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Yokohama government trash-helper app gives poignant philosophical advice to depressed citizens Scott Wilson Sometimes help can come from where you least expect itÂ… like, REALLY least expect it. Throwing away trash in Japan can be a complicated nightmare. Paper, plastic, glass, burnableÂ… all of them and more have their own days to be put out, and if you miss collection day, then you have to keep the ever-growing pile inside of your house until the next pick-up day for that category, which can be up to a month for more obscure types. To help any confused citizens, the Yokohama City...

The professor who refused to sign last week’s high-profile UN climate report because it was too ‘alarmist’, has told The Mail on Sunday he has become the victim of a smear campaign. Richard Tol claims he is fighting a sustained attack on his reputation by a key figure from a leading institution that researches the impact of global warming. Prof Tol said: ‘This has all the characteristics of a smear campaign. It’s all about taking away my credibility as an expert.’ Prof Tol, from Sussex University, is a highly respected climate economist and one of two ‘co-ordinating lead authors’ of...

Radiation-tainted sludge, ash continues to pile up at Yokohama treatment centers Bags of ash are stored at the southern sludge treatment and recycling center, which is gradually running out of space. YOKOHAMA -- Nearly six months have passed since sludge and ash contaminated with radioactive materials from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant stopped being shipped from processing facilities here to cement manufacturers. Two facilities in the city now hold over 5,500 metric tons of ash, and that figure continues to rise. The city is under pressure to find storage space and explain to residents how the ash will be...

Residents' feelings mixed over discovery of radioactive strontium in Yokohama YOKOHAMA -- Residents have expressed mixed feelings over the discovery of radioactive strontium in Yokohama's Kita Ward, some 250 kilometers away from the crisis-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. Relatively high levels of strontium were found in two spots in the ward where it was easy for radioactive materials to accumulate when the Yokohama Municipal Government took measurements. While some residents say they can no longer let their children play outside, others maintain that the level of radioactive materials is not enough to cause concern. In the Okurayama district...

Radioactive strontium found in Yokohama gutter October 15, 2011 By YOSHIKAZU SATO / Staff Writer YOKOHAMA -- Radioactive strontium has been found in a street gutter in Yokohama, appearing to confirm that the radioactive isotope has spread far beyond districts close to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Sediment in the gutter in the Okurayama district of Kohoku Ward contained 129 becquerels of radioactive strontium-89 and strontium-90 combined per kilogram, city officials announced on Oct. 14. The results follow an earlier report that deposits of strontium had been found on a nearby apartment building's rooftop. "We believe (the deposits)...

Trace Levels of Strontium Detected near Tokyo Yokohama, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)--Trace levels of strontium have been detected at three locations in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, the city government said Friday. The detected strontium-89 and strontium-90 are thought to have been leaked from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station, about 250 kilometers away. Previously, strontium was found in soil in areas 80 kilometers from the plant. High levels of cesium have already been detected at the three locations in Yokohama. At two of the locations, strontium was measured at 59 and 129 becquereles per kilogram of sediment. The...

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 Yokohama finds high strontium-90 levels Kyodo YOKOHAMA — Radioactive strontium exceeding normal levels has been detected in sediment from atop an apartment building in Yokohama, some 250 km from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, city officials said Wednesday. While the discovery of 195 becquerels of strontium-90 in the rooftop sediment fueled concerns that leaked radiation may have spread farther than the central government expected, the officials said the city is carefully examining where the isotope came from. If the substance is from the Fukushima plant, it will be the first time strontium at a...

Good ahead. Have a field day.

Go to the Link HERE.Stream the one minute report--by hitting the white triangle in center of page, showing Obama meandering throughout Asia country by country, but ending on the tone that "his Asian trip basically accomplished little", and saying that President Obama now heads into a weakened situation back home with the emboldened and multiplied Republicans waiting for him in D.C.Most computers can stream this short JNN video, voice over is in Japanese but good visuals of Obama "in action"; it will be up for a day or two.

The most conceited White House in memory thinks it is making history in Asia. Instead, President Obama is completing his longest foreign trip with no real accomplishments to show for himself—and a reinforced image as a weak leader in over his head...

YOKOHAMA — The U.S. Aegis destroyer John S McCain made a rare port call by a U.S. military ship at an international passenger terminal in Yokohama on Tuesday on what the U.S. Navy in Japan calls a goodwill mission. The John S McCain, based at Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, arrived at the Osanbashi terminal for large passenger ships. U.S. military vessels usually use the U.S. military facility at the port known as the Yokohama North Dock when they make port calls in Yokohama city. The destroyer will be opened to the public Wednesday. Yokohama is now celebrating the 150th anniversary of...

Upset Win in Japan Mayoral Vote 37-year-old Hiroshi Nakada Did Not Expect To Win By Sharon Mofhavi in Tokyo An independent candidate has been elected mayor of Japan's second-largest city, Yokohama, in what appears to be a sign of growing dissatisfaction with the nation's scandal-hit political parties. Koizumi's popularity rating is plummeting Hiroshi Nakada, 37, beat Hidenobu Takahide, 72, a veteran incumbent backed by the ruling coalition parties. Mr Nakada's surprise win came as a newspaper opinion poll suggested that support for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's government has fallen to its lowest level since he took office last year....