Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I would first like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved 21 general measures, and also the promulgation of draft bills and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the fiscal 2012 projected revenues and expenditures for Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), the financial statement and operational report for fiscal 2012 and the opinions of the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. Prime Minister Noda made a statement concerning the appointment of the Minister for Comprehensive Review of Measures in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake.

I would like to add one point concerning the appointment of the Minister for Comprehensive Review of Measures in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. This ministerial position is of great importance as the minister will be tasked with engaging in a comprehensive review of the Government's response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, using this review process to identify lessons and construct earthquake and tsunami disaster countermeasures in the future. It was therefore decided that as of today, Minister Hirano will be appointed to the position of Minister for Comprehensive Review of Measures in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake in view of the fact that he has been engaged in operations relating to the Government's response since the disaster struck and possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge on the subject.

Q&As

REPORTER: I have a question relating to the work of the Minister for Comprehensive Review of Measures in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, whose appointment you have just announced. What specific task and schedule are you expecting for the new ministerial position to carry out  and how do you intend to divide the task  between the new Minister  and the Minister of State for Disaster Management?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: First of all, Minister Nakagawa is the Minister of State of the Cabinet Office responsible for Disaster Management operations and he is therefore mandated to oversee operations implemented by the Cabinet Office. On the other hand, as a Cabinet minister, Minister Hirano is expected to engage in a comprehensive review, encompassing all ministries and agencies, of the Government's response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and in particular to the earthquake and tsunami. In the course of fulfilling these duties, Minister Hirano will be expected to liaise with other ministers, including Minister of State for Disaster Management Nakagawa, and cooperate in the creation and utilization of disaster countermeasures for responding to future disasters. Very soon Minister Nakagawa, responsible for all aspects of disaster management and Minister Hirano, responsible for a comprehensive review of disaster countermeasures based on the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake, are expected to have a meeting, in which the way forward in terms of work and duties will be decided and set out.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: It has been ascertained that the unusual temperature increase in a part of the Unit 2 reactor of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station was almost certainly caused by a faulty temperature gauge. However, this fact alone could lead some to the observation that the situation, including faulty equipment, is not particularly stable. What are your views of such opinions?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: First of all, to deal with the facts of the matter, yesterday an experiment was implemented on the single temperature gauge that has consistently shown different readings to the others and this experiment suggested the possibility that the thermoelectric coupling that comprises part of the gauge could be broken. After the experiment further temperature readings were taken which showed temperature readings in excess of 300 degrees Celsius, vastly different to temperature readings recorded beforehand. On the other hand, the readings on all the other temperature gauges situated at the base of the reactor pressure vessel, which are all submerged in water, show a continued decrease in temperature. From this it has been determined that the reactor pressure vessel  is continuing to cool and therefore there is no impact on the state of cold shutdown. Yesterday the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) issued an order to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to provide a report on the matter, in accordance with the provisions of the Nuclear Reactor Regulation Act, requesting a report on the alternative measures being implemented to monitor the temperature inside the reactor. Efforts will be continued to carefully monitor the readings of other temperature gauges and although there is no relation to the state of cold shutdown, given the fact that one of the temperature gauges out of the six in place  is no longer working, TEPCO has been instructed by NISA to continue to consider alternative means of monitoring the temperature.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: With regard to the request from the United States government concerning the possibility of relocating some of the U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa to the base in Iwakuni, yesterday both the Minister of Defense and the Minister for Foreign Affairs categorically stated that the Japanese Government would reject such a request. Is this the stance of the Government and what are your views?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I will give you the details of this matter in brief. With regard to the additional relocation to the Iwakuni Airbase of U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, yesterday, February 13, both Minister for Foreign Affairs Gemba and Minister of Defense Tanaka stated that "As we have indicated to the governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture and the mayor of Iwakuni City, this is an issue that has not been discussed in consultations between Japan and the United States, and there are no plans whatsoever to make such a request to the prefecture or the city." This statement, made by both ministers, represents the stance of the Japanese Government on this issue.

(Abridged)