Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano

(Abridged)

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Next I would like to report about the visit of the Prime Minister to Fukushima Prefecture. The Prime Minister will visit Fukushima Prefecture on Saturday, July 16, returning to Tokyo on the same day. While there he is scheduled to visit J-Village in Futaba Town, where he will offer his encouragement to the workers who are coping with the situation following the nuclear incident. After that, he will visit the Koriyama View Hotel and engage in an exchange of opinions with leaders of local governments that have been affected by the nuclear incident.
Next, I would like to report on the Prime Minister's message on the occasion of Marine Day. July 18 is a national holiday designated as Marine Day. It is a day to give appreciation for the benefits the ocean provides and to aim for further prosperity of Japan as a maritime nation. With a wish that the people of Japan use this day to consider once again the importance of the ocean to our nation, the Prime Minister has issued a message. This message has been distributed to you.

(Abridged)

Q&As

REPORTER: In today's roundtable ministerial discussions, was there any further comment or explanation from the Prime Minister concerning his views on nuclear policy?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Yes, the Prime Minister did make further comment on this matter.

REPORTER: What was the content of his comments?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: He gave a summarized version of the points he made in his press conference the other day.

REPORTER: Was there any reaction or response to these comments from other Cabinet ministers?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: No, there was no particular response.

REPORTER: According to some press reports, the possibility of reviving the Eco-point system is being considered as a means of dealing with electrical power shortages. What are the facts behind such reports?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: At the very least I have not received any reports or been consulted about this matter.

REPORTER: Is it not even a matter for consideration? What are your views on using this as a method or policy?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: This is an issue that I would consider if the relevant authorities were to provide me with a report or request a consultation.

REPORTER: On a related note, with regard to the supply and demand for power during this summer, does the Government anticipate that power outages will happenand if any simulations have been carried out, what sort of scenario does the Government envisage?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The current consensus is that we should be able to secure power supply and demand during this summer and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) are currently engaged in precise examination of this issue for the purpose of compiling a detailed report. I believe that this report will be able to be submitted in the near future.

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the purpose of the Prime Minister's visit to Fukushima Prefecture. Is he expected to talk about the status towards completion of Step 1 of the Roadmap, or provide explanations concerning the elimination or reduction of emergency evacuation preparation areas?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I do not envisage that the Prime Minister will be providing detailed explanations on any particular matter. First of all, he will visit the workers who are engaged in operations at the nuclear power station to offer his encouragement, given the extremely harsh conditions they are currently working under, particularly the heat at this time of year. He will then meet with the leaders of the various local municipalities affected, which are facing extremely difficult situations of their own, and listen directly to what they have to say. These are the purposes of the Prime Minister's visit.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: On a different subject, I believe that you have stated previously that a meeting of relevant ministers for fiscal resources on reconstruction would be held this week. It would appear that ultimately this meeting has not been held.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Arrangements are being made to hold such a meeting today.

REPORTER: On a different note, there are 42 heads of cattle in locations other than Minamisoma that are suspected of being contaminated with radiation. Approximately 10 years ago at the time of the mad cow disease scare, examination was implemented for all cattle approximately one month since the incident. In the current situation is there a system in place that can adequately provide traceability?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: You should direct your questions concerning traceability to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). Following the nuclear incident, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is leading efforts to implement tracing checks. In addition, MAFF is currently engaged in emergency investigation of the causes of this current issue and measures to respond to it. Given the recent incident of contaminated beef, Fukushima Prefecture has imposed self-restraint restrictions on the shipment and transportation of beef cows reared in the prefecture. The Government seeks to confirm the safety situation as quickly as possible so that these self-restraint measures can be lifted.

REPORTER: It would seem to be a simple assumption at this stage that if cows have appeared that have been contaminated by eating irradiated feed, there are likely to be other cows in the same situation. Are other cows safe at this point?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: This is exactly what the checks and investigations are being implemented to ascertain. Basically, directly after the nuclear incident, MAFF, or more precisely the regional Agricultural Administration Offices, issued guidelines concerning the use of feed to farmers of livestock for human consumption. MAFF is currently implementing emergency checks to see if these guidelines were not followed thoroughly or whether this case emerged even after the guidelines had been followed. Every effort is being made to come to a swift conclusion.

REPORTER: With regard to volunteer activities, it has been the case that non-profit organizations (NPOs) and local governments have recruited volunteers who have then travelled to the disaster-affected regions. However, there are some groups and organizations that stopped such recruitment activities once summer arrived. I believe that the summer would be the time when many students would want to engage in volunteer activities in the disaster-affected regions, so what measures does the central government have planned for volunteer activities?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: There are still many regions that would like to seek the cooperation of volunteers in dealing with the disaster. My understanding is that demand and needs for volunteers have been increasing. However, these are of course unpaid volunteer activities and it is at the discretion of NPOs and other such organizations and also the individuals concerned to make their own decision about volunteer activities. For its part, the Government would like to seek the cooperation of volunteers, and has also been engaged in efforts to ensure that individuals who seek to act as volunteers can be provided with the appropriate information that matches their requirements and can participate safely in volunteer activities. In particular, during the summer months I think that students would find it easier to participate in volunteer activities and the number of young volunteers is likely to increase. Therefore the Government would like to make efforts to create an environment that enables these young people to participate if they so wish. In addition, for the groups and organizations that are coordinating such volunteer efforts, even such efforts require a certain degree of financial outlay they are engaging in activities under extremely severe financial situations. The Government seeks to gain an understanding of the status of such organizations, and sees if there are ways for the Government to provide better support. This is something the Government has been working on since the disaster struck and the Volunteer Measures Office is making daily efforts in this regard.

REPORTER: I understand that at the ministerial roundtable discussions that followed the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister indicated that the comments he made on nuclear policy a few days ago at his press conference were his personal opinion. I would like to confirm if he actually made this statement. And if so, can you tell us in what context he said that the comments were his personal opinion?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I'm sorry, the discussions at the gathering of ministers are in principle off-the-record. I myself was not taking notes of what the Prime Minister was saying, and I cannot give you an accurate rendition. However, as I said a moment ago, my understanding is that the Prime Minister was giving a summary of his comments from the press conference.

REPORTER: My question concerns the Prime Minister's message which was released on the occasion of the upcoming Marine Day. Although the explanation about the purpose of releasing this message as well as its text touch on the tsunami damage from the earthquake disaster, they do not touch on the sea contamination caused by the nuclear incident. I believe there were emissions of low concentration contaminated water into the sea. If the Prime Minister is going to express his appreciation for the blessings of the sea, I believe there can also be a sentence that conveys regret over the contamination.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I understand that on the occasion of the Marine Day, a Prime Minister's message to the people is issued annually. In this context, I believe, since we just experienced the horror of the natural disaster of the large tsunami this year, the Prime Minister touched on this matter. Of course, the Government regrets the fact that the nuclear incident unfortunately contributed to sea contamination, and has been making utmost efforts to prevent its recurrence. The message was released with the hope that the Marine Day will serve as an opportunity for the people to once again think about the importance of the sea. In this context, I speculate that the references to the major tsunami, etc., touch on the earthquake disaster more broadly, and for this reason, the message did not touch on the issue of sea contamination.

And pardon me. I shouldn't have said "Volunteer Measures Office" earlier. The correct title is "Volunteer Liaison Office."

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the roundtable ministerial discussions. Did the Prime Minister give any particular instructions or requests related to starting discussions based on his views?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The Prime Minister summarized the contents of what he said at the press conference the other day.

REPORTER: On a related note, did ministers express any critical opinions regarding the Prime Minister's policy on nuclear power stations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: There was a request made to the Prime Minister to provide an explanation, as a variety of stories are reported in the media. Therefore, the Prime Minister - although I believe he was already intending to speak, spoke and provided an explanation in response.

REPORTER: I am sorry to keep bringing up the same subject, but this is a question that was asked by a student regarding the plan to construct a nuclear power plant in Vietnam. After the incident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and amid calls to do away with, or reduce our reliance on nuclear energy, what will become of the second phase of the construction of the nuclear power station in Vietnam?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Japan will reduce its reliance on nuclear energy incrementally with our aim toward a future society which will no longer have to depend on nuclear power. However, this means that we need to continue using nuclear energy, while further enhancing safety measures, for some time to come. As long as we continue to safely use nuclear energy, we must thoroughly ensure sound technology and other conditions with regard to the safety of the nuclear power stations. While many have reacted negatively to the fact that the nuclear incident happened in Japan, on the other hand, we must have the anticipation by many people toward overcoming this incident and further strengthening the safety of the power stations, as well as gain recognition for improved safety. This will be essential as we go forward, at least for the time being, since we will need to keep using nuclear energy even while having the intention to phase out our reliance on it in the future. Based on this, what is of foremost importance is the question of what kind of decisions will be made by the countries that are intending to import nuclear power technologies. Will these countries be willing to place their trust in the technology and safety offered by Japan, a country which will continue to use nuclear energy with the premise that it will never allow such an accident to ever occur again? I believe that basically, our starting line will be determined by how the other countries will make their decisions with regard to this.