A Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Worker's Blog

I got this from someone on another social networking site, and since the request is to get the word out, I'm complying. Keep in mind that Dai-ni is NOT the same power plant that is having trouble with its four reactors - but they are still struggling to keep everything working properly. The power plant with four reactors on the fritz is Dai-Ichi.

I will also take this time to say: While I do not block, if you are disrespectful on this particular posting, I will put a temporary block on you. This is a crisis that deserves respect, not rabid frothing at the mouth. Keep it civil, folks.

This is a public diary on a Mixi account (it's basically the Japanese Facebook) belonging to a 22-year old woman from Fukushima prefecture. Originally written on the 15th.

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今日の朝方 発電所から避難させられ福島の親戚の家で家族と合流しました
とりあえず私は無事です

"This morning I was forced to evacuate from the power plant and now I'm with my family at my relative's house.

For starters, I'm okay.

お前だけは安全な所へ行け...と言われ泣きながら企業さんの車で発電所をあとにしました

"You just need to get somewhere safe..." is what they said to me when the company car left the facility.

東電はすごく叩かれてる...
でも逃げずに命懸けで作業を続けてるのも東電です
どうか非難しないで下さい

TEPCO's really under attack lately...
But it's also TEPCO that isn't running away and is continuing this life-threatening work.
So please don't criticize them.


私も東電の社員として福島第二原発の所員として昨日まで現場対応にも参加してました
大津波警報の中 夜中の3時で足元も見えないまま死ぬ覚悟で海の目の前での復旧作業...
冷却機能のある機械は海側のため津波でやられてしまいなんとか復旧しようとみんな必死でした

As a TEPCO employee and staff of the Fukushima Number 2 reactor, I was at the scene till last night. Even with tsunami warnings going off, even though we couldn't see our feet, we were out at 3AM in front of the ocean doing repair work. The machines responsible for cooling are out of commission because of the tsunami but everyone's working frantically.



みんな疲労と空腹と戦いながら足を引きずりながら作業にあたっていました
冷却機能を復旧できなければ第二原発も第一原発のような爆発が起きていました
それを防いで全号機冷温停止させたのも東電です
発電所を見捨てて逃げればこんな状況では済まされません
逃げずに立ち向かっているんです
津波の影響は想像を遥かに超えていました
地震だけであれば第一原発の爆発も起きなかったんです

Everyone's tired and hungry and so tired their feet are dragging but they're still working. If we can't get the cooling systems back online, Dai-ni would explode just like Dai-ichi.

TEPCO are the ones who are trying to prevent that.
If we'd just abandoned the plant it wouldn't end here.
So we're staying and fighting.
The tsunami's effects were worse than we could have ever expected.
If it'd just been the earthquake, Dai-ichi wouldn't have exploded.

みんな自分の命を顧みず 停止する作業に全うしてます
多々噂があるけど避難勧告の圏外にいれば健康に影響ある程浴びる可能性は低いです

People are working without a second thought about their lives.
There's a lot of rumors going around but if you're outside the evacuation zone there really isn't much chance of your health being effected.

健康に影響がある程浴びるのは発電所で頑張ってる作業員のみんなです
寝ず食わずで現場に行っています
噂に左右されず 避難勧告圏外へ避難して外気になるべく触れないようにして下さい

The only people whose health is at risk are the workers inside the plant.
They're going without sleep, without food.
Don't be swayed by all the rumors if you're outside of the evacuation zone.

彼氏は今もずっと発電所で夜勤を続けてます
今はただ皆の安全を祈るしかできない...
一番怖いのは発電所で作業している皆です
逃げずにそれに立ち向かっているのは東電と関係企業さんです

My boyfriend has been doing night work at the plant the whole time.
Right now all I can do is pray that everyone's okay...
But the scariest thing is all of the people working at the plant.
TEPCO isn't running away.



家族との連絡がつかない人もたくさんいるけど現場へ向かい作業をしてます

People who can't contact their families are still working.



それだけは忘れないで下さい
一人でも多くの人に知って欲しい
悪用防止の為コピーではなくＵＲＬ公開して下さい
発電所のみんなは逃げずに今も戦っています
住民の皆様には不安な思いをさせて大変申し訳なく思っています
誹謗中傷覚悟の上で名前も載せます
皆を守る為自分の命と引き換えに今も作業をしている人がいます

Please don't forget about them.
If only one more person knows about them from this blog, it will be enough.
Please copy this URL instead of copying and pasting my blog so my words can't be twisted [ed. note - whoops]
All of us at the plant are still fighting.
I'm sorry that we've made everyone in Japan anxious.
I know what may come of it but I'm including my name.
There are people working at the plant now who would give their lives to protect everyone.

こんな状況ですが 自分の命を顧みず立ち向かっているみんなを見て 一緒に復旧作業に当たることができて 東電社員であること 福島第二原発所員であることを誇りに思います

That's what the situation is now, but seeing everyone putting their lives at risk and working together to bring the cooling systems back online, I'm proud to be a TEPCO employee and staffer at Dai-ni.

早く発電所へ戻り復旧作業に行きたいです

I hope I can go back to the plant to work soon.

東京電力
福島第二原子力発電所
電気機器グループ
大槻 路子

TEPCO
Fukushima Dai-ni Power Plant
Electric Machinery Group
Michiko Otsuki

http://mixi.jp/view_diary.pl?&id;=1689991019&owner;_id=24641205
(this link only available to people with mixi accounts but because Michiko asked I'm posting the URL here)

EDIT: I wanted to share a few tidbits with everyone. If you can't reach a friend or family member in Japan, www.jlist.com has offered to call them - free of charge - and find out if they're all right. Sometimes its easier to reach someone via a land-line in the country, rather than from outside.

Also: here's a cute poster of the military operation the US is engaged in to help Japan:

It literally means "Operation Friendship"