkable person you are!!!"
そして2か月後に満場一致で可決された。(注:この時、私は「人種差別で有名な右翼の政党を除き、すべての党の担当者に訴えると言う、ロビー活動を行いました。」)
2 months later, the resoluation was passed unanimaously though I did not visit a single political party which was famous for racial descrimination. (As an Asian woman acting alone, I was scared to tell the truth...)
Through this experience, I was truly surprised to see the difference between the Japanese high official who kicked me out of the Prime Minister's Residence without reading my precious data and the European officials who DID listen to a mere citizen like me!
2001年から2002年、私は反原発団体で最も大きな原子力資料情報室の国際担当として半年翻訳などして勤めた。
From 2001 to 2002, I was hired as a translator at Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, the biggest anti-nuclear power organization in Japan as an international liazon person for half a year.
(The details are here. 細かい話はこちらhttp://fukushimaworkerslist.blogspot.jp/2013/06/blog-post.html)
However, so many wierd thing took place. While I was there, Hamaoka nuclear power plant located directly above the plate boundaries had 2 major accident; one was ruptuer of a pipe that is connected to ECCS system, and other was water leak from a reactor itself. Even without earthquake, these accidents took place and I asked the CNIC directors to tackle with nuclear power and earthquake issue as a major item in their action plan. However, they never accepted it for some unknown reason while I was there in 2001~2002.
Then in May of 2002, the then Rokkasho village major Mr. Hisashi Hashimoto (54) committed a suicide in a forest when some small money scandal came to appear. However, his suicide did not become any major news in mas media. Right after his death, Rokkasho village had an mayor's election with anti-nuclear candidate as well, but no major media or anti-nuclear organization did not pay ANY attention to this important Rokkasho village mayor's election before the operation of Rokkasho Reprocessing plant.
Okiawa is a lucky place in a way that the majority of local residents are aware of serious issues and do fight against the government in order to protect future generations.
Going back to the topic of Rokkasho village, I felt very sorry for the then village mayor Mr. Hisashi Hashimoto (though he was a pro-nuclear!) who committed a suicide, and I also wanted to support Mr. Yosaburo Takada, an old shrimp fisherman who was against nuclear. It was strange that no anti-nuke groups including CNIC did not support Mr. Takada.
So I went to Rokkasho village out of my pocket money to support Mr. Takada.
Even after Fukushima accident, CNIC or other anti-nuclear groups never mention about necessity of children's permanent evacuation (temporary holiday is NOT enough!), which made me furious. My son and I may even be killed by someone dispathed but I am determined to spread what I have been seeing among anti-nuke citizens groups. For the sake of vast number of children and future generations.
After I got dismissed by the three co-directors of CNIC, one of them, Mr. Yukio Yamaguchi even yelled, "Nobody dismissed Ms. Takenouchi. She is lying!!"
I got furious even more when I was told as a "lier" than when I was secretly dissmissed at a remote cafe from CNIC office.
Now in Japan, a movie called, "Japan and Nuclear Power Plants" are showing. This movie was made by 2 lawyers who are the board members of CNIC. In this way, anti-nuke and anti-radiation movements are controlled by famous organizations such as CNIC. (While I was in the office in 2001, half the budget came from a US foundation which was NOT anti-nuclear power)
It is quite shady that anti-nuclear movements are controlled by such big organizations both in Japan and other nations. Both in Japan and overseas, I have never encontered any anti-nuke organizations which I can trust 100%.
Please think about this issue. Do you think it is possible that nuclear promoter's side does not dispatch anybody to anti-nuke groups which are totally a free-pass? I think such a percentage is ZERO. They always dispatch people to anti-nuke power groups.
Even the United Nations are supporting nuclear power. Big anti-nuke organizations cannot be such organization...CNIC is also a NPO which is admitted by the Japanese government.
私がいた時には予算の半分は米国の財団から来ていた。しかし反原発ではなく、核兵器反対なだけ。
While I was in the office in 2001, half the budget came from a US foundation which was NOT anti-nuclear power.
Late Ms. Satomi Oba, who was a translator in Hiroshima, was also fighting by herself, saying, "Hiroshima is hopeless!" Citizens groups in Hiroshima used to talk about anti-nuclear weapons but not anti nuclear power.
In 1999, when I became anti-nuclear power, the group I visited first was Hidankyo (Hiroshima based radiation victims' group) and I was told by the leader, "Since there are some radiation victims who are now working at nuclear power plants, we cannot oppose to nuclear power." I was speechless with shock...
After Fukushima accident in 2011, no description was made on the Hiroshima Day (Aug 6) in 2013 and 2014 by the Hiroshima Mayor's speech. Radiation victims' citizens' groups never appealed about ongoing health hazards of Fukushima kids to Prime Minister Abe who visits Hiroshima on Hiroshima Day.
Next, I will talk about the experice where I visited IAEA. IAEA is the main organization of nuclear power in the world situated inside the United Nations.
IAEA is directly connected with Permanent Securities Nations, which are very very powerful.
I visited IAEA in 2002, almost 10 years prior to Fukushima accident, and told them, "You say Chernobyl is exceptional since nuclear power plants in western nations are different from the design in Russia, but as for Japan, there are massive earthquakes coming in the future, so the situation is different. If there is a catastrophic accident in Japan, the nuclear industry will be at crisis. Before that happnes, would you please stop nuclear power plants in Japan?" http://savekidsjapan.blogspot.jp/2013/05/open-questions-to-iaea-director-general.html
Then the people in Nuclear Dafety Department kept saying, "No problem. Nuclear power is safe. There will be no radiation leak." They didn't even try to understand the technical talks I learned from former GE engineer Mr. Yoichi Kikuchi.
However, there was one interesting experience at IAEA. In those days, I met a young Japanese lady who used to be an intern at IAEA among interpreters I met at a company I used to work on temporary basis. The young lady told me a person's name who took care of her at IAEA and when I visited IAEA, I also met him out of his office hour at a bar drinking beer, telling him, "I will wait here until you finish your work." I had a chance to talk with him quite frankly.
するとそのIAEAの男性(日本人)はこう言った。
Then the Japanese IAEA person (Nuclear Safety Guard Department) told me the following,
"Ms. Takenouchi. This issue is too big to handle to anybody. I think we should just give up even if 5 million Japanese died due to nuclear disaster." (again, it was at the time of 2002!)
「まだ事故は起きていないのです。どうにかしてください。そうでないと未来世代の人々に申し訳が立たない」と私。
"However, the accident has not happened yet! Please do something. Otherwise, we are too sinful to the future generations." I said.
"When the nuclear power plant was introduced to Japan, it was already a known fact that Japan is earthquake prone country. Unless all the Japanese people say, "Stop Nuclear Power!", nuclear power plants in Japan will not be stopped."
「あなた家族は日本にいるのでは?」
"How about your family members? Aren't they living in Japan?"
「いや、僕は家族は皆、オーストリアに、ウィーンに連れてきています。」
"No, my family members are all here in Vienna, Austria."
"If the economy in Japan gets devastated, don't you think the industries will lose their economic strong position that is cherished most by the industries?"
「いえ、日本は輸出国ですからね。日本がつぶれれば、逆に世界経済は活気づくのではないですか。」
"No, I don't think so. Japan is an export country. If Japan is crushed, the world economy will be boosted. Don't you think so?"
とんでもない話を聞いたと思ったが、これが現実だと思った。
I thoght I heard an unbelievable prediction. But at the same time, I thought this was the reality.