After Fukushima Incident
 

Hi Everyone!

This is my first time posting here in the forum. :ywave:

I actually registered just so I could ask this particular question, because it's been bothering me for a while and I need to know some information before I can make a decision... I'm a college student considering studying abroad in Japan, in Kyoto, but I have been having doubts because of the Fukushima tragedy that happened. The study abroad option to Japan is still open, but that doesn't necessarily mean that travel is fully safe. The effects of radiation cannot be detected until many, many years have passed, and the European news media, as well as a certain professor in Japan (from an article I read), have been warning people who intend to travel there. In terms of radiation, of course it will be the most dangerous near the source, but the radiation I am more concerned about is the one contained in food and water, which is difficult to monitor. Well, since I'm no physics or chemistry expert, what do you think? It would help greatly if you are confident in your knowledge, or have read articles from a variety of sources.

At first, I was simply researching to persuade my parents not to worry about me, but then, I somehow started to worry myself, because I was truly looking forward to this trip. Thanks for reading! :o

To put it simply, even if you ate nothing but food from borderline contaminated areas - for the length of time I imagine you will be in Japan, you would suffer no ill effects.

However, if you plan on living in the exclusion area, picking food growing at the side of the road and eating it without so much as washing it... You should be worried. :mtongue:

You say you will be in Kyoto. Kyoto has received no damage nor has it shown any rises in radiation. It is so incredibly far away from the reactors that there is no way it could be in the water. Food sold in Japan is a mix of food from all over the country and from outside Japan. I would be more worried about buying cheap produce from China than I would be about possibly getting a microscopic amount of contamination occasionally via food.

As far as I know you would get more radiation going on the plane than you would living in Kyoto for school. But than again, I could be wrong I'm not an expert. It's just things I've read online from specialists living in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

I think you should accept there *are* possible ramifications from this disaster and then make your decision on that. Is the risk-to-reward ratio appealing enough or not? It's your life and if any of us direct you wrong and you do get any type of radioactive type sickness down the road well guess what: The likelihood of you being in contact with any of us at that time is very small and even if you are the answer you are going to get is "oops, I was wrong. I'm sorry that you have 3 eyes now."

However, I would go with experts' opinions (meaning people with notable reference and not us good-hearted, anonymous Japan Forum users.) In the end, it's still going to be an opinion based decision since you'll have to make the decision based on your opinion of which side's expert's "facts" make the most sense to you.