Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

(Abridged)

Q&As

(Abridged)

REPORTER: With regard to the high levels of radiation that have been detected in Kashiwa City in Chiba Prefecture, can you tell us whether the Government's current understanding is that this radiation originated from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: Over the weekend I have been involved in discussions and considerations on this matter. With regard to the high levels of airborne radiation that have been confirmed in Kashiwa City, from yesterday representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) have been onsite in Kashiwa. In addition to requesting safety measures, including entry restrictions to the areas concerned, on the basis of the analysis performed by city authorities, MEXT dispatched a team of staff members and experts from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), which implemented onsite analyses. The results of these analyses show that at a height of 1m above ground there are some areas that have a reading of 2.0 microsieverts per hour. The results of radionuclide analysis performed by Kashiwa City on contaminated soil have detected high concentrations of radioactive cesium 134, which suggests that there is a high possibility that the radioactive cesium originated from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). In addition, the results of the investigations by MEXT have detected cracks in the gutters at the side of the road in the vicinity of where the high concentrations of radiation were detected. It is therefore hypothesized that as radioactive cesium has been detected in this area, it is likely that the cesium was washed into the soil through the cracks in the roadside gutters, where it further accumulated and became more concentrated. At the current point, sand has been laid over the affected area and plastic sheets have been laid over the sand layer, which has brought the levels down to 0.64 microsieverts per hour at a level of 1m above the ground. From now, based on the response policy to areas outside Fukushima Prefecture reporting high concentrations of radiation that I announced on Friday last week, decontamination measures will be implemented by the Ministry of the Environment and the Cabinet Office's Team in Charge of Assisting the Lives of Victims around the Nuclear Power Plant in cooperation with local governments. In the case of Kashiwa City I believe that the local government is already holding a meeting with these bodies this evening.

(Abridged)