Japanese radiation concern grows

Mark Willacy, Tokyo

Last Updated: 9 hours 55 minutes ago

Parents living near Japan's damaged Fukushima nuclear plant have launched a petition demanding the government do more to protect their children from radiation.

With frustration in Fukushima growing, parents have condemned authorities for testing for radiation in the environment instead of checking people's internal exposure through dust and contaminated food.

They also want stricter radiation monitoring and the early closure of schools ahead of the summer holidays.

Japan has struggled to get the crippled nuclear plant under control since the meltdown of three of its reactors after the March tsunami.

Environmental impact

Meanwhile, French environmental group Robin Hood says debris sucked from Japan's coast by the tsunami is a threat to shipping and wildlife in the North Pacific.

The group says the debris includes planes, ships, cars and chemical tanks and has predicted the debris will start to reach Hawaii next March.

Free beer

One of Japan's biggest brewers is planning to deploy a beer wagon in the country's tsunami zone to serve super cold ale to survivors and people involved in reconstruction.

The beer wagon run by Asahi Breweries will make the rounds of summer festivals and other events along the tsunami-devastated East coast.

It is expected the beer, which can be quickly chilled to two degrees below zero, will be served free to disaster survivors.

The brewer's managing director, Akiyoshi Koji, says the beer wagon concept is also designed to help people who work up a sweat while working on reconstruction projects.