Global Voices » Japan

Taiwan: Could the Future Be Nuclear-Free?

I-fan Lin — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:26:41 +0000

Since the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in March 2011, 53 out of the 54 nuclear power plants in Japan have been shut down for security checks. On May 5, 2012, the proportion of Japan's energy supplied by nuclear power reached zero for the first time in 42 years, following the shut down of Tomari’s Unit 3 in Hokkaido. Although the Japanese government is currently seeking to restart some nuclear power plants, local representatives still have serious concerns regarding their safety.

In Taiwan, many people have also started talking about the possibility of moving towards a nuclear-free future. The Taiwan Environmental Protection Union [zh] is optimistic about the nuclear-free movement in Japan, as quoted in Coolloud.org:

日本從去年311之後，國內核電廠陸續關閉，至今尚未發生缺電問題，如果可以熬過今年夏天不需核電，日本將真正進入無核國家。

After the earthquake of March 11, 2011, the nuclear power plants in Japan have been shut down one by one. So far they have not had any problems with electricity shortages. If they can survive this summer without nuclear energy, Japan could really become a nuclear-free nation.

Anti-nuclear energy protest in Taipei, March 11, 2012. Photo contributed to this post by James Yang under CC: BY-NC-SA

Su Huan-Chi, a candidate for chairperson with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), also stated [zh] in Plurk, a popular social media website in Taiwan, that:

如果我當黨主席，一定先推動核四北北基宜四縣市地方公投廢核四！

If I were elected as the Party chairperson, I would campaign for a referendum to stop the four nuclear power plants in Taipei city, New Taipei city, Keelung and Yilan.

Nevertheless, not everyone is so optimistic about the nuclear-free development in Japan. bluesystem [zh] is worried how far Japan can go after shutting down all their nuclear power plants:

廢核絕對可以推! 只要不影響經濟下滑. 不過這真的會很拼…

Of course we can campaign for a nuclear-free Taiwan - as long as this move does not make the economy worse. However, this will be difficult.

核能的問題不只是使用其它能源來替代, 而是「能源自主性」的問題. 一旦重要的能源來源被別國控制, 那這個國家等於廢掉一樣! 這問題要怎麼解決? 除非能源自主率能提高吧~…那大家都廢核, 請問天然資源是不是大家一起搶? 假設台灣也搞廢核的話,能源來源方面搶得贏中國跟日本嗎?

The issue at stake regarding the use of nuclear power is not only about finding alternative energy. It is a matter of ‘energy autonomy’. If the major energy source is controlled by other countries, this country is doomed! How can we solve this problem? Only if we can increase our energy supply can we campaign for nuclear-free living. Are we ready to compete for natural energy resources? If Taiwan shuts down all our nuclear power plants, can we outbid China and Japan in the competition of energy resources?

Anti-nuclear energy protest in Taipei, April 30, 2011. Photo contributed to this post by James Yang under CC: BY-NC-SA

Despite the aforementioned worries, thousands of Taiwanese people protested against nuclear power on March 11, 2012, the first anniversary of the earthquake in Japan. Shuchuan, an independent environmental reporter, explained [zh] why she thinks Taiwan can and should give up nuclear energy:

福島核災打破核能安全神話，只要一次災害就足以毀掉所有。…我們還有選擇時，沒有理由不去思考任何不必使用核能發電的可能性。

The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident destroyed the myth of nuclear safety. We see that one accident can destroy all we have…We have no reason not to think about the possibility of giving up nuclear energy when we still have a choice.

以台灣目前核電佔總發電量不到兩成，但備載容量卻超過25%的情況下，廢不廢核並不是「能不能」的問題，而是「決心」。

In Taiwan, the proportion of electricity supplied by nuclear power is less than 20%, but our spare capacity is more than 25%. Under this condition, nuclear-free is not an issue of ‘can or cannot’, it is an issue of determination.

台灣政府還預估未來用電要再成長38%，只要不歸零思考、不檢討自己的浪費行為、不思索更聰明的用電方式，發再多電都不夠用。

The Taiwanese government estimates that we will need 38% more electricity in the future. If we do not go back to to the fundamental problem and review our energy consumption pattern and use electricity in a smarter way, there will never be enough for us even if we manage to generate more.

過去一年台灣政府已有改變，馬總統宣布核一、二、三使用年限到期不再延役，這是一個進展。然而對於核四依然繼續投入經費不願放手，核廢料無能力處理，卻一再強調核安的可以控制。然而，福島核災近在眼前，繼續說「核能安全」也已經沒有意義、且完全沒有說服力，終歸而言，台灣政府對核災還是沒有覺悟。

In the past year, the Taiwanese government has changed. President Ma claimed that our first, second, and third nuclear power plants would not extend their operations after reaching their shelf life. We have made some progress. However, the government is not willing to give up the fourth nuclear power plant and is throwing more money into it. The government does not know how to deal with the nuclear waste, but they keep claiming that they can promise the safety of nuclear power plants. Nevertheless, when we think of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, we can see that this is nonsense and it is not convincing to talk of the ‘safety of nuclear power plants’. In the end, the Taiwanese government does not seem aware of the possibility of nuclear disasters.

而這個歸零思考，理應是站在「廢除核電」的基礎上，重新去思考其他的能源方式，而如果其他的能源暫時無法完全取代，我們應該如何節能，以因應發電不足的情況。也就是說，思考自己的侷限，然後做出改變。

We should support the fundamental standpoint of a ‘nuclear-free Taiwan’ and explore the use of alternative energy. If we do not have enough alternative energy to replace all the nuclear-derived electricity we are using now and in the near future, we need to reduce our usage of electricity to avoid shortages. In other words, we need to think about our limits and make the change.

This post was sub-edited by Jane Ellis.

Global Voices Seeks New Japanese Editor

Solana Larsen — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:08:28 +0000

Global Voices is seeking a part-time Editor to oversee our ongoing coverage of Japanese-language citizen media.

The Editor will direct the Japanese-language coverage on Global Voices in English and recruit and coordinate volunteer contributions.

The Editor will produce and/or edit several in-depth stories per week, as well as shorter posts linking and pointing to important topics, events, and writing as it occurs. The work will involve translation, analysis, and editing, to elucidate and identify trends, ideas, and social and political currents within East Asian citizen media.

The Editor will be chiefly responsible for providing as broad and complete coverage as possible of citizen media of Japanese-language media, as follows:

Recruiting: recruiting authors to cover the countries in their region; for managing authors’ output and editing and publishing posts; and maintaining a regional Google Group.

Posting to the Global Voices web site:

• 4-6 posts per week. These can either be written by volunteer authors or the Editor, in recognition of the fact that some posts (especially those which need to be translated) require substantial editing.

• 5-10 “updates” per week. These posts can also either be written by volunteer authors or the Editor. They are short and typically include only one link.
Special coverage: In times of emergency, posting as much as possible, as soon as possible, as needed.

Our Japanese team also sometimes works with translators of the Global Voices in Japanese website to exchange ideas and collaborate on stories.

Interested candidates please send CV and Letter of Interest explaining why you'd be a good candidate for the job to: adminjob AT globalvoicesonline DOT org

We will be accepting applications through May 28, 2012.

See our vacancies page for other current opportunities with Global Voices.

May Day Videos: Marches, Demonstrations and Protests Around The World

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:08:19 +0000

Through cities around the globe, people took to the streets to march and commemorate the International Workers' Day. Videos by The Real News take us on a tour of how the day was observed throughout the world.

May Day March in Venezuela

While some places saw peaceful marches, others had violent encounters between armed forces and the protesters. On the first part of the video, an overview of workers in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. For example, Malaysian activists protested against the growing inequality. In the Philippines were for job security and higher wages. Indonesians protested low wages and rough conditions. Cambodians asked for higher wages. People in Bahrein asked for workers to be reinstated to their positions of which they were removed by the government crackdowns. In Egypt protests were on behalf of including workers rights in the constitution that is being drafted. In Europe, workers protested austerity measures that seem to target them. In Russia, both the ruling party and the opposition had their own rallies. The French left marched against the past of fiscal austerity. And in the London, where May Day is not a holiday, workers went on strike.

On the second part, protests in North and South America. Demonstrations throughout Canada protesting budget cuts and rises in college tuition. In the USA, banks were targeted in many major cities including clashes with riot police, calls to strikes, and blockades. In Mexico workers marched to ask the government to do a better job in the face of violence. Honduras saw protests against the privatization of public services as well as corruption. In Cuba, massive parades commemorated the Cuban Revolution and in Venezuela both the government supporters and opposition marched, either for or against the recent reforms. In Colombia there were arrests during the protests and the Chilean student movement also marched.

China: Netizens Reactions to North Korea Satellite Launch

Oiwan Lam — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:19:51 +0000

On March 27, 2012, North Korea announced that it would not abandon its satellite launch in mid April despite United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama's high profile visit to South Korea this week. Strong reactions have come from South Korea and Japan, the latter having prepared its missile defense system in case the satellite rocket entered Japan's airspace.

As North Korea's closest ally, China's President Hu Jintao has been rather prudent in expressing his position. In the social media, the news has caught a lot of attention among netizens but their viewpoints are divided.

In the news discussion thread at Sina Weibo [zh], quite a number of netizens found North Korea courageous in confronting the U.S. hegemony:

superman哥哥：这本来就是，别的国家凭什么就不让人家发射卫星。就你可以吃肉别人就不可以啦！！！

superman哥哥：Well spoken. How could other countries stop a country from launching a satellite. How can you prevent others from eating meat while you enjoy eating meat!!!

称成：支持朝鲜。有能力有勇气。

称成：support North Korea. It has the ability and courage.

肥鸭KidAtCardiacSurgery：一个独立主权的国家为什么没有发射卫星的权利？!搞笑! 别的国家有什么资格管制

肥鸭KidAtCardiacSurgery：Of course an independent state should have the rights to launch satellites. What a joke! How could other countries intervene into other's internal affairs?

LGX9930：发射卫星不仅是主权国家的合法权利，也是促进经济发展的必要条件，所以不会放弃卫星发射计划。大国可以，小国不行吗？

LGX9930：Launching satellites is not only legitimate rights of an independent country. It is necessary for the nation's economic development. Of course it won't give up. Strong country can launch and small country can't?

长河落日故乡人：各方为何不呼吁美国和朝鲜共同放弃核？

长河落日故乡人：How come no one urges the U.S and the North Korea to become nuke-free?

路殿下：卫星发射需要钱，研究导弹也要钱，有了核武器维护更要钱。可是，如果不这么做，叙利亚伊朗那边就快扛不住了。这三个让美国头疼的铁三角，其实比和中国的关系更休戚相关。其实朝鲜也知道不能再靠大哥了，只有继续发展军事饮鸩止渴。此举符合我国的短期利益，否则金再鲁莽，也没这胆量，同时得罪中美。

路殿下：satellites, rockets and nuclear weapons, all need money. If they gave up the development of military technology, Syria and Iran could not maintain their control. The axis powers are a pain in the ass for the U.S.. North Korea knows that they cannot depend on its big brother [China] anymore, and they can only hold onto their control with the development of military force. Such a strategy serves China's short term interest, or else it won't have the guts to confront the U.S.

子虛烏有-先生：奧巴馬在這件事上歇斯抵里，朝鮮不給面，不為五斗米折腰，全世界人看美國出丑，霸權主義去死吧。

子虛烏有-先生：Obama is acting hysterically in this. North Korea won't give up in exchange for food aid, turning the U.S into a clown. Hegemony, please die.

穗海原川：我们58年连稻谷。麦子都放了那么多卫星了，不管是什么样的卫星，是不是卫星，总得给点面子，让人家放放嘛。

穗海原川：Remember we were starving back in 1958, we still launched so many satellites. Let's give [North Korea] some faces and let them launch their satellite or satellite-in-disguise.

At the same time, some argue that the North Korea satellite development will eventually harm China:

Daniel桑：回复@昊孟中月:用点脑好不好，你这样说就等于说为什么警察可以配枪，小偷们就不可以？朝鲜卫星升空意味着什么你知道吗？这颗卫星升空最头疼的就是中国

Daniel桑：reply to @昊孟中月: please use your brain. Why do we allow police officers to carry guns while not allowing thieves to do the same. Do you know the meaning of North Korea's satellite launch? It will be a headache for China.

热气青年3代：这就好像一把利刃握在一个疯子手中。

热气青年3代：This is like giving a sharp knife to a maniac.

mjintokyo：朝鲜的导弹最远只能飞到美国的阿拉斯加，不过中国全境都在其射程内。那些支持朝鲜的脑残，你们以为中国不用担心么。

mjintokyo：North Korea's rocket can only reach Alaska. But they can reach all corners in China. For those who support North Korea, do you think China has nothing to worry about?

There are also sarcastic comments such as the following:

吉普寨老农：好，朝方一定要坚持到底！届时打一场硬仗，各国争取一个月内消灭独裁政权

吉普寨老农：Great. North Korea should hold on and have a hard battle. Once the war starts, the dictator would be wiped off within a month.

Video: Surfers, Fishermen and Radiation in Post Earthquake Japan

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:58:27 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011 and Refugees.

Journalist Lisa Katayama and filmmaker Jason Wishnow are documenting the lives of people dealing with radiation in a post-earthquake Japan. In We Are All Radioactive, they are including 50% footage made by themselves in the areas around Fukushima Power Plant that had a meltdown after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, and 50% footage made by residents who were given waterproof digital cameras so they could tell their own story on surviving the earthquake and now dealing with radiation. The story comes to us via The Laughing Squid.

Back in March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake off the Pacific Coast off Tohoku struck Japan. This, the strongest ever earthquake recorded to hit Japan, and the subsequent tsunami waves of up to 40.5 meters devastated great parts of the coastal regions of the country and caused the meltdown of nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, irradiating the neighboring areas including the ocean waters.

Although many areas have been rebuilt and people relocated, others are struggling to return to their lives before the earthquake. For those who live to be in the water, like surfers, or those that live from the water, like fishermen, understanding how their lives may change due to radiation could be the key to their continued wellbeing.

Through crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo, We Are All Radioactive is raising funds to release the different episodes of their web series progressively: as soon as they get enough money for one episode, they release it through their site until they complete all four episodes. Since launching their campaign, they have released the first episode, launched their website on the anniversary of the earthquake on March 11 and on March 21 they will share the second episode of the series on their site.

From their fundraising site blurb:

We Are All Radioactive combines technology, entertainment, and solid investigative journalism to provide answers to fundamental questions about radiation and the complexities of disaster response on both a political and sociological level.

Our footage also touches on the work of Architecture for Humanity, Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, and Safecast — all major global non-profits dedicated to helping Japan respectively with post-earthquake reconstruction, human and environmental rights, water safety, and radiation monitoring.

In the first episode of the series we meet transplanted American surfer Autumn, who visited Japan and decided to stay in Sendai. After the earthquake, she teamed up with other local surfers and fishermen to try and figure out how to rebuild lives through work on their beaches and communities.

Updates on how crowdfunding efforts are coming along and new releases are available at the projects Facebook page We Are All Radioactive. Videos and the website are in both Japanese and English, and include information such as a timeline outlining the history of Japan with Nuclear Energy and links to meet the four characters from the series: Autumn from episode 1, surfer Konno, humanitarian worker Kasahara trying to understand the effects of radiation on the community, including the life of his unborn child and an artist collective who are exploring the impacts of the disaster with risky endeavours.

Boat launching ceremony image from We Are All Radioactive Sneak Peek on Facebook Page

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011 and Refugees.

Brazil: Mihoko Satou, a Bridge-Blogger After the Japan Earthquake

Kieran Lonergan — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:56:34 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011

“I’m just like any other person who likes to keep a note of the small details of every day life”, modestly states Mihoko Satou, a Japanese blogger who was born and raised in Brazil, when describing herself. That said, a year ago, following the devastating earthquake in Japan, she demonstrated a level of dedication and persistence which was clearly out of the ordinary.

In March 2011, Mihoko was working as a freelance translator and interpreter of Portuguese and Japanese in Ibaraki, Japan, the birthplace of her parents, which she visited 20 years ago and where she has lived ever since.

It is estimated that there are currently more than 300,000 Brazilians of Japanese descent, or dekasegis, living in Japan. Meanwhile Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan, with more than 1.5 million nikkeis – as the Japanese and their descendants are called.

Mihoko Satou. Image used with permission.

Deeply troubled with the events unfolding around her, including the radioactivity scare and aftershocks which followed in the wake of the disaster, Mihoko decided to reactivate her blog, started in 2009, called Maracujá do Mato [pt]. Here, she tirelessly posted information about the earthquake in Portuguese and was able to dispel inaccurate rumors about what was happening in Japan.

Her blog represented a genuine bridge between Japan and the Portuguese-speaking world, particularly Brazil, as Mihoko explains in an interview with Global Voices:

Resolvi reativar o blog que estava abandonado, com a intenção de passar as informações aos amigos nikkeis (descendentes de japoneses) residentes na região e para tranquilizar os familiares e amigos no Brasil. Pois foi muito grande o susto do mega-terremoto e os tsunamis que assolou a região nordeste no Japão na costa do pacífico, e depois o veio o pânico por causa do acidente nuclear e os rumores que correram mundo afora, com a mídia ocidental alarmado com a situação, pricipalmente por que as informações estavam obscuras sem muitos esclarecimentos. Pela gravidade do acidente, e a usina que ainda não estava estabilizada no momento, achei que seria importante ficar atenta às informações, e procurar esclarecimentos principalmente sobre os riscos da radiação, além de procurar saber o que poderia ser feito dentro do alcance de cada um. No meu caso, pesquisei bastante sobre o assunto para estar ciente do que estava acontecendo.

I decided to reactivate the abandoned blog with the intention of providing information for my Nikkei friends (those of Japanese descent) who were living in the area and to help calm the families and friends of Japanese people in Brazil. People were very scared after the earthquake and the tsunamis that hit the pacific coast of north-east Japan. Then there was the panic caused by the nuclear incident and the rumors circulating in the rest of the world. The western media was alarmed by the situation, mainly due to a lack of clear information about what was happening. Due to the seriousness of the disaster, and the nuclear facility which had not yet stabilized, I thought it would be important to keep abreast of new information and seek clarification, mainly regarding the risks associated with radiation. I also wanted to know what could be done to help at the level of the ordinary person. In my case, I did a lot of research in order to stay on top of what was happening.

Concerning the criteria Mihoko used to select which news to translate, she adds:

Eu simplesmente via as notícias que eram do meu próprio interesse para adquirir informações e as traduzia para repassar a quem interessasse. Eram notícias que passavam na TV japonesa, fazia as buscas na internet em jornais on-line e no twitter acompanhava os gorjeio dos especialistas sobre os assuntos que giravam em torno do acidente da usina nuclear de Fukushima. Buscava as notícias e dava uma rápida checada se já não haveria o mesmo assunto circulando no noticiário internacional em português e se tivesse o mesmo assunto, procurava por outra.

I would simply note the news that I myself was interested in to get information, and I translated it to pass on to those who were also interested. This was news that was broadcast on Japanese TV; I would do some searches on the Internet in online newspapers, and on Twitter I followed the tweeting of experts on the issues revolving around the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima. I looked for news and I would give a quick check to see if the same subject was already circulating in the international news in Portuguese; if this turned out to be the case, I looked for another one.

"I had initially created my blog with the intention of taking note of the of the small details of every day life, because I like taking photos of flowers". Japan - In Memoriam. Photo by Jônatas Cunha from São Paulo, Brazil, on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

By sharing the results of her research and publishing the translations on her blog, Mihoko's actions ended up “relieving the distress” of the Portuguese language speakers who were living the consequences of the disaster:

Pois os [brasileiros] que estão aqui no Japão temiam pelo que podia vir a acontecer e apesar de muitos falarem o japonês, a grande maioria não lê o japonês e ficam alheios às notícias locais, se limitando às notícias que são divuldados nos jornais e canais de TV brasileira com algumas horas de atraso. E o objetivo era passar as informações para tentar amenizar a aflição, o medo que a maioria sentia e que eu mesma sentia, sobre o acidente nuclear. Como citei algumas vezes no blog, já que estava aqui mesmo (sem ter para onde correr), procurava as informações e esclarecimentos para tentar me acalmar e simplesmente as dividia com os amigos e conterrâneos.

Those [Brazilians] who are here in Japan feared for what might come to pass, and although many speak Japanese, the vast majority do not read Japanese and are isolated from local new. As such they are limited to stories in Brazilian newspapers and TV channels which are aired a few hours later. The goal was to pass on the information to try to alleviate the distress, the fear that most people felt and that I myself felt, about the nuclear accident. As I mentioned a few times on the blog, since I was right here (with nowhere to run), I would look for information and explanations to try to calm me down and simply shared these with friends and countrymen.

Currently Mihoko continues to “take note of the details of everyday life”, while establishing links between the two languages and countries, but mostly through Twitter (@ maracujadomato).

Despite the fact that her blogging activity has ceased, Maracujá do Mato remains as a testament to the humanitarian contribution of a blogger who, through her selection of news and its subsequent translation, undoubtably helped to break down language barriers and promote greater dialogue and transnational solidarity by sharing the experiences of, and responses to, a devastating earthquake.

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011

Japanese Police Raided North Korean-linked Science Association

Lee Yoo Eun — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:07:54 +0000

Police in Tokyo raided the office of a North Korean-linked science association over illegal PC exports allegations. North Korea Tech blog explains the association's past records and suspicions surrounding them.

Japan: Netizens Cast Doubt on Anti-Nuclear Power Poster

Izumi Mihashi — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:46:51 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

An antinuclear power poster designed by Makoto Wada, a Japanese illustrator, has triggered arguments on the multifaceted impact of visual art.

On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake in the history struck Japan, and the resulting tsunami irreversibly damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In the course of stabilizing the plant, a large amount of radioactive materials were spread over nearby areas.

The poster depicts a mother and a boy near a nuclear power plant (a high quality image of the poster can be seen on the official site). Yellow particles with creepy faces are falling from the dark sky, and the mother is hugging the boy tightly to protect him from the harm.

Earthquake and tsunami damaged-Fukushima Dai Ichi Power Plant, Japan by DigitalGlobe-Imagery, on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

It was originally drawn for Antinuclear Poster Exhibition [ja] held in Tokyo for 10 days in November 2011. Many creators took part in this project: 228 posters from Japan and 13 posters from overseas were displayed.

This particular poster attracted attention of Twitter users when kenaday uploaded the image to Twitpic. The overall tone of the comments on the Twitpic page is favorable.

Chiyuky expresses [ja] her gratitude:

「和田誠さんの反原発ポスター」素晴らしい。この１枚は私の背中をおしてくれた。ありがとうございます。

“Antinuclear Poster by Makoto Wada.” Terrific. This picture has helped me step forward. Thank you very much.

deepoperation testifies [ja] that the image portrays the feeling of people in Fukushima:

私は3/16まで原発45km地点に残ることを余儀なくされたが、続く水素爆発、がなる市の宣伝カー、降雨、フォールアウト、鳴り止まぬ電話、この絵は個人では如何とも対応し難い当時の心境を端的に物語ってくれる。

I was forced to stay at the 45-km mark from the plant until March 16. Succeeding hydrogen explosions, loud public announcements from the city-run trucks, rainfalls, radiation fallouts, and the ringing of phones never stop. This picture effectively speaks for my feelings of that time, when I felt powerless as an individual.

However, as the image started to circulate the web, netizens start to develop a feeling of discomfort. phoque thinks the motif is clichéd [ja]:

和田誠という人は日本を代表するグラフィックデザイナーで、生きるレジェンドみたいな偉人なんですが、であると同時に現役バリバリの第一線の人でもある。その人のポスター。

いい絵だと思いますよ。実際、自分の部屋に貼りたいくらい。もしこれが反原発のポスターでないのなら。降っているのが雪ならば。

だけど、これが反原発なり脱原発なりのプロパガンダとして描かれたものだとしたならば話は別です。あまりにも陳腐ではないですか、これ。

幼子を守る母の姿、っていうのは古今東西描き継がれたテーマですが、それは人間の根幹にかかわることなので、「使い古された」とか「手垢がついた」とかそういう意味で「陳腐」なのではありません。
反原発だか脱原発だかを描くのに「幼子を守る母の姿とそこへ降り注ぐ死の灰」っていうモチーフを持ってくるのは、正直な話、扇情的に過ぎるというか安直すぎるというか、和田センセ、なんかずいぶん手近なところに飛びついてやっつけで仕事しちゃったんじゃないか、みたいに感じたのです。そして、そういう扇情的で安直なモチーフを持ってきたというところに、和田センセの反原発というか脱原発に対する理解の浅さが、図らずも露呈しちゃったってことではないのかと。

Makoto Wada is one of Japan's most renowned graphic designers. He is a living legend, while still very active in the field. This is his poster.I think this is a good picture, really. I would even put it on the wall of my room, only if it were not an antinuclear poster and the objects falling down were snow.

However, if this was drawn as propaganda for ideologies such as antinuclear and denuclearization, that's a different story. This is too cliched, isn't it?

A mother protecting her child is a subject drawn by people of all ages and cultures, but I'm not saying that it's cliched in the sense that it's overused. The subject portrays the essence of humanity.

Using the motif of “the figure of a mother protecting a little child with dead ash falling down” for depicting something like antinuclear or denuclearization is, honestly, sort of too sensational or too easy. I felt like “You took up a subject nigh at hand and did a rush job, didn't you, Mr. Wada?”. I guess the fact he has chosen such a sensational and easy motif unwittingly reveals how shallow his understanding of something like antinuclear or denuclearization is.

yotayotaahiru suggests [ja] the symbol of a powerless mother may have a negative effect:

たった一人で我が子を抱いてうずくまる母の図はあまりにも無力だ。そして、この表現そのままの状況にある人もきっといらっしゃる。支援が必要なのは大前提なのだけど、「被害者の象徴」のようになってしまうと、当事者の内包する力を奪ってしまいかねない。

The picture of a mother hunching over her child all alone is totally powerless. People in this situation certainly exist. They need support, of course, but if it becomes “a symbol of victims”, it can deprive them of their inner power.

Kenichi Sakamoto is also concerned [ja] about the evocative nature of the poster:

和田誠の反原発ポスターを見た。原発周辺で放射能が母子に降りかかっている図柄で印象的。でも、この絵で福島のお母さん達はどれほど不必要に恐い思いをするんだろう。原発については科学的に議論すべきで、こういった叙情的手段での世論喚起は不要だろう。http://twitpic.com/8epyct

I saw the antinuclear poster by Makoto Wada. The picture of radioactive materials falling down on a mother and a child near the nuclear power plant certainly leaves an impression, but I cannot help think of the unnecessary fear it will create in the minds of mothers in Fukushima. Issues about nuclear power should be discussed in a scientific way and there is no need to agitate in an emotional matter.

He then describes the reaction [ja] of an acquaintance in Fukushima:

福島の知り合いは小さなお子さんを持つお母さん。避難しなければならない区域ではありませんし、仕事を辞めて福島を離れるわけにはいきません。様々な情報が飛び交う中で不安を抱えて生活していましたが、それでも気丈に頑張っていました。その彼女から急に取り乱した声の電話が入りました（続く）

I have a acquaintance in Fukushima who is a mother of a young child. She does not live in the evacuation area, and she cannot quit her job to leave Fukushima. She leads an anxious life, bombarded by information of all kinds from every direction, but still hangs in there with a strong mind. I received an unexpected phone call from her. She was very distraught. (continued)

よくよく聞くと、あの絵を見てパニックを起こしてしまったとのこと。積もりに積もっていた不安が底知れない恐怖として一気に吹き出してしまったようです。見た方は分かると思いますが、あの絵「反原発の聖母子像」は傑作です。人の心を揺り動かさずにはおかないインパクトがある（続く）

Listening to her carefully, I found out she felt a surge of panic on seeing that picture. It's clear to those who have seen the image that it's quite the masterpiece. Its impact is so massive that anyone who sees it cannot help but be moved. (continued)

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

China: A Portrayal of Portrayals of Cultural And Ethnic Stereotypes

John Kennedy — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:44:24 +0000

Zhang Xu (”Nick in the House”), a comedic vlogger from northeast China, recently put together a video to showcase different cultural and ethnic stereotypes from a distinctly Chinese perspective.

Mostly in English with Chinese subtitles, Zhang's video blends different accents, pop culture references, and dramatic background music as he portrays a caricature, respectively, of a person from Japan, Korea, India, Britain, France, Italy, America, Russia and China, each trying to introduce their own culture or country to a foreigner.

Offended yet? In just four days, Nick's video has received more than 17,000 comments and 500,000 views.

North Korea : Two Japanese Indicted for Exporting PC to North Korea

Lee Yoo Eun — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:18:00 +0000

North Korea Tech blog wrote about two Japanese people who were indicted for exporting personal computers to North Korea, thereby violating the Japanese government’s trade sanctions.

Japan: Web and Mobile Trends in 2011

Tomomi Sasaki — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:48:56 +0000

Serkan Toto rounds up key trends that shaped Japan's web, mobile, and gaming industries in 2011.

Japan: Cultural Misunderstandings and the Olympus Fraud Scandal

Tomomi Sasaki — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:01:01 +0000

Sophie Knight explores how business culture misunderstandings between Michael Woodford and Olympus might have played a role in the happenings around the fraud exposure.

Japan: Year 2011 for the Art World

Tomomi Sasaki — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:53:21 +0000

“It’s been a traumatic year for Japan and the Tokyo art world” - William Andrews rounds up what the art world went through in the year 2011 on the Tokyo Art Beat blog.

Global Voices Most Read Posts in 2011

Solana Larsen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:46:50 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Our top 20 list of most read posts on Global Voices for 2011 includes four from Japan, three from Egypt, and two from the Philippines. But only one story is about a giant crocodile!

It's been an incredible year for the reach and recognition of citizen media around the world, and that means Global Voices is no longer as lonely a media voice when it comes to reporting tweets and blog posts. Still, where mainstream media interest wanes, we're the ones who strive to continue documenting what local bloggers everywhere need the world to know.

Self Defence Forces arrive at the scene of the tsunami in Japan. Image by cosmobot, copyright Demotix (13/03/11).

Some of our proudest moments of 2011 will never be reflected on a top 20 list like the one below. This year we exceeded 500 active volunteer authors and translators of countless languages and countries, and we've published more than 2,600 long posts and 6,300 short ones in English alone.

Inevitably, many of the stories that don't get as wide a readership as they deserve are from countries that tend to be overlooked in international media. Unique coverage from across Africa, the Caucasus, Macedonia, the Russian language Internet, Latin America and indigenous rights are among some of the highlights. See the 2011 regional reviews by our editors and authors for a glance of what you may have missed.

Our Middle East and North Africa team deserves special mention this year. Throughout protests, blackouts, threats, they have managed to pull though and keep writing. The bloody images still proliferate, but our authors seek out constructive voices and angles for dialogue. So often, they've shared local humor and context that is difficult to appreciate from abroad without a guide.

Perhaps for the first time ever, China doesn't figure on our top 20 list of the year. These are particularly chilling times to blog about controversial subjects - something Global Voices authors in many other countries unfortunately also experience. This makes the stories that do come from anywhere free speech is frowned on even more precious.

Most read posts on Global Voices in 2011

Our most visited special coverage pages were:

In 2011 the world has learned more about the transformative power of online citizen media. We believe the best way to support these emerging voices on a global scale is to listen. Thanks for reading Global Voices! And please consider supporting our work with a donation.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Japan: Archiving Online Videos of Quake and Tsunami

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:10:09 +0000

More than 9 months have passed since the earthquake and tsunami which devastated many areas of Japan on March 11th. Rick Martin has been mapping and tagging videos taken during both events and during the aftermath.