Monday, March 28, 2011

A farmer "killed by the nuclear power plants"

Everyday the Japanese newspapers are filled with the articles on the triple disaster.  The Asahi is one of the three major daily newspapers of Japan. In today's morning edition, an article especially attracted my attention. I read it again and again.

I try to extract the essence and translate it into English:
Sukagawa City, Fukushima prefecture. On the morning of 24, a vegetable farmer aged 64 hanged himself, one day after the government had restricted the consumption of all vegetables from Fukushima prefecture. His family say that "he was killed by the nuclear power plants". He had been disappointed by the damages done to his house and barn by the quake, but eager to ship his cabbage ready for harvesting. On 21 when the government restricted consumption of Fukushima's spinach, the man was still eager repairing his barn. On 23 when the government restricted consumption of all the vegetables produced in Fukushima prefecture, he started repeatedly to be choked and cough, uttering "Fukushima's vegetables are no longer good".

This farmer had been particular about organic farming for more than 30 years and had kept on improving his soil using home-made humus. He had spent 10 years to make it possible to grow a high quality variety of cabbage once unsuited to the climate of this area. He was very proud to supply his safe cabbage to the local primary school to be used for lunch, saying "Children eat 'em. I've got to grow 'em with utmost care". His work journal ended on 23 March.

My comment:
A death of a man who crystallized Japanese conscience, shattered by a man-made disaster. I wish I could get one of his cabbage and eat it. I don't care how many Bq's of radiation it contains.

1 comment:

  1. I was shocked about that news and I'm sure this is absolutely the secondary disaster. I tried to trust Japanese government but their way of announcement makes me more and more difficult to trust them. I really hope nobody else are victimized any more.

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