被災者のこころのケア 2011.04.17那須ベースに行ったセミナー

 http://www.heart4japan.net/FaithWorks/Kokoro_no_Care_for_Disaster_Victim.html

Seminar: "Post-traumatic healing in Tohoku crisis: counseling and prayer"

Date: Tuesday, April 26th

Location: The Wesley Center in Shibuya 

http://www.en.wesleycenterjp.com/ourlocation.html

Time: The seminar is offered 3 times (choose one of the listed times):

Morning:  11 am to 1 pm

Afternoon:  3 pm to 5 pm

Evening:  7 to 9 pm  

Dr. Joe Ozawa, is a psychologist residing in Singapore. Dr. Ozawa has  done post-trauma training at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and with World Vision, International. He has done post-crisis interventions / training in such countries as Rwanda, South Africa, Indonesia and Cambodia. The emphasis of this seminar would be on a Christian response which includes healing and  intercession in a Christian context.  (See his bio below.)

This event is open to the public and is free.  However, a basket in the back of the room will be placed if anyone wants to donate to earthquake relief efforts at the Wesley Center. This seminar will be conducted in English - Japanese.   

Please RSVP to Wesley Center at 03 6427 4696 or sarah.oba@ib-shadan.com 

Sign up by sending us:

Name:

Church or organization (if any):

Email:

Your Home or Cell #:

Time of seminar: e.g.Morning, afternoon, evening session

( If you cannot make this day, Dr. Ozawa will be speaking at a Aoyama university on April 27. He is possibly available for other talks and sessions  until April 30th. Email him directly to schedule a  presentation.)

Detailed information and photo of Dr. Joseph Ozawa 

Email: hippopostman@gmail.com 

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY:

With two degrees from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, Dr. Ozawa has been a licensed clinical psychologist for over 26 years in the United States and Singapore.  In the USA, Dr. Ozawa had been in private practice for over 20 years dealing with diverse forms of psychopathology.  Dr. Ozawa has also been Director of Behavioral Health Services for a U. S.  Sect 330 Federal Health Center where he oversaw psychiatric and psychological care and was a supervisor and trainer for psychology interns from Tripler Army Medical Center. 

In Singapore, Dr. Ozawa is currently Senior Consultant Psychologist of the Subordinate Courts.  He has also been the Senior Director of the Family and Juvenile Justice Centre, Director of Psychological Services at the Subordinate Courts of Singapore as well as Head of the Psychological Services Unit at the Ministry of Community Development.  Prior to that, he was a psychological consultant to Singapore Boys Home and to Pertapis (Islamic social welfare society).  In his work with the governments of USA　and　Singapore, he dealt with abused and neglected children, battered wives, juvenile delinquents and offenders with mental disorders.

Dr. Ozawa has also been a consultant to World Vision, Intl. for over 10 years in over 18 nations, especially dealing with counseling trauma, reconciliation and crises.

ACTIVITIES IN JAPAN:

2004  Dr. Ozawa was the plenary speaker (on “relational distress”) at the Japan Society of Social Psychiatry in Morioka.  　

1994-2007- Dr. Ozawa gave seminars and workshops in many areas, (including Osaka, Aichi-ken, Tokyo, Sapporo) on dealing with depression, suicidal thoughts, stress and trauma, and “hikikomori.”

2008　– Dr Ozawa  was a course instructor on “juvenile justice” at the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute (UNAFEI), affiliated with the Ministry of Justice of Japan. Greeted by then Minister of Justice Hatoyama.

2010　– Dr Ozawa presented a workshop on “Post-traumatic Stress Disorders in Caring Professionals” to the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

CHRISTIAN HISTORY:

Dr. Ozawa has been Director of Counseling and Healing at Mt Soledad Presbyterian Church (California) and a licensed Anglican pastor (not ordained) at Saint Andrew’s Cathedral (Anglican) of Singapore.  He has been on the core faculty (since 1994) of Bethany International University of Singapore (branch of Bethany in Minneapolis, Minn, USA), a missions training organization for pastors from Asia and Africa.  He has also been a consultant to World Vision, Intl for over 10 years in over 18 nations, especially dealing with counseling, trauma, reconciliation, and crises.

Directions to Wesley Center: 

From the green bus terminal on the East Side of Shibuya Station, take Bus 1 which heads toward Roppongi Hills or Shimbashi Station.

FROM SHIBUYA: Take the 01 Bus from the East Exit of Shibuya Station.  The bus is headed for Shimbashi Station.  Please ride until the first bus stop which is Aoyama Chutobumae. Turn right as you exit the bus and walk no more than 2 minutes in the direction toward Roppongi along the expressway.  (On the opposite side of the expressway, notice Eneos Gas Station) On your side of the street which is the left side are several tall buildings.  The 2nd from the expressway has a dark grey brick signboard that says Wesley Center.

FROM OMOTE SANDO: EXIT B3   Go left on Koto dori  4th stop light also see HUNTING WORLD store on right  then at stop light turn right then a few meters left again, then see bldg.

Wesley Center Business Office

6-10-11-Room 301 Minami Aoyama

Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062

Tel: 03 6427 4696 (Wesley Center's office)

Sarah Oba's cell # 090-4752-9302

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2011/4/10

Subject: セミナーのご案内

＜セミナーのご案内＞

東日本大災害のPTSD（心的外傷後ストレス症候群）の癒し：カウンセリングと祈り～クリスチャンの見方から～

●日時：２０１１年４月２６日（火）

●講師：Dr. Joseph Ozawa　小沢・ジョセフ・ポール　博士

A.B., M.A.T. (ハーバード大学);  Ph.D. (南カリフォルニア大学)

認定心理学者 (カリフォルニア＆ハワイ, 米国)

●場所：Wesley Centre　東京都港区南青山6-10-11

　http://www.en.wesleycenterjp.com/ourlocation.html

●料金：無料（Wesley Centreの救援活動のため、自由献金箱を部屋の後ろに置きます）

●時間帯： １．午前１１時～午後１時まで

 　 ２．午後３時～５時まで

 　 ３．午後７時～９時まで

セミナーの内容は３回とも同じです。いずれか一つの時間帯を選んでください。

●申し込み方法：電話かメールでご連絡ください。名前、所属教会／団体、電話、メールアドレス、参加時間帯をお知らせください。

電話 03-6427-4696

e-mail sarah.oba@ib-shadan.com 

＜申し込み＞

名前：

所属教会／団体：

電話：

メールアドレス：

参加時間帯：

■講師紹介■

小沢博士はハーバード大学の2つの学位、南カリフォルニア大学博士号を取得。

認定臨床心理学者として、26年間米国とシンガポールで勤務。

米国では多岐におよぶ心理学的問題を取り扱う開業医として20年以上の経験を持ち、米国国立政府保険機関である問題行動医療サービス機関の理事として、また軍医のインターンのトレーニングを行う。

シンガポールでは裁判所（Subordinate Courts）所属の主任心理コンサルタントとして働いている。

国際ワールドビジョン（World Vision, Intl）のコンサルタントを10年以上、18ヶ国にわたって続けており、特にトラウマ、和解と危機を取り扱っている。

日系アメリカ人３世で、父方が静岡、母方が熊本の出身。米国在住の３人の子供と２人の孫がいる。

■日本での活動■

2004年 「関係の窮状」についての基調講演、日本社会心理学学会（盛岡）

1994-2007年 「欝、自殺願望、ストレス、トラウマ、ひきこもりに関するセミナーおよびワークショップ」（大阪、愛知県、東京、札幌）

2008年 国際連合アジアおよび極東機関（UNAFEI）に少年裁判を導入した一人として法務省を訪問、当時の鳩山大臣を表敬訪問

2010年 日本外務省のスタッフに対し、「介護専門職のトラウマ的ストレス」についてワークショップ開催

Conduct of Volunteers at Disaster Area

Mat 10.42 “... if anyone gives even a cup of cold water because he is my disciple...”

First thing to do in the disaster area

• When you reach the disaster area, register yourself to the volunteer center.
• Wear a name tag or some other item that identifies you by name.
• Introduce yourself as a survivor care volunteer.
• Express words of sympathy for the local people. 

How to act and behave : the goal is to establish TRUST

• Work with local people: provide care in cooperation with the first-aid station and the medical team. Discuss with a local contact person (e.g. leader of the residents’ association) and build a good relations with him/her.
• Team up with local organizations (residents’ association, women’s association, youth association) in conducting activities.
• Actively make rounds, and talk/greet to each victim.
• When you see a disaster victim busy working or tidying up the debris, work with him/her.
• Record your actions and observations consciously and leave the notes with the disaster area field leaders for needs collection and continuous support of disaster victims.
• Mentally handover responsibility to continue the work to the next team; communicate clearly what needs to be done. 

Attitude and Preparedness

• Gather information (situation of disaster area, existing support system, where to approach, personal networks, contact the disaster management office to grasp the overall situation) before you depart.
• Learn local norms from community leaders.
• Allow time to gain acceptance in a community
• Be dependable, non-judgmental, respectful
• Recognize cultural variation in expressions
• Positive actions, go out and provide support to those in needs. 
• Provide information about victim support service after having confirmed accuracy.
• Focus on immediate needs of disaster victims when you listen to what they have to say and support them.
• Be flexible and modify your role to cope with changing situations and needs.
• Remember that what you want to do for disaster victims is not always what they need.
• Do not criticize local supporters but discuss problems with them; remember that the local supporters are also disaster victims. 
• Before a volunteer provides survival care, there is a need to identify the vulnerable populations (infants, pregnant women, elderly persons, disabled persons, elderly persons living alone, persons in need of nursing care etc.) and recognize the feelings and sentiments: anxiety about future, fear, things lost (home, family, etc.)

日本赤十字 ー ボランテアとこころのケア

I would like to bring your attention to some good materials that the Japanese had developed for the "kokoro no care" (practical emotional +  physical care) in disaster areas.

The first that I would like to introduce is the little booklet that Japan Red Cross had developed, is in Japanese, but it is simple to understand, you just need to get some friends to help you on that.

『日本赤十字　ー　ボランテアとこころのケア　』ダウンロ-ドでき
る。被災地で日本人のボランテアたちにとても役に立つと思います。






Below is an example of what the booklet look like. 

Volunteer and Kokoro no Care : Anyone can do it for the disaster care

4 Main Points for Volunteers 

Sit beside the person so that the person is not left alone

Listen tentatively and engage.

Acknowledge their feelings.

Listen to their stories even if the topic of conversation seems not of emotional care concern.

5. Caution

Do look after your own health and keep safe

Do consider the different ways in approaching the children and elderly people, for there would be different problems i.e. physical, emotional, financial, etc. according to their age and situations. 

3 Weeks of CRASH: Japan Disaster Relief

（from CRASH:Japan Disaster Relief, Jonathan Wilson)


"3 Weeks of CRASH: Japan Disaster Relief"

"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God."  2 Timothy 1:8
We are now in our fourth week since the disaster and I don't want anyone to be ashamed of the work that we are doing with CRASH for the testimony of our Lord in Tohoku.  It might seem that other groups are moving faster and getting more done, but we are not in a race with anyone.  Indeed everyone who is helping in the name of Christ are sharing the burden alongside those who are suffering.  Our vision is a long term vision to mobilize Christian volunteers safely and effectively.  We do not have to do everything and indeed cannot do everything.  But because it can be hard to see the bigger picture in the midst of the daily work, here is a partial summary of what has been accomplished.


Over the course of the last three weeks, CRASH has
•  delivered over 30 tons of relief supplies, including food, diapers, hygiene products, soap, toilet paper, bicycles, clothing, blankets, water and bedding and has been involved with distribution of larger amounts in cooperation with other aid organizations,
•  mobilized over 100 volunteers into the disaster areas doing assessment, delivering supplies, mucking out homes, performing light demolition, emotional care and various other roles,
•  had over 300 volunteers at HQ serving in various roles, everything from warehouse management, answering phones and food service to volunteer training, producing media and coordinating base operations in support of sending thousands of volunteers over the coming months and the long-term recovery of the region.
•  established 4 regional bases of operations in Iwate, Miyagi, Tochigi and Ibaragi and numerous relationships with churches and ministries through whom we are serving local communities affected by the disaster, and
•  developed partnerships with over 50 ministries, denominations, missions and associations both within and without Japan representing millions of Christians who want to help love on Japan in the name of Jesus Christ.

We are still in the early days of the response, there is so much more to do and thankfully we are not the only ones working.  Please continue to pray as we work together.

God Bless You,

Jonathan Wilson

Recapturing what had happened in Tohoku Earthquake

Volunteer Care Training Manual

Had been working on the CRASH volunteer care training manual the whole week. We are near the binge to finish, yet there are always different ideas in different people of what a field manual should look like. Let's pray for unity and let's gain Christ perspective on how we should work on things. So much time and resources had been wasted in this area, we have no more time to loss. The manual should be completed asap, as the volunteers may begin to burn out just like the disaster victims.

Recapturing what had happened in Tohoku Earthquake

Below is the background of the disaster.

Please use this as the key information to pray for the work of Christ. 

2011 Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake - The Loss and Needs

The M9.0 earthquake occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, had triggered extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 29.6 m (97 ft) that struck Japan minutes after the quake.

Figure 1 被災地の衛星写真 the satellites pictures of disaster areas

Extensive physical damage is not the only characteristic of the Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake. The multiple disaster situation includes a wide variety of problems, such as the nuclear plant accident, the urgent need to rescue disaster victims and support their livelihoods, paralysis of the commodity distribution system, a shortage of electricity, the yen's appreciation, and falling stock prices. The devastation cause $309 billion of loss, making it the world's most expensive natural disaster on record. The economic impact included both immediate problems, with industrial production suspended in many factories, and the longer term issue of the cost of rebuilding which has been estimated at ¥10 trillion ($122 billion). Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan."

Figure 2 避難所情報マップ the map for the evacuee centers

 　

The total number of 27,000 death toll plus missing was reported by the Japanese National Police Agency, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. If we multiply the number of death and missing with 4 family members and 10 friends who remain alive, the people who are living in bereavement come close to 4 million. Not forgetting there are another 80,000 or more evacuees from Fukushima, who face the same uncertainties in future, going through the same frustration of losing their homes. Plus, more than 2 million of Fukushima residents would expected to live with constant fear in perceived danger. The need for “kokoro no care” (mental care) is definitely in huge demand.

Consider the Unique Characteristics of the Disaster Victims

There was never such a large scale of devastation caused by a natural disaster that no one could really claim familiarities with the situation, also the situations is complicated by multiple events.

• Earthquake
• Tsunami
• Nuclear Plant Accident
• Cold (sudden drop in the weather, snowing, no gasoline, no electricity) and Influenza Threat
• Deprived from Basic Necessities  (no food, no water, no medicine)

These were near death experiences, and the survivors are still experiencing it after 2 weeks of disaster, which is often rare. For Fukushima residents, it is never ending story.

Churches are setting up bases at these areas, yet do remember they themselves were also victims. 

Anxieties, burn out, restless, sleepless night, uneasiness would either manifest or suppressed. 

Neither way, it is going to be a problem later. 

The only way is to have His peace and rest, by prayers and worships. Yet, do remember the above mentioned symptoms are real. The church and Christians need to be strengthen first before they move out to share their joy/testimonies to the community who are suffering even more as they have no presence of Lord with them, which may mean: peace, hope and love. What ahead of them are: uncertainties of life, loss, grief, berievement, emptiness, resentment, anger, sadness, panic, phobia, and sleepless nights with all kind of memory flash back. 

Praying for the disaster victims is like setting an army to fight at the frontline before the frontline Christian workers, including me. Pray for unity in teams. 

The Lord is good, and He is exposing me to more great things of His. Pray for spiritual alertness and physical strength in me.


Sites' Photos

Matthias Buerki who had just came back from his second trip to Miyagi with Shinjuku Shalom, New Hope, Yokohama Gloria Church and the Korean Methodist Church, had sent me a link of the photos he had taken:
http://mybuerki.smugmug.com/Japan/Mission-Trip-Japan/16388738_w8yfi#1232487346_PLHH8
It gives you a sense of how things are up there, and give you an idea of are the things that you could do when you are on the field.

Visiting Tochigi

Departing to Tochigi on Thursday morning for a few days to visit the evacuee centers.  

Shelters at Tochigi seems to had received the evacuees who had been staying within 30kms from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Initially, they thought they were away just for a while because of the tsunami. But now, they can never go back because of the high radiation, even though their homes were not destroyed. There is a lot of hopelessness, and probably resentment too. Many had left with only what they were wearing, thinking that would be back home after an hour or two. There is this disillusion, confuse, regret, and a void hopelessness that we would be working with. 

The Fukushima evacuees are probably not getting as much attention in comparison to Miyagi, while they suffer the same lost. The spiritual atmosphere in Fukushima will be a totally different scene.

 

Will update you again, after I return from Tochigi.

Below is my schedule: 

Apr 5, working on Volunteer Care Manual Jap Version
Apr 6, Visiting FreeSpace, Shinjuku
Apr 7 - 10, Tochigi
Apr 11-14, Back to work in department, meeting up with some people, and work on the presentation for  Apr 15

Apr 15, Hikikomori Study Group
Apr 16 - 18, Refresh and to work on some training materials.
Apr 19 - 30, CRASH/Sendai

Schedule after April 15 is subject to change with urgency of events.

Eastern Japan Earthquake Disaster Rescue and Recovery Assistance Committee

I would like to bring your attention and donations for Tohoku Relief and Rebuild into this newly set up NPO in Akita, with the leadership of a team of pastors from different denominations, purposely focus in Tohoku Relief. They had gain a special approval for tax exemption when the Japanese people donate into this account. I had worked with Ps. Sakae for long, in trying to bridge the church and community in Akita. He was elected as the chairperson of Oomagari Mental Health Association last November, and making a good progress. I believe this NPO has a lot of potential in reaching out to MANY in the disaster areas.


On Friday, March 11, 2011 14:46 there was a 9.0 earthquake of the western coast of the Touhoku region of Japan. Within several hours after the earthquake, a large tsunami hit a long section of northern Japan. By Saturday (3/12), there was a movement in Akita Prefecture to create a committee that would be able to assist in the rescue and recovery of victims of this disaster. This committee would need to consist of lawyers, government officials, and pastors in the Touhoku region. By Monday (3/14) the committee had come together and was temporarily called the “Eastern Japan Earthquake Disaster Rescue and Recovery Assistance Committee. ” The members of the committee are as follows:

Pastor Sakae Makita (Akita Pastor and Committee Head)
Mr. Sasagi Mitsuo (International Lawyer)
Mr. Luis F. Aleman  (Consultant)
Mr. Minoru Makita (World Financial Group Representative, Dallas, American International Coordinator)
Pastor Akira Taguchi (Akita City Pastor)
Pastor Moto Nakada (Akita City Pastor)
Pastor Fumiyuki Wakamatsu (Akita City Pastor)
Pastor Billy Petite (Akita City Pastor) 




Donations can be made to the following account.


PAYING BANK : MIZUHO BANK. LTD
A/C WITH BRANCH : AKITA BRANCH
ADDRESS : 1-2-1. NAKADORI
AKITA-CITY. JAPAN
SWIFT CODE : MHBKJPTP
A/C NUMBER : 720-2044861


東日本大震災を機会に活動を始めた非営利団体です．
目的は，大災害の被災者に対して救済と復興支援を行い，次世代社会が創造されることです．

そのために，次の事業を行います．
１．食料確保・支援事業
２．生活物資の確保・支援事業
３．メンタルヘルスボランティア支援事業
４．被災地域のインフラの復興支援事業
５．被災地域の産業復興支援事業
６．被災地域の雇用促進支援事業
７．被災地域の子どものたちの教育支援事業
８．その他の救済復興に関わる支援事業

事務所を次の場所においています．
秋田県秋田市泉南1丁目11-1
委員長：蒔田栄
電話連絡先 ：０１８７-６６-２３６８　
E-mail ：sakamakita@gmail.com



当委員会の特徴は，支援物資や資金を海外で調達して，行政と協力しつつ，被災地へ救済と復興支援をお届けする海外と日本国内のメンバーによるプロジェクトティームであることです．

Contribution
寄付のお願い
左記の諸事業を行うために寄付と募金のご協力をお願いいたします．

銀行口座番号
口座 ： みずほ銀行秋田支店 （普） 2044861

税務署から課税控除対象の認可を頂いております．

Radiation From Cornwall to Hong Kong Beats Tokyo Amid Nuclear Plant Scare

By Stuart Biggs and Yuriy Humber - Apr 1, 2011 8:37 PM GMT+0900

A forwarded news from Bloomberg

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People jog in the West Kowloon park as the Hong Kong skyline rises across Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. Photographer: Jerome Favre/Bloomberg

Typical radiation levels in Hong Kong exceed those in Tokyo even as workers struggle to contain a crippled nuclear plant in northern Japan, indicating concerns about spreading contamination may be overblown. Photographer: Jerome Favre/Bloomberg

Typical amounts of radiation in Hong Kong exceed those inTokyo even as workers struggle to contain a crippled nuclear plant in northern Japan, indicating concerns about spreading contamination may be overblown.

The radiation level in central Tokyo reached a high of 0.109 microsieverts per hour in Shinjuku Ward yesterday, data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health show. That compares with 0.14 microsieverts in the Kowloon district of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory said on its website. A person is exposed to 50 microsieverts from a typical x-ray.

Many countries have naturally occurring radiation levels that exceed Tokyo’s, said Bob Bury, former clinical lead for the U.K.’s Royal College of Radiologists. A 30-fold surge in such contamination in Tokyo prompted thousands of expatriates to leave Japan after the March 11 tsunami knocked out power at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, triggering the crisis. Radiation in Tokyo is barely above levels in London and New York even now, analysts said.

“The situation in Japan looks set to follow the pattern of Chernobyl, where fear of radiation did far more damage than the radiation itself,” Bury said in an e-mail referring to the 1986 accident in the former Soviet Union, the world’s worst nuclear disaster. “Whatever the radiation in Tokyo at the moment, you can be fairly sure it is lower than natural background levels in many parts of the world.”

Exceeds New York

Tokyo’s radiation level is only slightly higher than New York, where an average of 0.095 microsieverts an hour was recorded in the seven days to yesterday, according to a real- time Geiger counter reading set up as part of the Background Radiation Survey, a project where owners of the equipment feed their readings into a central database. The level in Tokyo the day before the accident averaged 0.0338 microsieverts an hour.

Radiation levels in Hiroshima prefecture, where the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb in 1945 killing an estimated 140,000 people, averaged 0.051 microsieverts an hour yesterday, according to datafrom Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

In Singapore, the radiation level was 0.09 microsieverts an hour at 4 p.m. local time yesterday, according to the city state’s National Environment Agency. Radiation levels in London yesterday were about 0.08 microsieverts an hour, according to figures from RIMNET, the U.K. national radiation monitoring network and emergency response system.

Underground Uranium

The U.K. Health Protection Agency estimates the typical Briton receives about 2,200 microsieverts of radiation per year from background radiation, or about 0.251 microsieverts per hour -- more than double the levels registered in Tokyo.

“Half of the average annual radiation to people in the U.K. comes from radon -- an invisible, colorless, radioactive gas present in all soils,” John Harrison, deputy director of the agency’s radiation center, said in an e-mail. “It’s a byproduct of the decay of uranium which is found in all soils around the world, and the amount that seeps out is dependent on the local geology.”

Cornwall, a popular tourist destination in southwest England, has four times the level of radon as other parts of the country, he said.

Natural Radiation

Natural radiation makes up about 85 percent of the global total, according to the World Nuclear Association. Manmade contributors include medicine and buildings, as well as the nuclear industry, which accounts for 1 percent of the total, the association says. Foodstuffs also contain radiation, and a 135- gram (4.8-ounce) bag of Brazil nuts has a dose of about 10 microsieverts, according to the U.K. agency.

Other activities that enhance naturally occurring radiation levels include mining, milling and processing of uranium ores and mineral sands, manufacturing and use of fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels, according to a 2008 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The highest level of background radiation is in the state of Kerala and city of Chennai in southern India, where people receive average doses above 30 millisieverts per year, or 3.42 microsieverts an hour, according to the World Nuclear Association. India has vast amounts of thorium in its soil. A millisievert is 1,000 microsieverts.

In Brazil and Sudan, exposure can reach 40 millisieverts a year or 4.57 microsieverts an hour, the Association says.

Partial Meltdown

Tokyo Electric’s nuclear plant entered a partial meltdown after a magnitude-9 earthquake, the largest recorded in Japan, triggered a tsunami over 15 meters that knocked out power, including the backup generators, at the facility 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Tokyo. Radioactive material has leaked into the air and sea ever since as workers, firefighters and the military battle to restore power and cool the reactors.

The highest level of radiation recorded at the plant has so far been 1 sievert, or 1 million microsieverts, found in water that flooded a turbine hall. While direct exposure at that level can cause hemorrhaging, the level drops to about 1 microsievert an hour at a distance of one kilometer and to 0.01 microsieverts at 10 kilometers, according to Tetsuo Iguchi, a professor specializing in isotope analysis and radiation detection at Nagoya University in central Japan.

No Fishing

Radioactive iodine rose to 4,385 times the regulated safety limit earlier this week off the coast of Fukushima, Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, told reporters in Tokyo yesterday. No fishing is occurring nearby and the sea is dispersing the iodine, he said.

A sample of Tokyo tap water, measured at the Kanamachi purification plant northeast of Tokyo, on March 22 found levels of radiation at 210 becquerels per liter, more than double Japan’s recommended limit for infants. The level dropped to within safe levels the next day. The news triggered bulk buying of bottled water at supermarkets and convenience stores even as the government said the health risks are minimal.

Dismantling the plant and decontaminating the site may take 30 years and cost Tokyo Electric more than 1 trillion yen ($12 billion), engineers and analysts said.

Japan’s government has set up a mandatory evacuation zone extending 20 kilometers around the plant in Fukushima and advised residents within 30 kilometers to stay indoors. The U.S. government recommends its citizens to avoid going within 80 kilometers of the stricken facility.

‘Tokyo Is Safe’

Tokyo is safe for habitation and the French school in the Japanese city will re-open next week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a speech at the French embassy in Tokyo yesterday. The crisis surrounding the crippled nuclear plant is “critical, unstable and durable,” he said.

Foreign embassies in Japan have been overly cautious and alarmist in advising their nationals to leave, Shunichi Yamashita, professor at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Nagasaki University, southwestern Japan, said in a briefing last week in Tokyo.

“It’s wrong to say that even a trace of exposure would be dangerous,” said Yamashita, who studied the effect of radiation on children after Chernobyl and is an adviser on radiation levels to the local government of Fukushima. “A person who gets radioactive material on their skin can easily wash it off.”

Asked if someone living 31 kilometers, or just outside the government’s evacuation zone, from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant was as safe as someone in London, he said, “Yes, absolutely.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net; Yuriy Humber in Tokyo at yhumber@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net