Japan Back On Its Feet

Above, springtime on Nakamise Street in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The United Kingdom's Daily Mail's travel section has posted an article on a visit to Tokyo, "Japan, a fascinating country undimmed by disaster and very much back on its feet." It is well worth reading for those contemplating a trip to Japan.

Here's an excerpt:

The numbers do the talking. The economy is showing signs of recovery, and there is a widespread building boom across Japan, largely sparked by reconstruction efforts after the tsunami.

In the Tohoku region, much of the rubble has been cleared; new buildings are shooting up. In Tokyo, they’re finishing off the Sky Tree, Japan’s tallest building.

It's been earthquake-proofed with techniques borrowed from medieval temples. I travelled for hours through Japan and didn’t see a single physical sign of last year’s tragedy.

I never felt at risk, either of another earthquake, or of being contaminated by anything I ate or drank. I had one of the best meals of my life in Sushi Zanmai, a restaurant by the Tsukiji fish market.

Above, Fujiya is prominently displayed near Ginza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article also highlights several other attractions in Tokyo including the Senso-ji temple and Shinjuku. It includes some beautiful photographs.

Above, one of the Imperial Palace moats. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2109380/Japan-fascinating-country-undimmed-disaster-feet.html#ixzz1o4aVeK78

Airbus A380 Should Be Grounded, Say Engineers

A news item caught my attention while perusing Drudgereport.com.

It concerns the (relatively) new Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet. The first A380 went into service in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines. The maximum seating capacity of the A380 is 853 passengers.

According to the United Kingdom's Daily Mail:

Australian aircraft engineers have called for Airbus A380 - the world's biggest passenger aircraft - to be grounded, after Singapore Airlines and Qantas found cracks in the wings of their super-jumbos.
'We can't continue to gamble with people's lives and allow those aircraft to fly around and hope that they make it until their four-yearly inspection,' said Steve Purvinas, secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association.

Both airlines, and Airbus, admitted that they had discovered cracks, but maintained that the aircraft were safe. In total, 67 Airbus A380s are in use worldwide, on seven airlines. The aircraft are in use by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern.

I can't say I'm surprised. The A380 is huge. I saw one fly-by while I was en route to Narita Airport last year. When it first came out, a friend who used to work for Boeing said at the time, "I wouldn't fly in one of those things!"

I wouldn't either.

I've always felt that there will come a time when the threshold is reached where an aircraft's size, weight and in-flight aerodynamic pressures will render it unsafe to use. I suspect that the A380 reached that threshold.

I agree with the Australian engineers. It should be grounded before one breaks apart in-flight with 853 people on board.

To read the full article, go here.