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Everything is so pristine and untouched. If it were the US, it would have all been looted and graffitied long ago. But I'm afraid by publishing the condition of

Everything is so pristine and untouched. If it were the US, it would have all been looted and graffitied long ago. But I'm afraid by publishing the condition of his town through Google Maps, the mayor has pretty much assured it won't stay pristine very long. Japan has its share of thieves and vandals too. Plus hordes of amateur photographers and urban explorers will be trying to sneak into the place, radiation or not.

arbuge 14y ago
I'm thinking those bikes & the VW beetle will be the first to go...
ChuckMcM 14y ago
Radiation contamination makes an excellent deterrent, not only can you not see it, you can't know even if you don't feel any ill effects if you're going to die coughing up a lung in a few weeks (and no, nowhere except inside the containment buildings is that contaminated) That said, it was an opportunity for Google to take radiation readings everywhere (perhaps they did but didn't release that information). Looking at the map this town must have been in the north east plume [1] mentioned in the reports. Sadly since the first survey I can't find links to follow up surveys, the last being done around the end of 2011. Presumably with a wet season behind us there would be movement of ground contamination and I would think that every month they would do another survey if only to create better models about how a contaminated environment evolves. Is rain significant? wind? How much is is encapsulated by plants? Lots of questions. [1] http://enformable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/New-Japan-Radmap9.png http://enformable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/New-Japan-R...
- pyre 14y ago
  I've watched this, and it was pretty interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or_rksDBssw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or_rksDBssw
- veidr 14y ago
  > Radiation contamination makes an excellent deterrent Well, quite a lot of people here in Japan now have their own Geiger counters (pretty much everybody I know). The one I bought is a cheap (~ $150) model made by Soeks specifically to address consumer demand in post-Fukushima Japan. (http://www.amazon.co.jp/ガイガーカウンター-SOEKS-01M-2-0L-JP-NUK-079-ロシア製/dp/B0055LL1LQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1364524184&sr=1-3 http://www.amazon.co.jp/ガイガーカウンター-SOEKS-01M-2-0L-JP-NUK-079-...)
- AmVess 14y ago
  Crooks would loot electronics and other valuables in the abandoned towns near Chernobyl and sell them to unsuspecting buyers. The problem got so bad, the authorities resorted to imposing the death penalty on looters.
drucken 14y ago
I know Japan has a ridiculously crime rate and a strongly supporting culture to boot, but I do wonder if its that hard to launder looted metal or other materials there too. Anywhere in the West, apart from maybe the Nordic countries, two years later that town would have been picked clean by now, even by their own government, regardless of any remaining radiation threat. Is there is a very strict military cordon, perhaps?

arbuge 14y ago

I'm thinking those bikes & the VW beetle will be the first to go...

ChuckMcM 14y ago

Radiation contamination makes an excellent deterrent, not only can you not see it, you can't know even if you don't feel any ill effects if you're going to die coughing up a lung in a few weeks (and no, nowhere except inside the containment buildings is that contaminated) That said, it was an opportunity for Google to take radiation readings everywhere (perhaps they did but didn't release that information). Looking at the map this town must have been in the north east plume [1] mentioned in the reports. Sadly since the first survey I can't find links to follow up surveys, the last being done around the end of 2011. Presumably with a wet season behind us there would be movement of ground contamination and I would think that every month they would do another survey if only to create better models about how a contaminated environment evolves. Is rain significant? wind? How much is is encapsulated by plants? Lots of questions. [1] http://enformable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/New-Japan-Radmap9.png http://enformable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/New-Japan-R...

pyre 14y ago
I've watched this, and it was pretty interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or_rksDBssw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or_rksDBssw
veidr 14y ago
> Radiation contamination makes an excellent deterrent Well, quite a lot of people here in Japan now have their own Geiger counters (pretty much everybody I know). The one I bought is a cheap (~ $150) model made by Soeks specifically to address consumer demand in post-Fukushima Japan. (http://www.amazon.co.jp/ガイガーカウンター-SOEKS-01M-2-0L-JP-NUK-079-ロシア製/dp/B0055LL1LQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1364524184&sr=1-3 http://www.amazon.co.jp/ガイガーカウンター-SOEKS-01M-2-0L-JP-NUK-079-...)
AmVess 14y ago
Crooks would loot electronics and other valuables in the abandoned towns near Chernobyl and sell them to unsuspecting buyers. The problem got so bad, the authorities resorted to imposing the death penalty on looters.

drucken 14y ago

I know Japan has a ridiculously crime rate and a strongly supporting culture to boot, but I do wonder if its that hard to launder looted metal or other materials there too. Anywhere in the West, apart from maybe the Nordic countries, two years later that town would have been picked clean by now, even by their own government, regardless of any remaining radiation threat. Is there is a very strict military cordon, perhaps?