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　　On March 11th, 2011, the Tohoku Earthquake shook the country of Japan, causing a tsunami that wreaked damage on the coastline and led to an explosion from Fukushima’s Daiichi nuclear power plant. Though it has been almost three years since this devastation, the far-reaching effects of the disaster continue to shake the lives of those living in Fukushima and the Tohoku area.

 

The Current Situation and Dangers of Radiation in Fukushima City

 

　　There are many different views about the current situation in Fukushima. Is it dangerous? How much radiation is too much? To answer some of these questions in an objective way, it is helpful to refer to studies and research done after the Chernobyl disaster. In April of 2011, the government of Ukraine released a report entitled “Safety for the Future.” This report synthesized 25 years of observation and research done on children who were part of the disaster.

　　On December 11th, 2012, Dr. Evgenia Stepanova of the Ukrainian government's Scientific Centre for Radiation Medicine came to Fukushima to share the content of this report. Generally speaking, the researchers found that those who were exposed to radiation had an increased risk of cancer and leukemia. Not only that, but these children suffered from many other chronic diseases—and the younger the child, the greater the likelihood of having multiple diseases simultaneously. These diseases were difficult to cure and relapses were common. Compared to children raised in radiation-safe areas, children who were part of the Chernobyl disaster were 5 to 10 times more likely to have these chronic diseases. Unhealthy physical conditions were found in children in the first 5 years after the accident. Three years after the accident, there was a documented increase in thyroid cancer. Six years after the accident, chronic illnesses of the internal organs increased. After the Fukushima power plant explosion, the main danger came from radioactive iodine, which was most dangerous right after the accident because of its short half-life; however, the current danger in Fukushima is found in 137 Cesium, which has a long half-life. After the Chernobyl disaster, Ukraine responded to the dangers of 137 Cesium by dividing their land into 4 zones, with the guideline that a person should intake less than 1 miliseivert of Cesium per year. The zones were made as follows:

 

Zone 1: Entering is prohibited. This area includes all land 30 kilometers around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and all areas where there are more than 1500 kilo-becquerels of Cesium per square meter.

 

Zone 2: Government-ordered evacuation of families. This area includes all land that has a level of Cesium between 555 and 1500 kilo-becquerels per square meter. People living here would intake more than 5 miliseiverts of Cesium per year.

 

Zone 3: Government-subsidized evacuation area. This area includes land with levels of Cesium between 185 and 555 kilo-becquerels per square meter, amounting to an intake of between 1 and 5 miliseiverts of Cesium per year.

 

Zone 4: Environment restoration area. This area includes land with levels of Cesium between 37 and 185 kilo-becquerels per square meter, where a person would intake between 0.5 and 1 miliseivert of Cesium per year.

 

　　If one compares Ukraine’s zones with Fukushima City’s levels of radiation, sadly, Fukushima’s degree of contamination places most of the city within Zone 3 or above. Even though Fukushima is proceeding with decontamination, about half of the area falls within Zone 2 and above. Therefore, there is a well-founded fear that children in Fukushima have the same radiation dangers and will suffer the same health problems as the children of Ukraine.

 

　　But the country of Japan is concerned over the amount of compensation necessary for widespread evacuations. The economy is the top priority, and the government is bent upon the restart and exportation of nuclear power; therefore, the government has not provided truthful and correct information and has minimized the evacuation area. Decontamination is going on, but it is an inefficient and incomplete answer to the problem.

 

　　Currently, the number of children 12 and under in Fukushima City is 27,400. The parents and guardians of these children, since the accident occurred, have doubted the nuclear power company’s management and have been suspicious of the fact that the company is only out for its own gain. So far, the government has been telling the people not to worry about short-term health dangers of radiation, but they have not disclosed information or taken responsibility for the long-term radiation effects. This has led to parents and guardians being suspicious of the government. Already 10% of Fukushima City’s children under 12 have been evacuated from Fukushima prefecture. These were the people who were financially able to handle the evacuation. For almost all of the families in Fukushima City, evacuation would be financially difficult without government compensation.

 

　　There are other reasons why parents and children do not leave Fukushima. Some parents want to evacuate, but cannot because of financial reasons, as was mentioned above. Others love Fukushima, and want to stay no matter what. Parents have many reactions and opinions regarding the situation in Fukushima. However, all of them worry about the effects this may have on their children—health dangers, discrimination from those who feel that radiation can spread from person to person, and even the possible future rejection of Fukushima’s young girls as marriage partners. Because of all these worries, Fukushima parents and guardians want their children to play indoors, in radiation-safe zones, as much as possible.

 

　　This has led to Fukushima children playing very little outside. Even in areas where decontamination has taken place, such as elementary school grounds, parents request that the children’s outdoor play time be limited. Especially for younger children in Fukushima, there are worries of slower physical development compared to others of their age because of this lack of exercise. Also, Fukushima prefecture’s elementary and middle school students recently placed in the lowest percentile on the government’s physical strength test, scoring much lower than previous testing times.

 

　　In response to this, Fukushima prefecture and Fukushima City have begun the work of making low-radiation areas (under 0.1 microsieverts) where children under 12 years of age can play and exercise. Currently, there are 8 of these indoor play areas. There is also one outdoor play area which has 0.15 microsieverts of radiation. However, due to inconvenient scheduling and the small size of these play areas, only around 1000 children (about 5% of the population) actually make use of these areas at the busiest times (such as holidays or weekends). Also, there are several places which will close after this fiscal year. Even with all of the play areas, there is still only one place at which kids can play freely outside. This does not begin to answer the needs of Fukushima’s children for play and physical exercise. Parents and guardians have expressed the need for more outdoor areas for children.

 

　　Therefore, these play areas do not sufficiently answer the problems of protecting our children from the effects of radiation and creating an environment for movement and health. The current play areas also will not provide long-term care in relation to the ongoing dangers of radiation. Above this, there is still the need for truthful information regarding the dangers of radiation and empowerment of the parents to protect their children.

 

The Kid’s Care Park Goal

 

　　In light of the previous information and to protect the children’s maturity in health, give hope and protective strategies to the parents and guardians, and encourage the parents and guardians of Fukushima to stand together and face the future with joy, the Network of Churches for Fukushima’s Revitalization (NCFR) wish to create the Kid’s Care Park Fukushima program and service.

 

We have three basic goals:

 

1,To provide a radiation-free indoor and outdoor play area for movement and health without fear. If no outdoor area can be created, we wish to provide an indoor area with as much of a natural outdoor environment as possible (ground to play on, a sandbox, sunshine, etc.).

 

2,To provide accurate information about the dangers of radiation and give concrete information about activities that can help protect children.

 

3,To inform others about renewable energy and the possibility of a bright future, so that parents and guardians can hold onto hope and determination as they work to protect their children. To answer the long-term needs of parents and children by providing a stable, long-term project.

 

　　So, what is Kid’s Care Park Fukushima? We envision Kid’s Care Park Fukushima to be a place for children to play and exercise. It will include:

 

1,An indoor and outdoor play area that is radiation-safe. An outdoor area for 1000 occupants and an indoor area for 300 occupants (parents or guardians and children) would be ideal. (If an outdoor radiation-safe area cannot be found, an indoor area with an outdoor environment—sunshine, sandbox, ground, etc.—will be created.)

 

2,Play leaders, or staff who have been trained to encourage and supervise children in safe exercise and play.

 

3,A Mother’s Café—a place for mothers to relax and enjoy while supervising their children.

 

4,A bookstore with two goals: to promote the spreading of information regarding radiation and natural energy and to share Christian love and hope for the future.

 

5,A discussion corner where parents and guardians can read and process the nuclear power accident, dangers of radiation, renewable energy, and the protection of their children.

 

6,A parking lot sufficient for the number of people who can occupy the play area.

 

　　Our goal is for Kid’s Care Park Fukushima to be a long-term project, with a beginning goal of 10 years and a hope of 20 years of service. Kid’s Care Park Fukushima’s play area, exercise space, and parking lot will be offered as a free service.

 

Showing Support

 

　　The Kid’s Care Park Fukushima project is a large undertaking, but it will have a huge impact on the health and wellness of Fukushima’s people. We ask that you would consider joining us in this important effort with your financial support and prayer! Currently, locations to build Kid’s Care Park Fukushima are being reviewed. But this project is too important to wait for the construction of a specific building—there is no time to waste. With just $2 million, equipment for exercise and healthy play can be purchased and trained staff can be hired to start building relationships with parents and children and offering opportunities for safe exercise and movement. But our true goal is bigger than that: $8 million will cover the purchase of land, cost of decontamination, building construction, full-size equipment, staffing, and programming.

 

　　Would you consider partnering with us in this meaningful work? Together, we can succeed in making a big difference!

 

Contact Information

 

Email: fcarepark@yahoo.com

 

Office: Izumi Lutheran Church 1-2-10 Noda-machi Fukushima-shi, Fukushima-ken 960-8055 Japan

 

Phone: 024-534-8503

 

Contacts:

　　Mr. Seiichiro Kurihara (Project Director)

　　Rev. Osamu Nomura (President of NCFR)

　　Rev. Masanori Kuba (Vice President of NCFR)

 

Also, here is the link to the video: http://www.upworthy.com/a-little-girl-who-isnt-allowed-to-play-outside-and-the-startling-reason-why