Netizens have been alarmed by the news from national broadcaster, NHK, that part of the beautiful Hitachi Seaside Park have been closed off due to a peak in radiation levels.
Ibaraki Prefecture, which is home to the park, neighbours Fukushima Prefecture, and therefore concerns over radiation levels have been ongoing since the 2011 nuclear disaster.
From NHK.com
Seaside Park Partially Closed As Radiation Levels Exceed Standard
A relatively high level of 0.70 μSv/h was measured in three locations in the state-managed Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachi-city Ibaraki prefecture, and to be on the safe side, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has banned entering the vicinity of these three areas.
According to MLIT, when the radiation levels were measured on the 23rd in Hitachi Seaside Park, the hourly radiation levels one metre from the ground exceeded the government standard of 0.23 μSv in three locations such as in the woods and in open fields, reaching levels of up to 0.70 μSv.
To be on the safe side, MLIT has banned entering the vicinity of these three areas, and has put up No-Entry signs and rope around the areas so that visitors do not enter.
In the three years since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster radiation levels of over 2 μSv have occasionally been recorded in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Hitachi Seaside Park is one of Ibaraki prefecture’s leading tourist spots and had over 350000 visitors during Golden Week this year and from now on MLIT will be carrying out decontamination of the area.
Comments from Twitter:
みんと:
Why does a seaside park have high levels of radiation even now?
ナカノ実験室２（旧勇気のセルフブク魔人）:
Is it because the sunlight has been strong recently? Or is there no relation?
もっちー:
Will Rock in Japan [music festival] be okay….?
松井 修:
Decontaminating a huge park will only cost money and have no real results. Because it’s a public park, it’s the nation’s taxes paying for it.
すわっと すりー:
I wonder why?
:-):
I’m waiting to hear the excuses of the company president.
かいとすたー:
Is even Fukushima’s neighbour, Ibaraki prefecture, this polluted….?
かぱぴら:
LMFAO I went there just last week.
shunsoku2002:
This issue of the magazine DAYS JAPAN already reported the existence of these radiation hot spots.
Why was it ignored in the news?
古井丸 友宏:
NHK-san, please tell me about the “government standard of 0.23 μSv”. Who is measuring it, and in what way?
W4C:
In Hitachi, eh? Hmm, what’s going on?
Masasikuwata:
Why has it gone up so much? Even though 3 years have passed..
あのん:
I really hope it doesn’t affect Rock In Japan Fest….
松野大介:
3 places in Ibaraki prefecture’s Hitachi Seaside Park are now No-Entry due to radiation levels of 0.7 μSv. Even now, and what’s more, in Ibaraki Prefecture.
ふじいろクローバーＺ:
Does this mean they didn’t measure it until now, I wonder?
みく:
Mental! And I couldn’t believe it but it’s Hitachi Seaside Park!
ɴذ:
Too dangerous….
おらおら（雀踊りお囃子太鼓）:
0.7 μSv/h is much higher than Fukushima city or Koriyama city. But it’s not high enough to call it high levels of radiation.
kyouichi SATOH:
If it’s a place where hundreds of people gather surely make it all No-Entry, not just partially??
宮脇 勝:
Did they really only measure it once Golden Week was over?
