Dear friends around the world,
11 days have passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami. It is painful to see the hardship the survivors endure without sufficient utilities and supplies in a very cold climate. I hope you will consider making donations to the disaster relief efforts, and I believe you can easily find an organization you may trust. I have made mine to the Japanese Red Cross. You can also make donations through Todai via bank transfer.
The life at IPMU also is hampered by rolling blackouts, reduced train service, and occasional aftershocks. Yet everybody is calm and trying to concentrate on work as much as we can. Nobody was hurt, and no damages to the infrastructure.
I know many of you are worried about radioactivity due to the troubled nuclear power plant about 200km north from IPMU. I'm happy to see that the radioactivity level at IPMU is well below what I should be worried about. The measurements are posted at MEXT web site by each prefecture, and IPMU is located between Ibaraki and Chiba measurement points. IAEA says their independent measurements give comparable results.
Todai also puts out independent measurements. Kashiwa is the campus where IPMU is located.
The obvious exception is the radioactivity levels in Fukushima prefecture that can be found from this page. Apparently most experts agree that evacuation from the 20km radius is prudent and appropriate.
The situation at the nuclear power plant is very worrisome. Just in case that you would like to hear or read about some background information, I find the lecture by Prof. Benjamin Monreal, University California at Santa Barbara and the web site of MIT Nuclear Science and Engineering very informative.
It is tough times in the coast region of the northeastern Japan, and we are trying to help those affected because we at IPMU did not suffer from the devastation by earthquake and tsunami. We host researchers from the affected regions, and reduce power consumption by turning off heaters and lights. We will get over this together.
Best Regards,
Hitoshi