So there was just an explosion at the number 3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The Japanese news is typically vague about it, and the American news (and even BBC to an extent) is typically blowing the "possibility of a meltdown" extremely out of proportion. The truth I'm sure is somewhere in the middle and this extremely informative blog post seems to get at it in a way nothing else I've read so far. I'm watching Japanese news right now watching it and from what I can tell they say that the possibility of any sort of widespread radiation is LOW.
The most pressing long-term effect of the danger at the nuclear stations is power and electricity. These numbers I have seen several places in both Japanese and American news: 11 nuclear reactors out of 55 in the country are damaged to some extent (none to the extent as the ones at Fukushima Daiichi and Daini, in particular), which accounts for maybe 8% of the country's electricity. So far, today there are scheduled rolling blackouts in 9 prefectures, although still luckily not Niigata, to divert power to disaster-affected areas and help with relief. One friend in Tokyo said he heard these blackouts may last through the end of April. More on this as it unravels.
Also, word on the street says that Chuckie's safety is "accounted for." His parents were contacted by a Miyagi prefectural official and posted on his facebook wall, and his name has subsequently been added to the official JET program list of confirmed safe JET participants. Thank god!!!!
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