What is the other side? I'm going by the stated BQ measurements in the article. If you know more, please please fill me in. I'm sincerely looking for information here, as it seems to be lacking coming from other sources. This came from what appears to be a reputable science magazine.

I asked a question...is this higher? I'm looking for data

A few days back it was at 70% of Chernobyl levels, per the New Scientist article.

From the original piece:

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the Japanese science ministry began to report measurements of cesium-137 in upland soil around the plant. The levels are highest from two points northeast of the plant, ranging from 8690 becquerels/kilogram to a high of 163,000 Bq/kg measured on 20 March from a point in Iitate about 40 kilometers northwest of the Fukushima plant

...Assuming the radiation is no more than 2 centimeters deep, Chen calculates that 163,000 Bq/kg is roughly equivalent to 8 million Bq/m2

The highest cesium-137 levels in some villages near Chernobyl were 5 million Bq/m2.