Salon.com > Yuri Kageyama

Boeing won’t let battery overheating stop its 787s

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:45:00 +0000

TOKYO (AP) — Boeing said Friday it sees commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets resuming "within weeks" even though it has not pinpointed the cause of battery overheating.

Boeing Co. Chief Project Engineer Michael Sinnett outlined a fix centered on a new design for the lithium-ion battery system that has layers of safeguards to prevent overheating and measures to contain malfunctions.

"We could be back up and going in weeks and not months," Sinnett told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. A third of safety tests have already been completed. A Japanese official said it was possible flights could resume next month.

The 787 fleet was grounded worldwide by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, its counterparts in Japan and other nations in January, following a battery fire in a Dreamliner parked in Boston and an overheated battery that led to an emergency landing of another 787 in Japan.

All Nippon Airways, a major Japanese carrier, was the launch customer for the technologically advanced Dreamliner planes. With Japan Airlines another customer, about half the 787 jets in use are with Japanese carriers.

AP Interview: Artist Kusama sees the world in dots

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:11:37 +0000

TOKYO (AP) — Polka dots are Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama's lifelong inspiration, obsession and passion.

And so they're everywhere — not only on canvases but on installations shaped like gnarled tentacles and oversized yellow pumpkins. As part of her retrospective on exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, they also sparkle as "firefly" light bulbs reflected on water and mirrors.

Kusama's signature splash of dots has now arrived in the realm of fashion in a new collection from French luxury brand Louis Vuitton — bags, sunglasses, shoes and coats.

"Polka dots are fabulous," Kusama said in a recent interview with The Associated Press, looking much younger than her 83 years in a bright red wig, a polka dot dress she designed herself and one of the new Louis Vuitton polka dot scarves.

Dots aside, Kusama cuts an odd figure for the fashion world. She has lived in a psychiatric institution for decades, battling demons that feed her art.

Still, in her Tokyo studio, filled with wall-sized paintings throbbing with her repetitive dots, Kusama said the collaboration was a natural, developed from her friendship with Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs.

Fukushima’s tsunami plan was a single page

Fri, 27 May 2011 13:15:00 +0000

Japanese nuclear regulators trusted that the reactors at Fukushima Dai-ichi were safe from the worst waves an earthquake could muster based on a single-page memo from the plant operator nearly a decade ago.

In the Dec. 19, 2001 document -- one double-sized page obtained by The Associated Press under Japan's public records law -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. rules out the possibility of a tsunami large enough to knock the plant offline and gives scant details to justify this conclusion, which proved to be wildly optimistic.

Regulators at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, or NISA, had asked plant operators for assessments of their earthquake and tsunami preparedness. They didn't mind the brevity of TEPCO's response, and apparently made no moves to verify its calculations or ask for supporting documents.

"This is all we saw," said Masaru Kobayashi, who now heads NISA's quake-safety section. "We did not look into the validity of the content."

The memo has Japanese text, boxes and numbers. It also has a tiny map of Japan indicating where historical earthquakes are believed to have struck. TEPCO considered five quakes, ranging from 8.0 to 8.6 magnitude, in northeastern Japan, and a 9.5 magnitude across the Pacific near Chile, as examples of possible tsunami-causing temblors.

Tepco chief resigns over Japan nuclear crisis

Fri, 20 May 2011 11:20:00 +0000

The president of the Japanese utility behind the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl said Friday he was stepping down in disgrace after reporting the biggest financial losses in company history.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Masataka Shimizu, criticized for his low profile during the disaster's early days, said he was resigning to take "responsibility" but vowed that the utility would continue doing its "utmost" to bring the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant under control.

Fuel rods appear to have mostly melted at three of the plant's reactors after a March 11 earthquake triggered a tsunami that knocked out cooling systems. Leaking radiation has prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents, and the perilous struggle to contain the reactors is expected to continue into next year.

The crisis raised serious questions about the lax oversight of Japan's nuclear industry, and prompted the country to scrap plans to rely on nuclear power for one-half its electricity needs -- up from its current one-third.

"I am resigning for having shattered public trust about nuclear power, and for having caused so many problems and fears for the people," Shimizu told reporters, bowing in a traditional Japanese apology during a news conference.

Japan plans disaster budget, building 100K homes

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Japan's government proposed a special $50 billion (4 trillion yen) budget to help finance reconstruction efforts Friday and plans to build 100,000 temporary homes for survivors of last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The twin disasters destroyed roads, ports, farms and homes and crippled a nuclear power plant that forced tens of thousands of more people to evacuate their houses for at least several months. The government said the damage could cost $309 billion, making it the world's most expensive natural disaster.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said he was moved by his conversations with victims during a recent tour of shelters.

"I felt with renewed determination that we must do our best to get them back as soon as possible," he told reporters.

The extra $50 billion (4 trillion yen) the Cabinet approved is expected to be only the first installment of reconstruction funding. About $15 billion (1.2 trillion yen) will go to fixing roads and ports and more than $8.5 billion (700 billion yen) will go to build temporary homes and clearing rubble.

"This is the first step toward rebuilding Japan after the major disasters," Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said. Parliament is expected to approve the special budget next week.

Japan nuclear firm reveals plan to end crisis

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:07:00 +0000

The operator of the crippled nuclear power plant leaking radiation in northern Japan announced a plan Sunday to bring the crisis under control within six to nine months and allow some evacuated residents to return to their homes.

The roadmap for ending the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, presented by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata at a news conference, included plans to cover the damaged reactor buildings to contain the radiation and eventually remove the nuclear fuel.

"We sincerely apologize for causing troubles," Katsumata said. "We are doing our utmost to prevent the crisis from further worsening."

Frustrations have been mounting over TEPCO's failure to resolve the nuclear crisis more than a month after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, knocking out power and cooling systems at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex.

Katsumata, who was hammered by questions over his management responsibility, told reporters he was considering stepping down because of the crisis.

"I feel very responsible," he said.

Katsumata said he was not sure when the tens of thousands who had been forced to flee their homes because of the crisis could go back, but Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said some could return home within six to nine months.

Japan ups crisis level at plant to match Chernobyl

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:36:00 +0000

Japan raised the crisis level at its crippled nuclear plant Tuesday to a severity on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, citing high overall radiation leaks that have contaminated the air, tap water, vegetables and seawater.

Japanese nuclear regulators said they raised the rating from 5 to 7 -- the highest level on an international scale of nuclear accidents overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency -- after new assessments of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant since it was disabled by the March 11 tsunami.

The new ranking signifies a "major accident" that includes widespread effects on the environment and health, according to the Vienna-based IAEA. But Japanese officials played down any health effects and stressed that the harm caused by Chernobyl still far outweighs that caused by the Fukushima plant.

The revision came a day after the government added five communities to a list of places people should leave to avoid long-term radiation exposure. A 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius already had been cleared around the plant.

The news was received with chagrin by residents in Iitate, one of the five communities, where high levels of radiation have been detected in the soil. The village of 6,200 people is about 40 kilometers from the Fukushima plant.

Huge radiation spike at Japan nuclear plant was a mistake

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Emergency workers struggling to pump contaminated water from Japan's stricken nuclear complex fled from one of the troubled reactors Sunday after reporting a huge increase in radioactivity -- a spike that officials later apologetically said was inaccurate.

The apology came after employees fled the complex's Unit 2 reactor when a reading showed radiation levels had reached 10 million times higher than normal in the reactor's cooling system. Officials said they were so high that the worker taking the measurements had withdrawn before taking a second reading.

On Sunday night, though, plant operators said that while the water was contaminated with radiation, the extremely high reading was a mistake.

"The number is not credible," said Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Takashi Kurita. "We are very sorry."

He said officials were taking another sample to get accurate levels, but did not know when the results would be announced.

The situation came as officials acknowledged there was radioactive water in all four of the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex's most troubled reactors, and as airborne radiation in Unit 2 measured 1,000 millisieverts per hour -- four times the limit deemed safe by the government, Kurita said.

3 evacuees near Japan nuclear plant exposed to radiation

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:09:00 +0000

An official says three people being evacuated from an area near a quake-damaged Japanese nuclear plant have been exposed to radiation.

The Fukushima prefectural disaster official confirmed their exposure but said they showed no signs of illness.

A blast Saturday at the nuclear plant blew off the walls and roof.

Yoshinori Baba says the three were in a group of evacuees who had waited in a school yard to be picked up by a helicopter.

Officials say the plant has released some radiation because of a cooling problem since Friday's massive quake. They say residents are being evacuated from a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius as a precaution.

Radiation down at Japan nuclear plant after blast

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Japan's government spokesman says the metal container sheltering a nuclear reactor was not affected by an explosion that destroyed the building it's in.

Yukio Edano says the radiation around the plant did not rise after the blast but instead is decreasing. He added that pressure in the reactor was also decreasing.

Pressure and heat have been building at the nuclear reactor since an earthquake and tsunami Friday caused its cooling system to fail.

An explosion Saturday blew out the walls of the building housing the reactor. The government has ordered people within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius of the plant in Fukushima to evacuate the area.

Large amounts of radiation were spewing out and the evacuation area around the plant was expanded but officials did not know how dangerous the leak was to people. Shinji Kinjo, a spokesman for the Japanese nuclear agency, could not say how much radiation was in the atmosphere or how hot the reactor was following the failure of its cooling system.

Friday's double disaster, which pulverized Japan's northeastern coast, has left 574 people dead by official count, although local media reports said at least 1,300 people may have been killed.

“The Cove” screening canceled in Tokyo after protests

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:20:00 +0000

A movie theater in Tokyo decided against showing the dolphin-hunt documentary "The Cove" after nationalist pressure and warnings of protests, the distributor said Thursday.

In recent months, activists have protested and screamed slogans outside the Tokyo office of the Japanese distributor, Unplugged, alleging that support for the film signals betrayal of Japanese pride.

Theater N Shibuya was scheduled to start showing the film June 26. Unplugged said the theater changed its mind after getting deluged with angry telephone calls and being warned that screenings would be met with protests.

The American movie that won the Academy Award for documentary this year shows undercover footage of the dolphin hunt in a Japanese village and documents efforts by Ric O'Barry, a former trainer for the "Flipper" TV series, to stop the slaughter of dolphins for food.

Takeshi Kato of Unplugged said he remained determined to show the film, and talks will continue with other theaters.

"This is definitely not an anti-Japanese film," he said in a statement. "We believe it is necessary to carry out constructive discussion of the issue."

Japan sympathetic to tearful Toyota head

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:18:00 +0000

Never mind the congressional hearing. What the Japanese are riveted by is Toyota president Akio Toyoda's weepy display of emotion when he met American dealers.

The footage is being played over and over on TV news Thursday in Japan where the public has always had a soft spot for tearful executives under attack.

The latest performance to win hearts: a choked-up Toyoda barely able to finish his sentences during a meeting with dozens of Toyota dealers in Washington -- a far more receptive crowd than the skeptical lawmakers who had grilled him about the automaker's safety lapses earlier in the day.

"People are going to feel sorry for him because he had to go through a theatrical ordeal overseas, a very unusual situation for a Japanese executive," said Kuniyoshi Shirai, executive adviser at A.C.E. Consulting in Tokyo.

The Japanese don't have a monopoly on sincerity and passion, but a show of heartfelt remorse goes a long way in consensus-oriented Japan, where intentions, not just results, carry meaning.

Although tears would be a sign of weakness for an American executive, the Japanese public are swayed by emotions because empathy for a weak person is valued as an honorable trait, says Tatsumi Tanaka, president of Risk Hedge, a consultant for major companies.

Toyota chief apologizes for global recalls

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Toyota's president apologized Friday for the massive global recalls over sticking gas pedals as the automaker scrambles to repair a damaged reputation and sliding sales.

But Akio Toyoda, also Toyota's CEO, said the automaker is still deciding what steps to take to fix brake problems in the popular Prius gas-electric hybrid.

Speaking at a hastily announced news conference, a stern-looking Toyoda promised to beef up quality control.

He said the company is setting up a special committee he would head himself.

It would review internal checks, go over consumer complaints and listen to outside experts to come up with a solution to the widening quality problems.

"I offer my apologies for the worries," he said in Japanese. "Many customers are wondering whether their cars are OK."

Toyoda said the company was moving quickly on the global recalls covering 4.5 million vehicles for sticking gas pedals, about half of them in the U.S.

Dealers are scrambling to make repairs on the gas pedals that need a new steel part to prevent sticking, he said.