Press Conference by Prime Minister Ishiba regarding His Visit to Fukushima Prefecture and Other Matters

(On Prime Minister Ishiba’s thoughts regarding the current status of the reconstruction efforts and challenges as fourteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake; what kind of reconstruction measures he intends to prioritize in the reconstruction projects after the “Second Reconstruction and Revitalization Period,” which ends in March next year, as financial resources exceeding the current scale will be secured; his impressions from his visit to the robot research facility and a small group talk with relevant local people and how he intends to reflect them in his upcoming policies; and whether he plans to make similar local visits in the future)

As fourteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant accident, I would like to once again offer my sincere condolences to the victims and their bereaved families.

Thanks to the tireless efforts made so far by the people in the affected areas, reconstruction has steadily progressed.

In the earthquake and tsunami-affected areas, infrastructure development is progressing, but mental health care and other issues require medium- to long-term responses, and we will continue to work to provide the necessary support.

Some municipalities in the nuclear disaster-affected areas continue to have difficult-to-return areas. Reconstruction efforts show varying progress depending on the region, and we are determined to provide a tailored response to the specific circumstances.

The next five years after the “Second Reconstruction and Revitalization Period” are recognized as a crucial period for further promoting the return and relocation of the residents, industrial and livelihood revitalization, and paving the way for the realization of the decommissioning, as well as the final disposal of removed soil, among other things.

We will promote reconstruction measures more vigorously than ever before. We will revise the “Basic Guidelines for Reconstruction” by this summer.

Fukushima continues to face severe local circumstances and challenges that must be overcome. We will ensure sufficient financial resources for the reconstruction projects promoted by Fukushima Prefecture and its municipalities, based on their in-depth understanding of local needs. We aim for the overall project scale over the next five years to substantially surpass that of the past five years.

Over the next five years, we will secure the necessary resources to reliably finance reconstruction projects, including the full-scale operation of the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation and the advancement of decontamination efforts in the Specified Living Areas for Returnees. We will clarify the required project scale and financial resources when revising the “Basic Guidelines for Reconstruction” this summer.

We will formulate a “blueprint for the Fukushima Innovation Coast Concept,” which combines Fukushima reconstruction and “Regional Revitalization 2.0” and sets a model for the entire nation, by gathering the knowledge of each ministry and agency by this summer, and strongly promote it in the next five years.

This earthquake disaster must not fade from our memory. To accelerate the reconstruction of Fukushima, a top priority for the Cabinet, the Reconstruction Agency will act as the central command, with each Cabinet member fulfilling their responsibilities based on their individual convictions.

In the morning, or it might have been in the afternoon, I visited the research and development facility of a robot manufacturing company in Fukushima City. I also sat with business owners involved in innovation for a small group talk.

To promote the “Regional Revitalization 2.0” and “Reiwa Era remodeling of the Japanese archipelago,” we will materialize the “Vision for Regional Innovation and Revitalization.”

Firstly, we aim to create new industries by urging startups and growing companies to gather, integrating them through the development of “innovation hubs” in various regions.

Secondly, in an attempt to create new products and services inspired by various regional social issues across the nation, we will strengthen regulatory and institutional reforms, such as through the establishment of special zones, the use of new regional revitalization grant, and matching support for the social implementation of new technologies.

Thirdly, with the aim of creating high value-added industries and businesses that maximize the use of each region’s resources. we will vigorously support the sophistication of management and industry using new technologies such as digital, including in sectors of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Fourthly, we find it important to secure and retain human resources, primarily young people and women, and we will support them, including when they engage in side businesses.

To ensure that people can live creatively and culturally with a sense of security even in regional communities, with the aim of promoting community development by the power of the people, we will expand support measures for private businesses that tackle regional issues.

To generalize at the nationwide level the insights and good practices gained in Fukushima, we will establish a liaison meeting of relevant ministries and agencies for the “Vision for Regional Innovation and Revitalization.”

Starting from Fukushima, I intend to visit as many regions nationwide as possible in the future to deepen dialogue in the context of industry-government-academia cooperation, which also includes those in the financial, labor, and media sectors. That’s all from me.

(On whether Prime Minister Ishiba has any intention to revise the process target of completing the decommissioning by 2051, given that the removed fuel debris is said to be only 0.7 grams of the estimated 880 tons, as the trial removal at Reactor 2 of the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station started in the “Third Phase” of the medium- to long-term roadmap)

I believe that the success of the trial removal is extremely significant. I understand that preparations are being made for a second trial removal in the future.

New knowledge gained through these efforts will be useful for the expansion of the scale of gradual removal of fuel debris and the entire decommissioning work. This globally unprecedented decommissioning work is technically extremely difficult, and we expect to face various difficulties as we move forward with full-scale decommissioning work in coming years.

Although there are some delays currently, we recognize that there is no major hindrance to the overall process, and we remain committed to taking the lead in providing technology development support and steadily advancing our efforts based on the medium- to long-term roadmap, with the top priority on ensuring safety. That’s all from me.