News Government, Tepco ordered to pay ¥500 million in damages for Fukushima disaster

This is the second court decision in favour of Fukushima residents. 500.000.000 JPY in damages for 2.900 plaintiffs = 172.414 JPY / person. Hmmm.

Government, Tepco ordered to pay ¥500 million in damages for Fukushima disaster

How did they come to that number? Is it like a class action lawsuit, where everyone gets the same cut of the damages? This is pretty awful.

"Sorry we salted the earth with radioactive waste, rendering your hometown and region uninhabitable, the repercussions of which will surely take years to fully comprehend. Here's a month or two's rent, depending on where you had to relocate to."

Is that amount before or after the legal fees are taken into account?

If thinking of it in terms of how much post-relocation rent it might cover irks your buggers then definitely don't do what I did and try to guess what fraction it is of the bonuses the people responsible for it draw a couple of times a year.

TEPCO won't pay this; TEPCO customers will pay this.

I'm in no way calling for it or advocating it, but I can't help notice what a huge change has come over Japan since I've been here....it used to be you could pretty much predict at least a couple of high-level officials committing suicide to take responsibility.

I wasn't sure I could find this in my file and then I wasn't sure it could still be seen online, but the New York Times is rather good about allowing us access to stuff from years ago. This one is from 1987 and I remember it so well because a young judge I knew back then told me to read it to help me understand a few things about how lawsuits are handled in Japan. It really is worth the time to read it. And the New York Times allows you one copy for yourself, if you wish.
Tokyo Journal; To Be Sorely Tried, Try Filing a Lawsuit in Japan