Exec KEPCO sees nuclear setbacks after the crisis of the Japan - Reuters

By Cho Mee-young.

SEOUL. Friday, April 29, 2011 3 pm EDT

Seoul (Reuters) - the Japan nuclear crisis could lead to a decline of two or three years on the market of nuclear reactor, but demand will increase in the long term, a senior at the Korea Electric Power Corp. said Friday.

Worse-on-record of the quake and tsunami March 11 Japan paralysed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, 240 km (150 miles) North of Tokyo. Japanese engineers have difficulty finishing the worst nuclear crisis in the world since the 1986 Chernobyl accident.

"The Japan crisis may affect the market in the next two or three years, but in a few decades nuclear demand will increase due to a lack of alternative energy," Byun Jun-yeon, executive vice president and officer of the State utility KEPCO nuclear project leadersaid in an interview to Reuters.

He said renewable energy would continue to play only a supplementary role because of its poor economy.

China currently appears to be scaling back its plans of nuclear power plants, but cannot stop, because it is difficult to meet their demand for huge power without nuclear reactors, and emits thermal coal electricity production also of carbon, "byun." added

China last month froze nuclear approvals for new and proposed nuclear power plants in the wake of the crisis of the Japan.

TAKING THE GOAL IN UPCOMING TENDERS

Byun, who majored in electrical engineering at the University of Korea and KEPCO added in 1977, stated that the Brazil, in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Argentina and South Africa are preparing tenders for nuclear reactors which could come later this year.

He declined to discuss specific transactions, but said KEPCO had intended to win tenders and Saudi Arabia have evaluated technologies for operation of the KEPCO reactor high compared with other countries.

"Importers of reactor want models that guarantee the security, the economy and energy efficiency... they also want builders who can help them run reactors at least 20 to 30 years later," said Byun.

"South Korea has no mention of the accident in its history of operation of the reactor nearly 40 years", he said.

KEPCO has been aimed at winning orders overseas for a total of 10 nuclear reactors by 2020. The United Arab Emirates United in December 2009 awarded a contract for $ 20 billion to build four 1,400 MW reactors, the largest energy deal in the Middle East, to a Korean consortium led the KEPCO. (Won Korean $1 = 1073.400)

(Edited by Jonathan Hopfner and Michael Urquhart)

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Zone of disaster in the Japan touring in Australia PM

The first foreign leader to visit the coast ravaged by the tsunami of the Japan, the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, has expressed shock and sadness to the devastation and visited evacuees in shelter Saturday, giving toy and kangaroos koalas to the excited children.

Through a fishing village where hundreds of people are dead and missing, she said that minamisanriku looked as if she was "bombed into oblivion."

Mayor Jin Sato showed him the Red skeleton of the building of disaster management, where he is was then of a mammoth wave tore its shell on March 11. Exterior stairs were ripped off walls. A small shrine of flowers has been created on a heap of rubble.

Gillard, "It is a scene from the incredible tragedy and incredible sadness," said the last day of a four-day trip.

More than 27 000 people are dead or missing since the earthquake and tsunami. Tens of thousands live in shelters after a 90,000 houses approximately have been destroyed or damaged.

Recovery efforts were complicated by the crisis of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, where the tsunami wiped out power and cooling systems. Workers fought to stop leaks of radiation, and the utility said bring the factory fully under control may take all year.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., said Saturday that 30 workers at the plant had exceeded the former limit of exposure to radiation. This limit, 100 millisieverts per year, grew up in the crisis to 250 millisieverts. None of the workers had reached this limit, the company said. Leaks from reactors of plant are stabilized somewhat since the beginning of the crisis, but some interior spaces in the Earth and the tsunami earthquake damaged buildings that have high levels of radiation workers are not able to penetrate.

Hundreds of workers were upsetting to rotating shifts at the plant since the beginning of the disaster, most of them middle-aged men employed by TEPCO or affiliates.

TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said managers have been instructed to closely monitor employees arriving to their radiation limits. Measures could be taken include passing workers tasks more risky, as the compensation of radioactive debris, to jobs in the Interior, as Office tasks.

The United States nuclear industry workers are allowed to an upper limit of 50 millisieverts per year. A typical individual would absorb six millisieverts per year from natural and artificial sources such as x-ray.

Radiation experts said the cumulative doses of 500 millisieverts have been demonstrated that raise the risk of future cancers. Evidence is less clear on smaller quantities, but in theory, any increased radiation exposure raises risk of cancer.

Irradiation, which develops from acute exposure, sets 1,000 millisieverts. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and hair loss.

Workers also face problems of health based on fatigue and the stress of work in the harsh environment, a doctor who speaks told them this week. He stated that the workers of insomnia, dehydration and high blood pressure; run the risk of developing depression or heart problems.

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Advisor of said Japan decline of the nuclear threat: report - AFP

Advisor of said Japan decline of the nuclear threat: report (AFP) - 4 hours ago

TOKYO - The Japanese Advisor special of the Prime Minister on nuclear crisis says that the immediate risk of a leak of major radiation of the power plant of Fukushima decreased, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Government could not say the situation had been completely stabilized at the factory, but after studying the possibility of a serious deterioration Tokyo was comfortable with the current of the evacuation policy, Goshi Hosono said the paper in an interview on Saturday.

"There is no way Tokyo or Kyoto will be in danger," said Hosono, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the management of the nuclear crisis.

The atomic plant, where the reactor cooling systems have been eliminated, was struck by a series of explosions and radiation leak in the air, ground and sea in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl world 25 years ago.

The Government imposed a 20 kilometre (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant, giving legal weight to an exclusion zone for fear of the effect of exposure to radiation on residents long term last week.

More than 85,000 people have left for shelter areas around the plant, including a wider zone of 30 km, where people were said to remain in the Interior and later urged to leave.

Hosono said of the levels of radiation in damaged reactors must be lowered before work would be carried out, and they had to find ways to treat the water contaminated by radiation of efforts to cool the reactors and spent fuel rod pool.

Workers poured thousands of tons of radioactive water at low altitude, in the Pacific Ocean, the concern of contamination of the marine environment concerned neighbouring countries.

"Our objective is very clear: preventing the spread more radiation in the atmosphere and the ocean,"Hosono told the paper."."

"To achieve this, we need to restore stable cooling functions." It is technically extremely difficult. ?

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company, said that he does not expect a "cold shutdown" of all the reactors for another period of six to nine months.

Hosono said officials had begun to examine the causes and treatment of the nuclear accident.

"When we look at the accident, it will naturally become clear where the problems were, including issues with the Japan nuclear regulatory policy," he told the paper.

Hosono, Member of the Democratic Party of the Japan to power said that it was not the right time to decide whether the country should turn to non-nuclear energy sources or continue to continue to use atomic power.

I just don ' t think we can make a judgment dispassionate in the current atmosphere, "the cited book telling him."

"For the moment, we must maintain options and let the people decide in time".

DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada Friday, said the Government would review its policy of energy in the light of the disaster, but could be established with nuclear energy.

Japan poor in resources, very dependent on oil from the Middle East, brings about a third of its energy needs, nuclear power, but its high-tech companies are also world leaders in numerous environmental and energy technologies.

Copyright ? AFP 2011. All rights reserved. "More".

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Japan allocates first 50 billion dollars to rebuild post-quake - Reuters

Members of the Force for the defence of the Japan remove debris that they seek victims in a House damaged in a region devastated by the earthquake on March 11 and the tsunami, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 21, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Toru HanaiBy Linda Sieg and Kazunori Takada

TOKYO. Friday, April 22, 2011 12: 48 a.m. EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - the Japan cabinet approved Friday almost 50 billion dollars in spending for post-earthquake reconstruction, a down payment on the larger public works effort in the country in six decades.

The budget of 4 billion yen ($48.5 billion) emergency, which is likely to be followed by more reconstruction spending packages, is still dwarfed by the overall cost of the damage caused by the earthquake on March 11 and the tsunami$ 300 billion.

"With this budget, we let one step towards the reconstruction... and to restart the economy," Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told journalists after a cabinet meeting.

The tsunami earthquake, magnitude 9.0 15 metres that followed caused the most serious crisis of the Japan since the second world war, killing up to 28,000 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

She also broke a nuclear power plant that began the radiation leak, a situation that said the operator of the plant may take throughout the year to curb.

Markets are keeping a close eye on how much the Government will borrow to finance the reconstruction. Although he kept his promise not to issue new bonds to fund this expenditure class, additional obligations should pay for the reconstruction of future budgets.

Although the Japan debt is twice the size of the economy of $ 5 trillion, it does not face a Greece-style debt crisis because most of these debts owed to domestic creditors rather than foreign banks.

The budget will be submitted to Parliament next week and should be adopted in May.

"CAUSED IN GREAT DIFFICULTY".

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who was accused by opposition politicians, his own party and triple quake survivors of failing to take command of the response of the country to disaster, said to be rebuild is an opportunity for national "Renaissance".

Approval of the Kan rates are extremely low. In a survey released Friday investors, 83% of the interviewees Reuters said they disapprove or strongly disapprove of the administration of crisis management.

The Japan recently exceeded by China, the second largest economy in the world, has been wrong with deflation for years.

But also try to rebuild the northeast of the ruin, Japan also has to cope with the worst nuclear crisis of the world since Chernobyl in 1986, the demolition of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) from Tokyo.

Radiation spilled the establishment after an explosion of hydrogen, and in their battle to cool the fuel cast iron rods, engineers has pumped radioactive water in the Pacific which concerned the neighbours of the Japan on the spread of contamination.

Masataka Shimizu, the President criticized many plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), met in local Governor of Fukushima Yuhei Sato Friday apologizing in person, for the first time that Sato has agreed to see the TEPCO head.

Shimizu, wear blue work clothes, bowed deeply to Sato.

"I apologise from the bottom of my heart for the great caused much trouble people in society."

SATO responded: "I want that collect you the wisdom of the world and to make all possible efforts so that people may think that they can return to their".

Shimizu, whose company has been accused of minimizing risks and ignoring warnings about the risk of an earthquake and the tsunami striking the plant, so that respond hard to damage, later will visit an evacuation center in the city of Kōriyama to offer apology to those forced to leave their homes.

The Japan, said this week that it will prohibit any person entering an area of 20 km around Fukushima Daiichi evacuation (12 miles).

Prime Minister Kan instructed residents in certain regions outside this area to leave to avoid radiation, Yukio Edano top Japanese Government spokesman said Friday, but it was not clear how many people it will affect.

"We have not the number." We work with local authorities, to the compilation of these data, "said an official with Japan nuclear and industrial safety agency.

(Written by Daniel). Magnowski; (Editing by Sugita Katyal)

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Japan govt OKs quake relief budget, eyes more spending - Reuters

* The Japanese large public debt is obstacle to the reconstruction of spending

* Packages more spending to follow, new debt and tax hikes in the framework

* To consider the Japan not now facing a Greece-style debt crisis but concerns

* Lobby business calls for budgetary discipline, monetary easing (adds business Hall proposals)

By Tetsushi Kajimoto

(TOKYO, April 22, Reuters) - the Japanese Government approved a budget for emergency of 4 billion yen (50 billion dollars) for the Friday disaster relief without resorting to new loans, but it is preparing them for more heavy reconstructionmore later this year spending will require a new bond issue and, eventually, to increase taxes.

Enormous funds needed for reconstruction after the March 11 earthquake and the tsunami, which left nearly 28,000 dead or missing and triggered a nuclear crisis, but the Japan has already public debt already double the size of its economy of $ 5 trillionthe worst among industrialized.

"With this budget, we let one step towards reconstruction after the earthquake, the Tohoku and to restart the economy" Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told journalists after a cabinet meeting.

"It is significant that we have compiled on a budget of 4 billion yen without issue of new bonds of the Government (of Japanese Government bonds). "It was quite difficult to reduce the amount of 4 billion yen, but we worked it."

Tokyo believes that material damage alone could top 300 billion dollars in more expensive natural disaster in the world, while analysts and some to the Interior of the Government led by the Democratic Party suggested that Japan might need to spend more than 10 billion yen.

The second supplementary budget should be compiled by the autumn at the latest, Katsuya Okada, Secretary General of the Democratic Party, said Thursday.

THESE INCREASES

The Government plans to increase taxes, including sales tax unpopular to fund reconstruction, but there is still a lack of consensus on the politically sensitive issue.

"If the Government can take this opportunity to change the social welfare and tax system, it could be a turning point rather than a point of no return," said Naomi Hasegawa, senior income securities strategist fixed to Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley securities.

"Investors want reassuring that the reconstruction of expenses will be supported by an increase in sales tax", she says, adding that a 3 percentage point hike would generate 7.5 billion yen in additional revenue each year.

JGBS acquired after the Government held its promise not to issue new bonds to finance the first emergency budget, helping to push the performance of 10 years to a minimum of four weeks.

The market players remained nonetheless cautious because the issuance of debt more in the future will need to pay for reconstruction, although the Japan does not now run a Greece-style debt since its public debt crisis is almost entirely held by domestic investors.

Emphasis on the concerns of investors, largest business lobby of Japan has urged the Government to ensure that the market is confident in its budgetary discipline, while the funds for reconstruction are wanted.

"Given the serious budgetary situation of the Japan, attention needs to be paid to the sovereign fluctuation risks and prices of government bonds," he said in a statement.

Nippon Keidanren called for the Central Bank to implement the monetary easing steps more such as stimulate its system for the purchase of goods, stressing that financial markets should remain stable as companies were that it is difficult to issue capital to business.

The cabinet plans to submit the emergency budget--which includes approximately 1.6 billion yen of spending for infrastructure - to the Parliament on 28 April. Noda, said that he hoped that it would be adopted as soon as possible.

The actual size of the supplementary budget is only 305.1 billion yen, with most of the 4.0153 billion yen to military expenditures to be financed by spending cuts in foreign aid and places paid to families with children and other existing programs.

The Government also draws reserves for pension payments - regarded as a sacred cow in a rapidly aging society where each retired will be supported by less than two workers by 2030, and the opposition objected to this approach.

Friday he planned to explain early next month, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said how Tokyo should lead the economy and reconstruction after the disasters of last month. (Yen Japanese $1 = 82.465) (Other reports by Stanley White;) (Editing by Edmund Klamann and Edwina Gibbs)

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Ex-Nomura trader overcomes Quake with the Japan Option Hedge Fund

April 20, 2011, 10: 12 am EDT by Tomoko Yamazaki and Komaki Ito

April 21 (Bloomberg) - Go Horiuchi, a former trader at Nomura Holdings Inc., led a 5 percent return with his hedge fund that invests in the options in Nikkei 225 Stock average in March, caused losses of earthquake record of the Japan of alteration.

The Gamma strategy Fund Asia developed, led by Singapore - based Alternative Pte of advisers, began on 1 September with "a few million dollars", aims to increase the size of the Fund of approximately 10 billion yen ($121 million) at the end of the yearsaid Managing Director Ken Fukui. Sherp is in talks with Japanese financial institutions begin to sell the funds locally, he said, refusing to elaborate saying talks are private.Return of March of the Fund compared with slide in the Nikkei 225 Stock average by 8.2% last month a magnitude 9 temblor and the tsunami that ensued crippled a nuclear power plant, creating the worst disaster in the Japan since the second world war. The Fund invests in highly - traded Nikkei 225 Options listed on the Osaka Stock Exchange and limits the losses by trading in derivatives - which give the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security at a fixed price and the dateFukui said. "We are in an interesting period where it is necessary to expect the unexpected as we saw with the disaster in the Japan," Fukui, 48, said in an interview yesterday in Tokyo, where he is on a business trip. "" " Investments to buy downside protections before the earthquake contributed to the return in March. "Volatility SurgesSherp attempts to capture the demand of investors who seek to use the options to protect against loss in their portfolios and increase yields. Investors use options of is to protect against fluctuations in the price of securities that they have to speculate on the price of the action moves or bet that volatility will increase or decrease.The Nikkei Stock average Volatility Index, a gauge of price of the option Japanese, almost tripled in two working days after the earthquake on March 11 to a maximum of two years of 69.88, while the Nikkei 225 fell the most since 1987.The March gain developed Asia Gamma strategy of the Fund also beaten 0.2% return by Hedge Fund Eurekahedge index, which tracks funds more than 2,600 worldwide.Fukui - whose former stays include investment officer head of GCI Asset Management and Fund to Sparx Group Co - and Horiuchi Manager, 35, a former Nomura, derivatives trader in place of the Alternative advisors in January 2010. "" The Fund aims to win a place where investors will be see as a good protection for the downside risks, "Fukui said.

-Editors: Malcolm Scott, Linus Chua.

To contact the reporters on this story: Tomoko Yamazaki in Tokyo at the tyamazaki@bloomberg.net; Komaki Ito in Tokyo at the kito@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andreea Papuc on apapuc1@bloomberg.net.

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Loan application increases Corporate Japan for the first time since 2009

April 20, 2011, 10: 01 am EDT by Aki Ito

(Updates with comment from Economist in the fourth paragraph).

April 21 (Bloomberg)--Japanese demand for pink Bank loans for the first time in two years as a strongest earthquake of the nation on record spurred businesses to borrow.An index of demand for business loans was at 8 in the period between March 11 and April 12, the Bank of Japan said in a survey of loan officers in Tokyo today. It was the first positive reading since April 2009, a sign demand has increased.Companies have sought funds since the disaster, causing cash in circulation increased at the fastest pace in more than five years last month. The Central Bank unveiled a program loan of one year for banks in areas affected April 7 as it grew more concerned about the risks the temblor on the third world economy. "Businesses need to borrow now to keep things like revenue plunge,"said Azusa Kato, Economist at BNP Paribas in Tokyo." "But we could attend the loan application lower if sales and production keep shrinking".Companies sought to 7.5 billion yen ($91 billion) in loans from three banks largest in the country including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. to cope with the disaster.Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. has received applications for approximately 2.5 billion yen in loans, said Shinya Matsumoto, a spokesman for the unit of the largest bank of Japan. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. received requests for approximately the same amount, according to the spokesman for the lenders.The Central Bank loan application index rose 43 points in January 2009, during the global credit crisis, only to start down again in July, a sign that the current outbreak may be temporarysaid Kato. Dragged loans 1.8% in March of last year, the 16th straight drop, a sign request has not yet be reflected in the outstanding loans.Data published since the temblor indicate the slows the expansion of the nation. Exports fell by 2.2 per cent in March, the first drop in more than a year and the consumer and corporate sentiment weakened.

-Editors: Lily Nonomiya, Russell Ward

JT JPY 8306% JT 8316 JT 8411

To contact the reporter on this story: Aki Ito in Tokyo at the aito16@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Panckhurst in the ppanckhurst@bloomberg.net

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Japan Stocks gain for the second day as pay U.S. Show recovery

April 20, 2011, 10: 23 pm EDT by Norie Kuboyama and Satoshi Kawano

April 21 (Bloomberg) - Japanese stocks advanced for a second day after that companies American, including Apple Inc. reported an increase in profits and oil prices soared, signaling that the global economic recovery is accelerating.

Sony Corp., most major exporter of electronics of the Japan, gained 1.7 per cent. Renesas Electronics Corp. and other manufacturers of semiconductor and advanced tools after Qualcomm Inc., the large manufacturer of mobile phone chips, reported profit that topped estimates. Inpex Corp., Explorer of the No. 1 oil, jumped to 4.2%. Nissan Motor Co. increased by 1.9% after the automaker said that it will boost shipments of electric cars.The Nikkei 225 Stock average rose 0.6% to 9,662.67 11 hours trading pause in Tokyo. The broader Topix gained 0.3 percent to 839.65, with approximately four actions on the rise since all three fell. "American companies, especially tech stocks are wear well, and which helps to create confidence,"said Mitsushige Akino, who oversees the words of 600 million dollars in assets in Tokyo at Ichiyoshi Investment Management Co.""Investors are looking to take a little more risk".

-Editor: Jason Clenfield, John McCluskey.

To communicate with journalists for this story: Norie Kuboyama in Tokyo at the nkuboyama@bloomberg.net; Satoshi Kawano in Tokyo, at skawano1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the responsible editor of the story: Nick Gentle at ngentle2@bloomberg.net.

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Sales of Apple at risk in the dependence of the parts of the Japan

April 20, 2011, 12: 15 pm EDT by Adam Satariano

April 20 (Bloomberg)--Japanese land and the tsunami earthquake probably will weigh on forecasts of Apple Inc. to make a profit in the third quarter, sale prices and gross margins high component and disrupted manufacturinganalysts said.

At least seven analysts expect the disaster to affect the prospects of the company later today. The Japan is a hub for several components of Apple, including flash memory, battery, touch screen glass and resin used to attach the chips. The company, which makes the iPhone, the iPad and the Macintosh computer, has not yet discussed the effects of the earthquake of magnitude 9 on March 11.Apple, the largest company of the market value of technology, was already struggling with shortages of supply when the earthquake. The iPad 2, which begins on the day of the earthquake, sold in many stores. Apple also introduced a version of its iPhone 4 for customers of Verizon Wireless in the last quarter, triggering a further increase in demand. Investors seek to report earnings in the second quarter of today and forecast for judging if aid shortages put a dent in sales. "" People want to know how strong is the supply chain and how to safeguard supplies they have, "said Giri Cherukuri, trader and lead Portfolio Manager for basis of Lisle, Illinois Oakbrook Investments, which manages approximately $ 2.7 billionincluding the shares of Apple. "You want to know if it is temporary or how much time this will affect things."Flash PricesThe price of flash memory, which is the main source of Apple, iPhone, iPad, Macbook Air and other storage devices has skyrocketed since the earthquake. On the spot market, the cost of a flash 64-gigabit chip rose 13 percent to $12.92 since the day where the earthquake.Leadership of Apple in mobile devices makes it the largest purchaser of flash in the world. The company was paying suppliers more secure access to the parties, said Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at El Segundo, California-based IHS ISuppli.The challenges follow what may be the growth in the second quarter more great Apple years. When the company today publishes the results, analysts predict a gain of 73 percent to 23.4 billion in sales on average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Estimate of analysts that earnings will increase to $5.39 a share in the period ending March 26 compensation report is the second since the Director General Steve Jobs reinforced side to take medical leave in January. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook assumed control over the day-to-day responsibilities.Pinching MarginsTo reflect the rising costs of components such as memory flash, Apple can project margins of 35% in the third quarter, said Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Co. in San Francisco. During the quarter ended in December, Apple had a gross margin of 38.5%.Marshall joined the analysts of Deutsche Bank AG, Piper Jaffray Cos., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Rodman & Renshaw LLC, Pacific Crest Securities and RBC capital markets by predicting that Apple's outlook is affected by the earthquake.Apple advanced $6.01 to $337.86 yesterday in the Nasdaq Stock Market trade. Shares of the company based in Cupertino, California rose 37 percent last year.Apple is usually released how it gets components and manufactures its products, so any comments will be invaluable for investors, said Cherukuri. It can also highlight the challenges of the other computer manufacturers. Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. report their quarterly results next month.Japanese Quake CompaniesThe is crimping growth in technology companies in Japan. Seven of the largest companies of consumer electronics in the country, including Sony Corp. and Panasonic, the operating profit - sales less cost of goods sold and administrative expenses - will decline 31 per cent during the period of six months ending 30 September, estimates Barclays Plc this month.The impact of the earthquake is still too early to determine the technological industry, said Marshall of Gleacher. "We will get answers to the questions in the short term, but I am more afraid of what will happen a few months or quarters on the road, said Marshall, who recommends the purchase of shares of Apple.Despite this, with 59.7 billion in cash and investments, Apple is better positioned than others to pay more expensive for the parties and to manage interruptions, Marshall said. "There will be companies which will be worse that that of Apple,"said Marshall.

-Editors: Nick Turner, Ward Jillian

To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Satariano in San Francisco at asatariano1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles to the tgiles5@bloomberg.net

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Japan may prohibit access nuclear plant

The Japan plans to prohibit access to the area evacuated around a nuclear plant damaged in the month last earthquake and tsunami.

Up to 80,000 people lived in the area of 20 km around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants, but almost all of them have left.

However, a few people have been back to check their home, despite the police.

The nuclear power plant has been leaks radiation since its cooling system has been damaged in the earthquake on March 11 and the subsequent tsunami.

Now, officials are indicating for the first time that the area around the plant can be concluded.

"We are considering implementation areas of caution as an option to limit effectively the entry," said the Secretary General of Government Yukio Edano.

He said that Prime Minister Naoto Kan will discuss the closure when he travels in the region to meet with local officials Thursday. Kan will also visit a nuclear crisis management centre.

Noriyuki Shikata, Member of Edano, said more details on how the access could be controlled are still developed.

"There are a number of people who can enter the area." Under the current regime, we are not able to enforce legally - there is no penalty for entering in the box. There is awareness of the need for a stronger application of the region, said Shikata.

Also, Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the nuclear power plant, said Wednesday that it distributes compensation claims for people forced to leave the region. The company offers approximately 12 000 US $ per person in initial compensation.

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TEPCO LNG must jump as rewrites Japan policy: energy markets

April 20, 2011, 9: 00 am EDT by Shigeru Sato and Yuji Okada

April 20 (Bloomberg) - Tokyo Electric Power Co., about a quarter of the Japan of electricity producer, can increase imports of liquefied natural gas by 50 percent to compensate for the output lost as a result of an earthquake and tsunami of last month.

The closure of 14 per cent of the capacity of the company will force to stimulate foreign LNG purchases by 5 to 10 million tonnes per year in three to five years, a survey of Bloomberg News four of traders and analysts. Extra cost may be 500 billion yen ($6 billion), based on the data of Ministry of finance for the average price of last year.Tokyo Electric is trying to contain leaks of radiation at its plant in Fukushima Dai-Ichi in what became the worst nuclear accident since the collapse of Chernobyl 1986, in Ukraine. The utility, known as Tepco, is also being advocated by the Government to take measures to avoid blackouts in the capital and eight surrounding prefectures, a region which account for approximately 40 per cent of the domestic product gross of the Japan. "A change to fossil fuels like oil and natural gas will be accelerate in the years to come as the Japan will be forced to rewrite its energy policy," has said Hidetoshi Shioda, analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in Tokyo that predicts the Japan can raise LNG imports by 10 million tons per year over the five " next years. Before the earthquake, policy "aimed to revive the dependency on nuclear power and dependence of cutting oil."Natural gas GainsWinter-delivery of award to the United Kingdom, the reference for spot in Europe prices, increased by 8.3% since the eve of the disaster, according to the price of the broker on Bloomberg. Gas for delivery in the six months to October increased by 0.8% to 72.25 pence a therm, equal to $$ a thermal British units, as of 1 h 50 million in London today. LNG is cooled to about minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 162 Celsius) gas for shipping in liquid form between locations not connected by pipelines.TEPCO bought 20.4 million tons of LNG by 2010, according to data from the company. It is 29 percent of whole the Japan of 70 million tonnes imports, data compiled by the Ministry of finance show. The Tokyo-based company has about 26 000 megawatt generators powered the gas, or 40% of the overall capacity of the company of 64,487 megawatts.TEPCO, which lost 78% of its value since the earthquake on March 11, can install gas turbines in existing power plants and construction of gas generators on the coast of the Pacific Ocean to try to combat the shortage of powerShioda of the SMBC said.As a first step, the company expects to add 112 megawatts of engines to gas at its plant in Sodegaura thermal power in July and 668 megawatts of gas turbines at its site in Chiba in August, the company said on April 15. The utility is designed to install an other gas turbine of 334-megawatts to Chiba in August next year.Nuclear ReviewGeneral Electric Co. Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt unveiled a plan on April 4 to help energy shortages address Tepco.Le March 31, the Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that his Government plans to review the revised in June of last year's national energy plan. The plan includes building nine new reactors by 2020 and to raise utilization of existing reactors at 85% per year of approximately 60% in 2008, according to a copy of the energy policy posted on the website of the Ministry of trade. It also calls on five additional reactors by 2030.Generating one megawatt of electricity to a gas generator can require 1,000 tons of LNG per year, according to two of the four surveyed merchants. One megawatt is enough to power 800 US households, according to estimates of the Department of energy in Washington.Outage ThreatThe Fukushima Dai-Ichi and Fukushima Dai nuclear stations combined capacity - or be 9,096 megawatts, or 14% of the total of the Tepco, according to the data of the company. Plants were closed after the magnitude 9 quake, of the strongest on record of the country. The Japan has a maximum output of 281,099 megawatts, including internal generators to factories, according to data compiled by the Federation of the Companies.Tokyo of electrical power and the neighbouring prefectures eight - zone Tepco supplies - can have a shortage of 15 000 MW should temperatures approaching the level of last year this summer. Kan's administration to propose conservation plans that invites companies to reduce 25% energy consumption has prompted by the threat of blackouts this summer.Generally, the summer of the Japan begins from the end of July and lasts about three months. The country has experienced its hottest summer at least 113 years last year.

-With the help of Alexander Kwiatkowski Singapore and Ben Farey in London. Editors: Alexander Kwiatkowski, Rob Verdonck

To contact the reporters on this story: Shigeru Sato in Tokyo at the ssato10@bloomberg.net; Yuji Okada at Tokyo to the yokada6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chitra Somayaji in csomayaji@bloomberg.net-0-Apr/20/2011 12: 56 GMT

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The Japan automotive parts are struggling after disaster - Associated Press

The Japan automotive parts are struggling after disaster (PA) - 1 day ago

ISHINOMAKI, Japan (PA) - in the days after the earthquake and tsunamis of Japan, Masahiko Horio knew he had quickly its plant back online.

Customers have been redesigned. The backlog of orders grow.

Widgets of zinc and aluminium made by his company, Horio Seisakujo Co., appear insignificant at first sight. But the tiny metal components represent a vital fraction of the thousands of parts used in a single car.

The global supply chain that feeds the giant automakers - Toyota, Honda and General Motors - began the modest for companies such as Horio Seisakusho. Recent disaster of the Japan showed that a missing link can grind production lines around the world to a stop.

The imperative to resume the normal output is an urgent need for small parts suppliers in the northeast of the Japan, which must continue to meet clients or facing the prospect of losing major competitors and foreign companies. Already businesses in Southeast Asia and Taiwan see commands mount that the search of clients for alternative supply sources.

54-Horio Seisakusho in Ishinomaki employees hard produce some 600 different electronic and automotive parts, including the building blocks for navigation systems and antenna of the car. He managed to avoid damaging tsunami because it is located on a hill. Nevertheless, shortages of earthquake and power left its machines for two weeks.

Horio, the President of the manufacturer, to another serious problem as he worked frantically to restart operations. A still smaller company that finished and tested half a dozen of his plays was shattered by the tsunami on March 11. Horio failed ship supplies to clients without this last step in quality control.

A tour of 40 minutes away to where the company of 14 persons, Ogatsu Musen, once stood has revealed the extent of the destruction. The framework of the building remains, but little else. A boat jutting emptied structure. Metal components of Horio and equipment used to hone their lay scattered in the debris.

But there is an urgent work to do. And the President decided that if Ogatsu Musen had no building, it provide the equipment and make room for his own company, until he finds a new home.

"We thought to other options in the first place," said Horio. "But Ogatsu is fast and knows how to do this work." "And we didn't impose any other loads on our customers."

His company works in about 80 percent now capacity, but the future is far from clear. Horio is concerned about the shortage of electricity during the summer that can restrict the output and if customers could turn elsewhere.

"We need just to recover as quickly as possible and to ensure that our customers are confident in our ability to provide supplies," he said.

The crunch of Japanese parts has radiated in the world, from the Malaysia to the United Kingdom to the United States. Industry analysts and U.S. dealers have said that the auto plant closures will cause shortages of some models, including small cars and medium-sized enterprises, in the coming months.

Toyota Motor Corp. said this week that it will suspend production in Europe for eight days because of the shortage of parts. The move follows an announcement last week that the constructor of no. 1 in the world would stop production of automobiles in North America in April. In the Japan, Toyota suspended output except in three plants, which are running with limited capacity.

Toyota spokeswoman Shiori Hashimoto said that the company fought to secure approximately 150 types of auto parts.

Startups and similar problems plagued rivals such as Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co.

It is sad monitor the Hirohito Yokoyama, Director of molded Iwaki Co., about 40 miles south of Horio Seisakusho, in the town of Yamamoto (65 kilometres).

His company made slightly larger parts used in the engines. It sends components for torque converters, filters to oil and engine control units to the automakers such as Toyota and Honda.

"The worst thing for us is that stop us the line of our clients by stopping our own production," Yokoyama said in an interview with the company.

The earthquake caused structural damage to the plant and equipment. The tsunami swept thousands of used parts fanned rescue in the surrounding rice fields. Sitting in rows of boxes on the outside, caked in mud and unusable.

Electricity shortages have added to their woes. Parts of the plant remained in the dark, while the company introduced diesel generators to restore power.

The company estimates the costs associated with the disaster of approximately 300 million yen ($3.6 million), on top of the 360,000 yen ($ 4,300) a day, it is passed on diesel, Yokoyama said.

Molded Iwaki and Horio Seisakusho are located in Miyagi Prefecture, which has suffered the highest balance sheet of the disaster. Of the 13 700 deaths confirmed to date, more than 60% were in Miyagi. Its Pacific coastline is ravaged and tens of thousands evacuated people continue to live in emergency shelters.

Before the tsunami, sheet Governor Yoshihiro Murai, economic road to stimulate its economic output Prefecture 20 per cent by 2016. The automotive and electronics parts industries were the main pillars of its growth strategy.

In April 2010, the Prefecture has created an Office dedicated to the promotion of the automotive parts industry and celebrated when Toyota subsidiary Central Motor Co. opened a new plant in the prefecture in January. He had hoped to promote the local economy by connecting small manufacturers with large business related to the automobile with production bases in the region, including Toyota, Alps Electric Co. and Keihin Corp. engine parts manufacturer.

Instead, he is now responsible for assessing the damage to the industry, said Yuuki Takahashi, head of the Office for the Promotion of the automotive industry of Miyagi.

"We really move forward," he said of the initial economic momentum in the region.

The major concern now manufacturers of parts of the region is if they can actually recover.

"Even if they recover, they ask whether their products will be sold again", he said. "If several months travelling, builders themselves could go elsewhere and form new relationships."

Associated Press writer Shino Yuasa contributed to this report.

Copyright ? 2011 the Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Q + A-hazards at each reactor of the Japan is devastated by plant - Reuters

Mayumi Negishi and Chizu Nomiyama

TOKYO, April 14. Thu April 14, 2011 6: 48 a.m. EDT

(TOKYO, April 14, Reuters) - the Central Daiichi Fukushima nuclear in the centre of the Japan crisis has six reactors. The plant is operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO).

The following summarizes the main risks as Japanese engineers struggle to deal with the worst nuclear crisis since the collapse of Chernobyl 1986:

WHAT IS THE OVERALL SITUATION?

Two of the reactors are considered safe, but the other four are still volatile. The nuclear safety agency said that the temperature and pressure in all reactors are stable.

Workers have managed to curb chain reactors at no. 1, no. 2 reactions and No.3 resulted after the earthquake struck, but they were unable to cool the reactors in some fuel melted inside reactor cores.

Engineers are now trying to cool the reactors at the point where they can be turned off. Until the cooling pumps or alternatives, are online to continuously cool reactors, workers are obliged to periodically inject new water to maintain the freshness of the fuel, but that creates the most contaminated water.

The immediate challenge is to transfer and store the contaminated water, while at the same time as much as possible the spread of radiation always leaking into the atmosphere and the sea. Currently, workers do not have access to the cooling systems in reactors, no. 1, no. 2 and no. 3.

So far, eight workers suffered injuries of radiation at the Daiichi plant. All have been released from the hospital.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS AT EACH REACTOR?

-REACTOR No 1: 460 - MW (manufacturer GE)

Reactor fuel can melt the most, with TEPCO estimate that 70 per cent of fuel may have been damaged, judging by the released radiation. Detection of neutron in mid-March beams may also mean that flashes of nuclear reaction occurred when the fuel was at its warmest.

Pumps are now injection of freshwater in the reactor and workers hope to install independent power line for pump to another, in the case where an aftershock knocks out the power again.

Workers are also injecting nitrogen into the reactor in the hope of avoiding a repeat of a breath of hydrogen on 12 March, which could endanger the lives of workers, blocking access in the plant and spread rained radiation in the environment.

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Japan raises the nuclear crisis at the same level as Chernobyl - The Guardian

The Japan has increased the level of seriousness of the nuclear crisis to be on an equal footing with Chernobyl. Photography: Ho / Reuters.

Japan has increased the level of seriousness of the nuclear crisis to a maximum seven, involving the emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi electric power on an equal footing with Chernobyl.

Representatives of the nuclear and industrial safety agency [NISA] confirmed that the level of crisis had been raised from five to seven on the scale of the nuclear event and radiological international [INES].

But they said that the new rating reflects the initial impact of the nuclear crisis, adding that radiation levels have fallen since dramatically.

Scale, designed by the international agency of Atomic Energy [IAEA], incidents class and nuclear and radiological accidents by severity from one to seven.

Level seven incidents involve a major update of the radiation with widespread health and the environment, in accordance with the IAEA.

These days, Japanese officials had suggested it was not necessary to raise the level of severity of five, which applies to the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.

A spokesman for Nisa said the decision to raise the level of the major accident status does not mean that the Japanese factory was the same threat to public health or similarly big releases of radiation than the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in question.

"Chernobyl has exploded so that the reactors were still in activity, which is completely different from the situation in Fukushima,"Hidehiko Nishiyama said.""

He added that the decision was taken one month after the accident because the experts needed time to analyze the data.

The Japan Nuclear Safety Commission estimated that the reactors of Fukushima had released up to 10 000 terabequerels 131 of radioactive iodine in the air for several hours after that they were damaged in the earthquake on March 11 and the tsunami.

Emissions of radioactive substances from Fukushima Daiichi was approximately 10% of that of Chernobyl has detected, Nishiyama said.

The nuclear safety commission said emissions have fallen since to below a terabecquerel per hour, adding that he was considering the total amount of radioactive material was released.

Some experts criticized the move as excessive. "I think it raise the level of Chernobyl is excessive," said Murray Jennex, an associate professor at San Diego State University. "It is far from this level." Chernobyl was terrible - it blew and they had no containment and they were blocked.

"Containment [Japan] was holding, the only thing that does not have is the swimming pool of fuel that caught fire.". I do not see those as the same event. If they want to do, that is. "I think that they are currently too pessimistic."

Tuesday decision was taken after the Government said it would expand the evacuation area near the plant to include five communities located outside the current prohibited zone of 20 kilometres.

About 70,000 people living within a radius of 20 kilometres of the plant were already evacuated, while the 130,000 living between 20 and 30 km learned it to leave voluntarily or stay indoors.

The latest evacuation, which could take at least a week to complete, was invited by the lack of progress in fixing the damaged plant cooling systems and concerns about the effects on public health.

"These new evacuation plans are intended to ensure safety against the risks of life [in the affected communities] for half a year or a year," Government spokesman Chief, Yukio Edano said.

The Japan East and northeast regions were hit by two big aftershocks in the past 24 hours.

Shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck off the coast of Chiba Prefecture of coast was followed by reports of a fire exit at the Fukushima Daichi No. 4 reactor. The fire was extinguished quickly, said responsible.

Earthquake is one of the more than 400 aftershocks above magnitude 5 have hit the region since March 11.

In one of the few signs of progress, operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco], said that he had ceased to low-level radioactive water pumping in the buildings of the reactor in the sea.

The measure controversial, which has attracted criticism from neighbouring China and the Korea of the South, was designed to release highly contaminated water storage space.

But engineers say they are not more close to restoration of the plant cooling system; until they do, they will be unable to cool the overheating of the fuel rods and stabilize the six reactors at the installation.

Monday, the President of the Tepco, Masataka Shimizu, made his first visit to Fukushima Prefecture since the beginning of the crisis.

"I would like to apologize deeply once more for causing physical and psychological difficulties," he said. However, the Governor of the Prefecture, refused to meet him.

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The Japan see them more great Hit of economy as its nuclear crisis deepens

April 12, 2011, 12: 52 pm EDT by Aki Ito and Keiko Ujikane

April 12 (Bloomberg) — the Japan Economic and fiscal policy Minister Kaoru Yosano said that the earthquake on March 11 can result in a greater success of the economy than previously estimated, indicating appetite superior Government to stimulate a month after the disaster.

"Damage to the economy can be greater than originally planned," Yosano told reporters today in Tokyo. "In addition to disruptions in the supply chain, we have the added gravity of the situation with the nuclear power," referring to the accident at installation of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Fukushima crippled, said today the Government has a corresponding to the Chernobyl disaster 1986 separately severity rating, the minutes of the meeting today showed Bank of Japan officials refrained from discussing measures specific stimulation beyond the expansion of its Fund for the purchase of goods at its meeting in three days after the temblor, a sign that Prime Minister Naoto Kan may need to rely on sales of bond or tax increases for finance the reconstruction. "Consumers will be unwilling to spend until the funds are deployed in the Northeast and reconstruction of Government take hold, according to economist Noriaki Matsuoka.""We are talking about a tax hike, but risks exacerbating the decline of consumer confidence," said Matsuoka, an economist at Daiwa Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. "The Bank of the Japan will likely be want to avoid raising its monthly bond purchases because they think that this would be similar to monetize debt.".The Central Bank is prohibited by the right to directly purchase the public debt of the Government and buys rather 1.8 billion yen ($21 billion) of the titles of the lenders, each month an amount that is unchanged for two years.SlipsConfidence of confidence among the nearest merchants of consumers of the Japan dropped at the fastest pace in March of the cabinet since the tracking data in 2000, a survey revealed last week."Analysts of Capital Economics Ltd. are now forecasting the economy will decline 1.5% this year, revised by a previous estimate for domestic product gross to be unchanged."GDP will then bounce as activity covers the initial shock and the reconstruction of kicked in spending, but recovery will be held back by the increase in taxes and cuts in other expenditure required to help pay the contribution of the Government"," economists led by Julian Jessop, Economist at Capital Economics Chief international, said in a note last week.Damage EstimateThe Government last month estimated that damage by the earthquake and the tsunami be as much as 25 billion yen, which prompted several lawmakers to call for a recovery plan as large as 20 billion yen. These projections covered destruction to the infrastructure, while excluding the broader implications of the economy, including how radiation will affect food and water supply.The Japan increased the rating of the severity of the crisis nuclear Fukushima Tokyo Electric plant at 7 today, the highest reading. Increase the radiation has prompted the Government to expand the evacuation area and stop shipments of contaminated vegetables produced in regions surrounding the facility.Kan aims to compile the first stimulus plan this week that chief spokesman Yukio Edano said can be as much as 4 billion yen. The Minister of finance Yoshihiko Noda said he wants to avoid new obligations to finance this first package of sale and reiterated today to the legislators that it was important for the country of its commitment to fiscal discipline.

-With the help of Mayumi Otsuma in Tokyo. Editors: Lily Nonomiya, Ken McCallum

% JPY

To contact the reporter on this story: Aki Ito in Tokyo at the aito16@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Panckhurst in the ppanckhurst@bloomberg.net

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Bonds rise on Fukushima nuclear alert, earthquakes in the Japan

April 12, 2011, 1: 36 pm EDT by Wes Goodman

April 12 (Bloomberg) — Treasuries have increased after a nuclear warning and earthquakes to the sent Japan lower Asian stocks, boosting demand for the relative safety of the public debt.

Thirty years broken link a slide of five days as the earthquakes of magnitude 6 to hit the Japan, where the Government has raised the rating of the gravity of the nuclear accident at the level corresponding to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Dragged yields the United States were preparing to sell a 32 billion of notes to 3 years old today, 10 years tomorrow debt $ 21 billion and 13 billion of bonds to 30 April 14. "There is a flight to quality in support of government bonds, said Tomohisa Fujiki, a strategist at interest rates at the BNP Paribas Securities Japan Ltd. BNP U.S. Unit is one of 20 primary dealers that trade directly with the Federal Government Reserve.U.S. 10-year rate fell three basis to 3.56% points from 6 h 23 in London, according to the Bloomberg Bond Trader price. The score of 3.625% planned for February 2021 advanced 7/32, or $2.19 per the nominal value of $1,000 to 100 18/32.The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of shares fell 1.4 percent defined for the greatest daily slide since March 15.Japan of the nuclear agency raised the seriousness of the nuclear crisis to 7the highest level. The accident at the station of Fukushima Dai-Ichi was already rated 5 to world-wide, the same as the collapse of reactor partial 1979-Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Earthquake swayed buildings in Tokyo today and yesterday.CommentsTreasuries of Fed officials climbed also after that officials of the Federal Reserve William Dudley and Janet Yellen said that the US economy is not strong enough to facilitate recovery.New York Fed President Dudley said yesterday that the Central Bank should not be too enthusiastic about the idea of deletion of registration it provides for the economy. The Fed bought 600 billion dollars in Treasury bonds in June and has held its benchmark interest rate at zero to 0.25% since December 2008 to support the growth. "We are probably going to have soft excessive in the labour market of the United States at least until the end of 2012,"Dudley said at a forum in Tokyo.Fed Vice President Yellen said increase in commodities will have a temporary effect on inflation and does justify a reversal of the stimulus." The US economy does not appear to be faced with the kind of "rebound sharp" which usually follows a deep recession, she said in a speech York.The new notes of three years provided for sale today given 1.35% in trade auction, 1.298 up % at the previous auction of the titles on March 8. investors bid for 3.22 times the amount of available debt last month. The average for the past 10 auction is 3.14.Indirect bidders, which include foreign central banks, bought 34.4% of the titles, compared to the average of 10-sale of 37.2%.

-Editor in Chief: Swift Rocky

To contact the reporter on this story: Wes Goodman at Singapore at wgoodman@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rocky Swift at rswift5@bloomberg.net.

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Japan ups nuclear crisis rating at high level

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Japan has raised the severity rating for its tsunami-stricken nuclear reactor from Level 5 to Level 7, the highest grade, equal to the 1986 disaster at Chornobyl in the former Soviet Union.

The country's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency made the decision Monday, saying that while the radiation emission rate at the Fukushima Daiichi plant is about 10 per cent of that at Chornobyl, the crippled Japanese facility has emitted a huge amount of radioactive substances that pose a risk over a large area.

Location of Fukushima Daiichi plant

"We have upgraded the severity level to 7 as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread from the air, vegetables, tap water and the ocean," agency spokesman Minoru Oogoda said Tuesday.

Agency officials said one of the factors behind the decision was that the total amount of radioactive particles released into the atmosphere since the incident had reached levels that apply to a Level 7 disaster.

The Chornobyl disaster is the only previous time that an event has been rated Level 7 — or "major accident" — on the international and radiological events scale, which starts at zero and is designed to express the severity of nuclear mishaps.

The Fukushima crisis was previously rated Level 5, equalling the 1979 Three Mile Island incident in Pennsylvania. Each level higher is considered to be roughly 10 times more severe.

A small fire broke out at the Fukushima nuclear facility on Tuesday in a box that holds batteries, but it was quickly extinguished. Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the flames had no effect on radiation levels or any critical systems, and the fire had nothing to do with the decision to hike the incident rating at the plant.

The news came as two new earthquakes rattled Japan's east and northeast, and as the government urged more people living near the Fukushima Daiichi generating station to leave, citing concerns about long-term health risks from radiation.

A magnitude 6.3 aftershock struck an area neighbouring Tokyo just after 8 a.m. local time Tuesday, the country's meteorological agency reported, though there were no initial reports of injuries or damage. No tsunami warning was issued.

An earlier magnitude 7.0 aftershock on Monday trapped some people in collapsed homes, and came just hours after residents bowed their heads and wept in ceremonies to mark a month since the massive earthquake and tsunami killed up to 25,000 people and set off radiation leaks at the nuclear plant by knocking out its cooling systems.

"Even after a month, I still cry when I watch the news," said Marina Seito, 19, a student at a junior college who recalled being in a basement restaurant in Sendai when the original 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit on March 11. Plates fell and parts of the ceiling crashed down around her.

The epicentre of Monday's aftershock was just inland and about 160 kilometres north of Tokyo. A warning was issued for a one-metre tsunami, but it was subsequently lifted.

In Iwaki, a city close to the epicentre of Monday's tremor, a landslide brought down three houses, trapping up to seven people. Four were rescued alive, but one of those — a 16-year-old girl — died at the hospital, a police official said. He would not give his name, citing policy.

Kiyoko Takahashi, 81, holds a moment of silence on a burial ground at 2:46 p.m. Monday, exactly a month after a massive earthquake struck the area in Higashimatsushima in northeastern Japan. (Yomiuru Shimbun/Kota Kawasaki/Associated Press)

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it generated on March 11 are believed to have caused as much as $310 billion in damage. The nuclear power plant they disabled has been spewing radiation since, and even a month on, officials say they don't know how long it will take to cool reactors there.

In a move unrelated to Monday's aftershock, the Japanese government is expanding the evacuation zone around the plant to 30 kilometres from 20, citing the risks of cumulative radiation exposure.

"This isn't an immediate evacuation," CBC's Craig Dale reported from Tokyo. "Over a month's period they're hoping that people living 30 kilometres away from Fukushima Daiichi will leave those areas, or at least stay indoors."

The latest calculations from Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission found that an area stretching 60 kilometres north of the nuclear plant and 40 kilometres south have, in the month since the earthquake, already been exposed to radiation equivalent to the annual dosage limit. Within the old 20-kilometre evacuation zone, radiation exposure has reached up to 100 times the annual limit.

People being targeted in the evacuation are children, pregnant women and patients in hospitals. Dale said the evacuation zone is not a perfect circle and stretches up to 40 kilometres from the plant in at least one place.

A nuclear safety official said the repeated strong aftershocks were slowing work at the plant, and said that if one of them were to spawn a tsunami, the complex would be just as vulnerable as on March 11.

"At the moment, no tsunami resistance has been added to the plant. At the moment, there is nothing we can do about it," the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's Hidehiko Nishiyama said.

Monday's aftershock briefly forced Tokyo's main international airport to close both of its runways. There were no new reports of damage.

'My chest has been ripped open by the suffering and pain that this disaster has caused.'—Yuhei Sato, governor of Fukushima

Aftershocks have repeatedly rattled the disaster-weary region, but there is little left in the northeast to ruin. Last Thursday's 7.1 magnitude aftershock, which had been the strongest tremor since the day the original quake hit, did sink hundreds of thousands more households into darkness, however. Electricity has been restored to most of those homes.

With workers still far from bringing the nuclear plant under control, the bodies of thousands of tsunami victims yet to be found and more than 150,000 people living in shelters, there was little time for reflection on Japan's worst disaster since the Second World War.

People in hard-hit towns gathered for ceremonies at 2:46 p.m., the exact moment of the massive quake a month earlier.

Participants offer a silent of prayer during a charity concert in Tokyo on Monday to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. (Shuji Kajiyama/Associated Press)

"My chest has been ripped open by the suffering and pain that this disaster has caused the people of our prefecture," said Yuhei Sato, the governor of Fukushima, which saw its coastal areas devastated by the tsunami and is home to the damaged plant at the centre of the nuclear crisis. "I have no words to express my sorrow."

Japan's government marked the one-month period by putting an ad in newspapers in China, South Korea, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States — a letter from Prime Minister Naoto Kan thanking people for the outpouring of support that followed the tsunami. The Red Cross alone said it has collected $102 million Cdn from overseas.

Kan described the outpouring as "kizuna," the bond of friendship.

"We deeply appreciate the kizuna our friends from around the world have shown and I want to thank every nation, entity, and you personally, from the bottom of my heart."

With files from The Associated Press Back to accessibility links

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The Japan reactor operator apologises for radiation - Reuters

* TEPCO apologizes to the Japan, neighbours to radiation

* For pumping of radioactive water at sea at the end Sunday

* PM Kan to visit the tsunami zone

* Japan hopes banned agricultural imports from China will remain "reasonable".

By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chisa Fujioka

(TOKYO, April 10, Reuters) - Japanese power company Executive has apologised for the dissemination of radiation in the air and sea as regulators said the pumping of radioactive water in the waters off the coast of the Japan of a nuclear power plant crippled would end Sunday, one day later than scheduled.

The apology of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T) came a day after China and the Korea of the South is concerned about discharge of contaminated water from the plant of Fukushima Daiichi broken by the earthquake of last monthreflecting the growing international unease over the nuclear crisis of long months.

"I would like to apologize for my heart on the worries and disorders we are causing to society due the release of radiological materials in water of sea and the atmosphere," Sakae Muto, TEPCO vice President, said Saturday.

"We worry and trouble for having taken this decision without taking enough time to explain the case prior to the persons concerned, to the press, the fishing industry and people abroad, and we are sorry to do this""," he added.

In Jakarta, Foreign Affairs Minister Takeaki Matsumoto explained political crisis of Japan with counterparts from the 10 ASEAN countries Saturday and his spokesperson urged the neighbours of the Japan only way to exaggerate the low levels of radiation.

"We are quite sorry on the fact that nuclear power plants are causes these concerns, concerns around the world, but you have to check the level of radioactivity the IAEA spoke,", said spokesman Satoru Sato.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, an Assistant Director-General of the Japan nuclear and industrial safety agency, told reporters Saturday: "we are working on the release of water... we are likely to complete this tomorrow."

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