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Japan and US hold tea ceremony at Pearl Harbor

by telegraph.co.uk

US organisers on Tuesday hosted an ancient, ritualistic Japanese tea ceremony steeped in tradition at the watery grave of Pearl Harbor, an event symbolising how far the two countries have come. It was the first time the centuries-old art form emblematic of Japan was performed at the USS Arizona Memorial, which sits on top of the battleship that sank in the Japanese attack 70 years ago. Urasenke School of Tea grand tea master Genshitsu Sen, who served in the Japanese naval air force during World War II, prepared two bowls of green tea - one each for Pearl Harbor war dead and world peace. 

Brittleness factor of aging reactors key restart criterion

by Japan Times

In the world of nuclear reactor science and safety, the ductile-brittle transition temperature, which is used to measure the strength of the inner wall of a reactor pressure vessel, is a critical factor. The steel walls of a reactor vessel wear out through years of direct exposure to neutron irradiation, and when they are weakened they can become brittle with sudden temperature drops. A high DBTT means the walls can shatter at a relatively high temperature when the vessel is going through the cooling process, similar to pouring ice-cold water into a hot glass, causing it to shatter. (Japan Times)