• 理事長　新年度のごあいさつ
  Message from the Chair

With the arrival of April, we have entered a new fiscal year. Over the past year, Fukushima Dialogue has been engaged in reviewing and strengthening its organizational structure. As part of this effort, we welcomed Ms. Maiko Monma to our secretariat in March. This year, we are also taking a new step by launching income-generating activities, starting with commissioned research and survey projects. We hope to gradually expand these activities, and we may call on your support along the way. We truly appreciate your continued cooperation. 

Ryoko Ando 

Chair, Fukushima Dialogue NPO 

On Sunday, April 13th, a memorial gathering was held in honor of Mr. Genshō Kanno, former Vice-chair of our NPO,organized by Chiba University and some volunteers in the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). About 30 people from both inside and outside Fukushima Prefecture who had known Mr. Kanno during his lifetime came together to pay their respects. 

After the nuclear accident, the Yamakiya district was designated as a planned evacuation zone. From around 2011 to 2016, researchers from AIST and Chiba University carried out on-site investigations related to radioactive substances, based on the needs and concerns of local residents. At each briefing session, it was Mr. Genshō Kanno who attentively listened to the researchers’ long and detailed explanations and asked precise, thoughtful questions. 

Later, in response to requests from Mr. Kanno and other members of the community, the researchers also adopted a workshop-style approach in which residents actively participated in the measurements. Together, they measured water, wild plants, vegetables, personal dose rates, and various other items, working step by step to confirm their safety. 

In the aftermath of the nuclear accident, Fukushima was home to many local residents like Mr. Kanno—individuals who took the initiative, collaborated with researchers, and took it upon themselves to verify safety through their own efforts. Without seeking recognition for what they did—because to them, it was simply a matter of doing what was necessary to protect their lives and livelihoods—people like Mr. Kanno continued to carry out these vital activities. It is no exaggeration to say that today’s Fukushima owes much to the steady, quiet dedication of such individuals. 

Mr. Kanno was also one of the last generation who truly remembered the traditional way of life in Yamakiya. He had lived through times when transportation, distribution, and even the climate made daily life far from easy. In his later years, he devoted himself to passing on the wisdom of how to survive and thrive in such a place to younger generations. 

When you visited Yamakiya, Mr. Kanno was always there. If you had a question, he always had an answer. The loss of his presence leaves an unfillable void. Yet we are determined to carry forward the wisdom and the spirit of self-reliance and dignity that he embodied.

• 事務局開設のお知らせおよび担当の紹介

On March 17, 2025, the secretariat of the NPO Fukushima Dialogue was opened and Maiko Momna have been appointed. She will be mainly engaged in general administrative tasks, updating the organization's website and email newsletter, and serving as an operational staff member for the Dialogue events. 

Regarding her previous involvement with the organization, from January 2015 to March 2019, she worked as a radiation consultant in the Suetsugi area of Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, where she collaborated with the organization's chairman, Ando, to support and engage with the local community. 

Additionally, she participated as a presenter and attendee in the 11th and 12th Dialogues in 2015, and the 13th and 14th Dialogues in 2016. 

Afterward, Momma san worked in a local company, handling accounting and sales support as an administrative staff member. 

The most important aspect of our organization, which has always valued listening to the thoughts of each participant, is providing a platform for fostering a multifaceted understanding and interest in the post-nuclear accident community, and conveying messages for the future. 

Considering that the memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident are fading, especially among the younger generation, the role of our organization in society will become increasingly important. 

Momma san will strive to leverage her experience to promote the organization's policies widely. 

• 国際放射線防護委員会（ICRP）のタスクグループについて

On April 3rd, we announced in a brief update on the NPO Fukushima Dialogue website that its President, Ryoko Ando, had been appointed as a member of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Working Group 129 on the ethics of radiation protection practices.
How are ICRP Task Groups members selected? What is the objective of Task Group 129? What is its membership?

The ICRP's core business since 1928 is to publish recommendations on all aspects of protection against ionizing radiation, in the public interest. As an independent organization, it relies on voluntary contributions from experts to prepare reports within the framework of working groups called Task Groups.
Led by a member of the Commission, the experts for the Task Groups are selected from among the members of the relevant Commission's committees, and also from outside experts based on their expertise, experience, communication skills and commitment selected through an open and competitive call for expression of interest to complete the membership.

Task Groups, members, generally composed of 10 to 15 experts, are reasonably geographically and gender-diverse. While the overriding priority of Task Group members is to fulfill the mandate specified in its terms of reference approved by the Main Commission, selection to become a member of a Task Group is often a preliminary step toward possible future membership in the Commission.
The objective of Task Group 129 as stated in the Terms of References is to consider the practical application of ethics in the context of radiological protection.

Its aims are to:
- identify and describe relevant ethical issues and challenges of RP and its practice,
- develop illustrative, real-world examples (i.e., case studies), and analyze them in a pragmatic and understandable manner,
- discuss the implications for professional ethics.

The terms of reference specify that the Task Group's work should be collaborative and inclusive in order to fully and effectively examine the practical implementation of radiation protection ethics. It also specifies that the Task Group's meetings will be complemented by a series of in-person and virtual workshops, organized in partnership with interested organizations, to foster robust contributions and perspectives from around the world. 

The members of Task Group 129 are:
　Nicole Martinez (Co-Chair), Clemson University, USA
　Friedo Zölzer (Co-Chair), University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
　Alexander Brandl (Member), Colorado State University, USA
　Ryoko Ando (Member), NPO Fukushima Dialogue / PhD Student at the Open University 　of Japan, Japan
　Elsa Gisquet (Member), ASNR, France
　Jim Malone (Member), Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
　Gaston Meskens (Member), Belgian Center for Nuclear Studies (SCK-CEN) and Ghent 　University, Belgium
　Hiroko Yoshida (Member), Tohoku University, Japan
　Josip Zic (Member), Canada
　Leticia Irazola Rosales (Technical Secretary), Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La 　Rioja, Spain

• チェルノブイリを想う 

"It was spring. A spring like no other. The sun was shining, warming the earth with its rays. The grass was already green, the buds were about to burst, and small green leaves were already appearing here and there. 2. Who would want to stay home in weather like this? No one. At that time, children's laughter echoed through the streets from morning to night. And what would happen next? No one knew. So, let's remember it together and go back to the end of April 1986.
The 26th. Saturday. No one stays home. Some are working in their vegetable gardens, some are sunbathing, and others are already starting to swim. 
The 27th. Sunday. The sun is shining; the sky is so blue, so calm. Everyone is welcoming spring. 
The 27th. Monday. The children have gone to kindergartens and school. Nature awakening from its hibernation delights everyone. The apple blossoms look like milk poured over the trees. Everything in nature is beautiful, silent, and calm. 
The 29th. Tuesday. Suddenly, in the middle of the news program called "Le Temps," a small announcement about the accident at the Chernobyl power plant comes on. The inflections of the announcer's voice are strictly official, without any hidden note of emotion, anguish, or distress. An accident like any other. Even the epithet characterizing the power plant - atomic - went unnoticed. But one or the other unfolded the map and looked for the site of the accident. Those days the wind was blowing from our country.
Then came May. The holiday parades in Kyiv and Minsk. The demonstrations and festivities dedicated to Victory Day over Fascism. The "honor guard" traditionally mounted by children in front of war memorials. On what scales can we weigh these hours spent under the sky of Chernobyl, in the "dust of Chernobyl"?. We have only the bare minimum of information about what is happening northwest of Kyiv. The rumors, the hearsay, which, little by little, create the feeling of an unknown and terrible misfortune. And the televised speech of the Minister of Health: "Nothing serious, wash your hands more often, clean your apartments every day" - in a word, live as you always have. The situation is under control....’

Poetry:

"My Pain"

We hardly talk about it anymore,
We probably forgot,
That the cursed Chernobyl
brought death to Belarus.
You remember how long ago
In every Belarusian house
The mother was afraid to feed
Her smiling baby in the cradle;
Because an unknown black ball
Clogs the throat, suffocates the heart.
No one around knows
How to escape the terrible death.
My country, my pain, my sadness,
How to preserve you, how to save your people? 
So that the terrible moments
Do not take our children away from us.
So that you may blossom and flourish
In spring in all your gardens.
So that storks fly over your houses
And bring us happiness as they once did.

M.Shumko:

• 中根秀夫写真展「in ten years ―理想郷」ギャラリーNayuta @銀座

Gallery Nayuta is located on the 5th floor of the Okuno Building in Ginza, a retro architectural gem built in the early Showa period. In this historically rich setting, the photo exhibition  in ten years – Ideal Land by Hideo Nakane—who has spent the past ten years photographing Fukushima—was held. 

The title  Ideal Land was taken from the name of a game arcade that once stood near Yonomori Station in Tomioka Town, formerly designated as an evacuation zone. Why would a game arcade be called “Ideal Land”? The answer lies in the area’s development history. 

In the Meiji era, which marked the beginning of Japan’s modern age, Seiju Hangai—a native of Soma—dedicated himself to various enterprises with the aim of contributing to the modernization of his hometown. However, after becoming the victim of a false accusation, he left Soma in deep disappointment. He relocated to Tomioka and took on the challenge of developing Yonomori, which was then an uncultivated wilderness—with the vision of creating an ideal land. It is said that Hangai planted 300 cherry trees at the time of settlement, laying the foundation for the area’s later fame as a cherry blossom destination. 

Nakane’s work, however, is not limited to Yonomori. His photo book in ten years: A Story of a Beautiful Land quietly portrays the passage of time in the Hamadori region following the disaster. Many buildings that existed before the earthquake and nuclear accident have since been torn down, and the landscape has undergone profound transformation over the past decade. Through his carefully composed photographs, one can trace that transformation like a visual narrative, unfolding gently, frame by frame. 

• 5月の福島イベント情報－令和7年 相馬野馬追　相馬市、南相馬市　他
• Event Information for Fukushima Prefecture in May                   Soma- Nomaoi,2025

-Dates: May 24th, 25th, 26th, 2025 
-Locations: Hibarigahara Festival Grounds in Minamisoma City, Soma Odaka Shrine, and various other locations.
-Event overview: Soma-Nomaoi is traditional events such as armored horse racing and the sacred flag competition, which have a history of over a thousand years. 
 
 The origins of Nomaoi date back to the mid-Heian period. It is said that the famous samurai Taira no Masakado (Soma Kojiro) captured wild horses in the pastures of Koganehara in Katsushika District, Shimousa Province (present-day Matsudo and Nagareyama in Chiba Prefecture) and dedicated them as sacred horses to the gods. At the time, it had a strong military training aspect. 
In the late Heian period, the first head of the Soma clan began to hold Nomaoi as an annual event of the Soma family. Today, it has evolved from military training to a ritual and has been an important festival passed down for over a thousand years in the region. 

In the early morning, warriors on horseback depart from three traditional shrines in the Soma area, shrouded in morning mist, in the "Okuridashi (Procession)". Warriors in armor ride through the streets on elaborately decorated horses in the "Ogyohretsu (Parade)". The "Nomagake (Wild Horse Capture)" involves catching a pure white horse with bare hands and dedicating it as a sacred horse. The "Katchu-keiba (Armored Horse Racing)" features warriors racing at high speed while wearing heavy armor and carrying sacred flags. In the "Sinki-sohdatsu-sen (Sacred Flag Competition)", over 200 warriors skillfully maneuver their horses to catch two sacred flags thrown into the sky. 

This is truly one of Japan's traditional events, Nomaoi, combining solemnity and bravery.

It is commendable that it has continued to this day, overcoming challenges such as earthquakes and nuclear accidents. 
Due to its old-long history, participants were traditionally limited to men.

However, due to a decrease in participants, unmarried teenage girls were allowed to participate a few years ago. Starting this year, women of all ages, regardless of marital status, can participate as female warriors. This signals the arrival of a new era. 

Why not visit and experience the region's history and culture of coexistence with horses? 

• 桜美林大学学生による探究活動成果発表について                   Presentation by J. F. Oberlin University Students

• ご寄付・ご入会募集中
• Call for Donation and Recruiting Members for the NPO

継続的な活動を行なっていくために会員とご寄付を集っています。
学生さんは年会費1,000円のみでご入会可能です。また、賛助会員は活動に参加しなくとも会費だけ、気が向いた時の参加だけでも大丈夫です。現在は、月に１度のオンライン定例会に加えて、ダイアログの開催準備、Openradiationによる測定プロジェクト、海外の組織（主にフランス）との交流活動を行っています。
ご参加、ご協力お待ちしています。

We are looking for participants and collaborators for our activities. Students can join for an annual membership fee of only 1,000 yen.Currently, in addition to the regular monthly online meetings, the organisation of dialogues, measurement projects with Openradiation and exchange activities with foreign organisations (mainly in France) are taking place. 

Additionally, supporting members are welcome to contribute just the membership fee or participate in activities whenever you feel like it.

We also welcome donations to support our ongoing activities!