Fukushima 50
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Fukushima_I_NPP_1975_medium_crop_rotated_labeled.jpg/220px-Fukushima_I_NPP_1975_medium_crop_rotated_labeled.jpg)
Fukushima 50 is a pseudonym given by English-language media to a group of employees at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, a related series of nuclear accidents resulted in melting of the cores of three reactors. These 50 employees remained on-site after 750 other workers were evacuated.[1][2]
After TEPCO management proposed withdrawing all its employees from the plant on 14 March,[3] additional manpower was deployed from around Japan.[4] Some workers traveled on clear roads by convoy from Tokyo.[4] When they arrived, hundreds of firemen, SDF personnel and employees of TEPCO, convened 20 km (12 mi) from the plant and debated how to best stabilize the plant.[4] On the night of 15 March, these workers joined the original Fukushima 50. Despite the incorrect figure of workers, the Fukushima 50 has remained the pseudonym used by media to refer to the group of workers at Fukushima reflecting the solitary nature of the role.[5]
The number of the workers involved rose to 580 on the morning of 18 March[1] as staff from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant and workers installing the new power line joined in. More than 1,000 workers, firefighters, and soldiers toiled at the site on 23 March.[6] The Fukushima 50 were drawn from Toshiba, Hitachi, Kajima, firefighters from Tokyo, Osaka,[7] Yokohama,[8] Kawasaki, Nagoya and Kyoto, TEPCO and its subsidiaries such as Kandenko,[9] TEP Industry and TEP Environmental Engineering, and many small-to-mid-size companies that have contracts with these big companies.[1][10]
Over 20 workers had been injured by 18 March, including one who was exposed to a large amount of ionizing radiation when the worker tried to vent vapour from a valve of the containment building.[1] Three more workers were exposed to radiation over 100 mSv, and two of them were sent to a hospital due to beta burns on 24 March.[11] Two other workers, Kazuhiko Kokubo, 24, and Yoshiki Terashima, 21, were killed by the tsunami while conducting emergency repairs immediately after the quake. Their bodies were found on 30 March.[12]
The workers and volunteers were assigned the mission of stabilizing the reactors. Their activities included assessing the damage and radiation levels caused by the explosions, cooling stricken reactors with seawater, and preventing any risk of fire. These workers remained on-site despite serious risks of radiation poisoning.[13] Levels of radiation on site are far higher than in the 20 km (12 mi) exclusion zone and media outlets reported that the severity of the situation could have grave implications on their future health, with possibly fatal consequences for the workers.[14] On 18 March, according to Prime Minister Naoto Kan the workers were "prepared for death".[15]
On 14 March, a complete withdrawal proposed by TEPCO was rejected by the prime minister,[16][17][18] to continue attempts at bringing the reactors under control during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Conditions
[edit]Working environment
[edit]The workers ate and slept in shifts in a two-story earthquake-resistant building at the center of the complex constructed in July 2010,[2] about "the size of an average living room."[19]
- A daily schedule at Fukushima I nuclear plant,[20] according to the article on 28 March.
Time | Event |
---|---|
6am | Wake up |
7–8 am | Meeting at the antiseismic building ( |
8–10 am | Breakfast (biscuits about 30 pieces and one bottle of vegetable juice) |
About 10 am | Commence tasks at the reactor building and boiler building |
About 5 pm | Finish work |
5–8 pm | Supper (retort-packed rice and one canned food) |
8–10 pm | Meeting at the antiseismic building |
About 10 pm | Sleep, with blanket on the floor, except people who work at night. |
During some work, in high radiation areas, the workers were limited to 15-minute sessions inside the damaged buildings.[21]
Radiation
[edit]The international limit for radiation exposure for nuclear workers is 20 millisievert (20 mSv, or 2 rem) per year, averaged over five years, with a limit of 50 mSv in any one year. However, for workers performing emergency services, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance on dose limits is 100 mSv when "protecting valuable property" and 250 mSv when the activity is "life saving or protection of large populations."[22]
Prior to the accident, the maximum permissible dose for Japanese nuclear workers was 100 mSv in any one year, but on 15 March 2011, the Japanese Health and Labor Ministry enforced the permitted 250 mSv limit, in light of the situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.[23][24] However, the workers at Fukushima plant declined the elevated 250 mSv limit and kept adopting the previous 100 mSv.[25] Tokyo Enesys, a TEPCO's subsidiary, adopts 80 mSv to manage the radiation level monitoring with some buffer. Kandenko, Kajima and Taisei Corporation adopted 100 mSv. Hitachi rewrote internal rule as 200 mSv.[26] TEPCO decided to move workers around 200mSv to low-radiated site while its subsidiaries, Tokyo Enesys and Kandenko, adopted limits around 100mSv. Over 30 workers were radiated beyond 100 mSv by 23 April 2011.[27]
The Fukushima workers had to be wary of radiation spiking—a sudden and unforeseen rise in radiation.[28] This threat forced the workers to evacuate for a short period of time on the morning of Tuesday 15 March 2011 when radiation detected at Fukushima rose to approximately 1000 mSv/h,[29] the highest level of radiation detected at any point of time during the accident at the plant.
The workers wore hazmat suits and hazmat masks, carrying dosimeters that alerted at 80 millisieverts. Each worker had to stop the operation once the dosimeter alerted.[30] According to TEPCO, seven TEPCO workers were exposed to radiation over the limit of 100 millisievert by the morning of 20 March.[31]
In context, immediate symptoms become apparent if exposed to above 250 mSv per day. Symptoms include nausea and loss of appetite as well as damage to bone marrow, lymph nodes and the spleen. Generally, these symptoms become more severe and noticeable in the 1000 to 3000 mSv bracket with recovery probable, but not assured. New and more serious symptoms appear above 3000 mSv such as peeling of the skin, hemorrhaging and sterility with death if left untreated.
Explosions
[edit]The Fukushima 50 were present when hydrogen explosions occurred at the reactor buildings of units 1, 3, and 4. Five workers were injured in the unit 1 explosion at 15:36 on 12 March. Most of the injuries were not severe. Eleven workers were injured in the unit 3 explosion at 11:01 on 14 March. The explosion at unit 4 at about 6 am on 15 March did not cause injuries. The explosions scattered radioactive concrete debris around the buildings, which made the working conditions on the site more difficult.[32][33]
Number of workers
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/TFD_8Div._Ladder_Truck_8-LP.jpg/220px-TFD_8Div._Ladder_Truck_8-LP.jpg)
Originally there were approximately 800 workers on 11 March 2011, the day the earthquake and tsunami struck. On 15 March, workers deemed non-essential were withdrawn by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. A total of around 750 workers left due to increased risk and consequently left around 50. It was on this day that the media started to call the remaining workers the "Fukushima 50".
However, on the morning of 16 March, the remaining workers had to be evacuated for a brief period of time due to a radiation spike which was detected which could be harmful to the workers' health. It was reported that when they returned to the plant, a further 130 or so workers joined their colleagues to total of around 180 to stabilize the reactors.[34] The number of workers rose to 580 on the morning of 18 March.[1] By 12 April, approximately 700 workers were working on-site.[35]
By 21 March 2011, Toshiba had sent a 100-strong team to two Fukushima plants as part of a task-force of 700 Toshiba workers organized at Toshiba's Isogo Engineering Centre to defuse the nuclear crisis, and Hitachi had dispatched 120 to Fukushima I and formed a 1000-strong task force.[36][37]
Referring to the original 50 workers, nuclear researcher Dr. Eric Hall opined that they were likely to be older, and unlikely to have further children, so the long-term effects of exposure to high-levels of ionizing radiation would be less likely to appear before a natural death.[38][39] Some younger workers were injured[9] and young Osaka firefighters were operating at the site.[7] A group of 250 skilled senior citizens volunteered to work in the radioactive environment, citing reduced harm to them.[40][41]
Team leader Masao Yoshida died of esophageal cancer in 2013, but the cancer was likely to be unrelated to the event at Fukushima, as development typically takes 5–10 years.[42]
Organization | Workers on site | Date of the # | Tasks | Source | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toshiba | 100 | Recovering Electricity, Installing pumps for sea water | [43] | "Chosen team with full of skills and sense of responsibilities"(Toshiba PR staff), forming supporting team of 700 nuclear technicians at Isogo Engineering Centre and 150 supporting team at the main office.[36][37] | |
Hitachi | 120 | 24 March | [43] | Electric technicians | |
IHI | 30 | supporting spraying at Unit 2 | [43] | ||
Kajima and its subsidiaries | 130 to 150 | 8 April | [10][44] | ||
Taisei Corporation | [44] | ||||
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department | 10 | 17 March | spraying at Unit 3 | [45][46] | using riot police water canon |
Tokyo FD | 139 | 19 March | spraying water[2] | [47] | On 19 March 2011, 139 responders worked, including 119 of the Tokyo "Hyper Rescues" Squad |
Osaka FD | 53* | 19–22 March | spraying water, decontamination for firefighters | [48] | supporting Tokyo FD |
Yokohama FD | 67* | 22–24 March | spraying water | [8] | succeeded Osaka FD |
Kawasaki FD | 36* | 24–26 March | [49] | succeeded Yokohama FD, spraying at #3 | |
Nagoya FD | 34* | 26–28 March | [50] | succeeded Kawasaki FD, a firefighter aged 39:"My wife cried when she heard I would be dispatched. I could reject the dispatch, but I thought it wasn't right that a younger would be dispatched instead of me, so I decided to go. I will be back to fulfill the duty without accident." | |
Kyoto FD | 40* | 29–30 March | [51] | chosen members who have knowledge of nuclear or biochemical disaster | |
Kobe FD | 53 | 31 March to 1 April | [52] | Members who knew how to deal with radiation or biochemical weapons | |
Japan Self-Defense Forces | spraying water, filming from helicopters | [53] | Used two helicopters to pour water while equipment was still inadequate. | ||
U.S. Marine Corps | 140 | Chemical Biological Incident Response Force | |||
TEPCO | 330 | 23 March | [54] | ||
Kandenko and subsidiaries | 200 | 24 March | [9] | Subsidiary of TEPCO | |
TEP Industry | never mentioned | ||||
TEP Environment Engineering | |||||
Tokyo Enesys | |||||
"Cooporative Companies" of TEPCO | 224 | 23 March | [54] | Some companies, typically big companies, use the word cooperative companies, which they have contract with. Cooperative companies are third-party and mostly mid-to-small companies as Tokai Paintings[54] which have dispatched 6 volunteers out of 80 employees (May 2009), while TEPCO employs 52,628 (end of 2009) including their subsidiaries. Some co-operative "company men" were only paid around 20,000 yen (US$236), and volunteered for the position for fear of losing their jobs.[35] While others volunteered because they felt they were "the only workers that [could] do the job" and a shared a sense of solidarity.[35] | |
Hazama Corporation | 7* | 15 to 18 March | clear and repair roads at the scene | [55] |
*: task finished
Injury
[edit]Over 20 workers were injured by 18 March.[1] Three workers were exposed to radiation and two were rushed to a hospital with up to 180 mSv, which is less than the maximum 250 mSv that the government allowed for workers at the plant.[11] Both workers, one in his twenties and one in his thirties, were from Kandenko and were regular workers at Fukushima II nuclear power plant.[9] Another worker was from a contract company of Kandenko.[56]
Cooperation
[edit]Organization | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|
U.S. Navy | preparing 2 ships with 1,100 tons of water each | [57] | The U.S. government strongly recommended the Japanese government use fresh water because of accidents salt water could cause. The U.S. Navy supplied backup fresh water. |
Reaction of media and public
[edit]Media outlets lauded the remaining workers' bravery, and called them "heroes", and as a result they have become known in the media as the "Fukushima 50". France 24 called them "Japan's faceless heroes",[58] British newspaper, The Guardian wrote: "Other nuclear power employees, as well as the wider population, can only look on in admiration".[59] They have been compared to the Forty-seven Ronin.[60] In Hong Kong, a group of netizens at HKGolden Forum dedicated Cantonese and Japanese lyrics based on a Cantopop song, entitled "
According to Robert Hetkämper, a correspondent for the German television network ARD, the label "Fukushima 50" was invented by a foreign newspaper, and then was imported by the Japanese media. The "Fukushima 50" would include engineers as well as unskilled workers, and there would be grounds to suspect that many workers were not really aware of the dangers of their assignment.[64]
Awards
[edit]On 7 September 2011, the "Fukushima Heroes" were honored with the Prince of Asturias Award for Peace, an award given by the Crown Prince of Spain.[65]
See also
[edit]- Hymn to The Fukushima 50
- Liquidator (Chernobyl) - name given to workers who were employed to contain the damage resulting from the Chernobyl disaster
- Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
- Masao Yoshida (nuclear engineer)
- Nuclear labor issues
- Radiation effects from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
- Timeline of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents#Tuesday, 15 March
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f 「
英雄 フクシマ50」欧米 メディア、原発 の作業 員 ら称賛 ["Fukushima 50" western press praise workers at nuclear plant]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 18 March 2011. - ^ a b c "Japan tsunami: Fukushima Fifty, the first interview". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110318p2a00m0na009000c.html Archived 21 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine TEPCO wanted to withdraw all nuclear plant workers 3 days after quake
- ^ a b c Belson, Ken (30 March 2011). "Workers Give Glimpse of Japan's Nuclear Crisis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "In praise of … the Fukushima 50". The Guardian. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- ^ Alford, Peter (24 March 2011). "Nameless samurai are 'heroes of our modern world'". The Australian.
AU S. Retrieved 25 March 2011. - ^ a b 「
特攻隊 …」ヨウ素 飲 ませ覚悟 の命令 放水 支援 の大阪 市 消防局 [Osaka Fire Department firefighter]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. - ^ a b 67
人 10台 を派遣 福島 第 1原発 に横浜 市 消防局 [Dispatched 67 people 10 Fire apparatus to Fukushima I N-plant: Yokohama Fire Department]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. - ^ a b c d
福島 第 1原発 :作業 員 被 ばく搬送 の2人 は関電工 社員 [Fukushima I Nuclear Plant: Workers exposed, two rushed to hospital were staff of Kandenko plant]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2011. - ^ a b
福島 第 1原発 :英雄 でも何 でもない…交代 で懸命 の復旧 作業 [Fukushima I Nuclear Plant: "Not a hero...." rotating desperate work for recovering the plant]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2011. - ^ a b "Japan nuclear workers exposed to radioactive elements". Belfasttelegraph. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ Takahara, Kanako (4 April 2011). "Two missing Tepco workers found dead". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ Branigan, Tania; McCurry, Justin (15 March 2011). "Fukushima 50 battle radiation risks as Japan nuclear crisis deepens". The Guardian. UK.
- ^ "BBC News - Japan hails the heroic 'Fukushima 50'". BBC News. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ More volunteers 'prepared for death' at Fukushima
- ^ "TEPCO wanted to withdraw all nuclear plant workers 3 days after quake". Mainichi Daily News. Japan. 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
- ^ "Kan berates TEPCO for tardy response". The Daily Yomiuri. Japan. 16 March 2011.
- ^ "Japanese PM slams nuke plant operator's handling of growing crisis, SDF switch to relief from rescue". Xinhua News Agency. China. 15 March 2011. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011.
- ^ "Outpouring of Tears and Prayers for Japan's Heroes: The Fukushima 50". ABC News. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^
福島 第 1原発 :作業 員 、厳 しい環境 食事 2回 、夜 は雑魚寝 [Fukushima I N-plant: Workers at hard environment eat twice a day, sleep all crowded on the floor at night]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2011. - ^ http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/31/japans-nuclear-rescuers-inevitable-die-weeks/ Japan's Nuclear Rescuers: 'Inevitable Some of Them May Die Within Weeks'
- ^ Table 2-2 United States Environmental Protection Agency
- ^ Bradsher, Keith; Tabuchi, Hiroko (16 March 2011), "Last Defense at Troubled Reactors: 50 Japanese Workers", Asia, The New York Times
- ^ Gov't ups permissible radiation level, JP: NHK, archived from the original on 17 March 2011
- ^ "TEPCO tries to enclose high radiation in sea in nuke crisis". Mainichi Shimbun. JP. 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 10 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^
政府 被 ばく基準 増 原発 作業 員 が拒否 [Nuclear workers had rejected the elevated formula by the government]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). JP. 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011. - ^
被曝 100ミリシーベルト超 30人 に熟練 作業 者 の累積 量 が増大 収束 へ課題 . Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011. - ^ McCurry, Justin (16 March 2011). "Radiation spike forces evacuations at Fukushima nuclear power station". Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ "Radiation spike hinders work at Japan nuke plant". CBS News. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^
復旧 へ命 がけ…「フクシマ50」に援軍 [Threatening lives for recovery.... Reinforcements sent to "Fukushima 50"]. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). JP. 20 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011. - ^
上限 100ミリシーベルト超 被曝 の東電 作業 員 1人 増 え、計 7人 に [one more TEPCO worker added, now seven workers exposed to radiation over 100 millisievert.]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 20 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011. - ^ Hasegawa, A.; Ohira, T.; Maeda, M.; Yasumura, S.; Tanigawa, K. (1 April 2016). "Emergency Responses and Health Consequences after the Fukushima Accident; Evacuation and Relocation". Clinical Oncology. 28 (4): 237–244. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2016.01.002. ISSN 0936-6555. PMID 26876459.
- ^ "Interim report" (PDF). Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations. 26 December 2011. pp. 51–52.
- ^ Winerman, Lea. "The 'Fukushima 50': Nuclear Workers Stay Behind to Brave Plant's Woes". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ a b c http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201104110137.html Heroes and realists found among the brave "Fukushima 700"
- ^ a b Reynolds, Isabel (22 March 2011). "Toshiba, Hitachi send engineers to stricken nuclear plant". Reuters.
- ^ a b 【
計画 停電 】東芝 が対策 チーム…福島 原発 にも派遣 [[Planned Black Out] Toshiba set up task force....site includes Fukushima N-plant]. Response. (Car Tech Magazine) (in Japanese). JP. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011. - ^ KATRANDJIAN, Olivia; Cho, Joohee; Chang, Juju (16 March 2011). "Japan's Fukushima 50: Heroes Who Volunteered to Stay Behind at Japan's Crippled Nuclear Plants". ABC News. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
- ^ KATRANDJIAN, OLIVIA (16 March 2011). "Japan's Fukushima 50: Heroes Who Volunteered to Stay Behind at Japan's Crippled Nuclear Plants". ABC News. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ Lah, Kyung (1 June 2011). "Japanese seniors volunteer for Fukushima 'suicide corps'". CNN. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ Krolicki, Kevin (6 June 2011). "Japanese retirees ready to risk Fukushima front line". Reuters Africa. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
- ^ Wakatsuki, Yuko; Hunt, Katie (10 July 2013). "Man who battled Japan's nuclear meltdown dies". CNN. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ a b c
東日本 大震災 :福島 第 1原発 事故 業界 挙 げ収束 躍起 原子 炉 メーカー、作業 員 続々 派遣 [East Japan Great Earthquake: Fukushima I N-plant accident: Whole nuclear industry commit to repair. Nuclear reactor maker dispatching its workers one after another]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2011. - ^ a b
千 人 以上 が福島 第 1原発 で稼働 メーカーやゼネコン派遣 [Over 1000 work at Fukushima I n-plant manufacturers and construction companies dispatch]. Kyodo News (in Japanese). JP. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011. - ^ McCurry, Justin (16 March 2011). Japan to use water cannon at nuclear plant as international concern grows. The Guardian.
- ^
警視庁 の17日 の放水 44トン福島 第 1原発 3号機 . Nikkei (in Japanese). 18 March 2011. - ^
日本 の「切 り札 」東京 消防庁 ハイパーレスキュー部隊 出動 . Sports Hochi (in Japanese). JP. 19 March 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011. - ^
毎 分 3トン、1キロ先 も送水 …大阪 市 消防 隊 出動 . Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 20 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011. - ^
川崎 市 消防 も福島 へ/横浜 から引 き継 ぎ. Asahi Shimbun Osaka (in Japanese). JP. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
[permanent dead link]隊員 は35~59歳 の36人 (36 members aged 35 to 59) - ^
東日本 大震災 :福島 第 1原発 事故 名古屋 市 消防局 、放水 活動 に隊員 ら派遣 /愛知 [East Japan Great Earthquake: Fukushima I N-Plant Accident: Nagoya FD dispatched firefighters for spraying water activity / Aichi]. Mainichi Shimbun Aichi local edition (in Japanese). JP. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.[permanent dead link] - ^ "
京都 市 消防 局 の援助 隊 出発 「原発 で冷静 に任務 」" [Supporting squad of Kyoto FD depart: "calmly fulfill our duty at the N-plant"]. Kyoto Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011. - ^
神戸 市 消防局 福島 原発 冷却 活動 に出発 [Kobe FD depart to cool Fukushima reactor]. Kobe Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011. - ^
作業 員 被 ばく、1万 倍 の高 濃度 放射能 どこから?. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). JP. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.東京 消防庁 や自衛隊 などが、24日 までに約 4050トンの海水 を放水 (Tokyo FD and SDF has sprayed about 4050 tons of sea water by 24th) - ^ a b c Dvorak, Phred (24 March 2011). "Behind Reactor Battle, a Legion of Grunts". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ Shirouzu, Norihiko (6 April 2011). "Construction Team, in 50s, Cleared the Way at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^
被曝 の関電工 社員 は20代 と30代 「こんな量 を…」戸惑 う担当 者 [Exposed Kandenko workers 20s and 30s, "We haven't experienced this much radiator...", confused manager] (in Japanese). JP. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011. - ^ "Japan's faceless heroes". France24. 16 March 2011.
- ^ McCurry, Justin (16 March 2011). "'Fukushima heroes' battle to tame nuclear plant as Japan watches". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
- ^ "Japan aktuell: Die 50 von Fukushima – die modernen 47 Ronin?". Spreadnews.de. DE. 19 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
- ^ "
港 網 民 改 歌 向 死 士 致敬 (HK Netizens Recomposes a Song in Tribute to Martyrs)". hk.apple.nextmedia.com/. HK. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011. - ^ "
向 福島 50人 致敬!港 「高 登 音樂 台 」自 唱自製 MV (Tribute to Fukushima 50! HKGolden Sings their Self-made MV)". nownews.com. TW. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011. - ^ "[
高 登 音樂 台 ]福島 烈士 (向 福島 50人 致意)([HKGolden] Fukushima heroes (Tribute to Fukushima 50))". YouTube. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011. - ^ "Die "Fukushima 50" sind eine Legende" [The "Fukushima 50" are a legend] (in German). GER: ARD. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ RTVE (7 September 2011). "Los "Héroes de Fukushima", Premio Príncipe de Asturias de la Concordia 2011". RTVE.es. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
External links
[edit]- Fukushima heroes: Not afraid to die - from CBS News
- Japan hails the heroic 'Fukushima 50' - from BBC News
- Fukushima 50 A Facebook page to pay tribute to their heroic acts
- Hymn to The Fukushima 50 - Tribute A powerful and thought-provoking video paying tribute to the Fukushima Heroes
- Official released video footage from Tokyo Fire Department captured at Fukushima on March 18th, 2011.