Event Overview:
Eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011, and the subsequent meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, so many of us who are long-time residents of Japan still get asked if the Tohoku region is safe. With portions of two major upcoming sporting events—the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2019 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games—set to take place in Tohoku, questions of safety continue. In this event, Pieter Franken and Azby Brown of Safecast—an organization of independent citizen scientists formed in the wake of the March 11 disasters, will share insights based on data the group has continued to collect over the past eight years. Stadiums that will host events are: Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture) RWC matches on September 25 and October 13, 2019 Hitomebore Stadium Miyagi (Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture) Ten soccer matches during the 2020 Olympics Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium Baseball and softball matches during the 2020 Olympics The last of these stadiums is about 90 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, leading many to ask if the venues are safe. Are worries over radiation exposure similar to the zika-virus scare that kept athletes away from the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games? Is there reason to be afraid? Join us as Franken and Brown shed light on the realities of the situation, helping the global community better understand the safety of Northern Japan. About the Speakers: Pieter Franken has worked in fintech for more than 25 years, specializing in mission critical IT, fintech, operations, innovation, and large-scale transformations. He has held executive positions at industry leaders such as Citigroup, Shinsei Bank, Monex Securities, and Aplus. Unhappy with the quantity and quality of the data available after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Franken co-founded Safecast. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Monex Group, a guest professor at Keio University, an affiliate researcher at MIT Media Lab, and a director at ASEAN Financial Innovation Network. Azby Brown, a native of New Orleans, is a widely published author and authority on Japanese architecture, design, and environment. Since the start of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, he has been a core member of Safecast. As lead researcher and primary author of the Safecast Report, Brown is closely involved with assisting affected communities, as well as analyzing and reporting the issues they face. David Hackett, Naoki Matsumura , Roy Tomizawa, Co-Chairs Aiko Okada, Sam Pearson, David Wouters, Vice-Chairs ACCJ Olympics and Sports Business Committee NOTE 1: This event is OFF THE RECORD NOTE 2: If you cancel after the stated deadline, the full meeting fee will be charged to your account. Sorry, no substitutions or walk-ins. NOTE 3: If you are driving to Tokyo American Club, please inform the ACCJ in advance as arrangements must be made and a 2,200 yen parking fee will apply. Comments are closed.
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Details
If you need to cancel your registration due to illness, travel to affected areas within the past 14 days, or contact with someone who has traveled to affected areas, and the cancellation deadline has passed, please contact programs@accj.or.jp and accommodations will be made through March. For more details, please click here.
Events by Month
May 2020
Location
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