Is Ignorance in Japanese Bureaucracy to blame...

    - Hey Everyone, I've decided to merge my study abroad blog with this one so the following maybe 5-6 post will be about my time in Japan. Thanks for reading 

    A few days ago I was talking to my friend living in Fukushima on skype and I was telling him about how I thought no one could be to blame for the nuclear reactors and radiation going on in Japan right now...but my friend then sent me this article and it made me immediately want to take back my words.. the article's in Japanese so I did my best to translate it >_< (sorry if some parts are uncertain or weird T^T)

大津波再来の恐れ、09年に指摘＝東電、津波想定に反映せず―審議会で
時事通信 3月27日(日)17時57分配信想定を大幅に上回る津波に襲われた東京電力福島第1原発について、津波の専門家が2009年、原発の耐震安全性を検討する経済産業省の審議会の席上、東北地方に大津波をもたらした869年の「貞観地震」（マグニチュード8．4と推定）に触れ、同規模以上の津波再来の可能性について指摘していたことが27日、分かった。東電側は「歴史上の地震で、耐震設計上考慮する地震にならない」と述べ、指摘は反映されなかった。

指摘したのは、産業技術総合研究所の岡村行信活断層研究センター長（地質学）。岡村さんは、史料に津波被害の記録が残る貞観地震について研究。福島第1、第2原発の敷地付近を含め、内陸部に津波で運ばれた砂が堆積していることや、450～800年周期で津波が起きたことなどを明らかにしてきた。
岡村さんは、09年6月に開かれた経産省の審議会で、福島原発について貞観地震の知見から「津波に関しては（東電の想定する地震と）比べものにならない非常にでかいものがくる」と指摘。「まったく触れられていないのはおかしい」と再検討を求めた。しかし、東電側は「被害がそれほど見当たらない。歴史上の地震であり、研究では課題として捉えるべきだが、設計上考慮する地震にならない」と答え、消極的な姿勢を示した。
翌7月の審議会でも、岡村さんは04年のスマトラ沖地震などに触れ、今回の地震のように複数の震源域が同時に動く連動型地震の危険性を指摘したが、東電側は「引き続き検討を進める」と述べるにとどまった。

Fear of a reoccurring big tsunami, Pointed out in 2009=TEPCO, Tsunami assumptions aren't recognized- At the inquiry commission council meeting

  The first Nuclear power plant in Fukushima was said to have been hit substantially more than expected by the 2011 Tsunami. However, tsunami experts in 2009 at the inquiry commission meeting ask for a re-evaluation for the seismic safety of the Nuclear power plants. In Japan's north eastern region (around the year 869?) a tsunami with an estimated magnitude of 8.4 touched Japan with expectations that another one with the same magnitude could possibly come. This possibility was pointed out on the 27th of April. TEPCO stated that according to historical files recorded from past earthquakes, the Earthquake resistance design should have been but wasn't taken into consideration and the design flaws pointed out weren't reflected in the design of the nuclear power plants. The design flaws were pointed out by AIST's Okamura Yukinobu at the Active Fault Research center (Geology department) The following is about Okamura's remaining research on a previous Earthquake and tsunami's damage recordings. Fukushima's first nuclear power plant, as well as areas around the second nuclear plant have deposits of sand carried inland by a previous tsunami which reveals that a tsunami comes every (450-800 years?...has a year cycle of 450-800 years?) In the METI inquiry commission meeting held in June 2009, Okamura stated that from the findings that the previous Earthquake had on Fukushima's nuclear plant and (from TEPCO's assumptions?) “There’s going to be a big one coming that compares to no other."

 "It's quite strange that there was no mention or actions done" replied the re-examination board (review board?) However, TEPCO passively answered "The damage didn't seem like it was going to be that great. From other historical recorded files on past earthquakes (as a theme) we should have caught sight of it's potential damage but (we didn't take into consideration the seismic safety of the nuclear plants' design?) In next July's council meeting as well, Okamura commented on the 2004 Sumatra earthquake, pointing out that the danger of this Earthquake, as others in the past, have multiple factors which are linked together in the same way. However, TEPCO only continues to state "we will continue further evaluation."   

Things you might need to know:

TEPCO- Tokyo’s electric power company

METI- Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry

AIST- Association for Iron and Steel Technology

(Here's the link to the actual article: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20110327-00000062-jij-soci)