Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• Restarting operations at nuclear power stations (Oi Nuclear Power Station)
• The Senkaku Islands
• North Korea

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Today, in the meeting (with the Chief Cabinet Secretary), with regard to the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC), I believe Mayor of Osaka Toru Hashimoto requested that the procedures for confirming the safety (of Oi Nuclear Power Station) be reviewed. Specifically, I believe that Mayor Hashimoto requested the implementation of exhaustive stress tests and that he believes NSC should make a judgment in view of the stress tests. Based on these proposals, does the Government intend to once again review the procedures?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I said that the Government will carefully study the eight proposals received, as agenda items for the future. The matter you just raised did not come up in the meeting. Discussion about the stress tests and so on is only what is written in the proposal.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Concerning a question which was asked this morning, Governor of Tokyo Shintaro Ishihara has expressed intentions of meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the Senkaku Islands. Has a request been made to hold a meeting between the two leaders?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: There was a request to hold discussions on a matter entirely unrelated to the Senkaku Islands you mentioned now, which is the Yokota Air Base. The schedule is now being arranged.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: My question concerns North Korea. It seems that this morning, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea suggested that North Korea is prepared to carry out a nuclear test at any moment. I believe North Korea has been making steady preparations despite the concerns of the international community. What information does the Government have and what measures does it intend to take moving forward?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: It is true that there is various information. The Government is carefully collecting and analyzing information.