If radiation levels are "safe" in Tokyo, why is the state dept. evacuating students?

[Snoutport]

I found my post from the other night about the water being unsafe for infants very interesting. A lot of people weighed in and I saw quite a few people who were totally happy to believe what the government is saying about the danger in Japan.

Quite a few people thought that any mention of Tokyo being evacuated was ridiculous.

But our friend is a college student teaching and studying in Japan this year. The State Department contacted her and she was evacuated out of Tokyo a few days ago. She did not want to leave but was told it was mandatory, she is safely back in the states now-flown home on a flight supplied by the US Government.

So, for the people who think evacuating Tokyo is not going to happen-the foreign exodus has already begun. And when the US is paying for the plane flights you know that they are taking this very seriously...even though, officially, people in TOkyo are not under threat.

Is there any US city near a nuclear plant that is ready to evacuate the population within a 100 mile radius? 150? Not to mention that many reactors are on rivers, lakes and oceans. Imagine radioactivity spilling out into the river systems, poisoning every living thing as they go...not to mention what that could do to the groundwater/well systems of many cities and towns.

Japan is going through a nightmare scenario. We should apply what is going on there to our own nuclear plants. We SHOULD imagine what will happen to the food and water. We should picture New York City having to be evacuated, we should pay attention and see how this devestates the Japanese market system. We should worry about it and lose sleep because the US has allowed itself to be bullied into becoming dependent on nuclear power. Well, we're not. Germany is about to go solar and they lack the sunbelt that the US has. We need to walk in the streets with signs, and write the government and we need to demand a switch to clean energy. The Koch brothers will spend to fight us and the Right Wing will call us hippies but... what else can we do? The time for Wind and Solar is NOW. Not twenty years from now, not 50 years when the oil runs out, not after the Southern California plants get hit by a wave or an earthquake...but now.

We did in Oregon. The people voted and stopped atomic energy in our state. You can do it too!

[wtbymark]

1. There is no 'safe' level of radiation, period. n/t

[speltwon]

3. lol

We are surrounded by radiation every second of every day. That's like saying there is no safe level of sunlight.

[TheWraith]

6. Of course there is. To say otherwise is to repeat urban legends.

There are plenty of safe levels of radiation, just as there are safe levels of alcohol, caffeine, and other things which are poisonous to us. Even water or pure oxygen are deadly to us in sufficient quantity.

[Rex]

10. True, you can kill youself by drinking too much water to fast.

[jpak]

12. Tell that to the BEIR Committee and the National Academies of Science

absolute nonsense and pseudoscience

yup

[fascisthunter]

21. thank you jpak

[Yo_Mama]

39. Well I don't see them putting out warnings about bananas

... So obviously they believe there are safe levels. Come on now.

[yawnmaster]

14. Oh please...my body is radiating as I write, and I can assure you, I am safe...

One's standard of "safe" must be extremely high for your statement to hold true.
...So high that crossing a street would be a major health risk.
...Any amount of sunlight would be unsafe.
...Any product with any amount of raw egg is virtually deadly.
etc..

[fascisthunter]

20. not even the same thing

[yawnmaster]

68. Ummm...yes. it is the same thing. My body and yours, and the environment around us contains...

radioactive isotopes that continually decay...but it is a safe level in everyday life!
There is DEFINITELY a safe level of radiation, and its part of everyday life.

[Zoeisright]

63. So go visit Japan if you think it's so safe.

What's stopping you?


Hmmmmm?

[yawnmaster]

67. I am! I'm sending my kid there and I'll be following! eom

[fascisthunter]

19. Exactly.... it's a risk

[Paradoxical]

34. Yeah, there definitely is. In fact, radiation is necessary for a healthy life.

[TheWraith]

2. Because they're hedging their bets against something catastrophic happening.

The odds of things getting worse at this point are infinitesimally low, but if something DID go wrong, they don't want to have to arrange evacuation after the fact.

By the way, the radius for evacuating due to a complete meltdown is about 20 miles, not 100 or 150. The rest of your post is based on a similar quality of understanding of the facts.

[speltwon]

4. Yes. In a word, they are being proactive

Or for those who talk about risk/reward. High risk/low frequency(probability) event.

It's the same reason we carry fire insurance for our houses.

[TheWraith]

7. An excellent analogy, thank you. nt

[PVnRT]

8. It's easier for many here to simply start yelling "CONSPIRACY!"

[Godhumor]

5. Countries tend to evacuate its people from disaster areas as standard procedure

Not saying Tokyo is safe, but this is the US enacting protocol. When I lived in Japan following 9/11, we were faxed multiple travel restrictions from the State Department as precautiounary action in case Americans were being targeted abroad.

[former9thward]

9. There is no "mandatory evacuation" of anyone.

The U.S. is recommending U.S. citizens stay 50 miles from the reactor. http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-warden20110322-06.html

[Hannah Bell]

11. thank you for correcting the record with a link.

op = unrec for reporting rumor as fact.

[Snoutport]

13. i will double check with our friend

but she was pretty clear she didn't have any choice in the matter. She said state dept and that the embassy provided the ticket and that the other students were all being told to leave and being provided tickets.

[former9thward]

15. There are some universities who are ordering their exchange students home.

I have read a couple stories about that. It may be your friend was in that situation.

[Snoutport]

17. Yes. I just checked. Her school ordered everyone home, the embassy obtained the tickets

and flew them home at no expense. The university and the state dept. worked together to get them out immediately.

My partner works for a university in the international education dept--all of his friends are international students/staff/people with a lot of ties to foreign places. The students from the Middle East, the Japanese students all have personal stories to share from their homes and they are not always what the media is saying. I don't share those stories because I don't have a way to verify stuff.

In this case it is a coworker who called my partner from tokyo to tell him she was being ordered home-and then came into the office a couple days later to share her first-hand experience. That seemed fair to share in here--but since her university handed off the paperwork to the embassy she said they were the ones flying her out.

[Hannah Bell]

27. her school isn't the state department. yet you haven't corrected your OP.

[Hannah Bell]

30. A school has no authority to order anyone home. It has authority to close

its facilities & recommend that students go home. It can say it won't be responsible if students stay. It can provide them free tickets if it likes.

It doesn't have authority to order people to leave a country, sorry.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kristopher]

51. Ball State students studying in Japan required to leave country

http://www.bsudailynews.com/news/ball-state-students-studying-in-japan-required-to-leave-country-1.2520830

[Hannah Bell]

55. "If you choose to remain in Japan, you must send a written statement

that you are going to stay. Within the statement indicate that it is your choice to remain in Japan and that you understand the risks that you are taking.

Also be aware that if you stay, your schedule for spring semester 2011 will be dropped and there may be financial aid issues that you could incur as a result and for which we will not be able to assist you with if you choose to stay. Ball State will not be under any obligation to assist you with expenses to return if you choose not to leave at this time."

http://www.bsudailynews.com/news/ball-state-students-studying-in-japan-required-to-leave-country-1.2520830


As I said, universities don't have any authority to force students to leave.

They can cancel their classes, they can strongly recommend students leave, but they can't MANDATE that students leave.

[kristopher]

57. Funny how you are the only one splitting that hair.

But then, if you didn't what would you base your harassment on?

"Ball State students studying in Japan required to leave country"

[Snoutport]

69. thanks again kristopher

my friend said the embassy handled the tickets as well and that the embassy made the recommendations for them to leave immediately.

[kristopher]

62. Nuclear fears shut 25 embassies in Tokyo

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/nuclear-fears-shut-25-embassies-in-tokyo/story-e6frf7jx-1226026999531

[Hannah Bell]

65. and the US embassy is not on the list. There is only this:

"The US State Department last week authorised the "voluntary departure" of embassy family members in Tokyo, including relocation to other areas within Japan"

Your claim is that all US personnel had left the embassy.

It is contradicted by the embassy website & the reports of the US ambassador speaking in tokyo on the 16th and visiting the disaster area with his wife on the 23rd.

So you are calling the us embassy & the paper which reported his visit liars?

Furthermore, were your claim that all US personnel had left the tokyo embassy, leaving only a "skeleton staff" of japanese to deal with US nationals during the crisis, it would be profoundly shameful.

[Hannah Bell]

28. even though provided with a link to official US government announcements

on the matter.

[kristopher]

52. Ball State students studying in Japan required to leave country

http://www.bsudailynews.com/news/ball-state-students-studying-in-japan-required-to-leave-country-1.2520830

[Hannah Bell]

56. "If you choose to remain in Japan, you must send a written statement that you are going to stay.

Within the statement indicate that it is your choice to remain in Japan and that you understand the risks that you are taking.

Also be aware that if you stay, your schedule for spring semester 2011 will be dropped and there may be financial aid issues that you could incur as a result and for which we will not be able to assist you with if you choose to stay.

Ball State will not be under any obligation to assist you with expenses to return if you choose not to leave at this time."


Ball State has no authority to require that students leave.

They can cancel their classes or program in Japan. They can strongly recommend students leave. They can disenroll students who remain (since the Japan program has been cancelled).

They can't require students to leave if the students don't want to.

[kristopher]

58. Funny how you are the only one splitting that hair.

But then, if you didn't split hairs, you wouldn't have anything to contribute, would you?

"Ball State students studying in Japan required to leave country"

[Hannah Bell]

59. It's not a hair. They aren't "required to leave". They are "required to leave

to continue their studies".

"Ball State University is temporarily cancelling the Japan portion of our exchange agreement and is requiring that you return to Ball State to continue your studies. We are asking you to make immediate plans to leave Japan."

Both the connotation & the denotation are different.

Ball state cannot require that they leave. It can, however, require that they leave if they want to continue their studies through Ball state.

As you have touted yourself as being skilled at such linguistic subtleties, surely you understand the difference.

As for myself being the only one splitting that hair, it's not "funny" at all. At least half of the posters at DU don't really care what the facts are; they already "know" what's happening & don't care about the evidence. If it's positive, it's lies. If it's negative, it's truth. If it's couched in terms like "may" or "might", it means "is" & "will."

The original "hair" of this thread was whether the state department had issued a mandatory evacuation of japan.

it has not, for all that you congratulate the original poster for this great thread.

The poster has not corrected the post.

[kristopher]

60. Ball State students studying in Japan required to leave country

The Ball State Daily News > News
http://www.bsudailynews.com/news/ball-state-students-studying-in-japan-required-to-leave-country-1.2520830

Suggest you write a scathing letter to the editor.

[Hannah Bell]

64. Don't have to. The letter states the facts quite clearly. If one chooses to read it.

which you apparently don't.

[marions ghost]

16. good question

When US students and military dependents are flown out...well, there must be a damn GOOD reason...

Thanks for an inspiring post, snoutport, even if it draws the naysayers like flies.

Probably the only thing some people would understand is if the situation got so bad the markets tanked and economies collapsed. That might get their attention. As for a population going through unbelievable stress and fear--and then being asked to tolerate even "low" levels of radiation on an indefinite basis? Oh never mind. The only way some literal thinkers will ever get it is if it happened in THEIR neighborhood and we were talking about THEIR children. Some people have no empathy or compassion whatsoever.

I keep thinking about that old farmer from the Fukushima area, who was videoed in tears kicking himself for ever believing that the nukes were safe. He knows he will likely never be farming his patch again. Asking people anywhere to live with this degree of risk when there are viable energy alternatives is morally corrupt.

[Snoutport]

18. thanks marions--I really appreciated that

I had the joy of getting to walk through the rubble after the Northridge earthquake. When you see mile after mile of ruined homes and buildings from a much smaller quake it does make you look more realistically at how prepared or ill prepared we are for such an event.

I'm not trying to add to hysteria...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking good and hard if we are ready for a similar catastrophe. And the acceptance that if we aren't, well, then we should be and that might mean letting go of atomic power.

[marions ghost]

23. no problem

Putting people at grave risk for the sake of nuclear power generation is a concept whose sanity must be questioned by anyone with a brain and a conscience (the two are not always found together).

Seems the right time to be sayin it, if ever there was a time. :fistbump:

[kristopher]

61. Of course you aren't.

There are some here that have no other life than to try an like like a bigshot by bullying others. The same people do it all the time.

Your post was a good one.

[Snoutport]

66. Thanks Kristopher!

After seeing the post today that they are calling for more people to leave to 19 miles kinda backs up the whole argument.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4786904

My father was a survival instructor for the Green Berets. I guess I grew up being taught that in an emergency you have to take care of yourself. Part of that, I guess, is securing a safe place to camp.

thanks for the back up though!

[Biker13]

74. +1

I'm a newbie, but I see the same names over and over doing this.

Bullies are BORING!

Biker's Old Lady

[fascisthunter]

22. If I Were there, I'd leave

Sooner or later the radiation will spread and I have little confidence they can do much about this situation. Any radiation is a risk to your health.... so it's better to be safe.

[Holly_Hobby]

24. Once radiation enters your body, via spinach, water or whatever,

it remains radioactive forever or 10,000 years, which ever comes first.

Common sense would tell you that this is not safe.

[BrookBrew]

25. Or if you drink it in a hospital I-131

it remains radioactive for 8 days. Note the tap water is now below minimums, half life is your friend.

Common sense and a college education are not the same thing.

[flamingdem]

33. There was a 4:1 ratio of cesium to iodine released and cesium lasts 20 years nt

[BrookBrew]

35. Link?(nt)

[RollWithIt]

26. Because it is better to be safe.... than be sorry?

Really simple. What if something catastrophic happens and they hadn't done what they just did?

[Hannah Bell]

29. The state department has not issued any mandatory evacuation.

The poster has posted a rumor that, upon examination, turns out not to be true.

Now it is the university that is supposedly mandating that everyone come home.

However, a university can't mandate that. It can close up & cancel classes & recommend that students leave & say that it won't be responsible if they stay, but it can't force students to leave.

[kristopher]

37. The embassy is virtually empty.

I say virtually because I didn't ask specifically, but my wife's friend who works at the US embassy told us the other day that all (minna) of the American personnel were gone. Whe said the Japanese staff were pulling double duty trying to to keep the place fnnctioning.

I presume there is a skeleton staff in place.

As to the evacuation, I've never seen a mandatory evac, but I've also never seen State pony op the airfare for anything, let alone a ticket for every US passport.

Didn't you just love those trips to renew your visa?

[Hannah Bell]

41. That's not what they say:

Our employees remain in country, and we are absolutely open for business – in fact, the number of people working at the Embassy now is much larger than before the earthquake due to the number of experts who have arrived from the United States to augment our operations in these difficult times. We look forward to our dependents returning to Japan once the situation has eased.

http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-warden20110322-06.html


But probably your wife's friend who works in the embassy has the true story, and they just post this false information so that people will come to the embassy only to be disappointed when there's no one at the empty embassy to help them.

Or maybe all the embassy personnel left after that message was corrected on the 23rd.

[kristopher]

42. And maybe "embassy staff" is different than visiting experts.

You have a real bad habit of trying to call people liars with no foundation.

[Hannah Bell]

43. What about "Our employees remain in country, and we are absolutely open for business"

didn't you get?

You say your wife's friend who works at the embassy says all the US staff has left. That would be extraordinary & it would certainly be noted in the press.

PROVE IT.

[kristopher]

44. To you?

I have absolutely no reason to doubt the word of a former university classmate who has a Japanese employee of the embassy since the late 80s. I also have absolutely no reason to either fabricate the conversation or give a shit if you believe it or not.

Life is too short for your particular brand of nastiness. I pity you,

[Hannah Bell]

47. yes, to me. since i don't know your wife's friend, & what you are telling me about an

empty embassy directly contradicts what the embassy website says.

It also contradicts reports of embassy personnel doing things in japan; for example, this report of the US ambassador being in ishinomaki (in the disaster zone) on the 23rd:

Ishinomaki, Japan
March 23, 2011, 4:16 p.m.

Thank you for having Susie and me here today. Nature - it can destroy precious human life, it can destroy property, but it cannot destroy the human spirit, and today here I've witnessed the best of humanity.

http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20110323-72.html

and this, from tokyo on the 16th:

U.S. Embassy
March 16, 2011
Tokyo, Japan

AMBASSADOR ROOS: Well, first of all, good afternoon everyone. I just want to start by reiterating that the United States obviously continues to have Japan and the consequences of this tragedy and the victims in our thoughts and prayers, and those who are in the, particularly in the devastated areas, we are thinking of them at this time. We are continuing to have obviously massive search-and-rescue and recovery operations as well as humanitarian support. We know it's as urgent as ever, and I'm very proud of the fact that the United States, our government and its people, are stepping up in countless ways for the Japanese people during this time of need. I also understand that there's a lot of conflicting information out there and we're committed to providing you as much up-to-date information as possible. As you know, it's an evolving situation in areas throughout Japan, but we'll try to get you as up-to-date information on an ongoing basis. I will take several questions today, and as in the past I'm joined by several members of my team here who we can rely on for some of the specifics. In addition, I think as you know, we have significant numbers of experts coming from the United States to help in the humanitarian disaster relief effort, the issues with regard to the nuclear situation, and we will be announcing many of those resources as they come.

http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20110316-06.html



it is in fact *you* who has repeatedly gone to the personal; in fact, you have not been able to deal with any disagreement *without* going to the personal.

[kristopher]

48. When you call someone a liar with no basis in fact, you don't think that's personal?

Just because you have a press release doesn't mean you have evidence that either I lied or our friend lied. Your constant attacks in that manner are nothing more than harassment.

[Hannah Bell]

49. kristopher, my dear, please link me to where i "call someone a liar".

there is a post where i say "that's not what it says on the embassy website".

there's a post where i link reports of the us ambassador making a speech in tokyo on the 16th & visiting disaster victims in ishinomaki on the 23rd.

as your friend's report appears to contradict published evidence, i ask you, quite legitimately in my opinion, to prove your claim with some other evidence besides your say-so.

as for calling people liars, you have a bad memory, kristopher.

[kristopher]

50. I'm sure that rationalization really fooled people Hannah.

You are the clever one, you are.

[Hannah Bell]

53. whatever you say, kristopher. sorry you're offended when i ask for evidence

that the US embassy is lying & the published reports of the US ambassador (& his wife) being in Tokyo & Ishinomaki are lies.

[Snoutport]

76. more news links "The U.S. Government is chartering planes"

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=8018150

"The U.S. Government is chartering planes to get Americans out of harm's way and the State Department is advising all U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Japan."

Since the students are told that their programs are closed their student visa's are no good and they would have to leave regardless. So, one of those, "they are saying you MUST leave, but they are making it so you HAVE to leave." Semantics. THey are still getting the planes and evacuating students whether they say they are doing it or not.

[Hannah Bell]

86. the state department is not mandating evacuations of students as your header has it.

it's not semantics.

the header is false.

[Snoutport]

70. that is our point...it is not what the govt is saying...but the people we know

say they are doing something different than what they are publicly saying.

I'm thankful they flew our friend out. I'm glad that the US is acting proactively and keeping American's safe. I think they are doing the right thing.

But they are saying something different for whatever reasons.

[Hannah Bell]

87. the state department is not mandating evacuation of students. your header is false.

[kristopher]

54. They are trying to get people to leave.

[spin]

31. We can evacuate our citizens. Japan can't evacuate their entire country ...

I've been wondering if our government knows that the situation is far worse than Japan is telling their citizens.

I hope we are just being excessively cautious but I can see ways this situation could get far worse in a big hurry.

I just hope and pray that I am wrong and the Japanese can bring this situation under control.

[flamingdem]

32. They have the numbers: Caesium, Iodine, Stronium, Xenon, Plutonium, Uranium..etc nt

[kristopher]

36. We have family in Tokyo

They are clearly very worried, but they refuse to leave even though they have the means to do so without it causing a hardship.

I believe some of it is the nature of the threat; it is similar to the reaction of people when a hurricane is forecast to hit in 24 hours. But there is more and the best way I can explain it is that they clearly feel they (the Japanese) are all facing the problem together. It just wouldn't be "right" to run and leave everyone else to face the danger alone. That is not based on a trust in the government either.

Good thread. Thank you.

[oregonjen]

38. What university in Tokyo? Just curious, as I was an exchange student

at Waseda once upon a time. Glad she is home safe.

[kristopher]

45. When were you at Waseda? nt

[Art_from_Ark]

40. Evacuation from Tokyo is NOT mandatory

Hell, I'm living closer to the danger zone and I have not been contacted by the Embassy. Evacuations are voluntary.

If you don't believe me, check out the US Embassy web site:

http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-warden20110322-06.html

[RegieRocker]

71. Do you need a flashlight to see in the dark anymore?

[Art_from_Ark]

82. No flashlight needed where I am

Power was restored more than a week ago, and the rolling blackouts have been cancelled for this area. However, there is a flashlight within easy reach, just in case.

[Snoutport]

72. but students are being told they "have" to leave and the embassy is supplying tickets

is that not the state dept participating in a mandatory evacuation?
Several of us posting are discussing our friends that we have spoken to personally about the situation. It makes for an interesting read. Here is a previously posted news article backing up some of what our friends are saying happened to them:


http://www.bsudailynews.com/news/ball-state-students-studying-in-japan-required-to-leave-country-1.2520830

[tammywammy]

73. They don't "have" to leave

"Although students were able to send a written statement to the university if they were going to choose to stay, the email stated they would need to understand that if they stay, their schedule for Spring Semester 2011 would be dropped and there could be financial aid issues they could incur as a result and with which the university would not be able to assist them."

[Snoutport]

75. and they were kicked out of housing and their student visa's would be revoked by the sttate dept

So, no, they were not physically picked up, but our friend was told she HAD to leave, the financial aid would be stopped, they would be dropped from school, the school was closing the program, student visas would be cancelled by the govt. so any student staying is breaking the law and since they were no longer students they would have to move out of school housing. even though all the planes leaving japan were booked the embassy arranged for all American students to be taken out of the country whether they had money for a flight or not.

The university and the embassy worked it out, so, though it was not official from the embassy, the students were told they had to leave.

[tammywammy]

77. The embassy helped arrange the tickets, but at the university's request

We have made arrangements ... to assist you with travel arrangements if needed. The University will help you with travel expenses related to your return to the campus. We recognize that change fees may be imposed due to changing your original flight arrangements. Please keep any receipts for your travel expenses to be submitted upon your return.

But, back to your OP you said the State Dept is forcing people to leave, do you now concede that it was the university's decision?
"though it was not official from the embassy"

[Snoutport]

78. Link to article that the US (State Dept) is chartering planes to evacuate people

"The U.S. Government is chartering planes to get Americans out of harm's way"

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=8018150

the student visas are cancelled. they cannot stay without a visa. the US government is chartering planes and flying them home.

So, I stand that the state dept. is evacuating students AFTER their University told them they had to go and that they legally could not stay once their student visas were cancelled.

So, again, the point is, they are saying officially no one is being told to leave, but they are revoking their ability to stay unless they are willing to break the law by staying with no visa.

[Art_from_Ark]

79. The Japanese government issues student visas

for foreign students to study in Japan. The Japanese government can revoke these visas at its discretion. The State Department only issues advisories for private American citizens living in Japan. And the only evacuation advisories it has issued so far involve the directly-affected disaster areas, and a 50-mile radius around Fukushima Dai-ichi, which includes much of Fukushima Prefecture, as well as parts of southern Miyagi and northern Ibaraki prefectures.

[Snoutport]

80. Yes, but the visas are automatically cancelled with a short grace period if a student

stops going to school or if the school is closed. Same rules as here. They can try to move to a different school in some cases.

But it isn't easy--you have to apply, get accepted, etc. It is not a fast or easy process.

my friend was told she had to leave by her program, she was called by the embassy (state dept) and told she was being evacuated by the government, she had to leave pretty much immediately and was evacuated on a plane chartered by the state dept.

I have already posted that I added to the post that she was contacted first by her university but then handed off to the state dept.

I missed the editing deadline so I have addressed the situation in multiple posts with links to several news stories that share similar stories as my friends and one that shows directly the state dept is chartering planes to evacuate people.

[Art_from_Ark]

81. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that story

The State Department cannot force private Americans to leave Japan-- it just doesn't work that way. The State Department does not issue or revoke visas for Americans to study in Japan. The only government that can force private (that is, non-government, non-military) American citizens to leave Japan is the Japanese government. And the Embassy's own web site states that the water situation in Tokyo is back to normal, and the evacuation advisories apply to the hardest-hit disaster areas, as well as a 50-mile radius around Fukushima Dai-ichi, which are both far to the north of Tokyo.

Yes, the US Embassy was making arrangements for Americans to depart Japan if they so desired-- but it was strictly voluntary.

[Snoutport]

84. required is what the people arranging the flights are saying...

http://www.bsudailynews.com/news/ball-state-students-studying-in-japan-required-to-leave-country-1.2520830

[Art_from_Ark]

85. Oh, for crying out loud

We go from a sensationalist headline to the tune of "State Department mandating student evacuations in Tokyo" to "Four students from Ball State forced to leave Japan due to overreaction by their university" :eyes:

[Art_from_Ark]

83. So your real headline should read "University pulls rug out

from under students studying in Japan; US Embassy provides means for stranded students to return home"