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Northern and Central Asia Topics specific to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 28 Jun 2011
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Hi there and welcome to Japan!

Chris is "THE" source over here - so if you have any questions ..... he is the one to contact! (Hope you don't mind Chris!! )

Elsewise, you might also want to put your information on this site:

Gaijinriders

Those are the foreigners who are into bikes and living over here in Japan. They have been very helpful more than once already!

Greetings from Shikoku.
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  #2  
Old 28 Jun 2011
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I was advised by a friend to drop Japan from my travel plans for 2012 on account of the radiation level, is it really that bad out there? Also does anyone know if there is a shipping route from somewhere in Japan to Magadan, and what port it goes from?

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Old 28 Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by henryuk View Post
I was advised by a friend to drop Japan from my travel plans for 2012 on account of the radiation level, is it really that bad out there? Also does anyone know if there is a shipping route from somewhere in Japan to Magadan, and what port it goes from?

Cheers
If it were really bad do you think we would be still living here?
Take a look here for a visual idea of radiation levels: microsievert.net Less than natural background levels of several places in Iran, India and Europe.
Emissions of radioactive materials at Fukushima are about 10% of those from Chernobyl (and nobody evacuated all of Europe).
You stand a higher risk of getting killed from Russian drivers than the radiation in Japan.

As for Magadan, contact russian shipping company FESCO. If anyone goes that way, it would probably by FESCO. I think SASCO also has service to Magadan (probably not from Japan).
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Old 28 Jun 2011
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That's good to know, I thought it was a bit dubious that it would be that severe!
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Old 28 Jun 2011
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Right now the only people affected by radiation in Japan who are dying, are those who are dying by their own hand.

My wife's sister and husband are staying in a refuge after their house was washed away - it will take 2 years before they can rebuild as the Japanese government has bulldozed what was left of their seaside village and is relocating the whole community to higher ground. She says that many locals are committing ritual jisatsu due to frustration and despair over lost loved ones, as well as concerns over the future effects of the radiation.
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  #6  
Old 29 Jun 2011
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Have to agree - it is not that dangerous!
Just stay away from the greater Fukushima area!

Elsewise, be careful where the food comes from that you will be shopping.
As for us, we only buy stuff produced South of Osaka, i.e. Shikoku and Kyushu area
or even from foreign countries.

All in all, you will be safe over here, don't worry too much!!
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Old 30 Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by farqhuar View Post
many locals are committing ritual jisatsu due to frustration and despair over lost loved ones, as well as concerns over the future effects of the radiation.
This is off topic, but...
Increased suicide rates are an unfortunately common occurrence after major disasters. After Hurricane Katrina in the USA, suicide rates tripled.
However, I can assure you that there is no "ritual" suicide in Japan. I don't know where you get your information, but cutting one's belly with witnesses and all the fanfare went out of practice along with feudalism more than a century ago. Like with most people in despair around the world, it is done alone with a rope and a convenient tree.
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Old 30 Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by Chris in Tokyo View Post
This is off topic, but...
Increased suicide rates are an unfortunately common occurrence after major disasters. After Hurricane Katrina in the USA, suicide rates tripled.
However, I can assure you that there is no "ritual" suicide in Japan. I don't know where you get your information, but cutting one's belly with witnesses and all the fanfare went out of practice along with feudalism more than a century ago. Like with most people in despair around the world, it is done alone with a rope and a convenient tree.
Hi Chris, yes, I did use a little licence with that term and didn't think it would be interpreted in quite the literal way you took it.

By using the word "ritual", my intent was to let forum members know that sucide is seen as an honourable, regular, and socially acceptable, means of death in Japan, as opposed to the Western world's view that it is the "coward's easy way out".
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