Message from the Founder
Fukushima update from Kyoto’s eyes
Filed under founder June 28, 2012
In Fukushima, workers in protective gear plant rice to moniter the uptake of nucleoids in contaminated soil....
After realigning the energy production of Japan to include almost no nuclear production over the last year in response to public concern of the tragedy at the Daiichi Nuclear Complex in Fukushima, plants at the highest concentration of nuclear energy production in the world will be restarted in Oi, Fukui prefecture. Up until just weeks ago, politicians from all over the region had voiced their strong opposition to restarting the plants of concerns of risks and potential danger... only to have a suddent and mysterious about face. Even after proclamations at the National level just recently that Japan was committed to curbing its energy appetite and seek to bolster production in areas of renewables.
As a resident here in Japan the whole situation over the last 15 months has been absolutely surreal as I have tried to balance my desire to help the stricken, protect my family and attempt at best to obtain valid information on the actual risk and progress of the handling of the stricken Daiichi plants.
Though the government has claimed a successful cold shutdown of the plants, in all actuality only plant no. 2 has been examined at all and as of April the water level in for the fuel rods was found to be far lower than expected inferring a risk of overheated fuel which may melt resulting in the abilty to control reaction as they loose their stability. The radiation levels in no. 1 and 3 are so high that there is currently no instuments capable of viewing or establishing the condition in the plants.... read full post and comments
The Hidden Poverty in Japan
Filed under founder April 30, 2008
Poverty in Japan is more than homeless living in blue sheet and cardboard shacks that most think of. Working poor are, by and large, the largest group of Japanese suffering the ills of poverty and estimated at more than 10 million[1]. These struggling individuals go largely unnoticed as provide the services that fuel society and then go home to inadequate housing, survive on instant ramen and fall thru the cracks with regards to retirement and proper health care.
Take Nagasaki residents Kichisaburo Tanaka and his wife and their deceased children, son Kaito, 3, and daughter Kirari, 2.The Tanakas were well liked among their neigbors and nobody considered them to be victims of poverty.... read full post and comments
FoodBank or Advertisment?
Filed under founder March 21, 2008
We charities and foundations are the gatekeepers of our communities. Formed for the public good, and operated not for profit but for the public good. It seems however that most well meaning ideas take on a life of their own and after a time, many organizations will do anything to get money in the door.
Pictured above is the chairman of Foodbank Kansai receiving money from Pfizer corporation. Pfizer is the largest drug manufacturer in the world, and they operate outside the bounds of national and international laws at their whim*. They routinelypay huge fines*to quietly make their discretions go away.... read full post and comments
Its 2006!
Filed under founder January 6, 2006
Just call me bear, all my friends do.
Thinking about 2006…. 2005 was a busy long hard year. Acutally thought about packing it as the director of the Food Bank here in Kansai Japan. The budget is painful and the hours are long, and I have to work a real bill paying job to boot. But I got a letter from one of our ophanages that helps abused kids.
The director just wanted to thank us for food and smiles we passed on last year. I went to see him and he shared how even though they get some funding from the feds, its not enough to give the kids any kind of head start into the word when they get 18. He hates it every year when they graduate, cause they go out, no family, no support group, no allowance from dad, to face a hard world on their own. He really wants to do more, to provide more education and ops for his kids… But he says without our help there is nothing extra….
Do you think I could look him in the eye and tell him I was too tired to help? I smiled and told him we were looking forward to helping again this year. To tell the truth, I'm not so tired now, got a genki feeling back, and I am looking forward to dropping off a truck of food there soon. Maybe you might want to help? You dont have to know Japanese, just need some people with a heart. Of course it would be nice if you could drive, teach english to some of our staff, put stuff in boxes, buy a bag or rice or have your company send a truckload of muffins etc. Gonna be a great year, I can just feel it,
bear
read full post and commentsMerry Christmas
Filed under founder December 20, 2005
Merry Christmas, December 20th, 2005
Thought I would take all the kids up to the onsen hotel where I do weddings with me for the weekend as a christmas present and bonding time,cause there will be not much under the Christmas tree this year…Well, during the biggest blizzard in years slogging through the mountains….The car blows up. A total loss …. thank God it was on the way home after my weddings. Caston turned to me with tears in his eyes and said, "Dad, we gave out 30 tons of food this year, and spend so much time helping everyone else…. where is our help? This year has been so hard"…. read full post and comments
Click here for an archive of messages by Kozmoz founder Barry Wyatt