Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have two points that I would like to start with. The first is on the Ministerial Council on Monthly Economic Report and Other Relative Issues. We opened a meeting of this council from 10:00am today. In addition to assessing the state of the economy as we always do, this time we heard reports from each relevant ministry and agency regarding the economic impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake. First, with regard to the state of the economy, we downwardly adjusted our forecast, noting, "Although the Japanese economy was picking up, it shows weakness recently, due to the influence of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Also, it remains in a difficult situation such as a high unemployment rate." In addition to this, there were also reports about the negative effect that direct damage caused by the earthquake, as well as the constraints placed on the electric power supply, will have on demand and employment. For further information, please inquire at the Economic and Fiscal Policy Division of the Policy Coordination Bureau in the Cabinet Office.

My second topic is about shiitake mushrooms. In line with Article 20, Paragraph 3 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness, we have issued instructions related to these mushrooms, which I shall now report to you all. We have asked five cities, eight towns and three villages in eastern Fukushima Prefecture to refrain from shipping log-grown shiitake mushrooms from gardens within their municipalities. Specifically, we have issued this order to Shinchi Town, Date City, Iitate Village, Soma City, Minamisoma City, Namie Town, Futaba Town, Okuma Town, Tomioka Town, Naraha Town, Hirono Town, Kawamata Town, Katsurao Town, Tamura City, Kawauchi Village and Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture. In addition, we requested that the public refrain from ingesting any log-grown shiitake mushrooms from Iitate Village for some time. The decision to issue these instructions for these items within this area was made based on the data we have gathered so far and advice from the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC). We will continue to analyze and evaluate the results of investigations in the region, and issue additional instructions if necessary. For any shipping restrictions which we order, should the results of further analyses in each region show that values are safely below the set provisional value, we will remove such shipping restrictions. Once again, this time we are implementing shipping restrictions on log-grown shiitake mushrooms from gardens in specific areas of Fukushima Prefecture. There are two kinds of shiitake: those grown in gardens and those grown inside buildings. We have investigated both cultivation methods, and have not found mushrooms grown indoors to have radiation levels which exceed legal limits. I myself purchased some shiitake mushrooms grown indoors in Iwaki City yesterday as I was going home, and will have them for my dinner.

Q&As

REPORTER: Within the monthly economic report, it says that the recovery of the economy has dulled. Have you analyzed how the nuclear incident in particular has affected the economy? I would appreciate hearing your opinion on this.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As I said earlier, for details on this, I request that you ask the Economic and Fiscal Policy Division within the Policy Coordination Bureau in the Cabinet Office. However, I will say that the monthly economic report did contain information recognizing that the nuclear incident has already had an impact on the economy due to such matters as the shipping restrictions being placed on agricultural and fisheries products and the negative rumors that have cropped up around other items. In addition, a secondary effect of the nuclear incident has been the constraints placed on the power supply, which may lead to certain economic risks in the future. My own understanding of the situation is that for those in the areas around the nuclear power plant, as well as those in the entire Kanto region, the incident has affected the production of agricultural and fisheries products and become a great obstacle to the economic activities of these people, causing them great trouble. I recognize this. We need to do anything we can to bring this issue to a conclusion as soon as possible and lessen the effect that it has on economic activities. At the same time, we must exert greater efforts to put a stop to the harm caused by negative rumors regarding Japanese products in international markets.

REPORTER: Regarding the work to draw the issue to a close as soon as possible, in his press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Kan announced that he had requested Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to issue an outlook for the nuclear incident soon. By when will this outlook be released? Furthermore, what instructions have you given regarding the concrete image for this outlook? If you know any details about this, could you tell them to us?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Details are currently being worked out via information exchanges between Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Banri Kaieda and TEPCO. Those in the area around the plant - and in a wider sense, the entire nation or world even - have a great interest in this outlook, and so I understand that we have instructed that it be released as soon as possible and in as concrete a form as possible.

REPORTER: Concerning the restrictions placed on the shipping and consumption of shiitake mushrooms, I believe there are many different types of mushrooms produced in that area, so I would like to know why you are limiting restrictions to just shiitake.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: For details on this, please ask at the Ministry for Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) or the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). The decision was made based on the data we have collected. Currently, no other mushrooms have been shown to exceed legal limits in terms of radiation levels.

REPORTER: So you have investigated them, but their values did not exceed legal limits?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Correct. We did not just investigate shiitake mushrooms. For the details on what was done, how the investigation was carried out and each piece of data, I would like you to inquire at MHLW or MAFF.

REPORTER: The NSC has announced that it collected data last month showing that the nuclear incident is equivalent to a Level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). Why did you not announce this then, as soon as this data was reported to you?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The report that the data was equivalent or nearly equivalent to that of a Level 7 event was made yesterday evening by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the NSC. At the time, they told me that this information was to be later reported to the Prime Minister and subsequently announced after conducting a final verification of the data. I checked on the statements made during NISA press conferences regarding what they knew last month, and verified that they said there was the possibility of this being a Level 7 event. I did receive reports about this. But at that time NISA said that their estimation was based on the radioactive substance data collected in only three locations, and that they were not yet at the point of being able to say for certain that the results were correct. We thus instructed them to conduct thorough and accurate analyses as soon as possible. All of the data - the estimates made about the level of radiation and the results of monitoring operations in each location - have been publically available. I would like you to verify technical matters with the NSC and other experts. I can tell you that I received a report two days ago that the backwards calculations had been done based on the results of publically available monitoring data, that a specialized and scientific estimate of the amount of radiation being released had been completed and that it seemed this estimate was fairly reliable. That is how the announcement was made yesterday. As to how reliable that estimated data is - for information on the basis of that judgment, I request that you pose your question to the NSC.

REPORTER: I take this to mean that the information was not reported to you. If this same information had been reported to you a month ago, would you have made this announcement at that time?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I myself have been saying that giving reports on an estimation or supposition - how and at what stage - is a frankly difficult issue. I have instructed relevant departments and bureaus again and again that we must disclose all objective data we ascertain. Based on this data, a variety of estimates can be made. The questions of how reliable these estimates are and whether or not it is alright whether announcing opinions based on data which has not really been verified are problems for us. It is difficult for us to report matters that have only been verified as the Government official view to an extent by experts given the possibility that these estimates may be shown to be wrong at a later date. They are just estimates after all. However, we always announce the data that these estimates are based on to allow experts and the public make their own estimates and judgments. We are making all of our decisions, including those on the reconsideration of the size of evacuation zones, from the perspective of ensuring safety so that even very ambiguous estimates do not lead to any harm caused to public health in the worse-case scenario or what is estimated to be such a scenario.

REPORTER: I would like to ask about the classification of the incident at Level 7. Even at yesterday's press briefing for members of the foreign press, it was pointed out that the Government's response has been too conservative and slow. I sense a similar feeling of distrust toward the Government of Japan when I watch press conferences put on by foreign governments as well. I would like to ask what the Government imagines the worst case scenario to be right now, and what you will do in the event of such a scenario. I think there are a lot of possible scenarios. I would appreciate it if you could give me even one example of how you will react. I would really like for you to respond to this, as I think it will help to put the people and foreign governments at ease.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: First I would like to repeat what I said previously about the information announced this time particularly by the NSC on the amount of radiation being released. The announcement was a combination of the results collected so far through measurements of the amount of radiation present in each area - which is to say radiation measurements - the estimated effect that the incident will have on those living around the plant as well as the environment there, and data on any additional effect expected in the future. This collated data pool was used to calculate an estimate of the total threat posed, and this was judged by experts to be fairly reliable and precise. For some time we have been implementing policy based on the data which was fed into this calculation, so regardless of the amount of terabecquerels of radiation, we believe that we have carried out sufficient safety measures based on the estimated effect on the surrounding area and the data we have received from the area. My understanding is that we have thus far implemented a sound policy based on what is to an extent the same data that was used for the calculation this time. With regard to a worst-case scenario, this is really something, unlike the previous topic, where there are a lot of possibilities. It is difficult to judge the level of certainty required before the Government can announce a speculation as a scenario. If I were to give just one example of a possible scenario, there is a certain level of risk regarding the possibility of a hydrogen explosion occurring in one of the reactor containers vessels. In order to minimize this risk, we have already begun an operation to inject nitrogen into the reactors. Should there be a hydrogen explosion in one of the reactor containers, this would lead to the complete destruction of the container, and to the expulsion of a much greater amount of radiation into the surrounding area. We have committed a great amount of energy to our work at the power plant for some time now in order to avoid this situation. In inserting nitrogen to lower this possibility of an explosion occurring, we are acting to prevent this scenario with the understanding that it would have a tremendous effect if it did happen - we are responding to this threat before it becomes a problem. This is why, for example, we continue to uphold the instructions that the area 20km around the plant be delineated as an evacuation zone and why we have asked those in a wide area within the zone 20 to 30km around the plant to make preparations to evacuate if necessary. While we recognize that the possibility of there being a hydrogen explosion has fallen greatly, we are giving instructions in preparation for this.

REPORTER: With regard to the issue of the evacuation residents in the vicinity of the plant, I believe that no instructions have been issued at the current point concerning the possible scenario of a hydrogen explosion in the containment vessel. What would happen to the designation of the evacuation areas in such a scenario? In addition, the current instructions for evacuation provide for a period of one month for evacuation. Is this still considered to be safe?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Even in the unlikely event that such a scenario were to occur, NISA and the NSC have been consulted and the current evacuation areas are considered to be sufficient. The instructions to evacuate were given on that basis.

REPORTER: There is one more point that I would like to confirm. Over the last few days, there have been repeated earthquakes that could be termed as main earthquakes in their own right, rather than just aftershocks. As the epicenters of these earthquakes have been on land, no tsunamis have occurred as a result. However, in a scenario in which the epicenter was on the sea floor and a tsunami of the scale of that seen on March 11 were to occur, what would be the preparedness for such a scenario in the current operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: It is an unfortunate fact that we are unable to make definitive predictions about where and when earthquakes will strike. However, I believe that we should look into the possibility that such an event could occur. The operations that are currently being implemented at the power plant would have to be temporarily stopped in the event of a tsunami and as these involve cooling operations and other work, efforts are being made to do what can be done as quickly as possible, the first of which is work to ensure a stable power supply and stable cooling operations. Secondly, in the event that a tsunami did hit the plant, the safety of the workers would have to be ensured. Also, for the purposes of back-up, in the event that a tsunami inflicted significant damage to the plant, a variety of equipment would have to be in readiness to provide the greatest degree of back-up support. These are the three measures that would require attention.

REPORTER: If you are categorizing the preparations, in the event of a tsunami, what kinds of back-up would be implemented?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: At the moment, pumps are being used to cool the reactors and other facilities and water is being injected from elevated positions around the plant. These are the measures currently in place and in addition to the current equipment in use, back-up equipment has also been prepared. This is intended for use if some part of the operations does not go according to plan or there is a reason that requires the need for back-up, by which I am talking about other scenarios in addition to a tsunami. Instructions have therefore been given to have back-up in place so that it can be put into operation quickly if required.

REPORTER: With regard to the Level 7 announcement, the NISA just recently spoke about the estimates and possibilities for...

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: No, it was the NSC.

REPORTER: Excuse me, the NSC indicated that the basis for estimates was data gathered from three locations. If monitoring and investigation in the vicinity had been implemented more stringently, would it not have been the case that the figures indicating an estimated Level 7 incident would have been produced earlier? Do you recognize that the lack of monitoring in the initial stages has now caused an escalation in the evaluation of the level of the accident?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: With regard to the radioactive materials in the vicinity of the plant, the three monitoring locations were measuring the volume of radioactive materials and I believe that if wider monitoring in more locations had been implemented sooner, a judgment could have been made at an earlier stage. The Government had requested that monitoring be implemented in as many locations as possible and it has not yet been verified as to why extended monitoring took longer to implement. If it turns out to be the case that there was a method available that would have allowed for earlier monitoring and estimates to have been implemented, then it will be necessary to examine the reasons why this method could not have been used. However, the related organizations realized the necessity to implement wide-scale monitoring as quickly as possible and it is my recognition that they duly responded to the situation.

REPORTER: With regard to the report you received concerning the likelihood that the incident would be raised to Level 7, you mentioned that you received the report in the evening two days ago. What was the reason that you did not report this fact at that time?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As it was still a "likelihood" that the level would be raised, ultimately the process was one in which a report was made to the Prime Minister and expert analysis was conducted by the Government. The situation was not one in which a political judgment should be made. In the final analysis, based on the views of the Government, a decision was reached to make an announcement after the matter was reported to the Prime Minister, who is the head of the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, and it was thus confirmed that an announcement would be made.

REPORTER: Two days ago, you made an announcement concerning the planned evacuations and other matters, in addition to which there were also many aftershocks, resulting in the postponement of the Prime Minister's press conference. Could it have been the case that these various events resulted in the report on the raising of the level not being received or being unable to be given consideration?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: That is not the case. The report that came to me was to the effect that "final checks are being made, but it looks likely that the level will be raised. A report will be made to the Prime Minister tomorrow and until then confirmation and detailed investigation will be implemented, which will then be reported to the Prime Minister before being publicly announced."

REPORTER: Was it really necessary for further expert analysis to be implemented during the course of the night after which you received the report and before it was reported to the Prime Minister?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I am not aware of all the details, however my understanding is that in the past TEPCO have issued mistaken calculations on two or three occasions, resulting in corrections having to be made. General instructions have been given to TEPCO to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated. As this was a very important issue, of great interest both in Japan and overseas, I am sure that the people involved would wish to make a final check not only of the conclusion, but also to check the accuracy of the various measurements, statistics and data leading up to the final decision.

REPORTER: When you talk about corrections, are you referring to the period between which you received the report and the time when it was reported to the Prime Minister?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: No, that is not the case. What I was referring to was the previous calculation error made by TEPCO when it announced mistaken figures about the emission of radioactive iodine. In that case, it turned out that the mistaken figure was higher than the actual figure. However, if the reverse had turned out to be true, with the actual figure being higher than the reported figure this would be unforgivable and have an impact on credibility. It was from this early stage that general instructions were issued to relevant organizations that for important matters, it is essential to confirm the figures for the purposes of public announcement, not merely checking for calculation errors, but also examining the various data in fine detail. I believe that the detailed checks were therefore implemented thoroughly right up until the announcement was made.

REPORTER: Changing the subject to the fiscal resources available for reconstruction, there is talk that the child benefit allowance may be revised. What is the current status of deliberations and what are the Government's views on the child benefit allowance?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I know nothing more than what has been reported.

REPORTER: So what has been reported is actually based on the facts?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: No, what I am saying is that I am aware of the reports, but I have not received any reports about what specific considerations or proposals the Government or the Cabinet are currently formulating.

REPORTER: You have stated that with regard to fiscal resources, the situation before and after the earthquake has changed and that all possibilities will be considered, including child benefit allowance. What do you think should be done with regard to the child benefit allowance?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The issue of the child benefit allowance is just one element in the whole range of budgetary items for which various possibilities exist.

REPORTER: With regard to compensation for the people affected by the nuclear power plant accident, there are some reports that the Government is considering a proposal which would result in power companies other than TEPCO also bearing part of the compensation burden. What are the facts concerning these reports?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: At the very least, a report about such a proposal has not reached me, and I think that you can take it that such a proposal is not one that would be considered by the Government.

REPORTER: There have been leaked reports that the Prime Minister has approached the leader of the New Komeito Party concerning the appointment of Special Advisor Hosono to the position of minister responsible for nuclear power. Are discussions actually moving in this direction? I did not really understand what the Prime Minister said in his press conference last night.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I am aware that consideration is being given to making some changes to the current 17 members of the Cabinet.

REPORTER: With regard to the telephone talks held between the Prime Minister and Premier Wen Jiabao of the People's Republic of China yesterday, there are reports in the Chinese press that Premier Wen expressed his regret to the Prime Minister concerning the release into the sea of contaminated water and requested the prompt provision of information. In the press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there was no mention of such a conversation. Did such a dialogue take place?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As this is a specific issue relating to diplomatic dialogue, it is difficult to determine what details I can speak about. However, it is true that during the telephone talks Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his concern about the disposal of contaminated water in the sea. In response, the Prime Minister stated that in the future, efforts would be made to provide information in a prompt and accurate manner.

REPORTER: As you noted a while ago, there have been some instances in the past of TEPCO announcing the wrong figures - although there have not been such instances in the past few days. Looking at the current situation, I wonder whether or not it is really desirable to have just one company responsible for announcing such extremely important figures that everyone the world over is paying close attention to. People overseas could regard TEPCO's announcements as official Government announcements. Does the Government plan to announce from TEPCO at the Integrated Headquarters so as to take responsibility for them?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As you are aware, for nuclear power plants, there is the law stipulating the role of each entity, including in terms of crisis management and response. Naturally, given that we are currently undertaking such work, in respect of the law, I think we need to respond flexibly in the way that best fits the reality of the situation and ensures safety. That is what we have been doing. That is why I have been urging TEPCO repeatedly to make sure their figures are correct. I have been giving TECPO instructions even though it is a private company. I think we need to clarify who is responsible for collecting data, doing calculations using that data, confirming figures, and the like. The Government will continue to remain alert on this matter, giving instructions to TEPCO to make sure not to mix up data or calculations, and checking figures as much as possible.

REPORTER: Returning to decision to classify the event as Level 7, you said a while ago that the Government has been taking sufficient safety measures in response to the incident. Following the said revision, and in consideration of the prolongation of the crisis as well as its potential impact on human health, do you intend to reconsider the current safety measures? For example, the current radiation level limit for agricultural products is only provisional. Are there any plans to establish an official safety limit or to revise safety measures in that regard?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I will repeat that the announcement to raise the event level to Level 7 was based on data accumulated and disclosed up to this point. Our safety measures as well have been based on the same data. Estimations and extrapolations from the said data revealed, with a fair amount of certainty, that there was an emission of radioactive materials equivalent to Level 7. This was immediately announced and reported to the international community. This was not based on any new data or findings; rather, the decision was made after confirming the results of expert analyses based on facts already made clear. So it is not the case that the revision means that we have to change our responses. Although we have constantly reconsidered over the past month whether or not we need to change the measures in place from the standpoint of ensuring further safety, and although we will maintain that stance going forward, I don't think the latest revision will require us to change our responses.

REPORTER: By-elections for Aichi No. 6 District will be announced today. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) failed to present a candidate, meaning that it lost the election by default. Although we often talk about having a two-party system now, those who wanted to support the DPJ in this election had no one to vote for. How do you regard this situation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As I said several times, under normal circumstances, I should have been involved in the matter as Chief Cabinet Secretary given my role as a liaison between the Government and the ruling parties, in addition to my administrative work. I am fully aware of this. However, the situation of the Government of Japan and the Cabinet since the earthquake is that all Cabinet members - including myself, other ministers, senior vice ministers, and parliamentary secretaries - have been obliged to commit all of our energy to the emergency response. Although this may be slightly different for the Prime Minister, who is also the leader of the ruling party. I believe we should be committing all of our energy to the disaster response. Therefore, I have entrusted matters such as by-elections to the members of the DPJ who are not working in the Cabinet.