Daily Japan Headlines: Monday, May 16, 2011

Written By: guyjin on May 16, 2011 No Comment

20110516 Photo Source: IEEE Spectrum

CNN GO Video: Flying train unveiled by Japanese scientists

It’s not the first train to travel without a rail (Maglev comes to mind), nor is it faster than other trains (Shanghai’s Maglev train travels at 580 kilometers per hour). But some consider the plane-train to be a breakthrough in terms of efficiency and cost.

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BBC: Japan evacuates residents beyond Fukushima no-go zone

The towns are more than 30km (19 miles) from the Fukushima plant, which is continuing to leak radioactive material.
About 5,000 people have been moved into public housing, hotels and other facilities in nearby cities.

Source: BBC

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BBC Video: Giant barge to store radioactive water from Japan nuclear plant

A giant barge which will be used to store radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant has left Yokohama harbour.
The giant barge is 446ft long and 151ft wide and according to local media can hold a maximum of 10,000 tonnes of water.

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BBC Video: Japan reconstruction ‘not enough’, says Richard Jerram

Richard Jerram of Macquarie Securities explained what Japan’s government needs to do to get people to spend again.

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Forbes: A Vision for Japanese Corporate Reform

…success in transforming corporations will come from building on, rather than abandoning, Japan’s proven strengths.

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Boston Herald: Worker dies at Japan’s tsunami-hit nuclear plant

The contract worker in his 60s was the first person to die at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in northeastern Japan since the March 11 quake and tsunami damaged the facility, causing a string of fires, explosions and radiation leaks in the world’s second-worst nuclear accident.
The worker was carrying equipment when he collapsed and died later in hospital, said Naoyuki Matsumoto, spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co. The company does not know the cause of his death

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Daily Mail: The Japanese mayor who was laughed at for building a huge sea wall – until his village was left almost untouched by tsunami

The huge sea wall and floodgates took 12 years to build and had been widely regarded as a £20million folly. But today one former Japanese mayor is being hailed as a saviour after the grandiose construction allowed his small town escaped the devastation wrought by the March 11 tsunami.

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NY Times: Rugby Considers Japan as Market for Growth

“I don’t think we should be looking to Europe to try and grow the game; we should be looking to Asia and the Middle East,” [Japan coach Kirwan] said.
“The only way we can do that is to create a tournament and a competition that involves Asia, but a serious competition, not just trying to get sponsors out of those countries. There’s got to be giving something to get something back.”

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