Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have two things I would like to report. First, I will report an overview of the Cabinet meeting. Decisions were made on 11 answers to written questions. In terms of comments made by ministers, Minister Yosano commented on the approach and issues for consideration with regard to comprehensive countermeasures against the appreciation of the yen. Prime Minister Kan spoke about the resignation of the Cabinet, after which a decision was made on the Cabinet's resignation as a general matter, and the Statement by Prime Minister Naoto Kan upon the General Resignation of the Kan Cabinet, which you have in your hand, was approved. Prime Minister Kan also commented on securing a crisis management structure to accompany the change in administration. That is all concerning the Cabinet meeting.

Next, I would like to report on the easing of electricity usage restrictions placed on electricity that is under the jurisdiction of the Tohoku Electric Power Company and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). This report concerns usage restrictions that had been placed on electricity under the jurisdiction of the Tohoku Electric Power Company and TEPCO as a countermeasure to power supply and demand during the summer this year. Both companies had placed electricity usage restrictions on major electricity consumers from July of this year based on the Electricity Business Act. However, in consideration of revisions of future electricity supply and demand forecasts in response to such factors as the partial recovery of hydraulic power stations that had been stopped due to intense rainfall, the decision was made to revise these restrictions after a round-robin Ministerial-level Meeting on Power Supply and Demand. The content of this decision is as follows.

The first revision is exempting disaster-affected areas from restriction. Legal restriction measures placed on electricity usage in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and regions damaged by intense rains in Niigata and Fukushima will be terminated as of September 2 (Friday). Second, the termination of usage restrictions placed on electricity under TEPCO jurisdiction will be pushed forward. Legal electricity usage restrictions that applied to electricity under the jurisdiction of TEPCO had initially been scheduled to continue until September 22 (Thursday). However, the decision has been made to terminate these restrictions as of September 9 (Friday). Nevertheless, following the termination of usage restrictions, the Government will maintain its target of 15% reduction in electricity demand of last year's peak levels, and continues to ask for everyone's cooperation in maintaining reasonable efforts to save electricity with this target in mind. For more details please forward your inquiries to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

That is all from me. As has been reported, today the entire Kan Cabinet has resigned. I would like to thank you all for your understanding during the seven and a half months since I was appointed Chief Cabinet Secretary. While seven and a half months feels short, honestly, perhaps because of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it feels more like I have carried out this post for around three years. Particularly from the perspective of citizens and municipalities affected by the disaster and the nuclear power station accident, I honestly regret that there are many people who feel that we had many shortcomings. This fills me with shame, but I am confident that I exerted every effort possible in response to each situation with the information available at the time. Despite these regrets, I strongly look forward to, and feel confident that, these efforts will contribute to realizing recovery and reconstruction - or response to the nuclear power station issue - under the new Noda Cabinet in a manner that is more tangible to affected citizens and people in the affected areas. As I just mentioned, it feels to me like I have been Chief Cabinet Secretary for around three years, and from now I intend to start over and do the best job possible as a Diet member, exerting every effort so that the Noda Cabinet can perform its duties in a resolute manner.

Furthermore, over this seven and a half months as Chief Cabinet Secretary, as well as one year and a half since being appointed as the Minister of State for Government Revitalization in February of last year - over this year and a half - I have continually worked to face the issues that lie directly before me, whether they be a day or half-day ahead. I believe that that is a tremendously important part of any political post, but when taking into consideration my current age and the historical position in which Japan is currently placed, I would like to accumulate various lessons and ideas concerning a future Japan that lies five or ten years down the road. Once again I sincerely thank you all for your guidance and support over the past seven and a half months.

Q&As

(Abridged)

REPORTER: With regard to the Prime Minister's statement at the Cabinet meeting on crisis management accompanying the change in administration, did he have any specifics, as well as any words of praise or anything for the Cabinet ministers?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: First, in the Prime Minister's statements to the Cabinet ministers, as well as again during the roundtable ministerial discussions, he told all of the Cabinet ministers, "You truly did your best." With regard to crisis management, as you already know he made a comment to the effect that, "The current Cabinet will bear responsibility for crisis management and related matters until the attestation ceremony has concluded and the new Cabinet has been inaugurated. In particular, since we have no idea when another aftershock will occur with regard to the Great East Japan Earthquake, particularly in the event that such a state of emergency were to occur again the current Cabinet would bear responsibility, and so it must be thoroughly prepared to respond to any contingency." He also said, "Therefore, be sure to maintain excellent coordination with officials and continue dealing with this in the appropriate manner."

REPORTER: In relation to crisis management, have there been any reports or anything on when the attestation ceremony for the new administration will be?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have not received the specifics yet.

REPORTER: As the Prime Minister has pointed out at the Cabinet meeting and so forth, it seems that this should be done sooner rather than later when it comes to crisis management, but what are your thoughts on this?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Regardless of when it will be, we intend to fulfill our responsibilities by staying on our guard until the next Cabinet has been officially inaugurated.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I know that you haven't heard anything yet about the attestation ceremony for the new administration, but I believe that there are the national disaster drills on September 1. Are we to understand that these will be handled by the Kan Cabinet?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: My understanding is that there is the possibility that this could go either way.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: The conclusions of the Investigation and Verification Committee on the Accidents at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company are supposed to be released within the year. But I sense concerns to the effect that so-called political responsibility may grow murky due to the fact that the Cabinet is now being changed. So how does the Government plan to continue addressing the issue of political responsibility with regard to the response to the nuclear accident even though the Cabinet is changing?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: While the Investigation and Verification Committee has formally been situated within the Cabinet, in actuality it acts as an independent organization to render its own decision and conduct its investigation. This, and the recent chronology of events, is something that incoming Prime Minister Noda is well aware of as a member of the Kan Administration. So he will carry on with this position-which is to say that of the Cabinet-of not getting involved with the investigation or seeking to influence the Committee so that it can perform a thorough investigation independently. This is something that will undoubtedly be passed down. And with regard to exactly what sort of results will be revealed by their verification, we would like the Committee to offer its indications with complete independence. Moreover, even after resigning the Cabinet posts, the current Cabinet members including myself, as well as senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries and so on within the Cabinet, will - how shall I put this - properly respond to any request of hearings or the like if called upon to do so by the Committee.

(Abridged)