Nuclear Disease?

One story of weekly cartoon magazine spread broad concern about the impact of radioactive materials produced in broken First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. In the story, a newspaper writer bleeds from nose after visiting the plant. Governor of Fukushima and other political leaders accused the description of its possibility of providing misunderstandings to the public. The author argued that the description was based on deliberated research in Fukushima. All we need is truth.

The cartoon titled “Oishinbo” is decades-long series of cartoon story in which a newspaper writer explores great taste of foods and food culture. While it contributed people’s acknowledgement on foods and prevalence of food entertainment including a TV show “Iron Chef,” it sometimes invited arguments by raising problems related to foods.

In recent stories, Oishinbo took attention to its readers on Fukushima problem. Former mayor of Futaba village, on which the nuclear plant located, appeared in the story and warned that nose bleeding stemmed from exposure to radioactive materials. An assistant professor with University of Fukushima told that making Fukushima livable by broad decontamination was impossible. Those comments were introduced in the context of thinking about foods produced in Fukushima.

Governor of Fukushima, Yohei Sato, released a statement that he had an image that it might encourage harmful rumor. “I deeply regret about the story appeared when the people in Fukushima is getting support from all over Japan for its their reconstruction efforts,” told Sato. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, dismissed a comment, insisting on importance of delivering accurate information based on scientific knowledge. But it is responsibility of the government to provide with correct information.

Although the cartoon may erode credibility of foods from Fukushima, the point they should argue is not the impact of the story, but what is going on in Fukushima. A former assistant professor with University of Gifu, who appeared in the story as a chief of laboratory, told Tokyo Shimbun that the facts in the story were all true. He confirmed that people in Fukushima claimed symptoms such as sudden bleeding from nose, consecutive cough or feeling tired. There is no official announcement that those symptoms are, or are not, related to the nuclear accident.

Both central and regional governments are highly nervous on radioactive impacts on human body, because it leads to a great amount of compensation. It is not a matter of money. It is about existence of this nation. In this regard, the national government needs to make utmost efforts for grabbing the true consequences of the nuclear accident and let the people know.