"Delivering Japan's thoughts to the world"
Last night (the 24th), I returned safely to Japan from New York, the location of my first trip overseas since taking office as Prime Minister.
A report of the effects of the intense rainfall caused by the typhoon arrived just as I was about to depart Haneda Airport on Tuesday. I was worried about the situation throughout my stay in the US, even though I had given instructions to the Chief Cabinet Secretary (whom I had placed in charge of affairs while I was away) and was receiving daily briefings. I extend my sympathy to the people who suffered damages from the typhoon, and I also continue to urge people to remain vigilant against landslides.
In New York, which was the venue of the United Nations General Assembly, heads of state and government from all around the world gathered, creating a distinctive atmosphere in which the pomp of the front line in diplomatic engagements mixed together with the sense of tension from a heightened state of alert.
In addition to delivering two addresses at the UN General Assembly's large meeting hall, I had a series of meetings with various heads of state and government, including US President Barack Obama. A substantial number of leaders set aside time to meet with me within the very limited time that each of us were there, and I was able to go forward with all of these meetings amidst a good atmosphere. I consider this to have been a good start for deepening our relationships of personal trust into the future. Although I am said to be the third-youngest Japanese prime minister in the post- war era, a number of the national leaders that I met were younger than I. I reaffirmed my thinking that I must engage in diplomacy tirelessly, devoting my passion and my energy to it in a way that measures up to that shown by these leaders.
More than anything, in my speeches at the United Nations addressing the world, I was careful to approach them in a calm state of mind. The High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security, which took place first, was convened through the initiative of Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon. The participating heads of state and government also referred to "Fukushima" numerous times, and I felt heightened interest in Japan's "lessons learned" and "knowledge" regarding nuclear safety. I believe that I delivered an address that lived up to that level of interest.
The address I delivered at the General Assembly was the second of my speeches, and the hall was abuzz, as I spoke directly after Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, who drew a great deal of attention, as Palestine is the subject of the question of United Nations membership. I resolutely geared myself up, and as I began my address, my eyes met the gaze of a number of delegates and I could tell that they were listening intently. I have great hopes that my messages of 'thanks' for the assistance Japan received from around the world and 'determination' towards Japan's revival were conveyed to the world with certainty.
I spent a very intense time there, handling a great number of matters over just a few days, but there are a couple of points that I would like to introduce to you in particular.
The first one is from when I had the opportunity to meet with Japanese staff members of the United Nations. There are many Japanese working as staff of the United Nations and its related organizations. It is not only people in the field of sports such as Mr. Hideki Matsui or Mr. Ichiro Suzuki that are "major leaguers" taking the world as their stage and accommodate the world in the course of their work. The staff of international organizations should be considered new models for Japanese, being actively engaged abroad and devoting themselves to resolve the various problems facing the world. I believe that we should have a greater number of such people corresponding to Japan's national strength. The government will provide proper assistance so that these people can engage in their activities and have younger staff pursue that same path.
Another point I would like to share is from when I hosted a reception thanking the countries of the world for their assistance. In response to the earthquake and tsunami disaster, Japan received offers of assistance from over 160 countries and regions and more than 40 international organizations. A large number of heads of state and government and foreign ministers gathered at this reception as well, including President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka, and President Roza Otunbayeva of the Kyrgyz Republic, among others, and Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon also graciously stopped in briefly, despite his extremely busy schedule.
I spoke individually with each person attending. As we at the reception partook of sake sourced from the disaster affected area, I conveyed my appreciation to each person, saying, "The fellowship and solidarity shown to us from around the world lit up the hearts of a great number of Japanese and persons affected by the disaster and provided them with hope for tomorrow." It was a night on which I once more felt very keenly the fact that the bonds of friendship - the kizuna - between Japan and the world are both wide-reaching and deep.
In the press conference held just before I returned to Japan, I stated that this visit to the US had four aims. These were, first, to express our gratitude to the countries of the world and to pledge Japan's revival; second, to convey to the international community the lessons learned through the earthquake and tsunami disaster and to share our experiences and knowledge; third, to announce Japan's intention to make further contributions to the realization of a brighter future; and fourth, to build relationships of trust with other world leaders. I feel there has clearly been a good response regarding each of these areas.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 25, 2011
quinta-feira, 29 de setembro de 2011
terça-feira, 27 de setembro de 2011
"Prime Minister NODA's BLOG" E-mail Service (September 27, 2011)
"The spirit of manufacturing and the power of the workplace"
On Respect for the Aged Day yesterday (the 19th), I paid a visit to two small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tokyo's Ota Ward as well as to the Yokohama factory of an automobile manufacturer. At each of these places we held an exchange of views centered on the impact of the recent appreciation of the yen.
When you get a sense of a manufacturing location through your own eyes and ears and listen unfiltered to what executives and workers have to say, you will most certainly find out something new that can't be perceived through the figures of economic indicators alone.
I found the master craftsmanship of professionals which compare favorably with precision instruments, competing on processing that achieves accuracy at the single-micron scale. A long-established plating company is taking on the new growing market of smart grids with a vigorous attitude.
The SMEs of Ota Ward with their dreams and passion and pride, as depicted in Jun Ikeido's recent award-winning novel Shitamachi (old down town) Rocket, are clearly not only in the pages of a novel but a strength of Japan existing here and now. I felt this very keenly along with the somehow familiar smell of oil of these factories.
Yet at the same time, the recent appreciation of the yen has brought about a sense of crisis more than any other aspects in years past.
"If our business partners head overseas, we won't be able to maintain production in Japan either."
"We can't get a clear view of the future and cash flow is extremely tight."
"We're in a process of trial and error so as to hand specialized skills down to the younger generation."
I heard such statements one after the other during the opportunities to speak with the executives.
Even companies with superior technologies face this kind of situation. We cannot even grasp the predicament for the many companies for which it is quite difficult to offer some sort of unique product or service. We must not allow technologies and human resources that should remain in Japan to flow out to overseas on account of excessive appreciation of the yen.
In order to avoid the hollowing out of industry, within the forthcoming third supplementary budget I intend to address tenaciously a strengthening of support for cash flow for SMEs and other such measures.
Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to visit a factory handling the technological development and production of state-of-the-art electric vehicles. It is a very welcome state of affairs that companies are making forward-looking investments to take on international competition while committing to hiring employees domestically, with financial incentives from the government to support business locations serving as pump-priming measures.
Here again, what I found to be the most marvelous was the power of "the workplace," as well as the executives, who know very well that that is their strength.
The thing that left the greatest impression on me was the moment at which a veteran assistant manager at one of these factories came to make an appeal. I felt that he was harboring very intense feelings, judging from his very powerful eye contact.
"What brought a resurgence in post-war Japan after we were defeated in the war and lost everything was the fact that there were workers at our factories with pride and dreams. Utilizing the "spirit of manufacturing" that had been handed down from older workers, we intend to keep up our endeavors to prevail over the competition in terms of cost and quality."
The technological capabilities owned by such factories and, indeed, their passion are truly wonderful things. We must not allow them to be diminished. The national government will consider responses that utilize Japan's strengths in a strategic manner.
Today we will decide criteria for budget requests for the next fiscal year and from now I will be departing for New York. I am currently in the midst of polishing the address I will deliver at the United Nations General Assembly.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 20, 2011
On Respect for the Aged Day yesterday (the 19th), I paid a visit to two small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tokyo's Ota Ward as well as to the Yokohama factory of an automobile manufacturer. At each of these places we held an exchange of views centered on the impact of the recent appreciation of the yen.
When you get a sense of a manufacturing location through your own eyes and ears and listen unfiltered to what executives and workers have to say, you will most certainly find out something new that can't be perceived through the figures of economic indicators alone.
I found the master craftsmanship of professionals which compare favorably with precision instruments, competing on processing that achieves accuracy at the single-micron scale. A long-established plating company is taking on the new growing market of smart grids with a vigorous attitude.
The SMEs of Ota Ward with their dreams and passion and pride, as depicted in Jun Ikeido's recent award-winning novel Shitamachi (old down town) Rocket, are clearly not only in the pages of a novel but a strength of Japan existing here and now. I felt this very keenly along with the somehow familiar smell of oil of these factories.
Yet at the same time, the recent appreciation of the yen has brought about a sense of crisis more than any other aspects in years past.
"If our business partners head overseas, we won't be able to maintain production in Japan either."
"We can't get a clear view of the future and cash flow is extremely tight."
"We're in a process of trial and error so as to hand specialized skills down to the younger generation."
I heard such statements one after the other during the opportunities to speak with the executives.
Even companies with superior technologies face this kind of situation. We cannot even grasp the predicament for the many companies for which it is quite difficult to offer some sort of unique product or service. We must not allow technologies and human resources that should remain in Japan to flow out to overseas on account of excessive appreciation of the yen.
In order to avoid the hollowing out of industry, within the forthcoming third supplementary budget I intend to address tenaciously a strengthening of support for cash flow for SMEs and other such measures.
Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to visit a factory handling the technological development and production of state-of-the-art electric vehicles. It is a very welcome state of affairs that companies are making forward-looking investments to take on international competition while committing to hiring employees domestically, with financial incentives from the government to support business locations serving as pump-priming measures.
Here again, what I found to be the most marvelous was the power of "the workplace," as well as the executives, who know very well that that is their strength.
The thing that left the greatest impression on me was the moment at which a veteran assistant manager at one of these factories came to make an appeal. I felt that he was harboring very intense feelings, judging from his very powerful eye contact.
"What brought a resurgence in post-war Japan after we were defeated in the war and lost everything was the fact that there were workers at our factories with pride and dreams. Utilizing the "spirit of manufacturing" that had been handed down from older workers, we intend to keep up our endeavors to prevail over the competition in terms of cost and quality."
The technological capabilities owned by such factories and, indeed, their passion are truly wonderful things. We must not allow them to be diminished. The national government will consider responses that utilize Japan's strengths in a strategic manner.
Today we will decide criteria for budget requests for the next fiscal year and from now I will be departing for New York. I am currently in the midst of polishing the address I will deliver at the United Nations General Assembly.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 20, 2011
"Prime Minister NODA's BLOG" E-mail Service (September 20, 2011)
"Upon finishing my first policy speech to the Diet"
Yesterday (the 13th), I delivered a policy speech to the Diet for the first time. Only my speech to the House of Representatives was broadcast on TV, but I delivered one at the House of Councillors as well. I therefore finished a total of two speeches, at roughly 35 minutes each.
As I said during that speech, the issues that the Noda Cabinet needs to be engaged in are self-evident: "overcoming the dual crises" of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the global economic crisis. We will also "restore a Japan that has pride and hope." In a phrase, this is recovering our "national credibility." Then, through "implementation," we will spare no efforts in leading to "results."
In the text of my policy speech I used an expression that many in the public thought it was a typing error. I used the expression "seishin sei-i" in explaining how I will conduct myself as Prime Minister, and this is normally written with Japanese characters to mean "wholeheartedly." I however chose to use different characters in rendering this expression, using instead the characters originally used by the statesman Katsu Kaishu - "sincere spirit and just intent" - in order to express my current thinking more aptly. Taking this approach of "sincere spirit and just intent," I will "amass and concentrate Japan's potential." This is my sincere wish, and what I am resolved to do.
In fact, the policy speech to the Diet is not an occasion in which you can get a feeling for the atmosphere and insert ideas on the spot or express yourself as you like. The text is approved by the Cabinet in advance and printed copies must be handed out at the Diet beforehand, so you cannot deviate from the prepared text even the slightest as you deliver it. Not being able to modify my approach as I looked at the faces in the audience, I felt it was a little inconvenient to deliver a "speech" of this kind.
Thinking of the form the Diet should take, using dialogue to work towards agreement, I carried on until the speeches were finished.
In the introduction, I made an appeal to the public, stating three times "there are things we should not forget."
I spoke of Ms. Miki Endo and her disaster prevention messages over the radio, and the mayor of the town of Nachi-Katsuura, Mr. Shinichi Teramoto, who impressed me deeply when I met him in person, and the words of a play by high school students that moved me when I watched in on a DVD given to me by Mr. Yuhei Sato, governor of Fukushima Prefecture. Rather than ride upon the words of great persons in world history or upon "borrowed" words arising from abstruse historical events or famous sayings, I wove in some episodes that truly moved me deeply, hoping to communicate heart to heart with the public. I would like to pray once more for the repose of the souls of Ms. Endo, Mayor Teramoto's family, and the others who have lost their lives, while also extending my sincerest sympathies to all those who have been affected by the disaster.
The play created by Fukushima high school students, from which I quoted the very striking line, "To see our grandchildren in Fukushima, to see our great-grandchildren in Fukushima, and to end our days in Fukushima" is one that is truly moving. I've inserted a link to the video here(*) and I would be very pleased if as many people as possible watched it.
Query sessions by representatives of political parties will continue at the Diet until the day after tomorrow (the 16th). Next week I will make a speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. I will express Japan's appreciation to the international community for the assistance we received in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami disaster, and demonstrate Japan's orientation as we work vigorously towards recovery and reconstruction.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 14, 2011
Yesterday (the 13th), I delivered a policy speech to the Diet for the first time. Only my speech to the House of Representatives was broadcast on TV, but I delivered one at the House of Councillors as well. I therefore finished a total of two speeches, at roughly 35 minutes each.
As I said during that speech, the issues that the Noda Cabinet needs to be engaged in are self-evident: "overcoming the dual crises" of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the global economic crisis. We will also "restore a Japan that has pride and hope." In a phrase, this is recovering our "national credibility." Then, through "implementation," we will spare no efforts in leading to "results."
In the text of my policy speech I used an expression that many in the public thought it was a typing error. I used the expression "seishin sei-i" in explaining how I will conduct myself as Prime Minister, and this is normally written with Japanese characters to mean "wholeheartedly." I however chose to use different characters in rendering this expression, using instead the characters originally used by the statesman Katsu Kaishu - "sincere spirit and just intent" - in order to express my current thinking more aptly. Taking this approach of "sincere spirit and just intent," I will "amass and concentrate Japan's potential." This is my sincere wish, and what I am resolved to do.
In fact, the policy speech to the Diet is not an occasion in which you can get a feeling for the atmosphere and insert ideas on the spot or express yourself as you like. The text is approved by the Cabinet in advance and printed copies must be handed out at the Diet beforehand, so you cannot deviate from the prepared text even the slightest as you deliver it. Not being able to modify my approach as I looked at the faces in the audience, I felt it was a little inconvenient to deliver a "speech" of this kind.
Thinking of the form the Diet should take, using dialogue to work towards agreement, I carried on until the speeches were finished.
In the introduction, I made an appeal to the public, stating three times "there are things we should not forget."
I spoke of Ms. Miki Endo and her disaster prevention messages over the radio, and the mayor of the town of Nachi-Katsuura, Mr. Shinichi Teramoto, who impressed me deeply when I met him in person, and the words of a play by high school students that moved me when I watched in on a DVD given to me by Mr. Yuhei Sato, governor of Fukushima Prefecture. Rather than ride upon the words of great persons in world history or upon "borrowed" words arising from abstruse historical events or famous sayings, I wove in some episodes that truly moved me deeply, hoping to communicate heart to heart with the public. I would like to pray once more for the repose of the souls of Ms. Endo, Mayor Teramoto's family, and the others who have lost their lives, while also extending my sincerest sympathies to all those who have been affected by the disaster.
The play created by Fukushima high school students, from which I quoted the very striking line, "To see our grandchildren in Fukushima, to see our great-grandchildren in Fukushima, and to end our days in Fukushima" is one that is truly moving. I've inserted a link to the video here(*) and I would be very pleased if as many people as possible watched it.
Query sessions by representatives of political parties will continue at the Diet until the day after tomorrow (the 16th). Next week I will make a speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. I will express Japan's appreciation to the international community for the assistance we received in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami disaster, and demonstrate Japan's orientation as we work vigorously towards recovery and reconstruction.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 14, 2011
quinta-feira, 15 de setembro de 2011
"Prime Minister NODA's BLOG" E-mail Service (September 15, 2011)
"Touring the disaster areas"
Hello to all the Japanese people. I am Yoshihiko Noda, appointed Prime Minister recently. Taking a lesson from some of the prime ministers who preceded me, I have decided to launch this blog in order to convey to you, the public, the job performance of the Noda Cabinet.
The starting point of my political activities was making early morning speeches out in front of train stations, an activity which I continued every day, in the heat or in the cold, for the quarter- century since I became a Diet member. I had recorded onto hand- written flyers a report of my activities for the week and a message and handed these out to the people in my electoral district. [These I dubbed the "kawara edition" - kawara being the ceramic roof tiles used on so many Japanese homes - and now the Japanese version of this online blog is called the Kantei kawara-ban, the kawara edition from the Prime Minister's Office ]
Normally of course I would like to speak to you all face to face in front of the train station, but for now I will start with this format. To be perfectly honest, I'm not confident about how often I will be able to write something for the blog, but I'd like to continue with this for as long as possible.
Since taking office on this past September 2, what has been the greatest priority for me more than anything else was visiting the areas that suffered damage in the great earthquake and tsunami disaster or during Typhoon #12 in person to confirm with my own eyes and ears what exactly they needed. On the 8th I visited Fukushima, on the 9th Mie, Nara, and Wakayama, and on the 10th Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.
In Fukushima, I took an inspection tour within the grounds of the TEPCO's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station. After changing into protective gear and donning a mask that covers one's entire face, it was hard to breathe, and the heat was also difficult to cope with. I delivered short remarks to Mr. Masao Yoshida, General Manager of the power station, the staff working under him at the emergency response room, and the workers shouldering the tasks on site, and then traveled around the perimeter of the reactor buildings by bus. As for the outward appearance, looking close up at the collapsed building of Unit 3, which still retains the appearance it had when the hydrogen explosions occurred, I felt very keenly that this "battle" to bring the situation under stable control is still very much continuing even now. The devoted efforts of the workers at the site are supporting this country. With these feelings of appreciation, I encouraged the persons involved to the fullest extent of my power.
At a Central Meeting Hall and elementary school in the city of Date, where model operations are underway to decontaminate radioactive materials, I saw that the people of the local area are making a collective effort to decontaminate the areas they use in their daily lives.
With regard to the decontamination of radioactivity, at the Cabinet Meeting of the 9th, a budget of 220 billion yen was approved, making use of reserve funds. It has been decided that the 12 municipalities designated for evacuation will all have model operations set up. I intend for the national government to continue to fulfill its responsibilities while working in cooperation with the heads of the local municipalities.
At the Fukushima Prefectural Office, I, together with relevant ministers and senior vice-ministers, held an exchange of views with Mr. Yuhei Sato, Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, and the mayors of municipalities within the prefecture. I reiterated the stance of the Cabinet, that "Without the revival of Fukushima, there can be no revitalization of a vibrant Japan," and very helpfully, I received a variety of requests. This was a very meaningful exchange of views.
On Friday the 9th, I viewed the state of damage in the three Nanki area prefectures of Mie, Nara, and Wakayama both from the road and from the air, via helicopter. I felt very poignantly the depth of the traces of the damage from Typhoon 12 and the horror of the concentrated heavy rain and landslides. I instructed that, with lifesaving as the foremost priority, all-out efforts are to be made towards emergency countermeasures for this disaster, including the relief and rescue of the victims, that it is imperative to strive to grasp the situation of damage in a rapid and accurate manner, and that efforts are to be made with a sense of urgency, in cooperation with the related prefectural offices and local authorities. With regard to the "natural dam" that has appeared as a result of the landslides, there are locations at which it is possible that the dam might fail if precipitation were to fall from now and the water level were to rise. I urge the local residents to pay careful attention to the information from the local authorities and to remain vigilant.
After that, I exchanged views with the heads of the relevant local authorities. Mr. Teramoto, mayor of the town of Nachikatsuura, was among those participating. I was deeply impressed by his manner in leading the relief and rescue of the residents with all his strength even though his daughter, who was engaged to be married, lost her life in the disaster and his wife also remains unaccounted for.
On Saturday the 10th, I visited Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. In the city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate, the decrepit state of the city hall, which had been wrecked by the tsunamis, was still visible, and I could see the destructive power of the tsunamis resulting from the great earthquake. The fishing port of the city of Kesennuma, which was damaged by the tsumani, is once again landing fish and everywhere I could feel vitality towards reconstruction. I have already stated on many occasions that "the critical issues for my Cabinet are recovery and reconstruction from the earthquake and tsunami disaster, including bringing the situation at the nuclear plant under stable control." We must invest in the disaster- struck areas energy that goes beyond the destructive power of this tsunami. In order for the national government to respond with a sense of speed, I have become even more determined to reflect this in the third supplementary budget as well as in the formulation of the fiscal 2012 budget, after listening carefully to the views and the requests of the local people.
It is truly unfortunate that recently there was a member of the Cabinet who resigned as a result of his inappropriate remarks and actions, which failed to consider the feelings of the disaster victims. To restore the trust of the people, my Cabinet will fulfill its responsibilities, working together and pushing ahead vigorously towards resolving the nuclear accident and assisting the disaster victims.
This week, the extraordinary Diet session will begin, and on the 13th I will deliver my first policy speech to the Diet. I ask the Japanese people for their cordial but stringent guidance and encouragement.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 12, 2011
Hello to all the Japanese people. I am Yoshihiko Noda, appointed Prime Minister recently. Taking a lesson from some of the prime ministers who preceded me, I have decided to launch this blog in order to convey to you, the public, the job performance of the Noda Cabinet.
The starting point of my political activities was making early morning speeches out in front of train stations, an activity which I continued every day, in the heat or in the cold, for the quarter- century since I became a Diet member. I had recorded onto hand- written flyers a report of my activities for the week and a message and handed these out to the people in my electoral district. [These I dubbed the "kawara edition" - kawara being the ceramic roof tiles used on so many Japanese homes - and now the Japanese version of this online blog is called the Kantei kawara-ban, the kawara edition from the Prime Minister's Office ]
Normally of course I would like to speak to you all face to face in front of the train station, but for now I will start with this format. To be perfectly honest, I'm not confident about how often I will be able to write something for the blog, but I'd like to continue with this for as long as possible.
Since taking office on this past September 2, what has been the greatest priority for me more than anything else was visiting the areas that suffered damage in the great earthquake and tsunami disaster or during Typhoon #12 in person to confirm with my own eyes and ears what exactly they needed. On the 8th I visited Fukushima, on the 9th Mie, Nara, and Wakayama, and on the 10th Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.
In Fukushima, I took an inspection tour within the grounds of the TEPCO's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station. After changing into protective gear and donning a mask that covers one's entire face, it was hard to breathe, and the heat was also difficult to cope with. I delivered short remarks to Mr. Masao Yoshida, General Manager of the power station, the staff working under him at the emergency response room, and the workers shouldering the tasks on site, and then traveled around the perimeter of the reactor buildings by bus. As for the outward appearance, looking close up at the collapsed building of Unit 3, which still retains the appearance it had when the hydrogen explosions occurred, I felt very keenly that this "battle" to bring the situation under stable control is still very much continuing even now. The devoted efforts of the workers at the site are supporting this country. With these feelings of appreciation, I encouraged the persons involved to the fullest extent of my power.
At a Central Meeting Hall and elementary school in the city of Date, where model operations are underway to decontaminate radioactive materials, I saw that the people of the local area are making a collective effort to decontaminate the areas they use in their daily lives.
With regard to the decontamination of radioactivity, at the Cabinet Meeting of the 9th, a budget of 220 billion yen was approved, making use of reserve funds. It has been decided that the 12 municipalities designated for evacuation will all have model operations set up. I intend for the national government to continue to fulfill its responsibilities while working in cooperation with the heads of the local municipalities.
At the Fukushima Prefectural Office, I, together with relevant ministers and senior vice-ministers, held an exchange of views with Mr. Yuhei Sato, Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, and the mayors of municipalities within the prefecture. I reiterated the stance of the Cabinet, that "Without the revival of Fukushima, there can be no revitalization of a vibrant Japan," and very helpfully, I received a variety of requests. This was a very meaningful exchange of views.
On Friday the 9th, I viewed the state of damage in the three Nanki area prefectures of Mie, Nara, and Wakayama both from the road and from the air, via helicopter. I felt very poignantly the depth of the traces of the damage from Typhoon 12 and the horror of the concentrated heavy rain and landslides. I instructed that, with lifesaving as the foremost priority, all-out efforts are to be made towards emergency countermeasures for this disaster, including the relief and rescue of the victims, that it is imperative to strive to grasp the situation of damage in a rapid and accurate manner, and that efforts are to be made with a sense of urgency, in cooperation with the related prefectural offices and local authorities. With regard to the "natural dam" that has appeared as a result of the landslides, there are locations at which it is possible that the dam might fail if precipitation were to fall from now and the water level were to rise. I urge the local residents to pay careful attention to the information from the local authorities and to remain vigilant.
After that, I exchanged views with the heads of the relevant local authorities. Mr. Teramoto, mayor of the town of Nachikatsuura, was among those participating. I was deeply impressed by his manner in leading the relief and rescue of the residents with all his strength even though his daughter, who was engaged to be married, lost her life in the disaster and his wife also remains unaccounted for.
On Saturday the 10th, I visited Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. In the city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate, the decrepit state of the city hall, which had been wrecked by the tsunamis, was still visible, and I could see the destructive power of the tsunamis resulting from the great earthquake. The fishing port of the city of Kesennuma, which was damaged by the tsumani, is once again landing fish and everywhere I could feel vitality towards reconstruction. I have already stated on many occasions that "the critical issues for my Cabinet are recovery and reconstruction from the earthquake and tsunami disaster, including bringing the situation at the nuclear plant under stable control." We must invest in the disaster- struck areas energy that goes beyond the destructive power of this tsunami. In order for the national government to respond with a sense of speed, I have become even more determined to reflect this in the third supplementary budget as well as in the formulation of the fiscal 2012 budget, after listening carefully to the views and the requests of the local people.
It is truly unfortunate that recently there was a member of the Cabinet who resigned as a result of his inappropriate remarks and actions, which failed to consider the feelings of the disaster victims. To restore the trust of the people, my Cabinet will fulfill its responsibilities, working together and pushing ahead vigorously towards resolving the nuclear accident and assisting the disaster victims.
This week, the extraordinary Diet session will begin, and on the 13th I will deliver my first policy speech to the Diet. I ask the Japanese people for their cordial but stringent guidance and encouragement.
Yoshihiko Noda
Prime Minister of Japan
September 12, 2011
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