1.
One Year after 3/11: A New Concept of ‘Security’ from
Japan
2.
The Fourth TICAD Ministerial Follow-up Meeting
3.
G8 Summit in Camp David
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JICC
Newsletter
No.8, July 2012 |
One Year after 3/11
A
New Concept of ‘Security’ from Japan
One Year On
On
March 11, the Government of Japan held a ceremony in Tokyo to
commemorate the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake
in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. Prime
Minister Yoshihiko Noda addressed the ceremony on behalf of the
government, saying: “The fight against the nuclear accident is
continuing. We will make every effort to ensure that the rebirth of
Fukushima is definitely achieved and beautiful hometowns are
restored to their people . . . In order to repay the warm and kind
assistance shown to us by other countries, we must exert every
effort to make an active contribution to the international
community.”
- Address
by His Majesty the Emperor (English translation on the website of
the Imperial Household Agency):
http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-okotoba/01/address/okotoba-h24e.html
- Address
by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda (Translations on the website of
Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet):
(English)
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/noda/statement/201203/11sikiji_e.html
On the
following day, March 12, Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba
hosted a reception, which was attended by many foreign residents in
Japan who extended assistance to the affected areas as well as
diplomatic corps, including officials of U.S. forces in Japan. In
his address, Minister Gemba expressed his condolences for the people
who lost their lives and reiterated his gratitude for assistance
from the international community. Stressing Japan’s steady progress
in reconstruction, Minister Gemba called for action to stem
reputational damages and relax travel and import restrictions
against Japan. Likewise, Japanese diplomatic missions hosted similar
receptions in 214 locations in 136 countries, which were attended by
many government officials, organizations and individuals who
provided assistance to Japan, business people who could contribute
to alleviating reputational damages, Japan experts, as well as the
press.
- Address
by Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba (English translation on the MOFA
website):
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm/gemba/speech_120312.html
Towards Japan That Leads the World
We are
deeply grateful to the international community for its assistance in
all of its forms to the people of Japan in the face of this
unprecedented disaster. It embodied a heart-warming sense of
solidarity with us. Most areas in Japan, except restricted areas,
have returned to normal since the earthquake. We are more than happy
to welcome people from abroad, be it for business, travel, or study.
We will continue to
promptly provide the international community with accurate
information on the situation in Japan and the safety of Japanese
products. We (once again) call upon your government to review, and
relax as appropriate, your travel and import restrictions in
accordance with the latest conditions in Japan. In fact, some
countries, such as Canada, Chile, and Peru, have already lifted
their import restrictions altogether. The United States says it
essentially makes its restrictions consistent with Japan’s domestic
shipment restrictions. An increasing number of countries relaxed
their restrictions on travel to Japan. The United States has also
narrowed the evacuation advisory zone for its people to the area
within a 20-kilometer radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Station.
The
March 11th disaster has reminded us of the importance of kizuna,
or bonds of friendship, with the international community. Japan
reaffirms its commitment to its international cooperation to achieve
human security and sustainable and inclusive growth for the world
and to address a range of global issues facing the international
community. In this way, Japan can reciprocate the assistance it
received from the international community. Japan has also continued
to share with the international community the knowledge and lessons
learned from the earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear accident.
Furthermore, Japan strives to become a model for the international
community as a top problem solver in such areas as open
reconstruction from a natural disaster, disaster prevention,
transition to a green economy, action to address an aging
population, and high-level economic partnership.
Safe and Secure Japan
Is
Japan an unsafe country to visit? The answer is no. First and
foremost, the release of cesium (a radioactive material) from the
containment vessels of Units 1 to 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company is now about one 80
millionth of the amount at the time of the accident in March last
year. This means that if you are exposed to radiation on the
boundary of the site for one year, the total dosage you receive will
be 0.02 millisieverts (mSv) or less. (This is far less than the
amount of a round trip by air between Tokyo and New York, which is a
little over 0.1 mSv, and a gastrointestinal X-ray examination, which
is 0.4 mSv.) Second, the nuclear reactors are now in a stable state
after achieving a condition equivalent to “cold shutdown” in
December last year. Third, air radiation levels in areas around the
nuclear power station are largely rather low, as shown in
the
attachment. For example, radiation levels in the Aizu area in
Fukushima Prefecture are on par with those in major cities in the
world (0.08-0.14 µSv/h against 0.108 µSv/h in Seoul). Again, Japan
is safe to visit. Please feel at ease to visit our country, be it
for business, travel, or study.
- Radiation
Dose Measurements (Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
website):
(English)
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eq/eng/04_recovery.htm
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