WHAT —– ? ? ?

The left photo here is —– can you believe, a broken

heat exchange to condensate the steam to water,

inside of the Hamaoka Nuclear plant (now its

operation is halted) in Japan.(photo from Exite News)

We may expect, a Nuclear plant was constructed by

shiny special alloy with ultimate precision.

Though, the fancy part is the inside of the Nuclear chamber

where the radio-active nuclear fuel rods are placed which

is heating up and boiling the water to make steam which in turn drive a turbine

and drive an electric generator —– so, the lest of the plant is just an ordinary electric power station

which could be built by any ordinary worker. —– really ? ? ?

The boiling water is directly contact with nuclear fuel, hence it is highly radio-active too.

And such radio-active water is circulating inside of the pipes you can see in the photo,

its mean nuclear radiation is not confined and sealed inside of chamber.

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Unexpected accident could happen in any unexpected manner.

The broken pipes on the photo was said to be caused by an iron cap only 5kg heavy dropped inside.

Of cause, no such simple mistake should be happened, though in realities

we are making unexpected silly mistakes everyday.

So, why that iron cap didn’t have a secure chain or why the pipes didn’t have protective grid etc.

All those short comings were emanated from the complacency and the mind-set to cut the cost.

(Though, the pipes looks like burnt by intense heat, not broke open by mechanical force —– ? ? ?

—– their explanation seems wrong—– What is the truth ? )

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From the ever powerful Power Company, contract went to such as GE (having patent of the design)

then such as Toshiba or Hitach may built the plant though actual work was done by subcontractor

and sub-subcontractors —– who knows.   Those sub-sub-subcontractors may picked up a worker

who is saying know how to weld —– and the inspection was just a formality.

Then the heat-exchange for nuclear power plant went into operation.

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In the Japanese ethos, each profession / technician has their own pride called [Shokunin-konjyo]

(Craftsman’s ethos) which proud of their perfection and the quality of the work —– it’s exists even in

a forefront hi-tech industry, the eyes to find minute difference in the material or a work piece and

the minuscule adjustment which is almost invisible to the eyes ( in Buddhist’s term it is the mindfulness)

—– then realize supreme quality.

Though, it might be too much to ask to a worker of sub-sub-subcontractor picked up on the day.

Even a billion of billion yen project, as the profit was siphoned out ( in order to pay for the politician

and the licensing inspector) then the cost was squeezed by which only sub-sub-sub worker can accept

to work —– so that, no one can expect the quality and reliability of their work.

—– wait a moment, this is a part of dangerous Nuclear Power plant not a steam boiler to

heat a green house for vegetable.

Something went seriously wrong in Japan.

Japanese government keep refusing the research and assessment of the IAEA, WHO

and the Greenpeace in order to prevent the situation of the spread of radio-active

contamination become public, and the rest of the world to know —— I wonder, they could

be accused of the crime against the humanity.  Why not ? ? ?

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PEACE in JAPAN —- Really ? ? ?

Japan is a strange country.   Among the developed countries, it is the most safe, prosperous

country.  Newborn babies’ mortality rate is the smallest in the world and live longest life.

In other words, it is the most peaceful place in the world. Never seen bloody conflict or

political economical insurgence, other than few Yakuza killings and very remote poison-gas attack

by the religious fanatics. —– Only exception is occasional natural disasters which is

killing handful people in each incidence.

—– so, some may say Japanese are spoiled by the peace.

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It seems, the previous post which I wrote how Japanese is overcoming the disaster by

ignoring the BAD NEWS, annoyed some people who was saying “ Don’t mix-up

the natural disaster to the man-made Nuclear Accident and the failure of the

response by the government.

I’m well aware of it. In fact I’ve been annoyed by the situation myself. At least, I was an

anti-establishment activist. —-but, we learned it in 60^th, 70^th how hopeless the situation is.

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The expression in the west [Bang the head against a stone wall] would explain the

situation. —– And the rack of the political leadership, charismatic leader, nor championing

organization — hence no prospect of any change. ( You might be noticed, there is

virtually no anti-Nuclear demonstration in Japan except the one organized by the

musicians —– it was more like a family outing to cheer-up the depressed people

and politically gave no effect )

So that, there is very positive activities to help the disaster stricken people, but in the same

time deep hopeless mind-set toward the situation, especially the government or establishment.

This hopelessness and powerlessness toward the ever murky politics and the

situation of the Nuclear Plant made the people to feel —– it is no different from

unfortunate fate, like the one’s death which will inevitably comes.

(Remember, there was anti-Nuclear or anti-War demonstration, though I never seen

anti-death demonstration — of cause, there is no point at all though,

it is utterly unfair isn’t it. Why not ? 😀 )

—– This Japanese psyche has been exploited by the government, hence their one-party

dominance could continued 50 years.  (Then even after the power moved from Lib-Dem to

Democratic Party, unfortunately as they have been away from the system too long,

they don’t know how to govern the country —– and the system relying on the personal

expertise and the connection, it can not be replaced and changed easily)

Japanese politics is done by the negotiations between those in power and the backup person

and not open to public, not mention foreign journalists, the debate in the Parliament are

just a farce and the Minister is just a nominal figure (the facts and the data was held by

bureaucrats, hence Minister doesn’t necessary know the whole picture) —— even a head of

government change, those people who know the data and actually run the system is

still the same.   Mind you, the system there is economically second or third largest system

and the industrially as large as US. —– when the supply of components stopped from Japan

due to the disaster there, even the iPAD production in China halted.

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Japanese ENIGMA — It’s the BUDDHISM

There are numerous report of the Japanese disaster which showed incredible calmness

and the orderly behaviour of the people who went trough unimaginable devastation of

their life.

AND the unbelievable calmness while hearing and facing the situation of their Nuclear plant’s

meltdown. —– as if even a meltdown didn’t make a news or no longer the issue.

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Of cause there was a cunning manipulation of the media by the government and the establishment

whose interests are heavily entwined with those Power supply industry ( with their financial, political

mutual interdependency ) and the PR machine which organized the bent scientists who has been

creating smoke screen and the deception saying “ Nuclear is safe and clean “.

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So when their Nuclear system break down and shown the leak of radio-active material, they kept

pretending it was just a minor trouble of electric power failure, hence nothing serious at all, and

try to patch-up behind the scene. —– though, as it has melted down just the next day of Tsunami,

the trouble couldn’t be solved easily—– meltdown is really serous trouble.

—– still, they managed to keep the people ignorant, then rose the accident level 5 to 7, a month

later —– waited until the people get used and become immune to a bad news.

Strangely you may think, even in this situation, there is no word of Meltdown in

the Power company’s official report. (Saying  ” I’m not good in English”  😀  😀  )

So that no longer Japanese believe the Company who is just dodging the word. 

( Then what can you believe —— nothing. —– neither knows what will happen ) 

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Strangely, how serious the situation was, which was detected and assessed by the foreign experts

who saw the Nuclear accident in Three miles Plant US, and those report was appeared in the media

abroad, —– but they were ignored as a demagogue —– anything bad news were suppressed.

This attitude was taken not only the Japanese media but it was common among the people.

[ The most important issue is, to rebuilt the life and regain the normality.

Anything obstruct this has to be rejected and ignored]

———- Whether you can believe or not, you like or not, this is the Buddhism.

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Buddha told that the life is suffering — and the death is in the end. Yet still, there is

the way to overcome those obstacles by the way to see the world and the life.

And the way to see it, is the Buddhism.

By this, the Enlightenment, we can get the Nirvana —– therefore, instead of wasting

the time worrying about those obstacles and the troubles, [Just get on the life. Just Do It]

Japanese are literally doing this.   ( Unlike in the west, no riot smash or burn down the

Company —– because they know such emotional act can’t solve the trouble at all)

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Buddha ignored a question what is the structure of the universe or the soul is perpetual.

—– obviously because  [ They are unknowable and it doesn’t matter for us at all ]

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Now we human being is at the brink of finding the fundamental of the existence by the experiment

of Atomic research —– sound interesting though, —– [ String theory ? ? ?] —– ?

Is it the matter to how many person in the world ? Is Parallel World (even if it’s existed)

anything matters to you ?

The more closer to us, all the fancy gadgets wouldn’t work and couldn’t be designed without the

calculations in the Quantum theory —– though, how many people in the world actually dealing

with this ?   Most of the people using the gadgets only knowing which switch is on-off.

We might be extinct because of the activities of the Sun or by an Asteroid etc. etc. who knows ?

Is it help us to know what could happen one day ? — other than interesting brain teaser.  😀

———- So that, Buddha rejected anything which exist only in the mind

and irrelevant to our dairy life —– defining they are just the delusions.

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To the Japanese people, natural disaster —– when it’s comes what would happen are same as the

Asteroid or Solar Activities —– it may come but what can you do ?   Nothing.

If nothing, it is better not to bother. —– Worrying wouldn’t help anything (except to the

scientists who knows better and the engineer who design more reliable structure )

And for them, the trouble of the Nuclear Meltdown and its consequence came into the

same category. —– therefore, if it’s happens, it happens —– same as inevitable death,

there is no escape hence no point to argue. —– just resign.

(Anyhow, they can’t understand what is the Nuclear Reaction mean and radiation is

invisible.  It makes no different to Earthquake.  They just shut off the useless thinking )

And as the blockage removed ( worrying mind has gone) then,  just live the day in its best.

Do the best mean, do what you can, to the things on front of you.  Help others who is having more

difficulties.  Utilize something which remains —– improvise and be resourceful. etc.etc.

The matter is live there while making in its best. —– best mean not to do wrong —– they

don’t rob others, nor steal. Even don’t cry —– crying makes others even more depressed

—– it’s no good.  So, this is how and why they are seemingly behaving in such orderly way.

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You must be realized, it is not enigma at all —– and realized, the control of ego and

emotions can be done by anybody. ( If you can not, it is because you are believing and

unconsciously wanting to cling your ego and the emotions.

—– it is your trouble of fundamental Mind-Set — you need to change the subconscious )

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Play to the 25,000 victims of the disaster in Japan.

And the best wish to the recovery of the half million people who has been affected.

___/\___

—

SOCIETY

In the media reports of Japanese Disasters, a peculiarity of Japanese society was shocked the world.

“Why Japanese can keep calm and not express their grief ? “

I explained a back-ground —– their deep embedded Ethos / Fatalism originated from the

Buddhism —– in the previous post.

—–

But there is the another aspect which is even deeper and common to all the human-being.

We human-being is a social animal , we live, and have to live as a member of a society.

We are definitely a descendant of the packed animal like monkey, chimpanzee, not a lone panther.

Hence it is written in our gene, and so-called instincts are programmed accordingly such as the

gripping hand of a baby is to cringe to a mother.

To be a social animal, there is the order of the society and its rules. Any member who couldn’t

comply the rules, will be excluded from its society —– and slow death is the fate.

Where those rules were posted ? Ethos and those social code are not written but kept by the

member, the member themselves are the role-model / manifestation of the rules.

As society is operated by their member who possess the same Ethos and the Rules, and it is

almost the same even generation after generation, all the social activity, social systems are coherent

with the same Ethos. Everything shows the same manifestation and follow the same rules.

This exact coherency can be observed by even a small baby and learned by them and written

down into their subconscious memory. In fact this is the so-called Collective Unconscious.

But this is the case when the society is having universal, coherent system and the Ethos.

Among the member, some might become rebel though, the person is only temporally rebelling

or just behaving the reverse of existing rule —– nothing new just a reverse.

But when the population who is possessing fundamentally different Ethos, moved into other society,

it start to show completely different situation.

In metaphor, when non-thieving society received considerable size of thieving group, the Ethos of

both societies break down. ( Even thieving society and their way of life having their own strict rules,

taboo, who to steal or who is the senior thieves and the violent punishment who break its rules )

A kids of Non-thieving society learn the thieving, and a kids of Thieving society learn to

escape a punishment claiming his Human right 😀

Everything break down and only Ego exposed.

A baby start to see two conflicting systems and the rules, hence unable to figure out what is the Ethos of

the Society —– there couldn’t be a Collective Unconscious but just an attitude of

convenient cherry picking of excuse and the knowledge of “How to avoid “ —– it’s mean avoid

to be a member of the society. In fact there is no longer a society and its integrity exists.

—–

Fortunately ( or unfortunately ? ) Japanese society still maintain themselves as a society,

as foreign element is still negligible, even an outcast group Yakuza responded to the disaster, with

hundreds of truck load of relief supply delivered to the evacuated people.

Even though Yakuza were branded as the criminal organization, they are undoubtedly nobody else of

Japanese, and a part of the same society, hence share the same compassion and the sense of duty.

—– simply because, they grown up in the same society ( Even Yakuza was once an innocent

small boy,as you know 😀 ) hence build up the same Ethos as a Japanese.

—-

In reality, to make a baby to a Japanese, other than the teachings in a school and the family and the

circulating popular culture, such as everybody should have the same gadget and ware same kind (well

some pre-classified types) of fashion, there is a hidden secret of social pressure to a person

to conform the social code.

It is more akin to the chorus of the hen in the Animal Farm. When this chorus starts, even a person

who has been saying different opinion suddenly changes the colour and join a chorus, the louder the better.

This is a moment to a person to assess what is the majority and join them.

When the majority is behaving in a certain way, just do the same. To remain within the same group

and the society is the imperative in Japan. Whether it is true or not, right or wrong, just go with them.

So that, when nobody is crying –its mean, no-one should cry. The unwritten code says “Mittomonai

( It looks disorderly, and embarrassing ) “ Anybody brake-off from here, there is a danger to be ostracised.

As a result, everybody looks calm on the TV.

—

Funny side-effect of this conformative society is, as the expectation and the imaginary eligibility

of a man is fixed, such as socially acceptable income and the status etc, under the stagnated

Japanese economy, most of the ordinary man is no longer regarded to fit to marry —– hence

so many people are forced to stay single. ( A research found that among the eligible age-group,

only 6 % of men were regarded to fit the expectation of the woman, its mean, if a woman marry

other than rare 6 % , she will face a humiliation, a chorus of “Mittomonai”.)

—

When no dominant voice led the chorus, hens couldn’t know what to do.

Strangely, they still knows when somebody start to show up with unconformative opinion, they

overwhelm the opinion with their noisy chorus and suppress it. Therefore no fresh innovative idea

(other than imaginative Manga story) nor strong decisive idea coming out of Japan.

This is the situation in Japanese politics too.

Therefore, when they faced a crisis of Nuclear accident, they only try to avoid the Japanese public

fallen into a “Mittomonai” panic, by pretending nothing serious happened, thus do-nothing —-take

an emergency measure itself looks “Mittomonai”—– until it’s actually exploded.

Then everything got too late to take any measure. —– though, a criticism like this will be seen by a Japanese

as an act to expose “Mittomonai”Japan, hence has to be suppressed —-> So that , there wouldn’t be any

“Mittomonai”situation, therefore, able to keep calm face. Face is more important than the safety.

Beautiful isn’t it ?

—-