How can I convince my mom to let me be a foreign exchange student ?

My mom is as protective as yours ! i tried traveling to many foreign countries for studying... but mom didn't accept while France and canada are safe.. Try other countries ;) and tell your parents the advantages of traveling there as foreign exchange student.. (the experience you'll get) good luck !

Point out that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, that radiation levels are lower in most of Japan than they are in most of the US. No-one died as a result of the nuclear accident, and radiation levels are not expected to be a serious concern. Sure a large earthquake could happen, but you could also be hit by a truck tomorrow.

First of all, they did not have a "nuclear disaster". The disaster was the tsunami that followed the 9.0 earthquake. That earthquake was either the fourth for fifth largest ever recorded--another one that size is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The power plant problem has harmed no one and isn't expected to either. If anything, the situation shows how safe nuclear power is. Consider that forty year old plants were hit with an earthquake five times the strength they were designed for and yet they still shut down safely. The generators came on like they were supposed to when grid power was cut. Then the tsunami hit and the generators were wiped out. However, the battery backup still worked for the designed eight hours. The problem happened when no new generators could be put in. Even so the problems have been minimal--media scare mongering for ratings not withstanding. Here is an informative article describing the situation: http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/fukushima-simple-explanation/ And here is where you find factual status information: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2011/fukushimafull.html And a slide presentation that describes the effects: http://www.slideshare.net/iaea/radiological-monitoring-and-consequences-of-fukushima-nuclear-accident-2-june-2011 And here is a chart that helps make sense of the numbers: http://www.xkcd.com/radiation/ Being a foreign exchange student is a great experience. You'll learn a lot, and Japan is a great place to be a foreign exchange student in.