Uncertainty of nuclear reactor, mixed messages have American visitors on edge
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comJapan's earthquake, radiation threats take toll on tourism
Seeded on Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:22 PM EDT (msnbc.com)
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This reminds me of when I lived in Bloomington, Indiana. It had rained for a few days, and one day I saw on the news how southern Indiana was having the worst flooding in 30 years. It turned out that there was massive flooding 15 miles north of town. Aside from some extra people sleeping in the high school gyms, everything was normal. We just couldn't get to Indianapolis for a few days.
It makes you realize that the things that look huge on the news, while they are bad for the people involved, aren't always as far-reaching as they appear.
This all amounts to poor journalism and reporting imo. Back in the day before reporting on something you better have all the facts. Today reporter and reporters only speculate on what may and might happen, but most likely won't happen.
With the media creating a scare about Japan and radiation leaks, we are only hurting their country more. however, after the quake, I really wouldn't be all that eager to fly over there knowing and seeing all the devastation that has happened. I think and believe the people should be sending in aid and assistance to the people, not going on some vacation knowing that all these people that were hit hard are suffering and struggling to get their lives back on track.
all people who are considering Japan should read this.
The Daily Yomiuri,Saturday March 19,P2
US Citizens get seats on Sendai-Tokyo buses
The US Embassy on Friday announced it has secured 600 seats on buses from Sendai to Tokyo for US citizens.Departing 9AM Saturday morn.
Any US citizen who wishes to use the service will be required to reimburse the US government for transpotation costs.
Sendai was the epicenter of the earthquake.
This offer is 8 days after the eathquake and they charge you.
It is also three days after the air charter evacuation of 600 federal employee families from areas 50 miles outside of the danger zone,No Charge.
If anybody believes that the embassy gives a flyin xxxx about you reread above AGAIN.
Don't come to Japan, tourists are a burden right now.The Whole Country is in mouring.Go to afghanistan,Iraq,Iran,Libya
If someone can post this article from the Yomiuri please do it. May wake some people up to reality.
Since there is a huge rush of people getting out, anybody that is going to Japan is going the wrong way. My sister has seen airline passes where people have paid 7,000 or more for a ticket to leave. It is not the right time to visit.
This country needs to get all of their situations under control, so that they can begin to recover. All the journalists and people that go in to this devastated country end up becoming a "burden" on the Japanese people and can hinder the recovery efforts. It is the best time to sit back and send our blessings to this country, and when they have sufficiently recovered then we can go and enjoy this beautiful place once again.
Many parents are understandably considering alternatives due to the destruction and rqadiation issues. One alternative is the discounts and cancellations in Mexico that may seem appealing on the surface.
I have considered various places, and I will not let my child to Spring Break there. It is not necessary to review the particulars of the 35,000+ murders, the cancellation of cruises from LA and San Diego, and the full-blown arms and drug traffic.
Many Mexicans think all Americans are rich. I don't know the going rate for return of kidnappings (if returned and in what condition) and I don't want to know.
In the past, I found Mexico beautiful and enjoyable. Maybe next year for my younger child. Not now.
Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, discounted Florida, good deals in the US, and even a cruise (with other kids or the old folks in the background and out of sight) seemed a better balance at the moment.
Puerto Rico seems like a very good choice, and you don't even need a passport (if you're from the US)
This is the most ridiculous article I have read in weeks... Of course tourism is down , countries are trying to evacuate their nationals who are living in Japan , so why would people be going there on vacation. Can not believe this even got past editors as somehow news worthy.
By the same reasoning,why cover the release of Cesium and the "updating" by the Japanese Government yesterday to Category 5 (at least Three Mile Island) because everyone knows radiation is bad, not good.
The reports are factual. If it causes families to give further consideration to the situation for whatever reason, journalism can have that effect.
Should journalists cover the level of fear and distrust among the Japanese people created by the Government's handling of the crisis and "tardy" disclosure of facts necessary for the people to take reasonable self-protective measures--or is that also "ridiculous"? Your misunderstanding of the situation and what full knowledge can teach for the future is, in a word, profound.
Let mothers decide what information and protection is "ridiculous" for their children, Dad.
Apparantly, you're a bit beffudled by what constitutes news. Evacuations of Japan are voluntary. Cancellations of trips TO Japan are voluntary. Information to make those informed decisions is indeed newsworthy.
Good example that people can't even think for themselves now and need so called news to give them the most basic common sense. Or tell them what the herd is doing today so they can be sure to run out and join it. This is pathetic because it wastes time, energy and money and makes some people think they understand what is going on in the world, when real journalistic efforts (instead of copywriters and entertainment hirelings) could be focusing on something a dimwit can't intuit.
I have to agree. I am once again amazed the editors wanted to show us just how stupid their reporters are.
The title of this article was enough for me to not read it and to place the following comment.
DUH!
Hey infantry13, I was going to comment the very same duh!
Jeesh to MSNBC
i think the editor of this news artical need to pull his head out of his ass.....
Oh God me, too....un freakin believable!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Add me to the "Duh!" column, too. Seems kinda obvious after an earthquake, a tsunami, and a possible nuclear meltdown. The only way this could get worse is if Godzilla showed up.
Godzilla is the least of Japan's worries. Mothra is their ace-in-the-hole and a lock to back them up.
great, the next article will be that Godzilla caused this. That or Global warming, not sure which we will hear first.
Actually, the global warming zealotry have already been releasing articles hand over fist that global warming is responsible for earthquakes.
"Japan Tourism takes a Sharp Hit"
Stop the presses.
WOW, what genius figured this out? Why wouldn’t people want to vacation in a country that just has just been obliterated by a natural AND a nuclear catastrophe at the same time? You people are NOT reporters, you are rubes.
The media coverage has become ridicules, to the point of absurd. This is not news in any sense.
As if anyone thought that business was booming - especially tourism!
I can only speak for myself - I can't wait to visit Japan right now and get a lifetime's worth of radiation in one 5 minute dose, but my employer won't give me the time off right now, I have to give a 6 month notice... I always miss the good stuff!
Tourism in Japan down? Why? I mean is there any reason why anyone would NOT want to visit that country? Talk about a dumb statement...
I mean, THIS IS NEWS?
Hmmm....
This story is a real surprise! I hear tourist ticket sales to Libya are down too....
:)
Hillarious!
Down in Iraq and Afghanistan as well. This could be a banner year for home vacations.
After seeing a few msn articles recently, none of which are anything to be proud of, I regret to say that I am filled with despair on the state of humanity at the utter garbage presented as journalism and the purile selfish ignorant drivel that passes for comments. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless and suffering unold miseryand have lost everything - family and income and health and homes - and all msn thinks about is tourism. Would it not occur to anyone that it would be better to donate the money you might have spent on a holiday to the Japanese govt or at least some charity that is trying to do something constructive to relief the suffering. I wish someone would nuke msn.
I had tickets on Delta to Tokyo for April 1, but their Web site said they would refund tickets without penalty (around $250) only for those planning to go before March 31. I decided to call anyway and, after speaking to 3 clerks, was put through to a supervisor who did some checking and then approved my refund without the expensive penalty. Delta came through nicely but they should change the outside date for refunds on their Web site.
Like a rubber-necker driving past the scene of a bad accident, I just HAD to keep reading so I could get to the line stating that there were higher levels of radiation appearing in the food.
Again....DUH!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz How about some real news....like how much radiation is still escaping the plants
Oh people arnt touring Japan? OMG what are they thinking? It's beautiful this time of year!
Everyone expects the decline in tourism. Also, the photo of the dead woman - very sad!
“But that message is not getting out to the public. The Japanese people I know are very upset about that.”
Strangely - many locals have not seen any news media reports about this situation. Only what they hear from others.
And - some who have seen news media reports - think that the whole island of Japan has been devastated.
It doesn't appear to be inadequate reporting - just people who don't watch the news or fail to pay attention to news reports they do read or see on TV.
The only information a person needs to make an informed decision is and was the earthquake news itself; Not this dumbass news article supposedly alerting everyone something which has already logically interpretted based ALL on the initial eathquake.
Really? Why would you think that? Maybe because of the catastrophic circumstances they are under. This report should have not even been posted.
Stupid, stupid, stupid article!!! Is it that slow a news day??? All I can say is "DUH!" I mean this is news for people without a head on their shoulders or a wit of common sense. This is a good example of why this site is not a very good news site!
wow !! who would have thought that would happen.
The 3/11 tsunami that struck Sendai coastal areas may not necessary be a natural disaster resulting from 9.0 scale earth quake. It was reported on a media channel in Hong Kong that the tsunami and earthquake was a result of Japan secretly conducting nuclear weapon testings underneath the seabed. The impact of the tests were disguised as earth quake. Record showed that there had been numerous "quake" occurences along Japan eastern seabeds in the past ten years, but the "quakes" generated were in the magnitude of 5.0 to 6.0 on the Rittor Scale which therefore hardly drew any international attention.
This time the nuclear test may have been conducted in a much larger scale (hydrogen bomb stage?) but got backfired. So it may be possible that the tsunami was of Japan own making.
The nuclear leaks at the nuclear power station may be a deliberate attempt by Japan to cover up the nuclear fallout from the undersea nuclear testing. It was unimaginable that the water pumps for cooling the reactors do not have alternative genset back up power. US aircraft carrier had detected radiation when it was over 100 miles off the Japanese east coast, yet Japan only evacuated residents within a 20 miles radius. It is therefore possible that nuclear raduatuib was generated at sea rather than from the power station. In addition, it has been revealed that there are over 4000 spent uranium rods being stored at the power station. The only logical explanation is that they are intended for extraction of nuclear weapon grade material for weapon testing.
Whilst the world is sympathetic towards the suffering of ordinary Japanese folks, the true nature of the cause could be much synical than what Japanese government attempts to convince to the world.
You are aware that Hong Kong is run by China and that there has been "bad blood" between China and Japan in the past? The winds were blowing the radiation to the east of the Japanese coastline. That is why the US aircraft carrier was able to detect the radiation over a greater distance from the shoreline. Of course, I may be responding to a conspiratist whom no logic will get through, so forget about it...
OMG, Better call Glen Beck, Carl Rove and the rest of the end of the world nuts! Can you believe anyone would concoct such a stupid and paranoid (and probably racist) theory, except perhaps Sarah Palin? Maybe these believers best get their a**es to church and pray up a storm to save the world from itself and anyone different from themselves. Oh, I forgot they are all hot and anticipating the "rapture."
During the whole calamity I have often thought to myself how horrible the American government would be handling it (like they did in New Orleans), how the local atomic industry would be lying and spinning the info (like the petroleum industry did with the Gulf leak) and how they would ever get to reconstruction or helping the people when they can't even tend to the US infra structure in normal times. All this not to mention the spoiled, self righteous and entitlement population who would be standing on top of each other, shooting off their guns at each other and government relief people and slitting each other's throats for the last drop of water or bite of food just before they filed thousands of fake claims of damage. What a deeply admirable people the Japanese are in the face of such a catastrophe.
So it's just a coincidence that Japan is situated above a junction of four tectonic plates? You conspiracy nutcases make me sick.
Thank you Heinrich. I said all along that these events in Japan could lead to World War 3. How they scoffed at me and had Newsvine censor my comments out here only validated all the more my assertions. That the mere interpretation by the Chinese, or even the North Koreans, of these events in Japan is cause for concern to the rest of the world including the United States.
Henrich -- Walmart has a sale on tinfoil and hat molds.
Quoting from the article: "If you are sympathetic to the events...the best thing you can do is go as a tourist."
Nope: Cancel your stupid trip and donate the money to charity. If you're a rescue professional, yes, come here. Otherwise, take a stab at looking at the world as if consumerism is not activism.
I agree with you 100%. If people like Daniel Koeffler (quoted at the beginning of the article), who have enough $$$ falling out of their arse at age 28 to take a sweeping 17-day city-by-city grand tour of Asia for their honeymoon would just donate a couple bucks to the relief effort, then the world would be a better place. Same goes for the 15-year old who had planned to travel to Tokyo with his friends for spring break. What in the hell is going on in the USA in terms of blatant consumerism and entitled, spoiled brat little rich kids living it up on their parent's dime - seriously, spring break in Japan for a flippin' 15 year old!? Probably a birthday present from his parents.
Regarding the article itself, yeah, it was sort of non-news reporting. Pretty much a no-brainer that tourism is going to take the back seat and unfortunately take a beating for some time now. My thoughts and prayers are with these folks.
You'd probably get more radiation from the flight over there then you would from a week in Tokyo.
Then go there and volunteer to water the nuke plants. We might even pay your way. You game? They will let you smoke too.