Top > Announcement > Press Conference by the Press Secretary of MOFA > 31 March 2011

Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 31 March 2011

  1. Present situation after the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake
  2. Telephone conversations by Prime Minister Naoto Kan
  3. Statement by Minister Matsumoto on Myanmar
  4. Visit to Japan by President Sarkozy of the French Republic
  5. The 4th Japan-SAARC (The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Symposium on Regional Cooperation in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
  6. Questions concerning international assistance, with regard to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

  1. Present situation after the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake

    2. Deputy Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

    Mr. Sobashima: First, we have distributed the papers which we uploaded on our Ministry’s website on the present situation after the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake. As of yesterday, 30 March, we have the paper for the overall picture. Under the heading “the current situation and the government’s response,” we have outlines, damages, sympathies from countries and regions around the world, and emergency assistance from overseas countries and territories. The difference from last week is of course the numbers. As of yesterday, 134 countries and territories, as well as 39 international organizations have expressed their intention to extend assistance. Then we have the section for confirming the safety of foreign nationals in Japan and the section for ensuring the safety of nuclear power stations. We have additional papers. The first is a map of rescue teams' operations. The overseas teams are doing their operations, from North to South, in Hachinohe City, Kamaishi City, Ofunato City, Kesennuma City, Minami-Sanrikucho, Ishinomaki City, Shiogama City, Between Ishinomaki City and Shiogama City we have Rifucho, which is not located on this map, where the Indian team is doing their operations. Then we have Shichigahamacho, Tagajo City, Sendai City, Natori City, Iwanuma City, Kakuda City and Soma City. We appreciate the foreign teams for their operations. We have a list entitled “Schedule of Operations of Rescue Teams from Foreign Countries, Regions and International Organizations.” We have the US teams operating, UNOCHA team, WFP team, IAEA team, and Turkey, Israel, and India are still doing their operations. The title of this paper says “rescue teams,” but the Israel team is a medical team. It arrived on 27 March, and this is the first overseas medical team doing their activities in Japan, in the affected areas. We have also distributed a list of relief goods from overseas. Basically, just like the other paper, the names of the countries and territories are in the order of their arrival, in principle. The United States, UNICEF, China, Taiwan, Mongolia, India, Canada, Thailand, Ukraine, International Telecommunication Union, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, France, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Uzbekistan, Iran, the European Union, Venezuela, Malaysia, WFP, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal, Israel, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and also UNHCR which is not yet included on this paper. From UNHCR we have about 1800 solar lamps, which arrived for use in Miyagi Prefecture on 29 March. As for financial contributions, we have not distributed a list. However, last Tuesday, Foreign Minister Matsumoto said that the donations received in our embassies and consulates general overseas amounted, at that time, to about 1 billion yen. As for the total donations to Japan from overseas, including those reported by the media, he suggested perhaps we have one more digit, that is to say 10 billion yen. That is as of Tuesday this week. We have more financial assistance coming and we are really grateful to the donors for their donations. However we have problems also; that is wrong reports, as well as some measures taken in an excessive manner, for example the restriction on importation of food from Japan in a number of countries. In this regard, Ambassador Otabe, in participating in a WTO meeting in Geneva, requested the authorities of the countries and territories to refrain from excessive reactions and from inappropriate import restriction measures. As I explained last week, we are continuously providing information, including information related to the problems of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Therefore, we hope that foreign countries will react in a calm manner, based on accurate data. These are about the present situation after the earthquake and tsunami.

    Reference Materials (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan) [PDF]other site
    - Map Indicating Locations of Activities by Rescue Teams (as of March 30, 2011)
    - Assistance in Kind (as of March 29, 2011)
    - Schedule of Acceptance of Rescue Teams (as of March 30, 2011)

  2. Telephone conversations by Prime Minister Naoto Kan

    3. Mr. Sobashima: Now I will orally explain two telephone conversations. Both took place yesterday. The first is the telephone conversation between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and US President Barack Obama. Yesterday, 30 March (Japan time), Prime Minister Naoto Kan held a telephone conversation with the Hon. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America. Prime Minister Kan expressed his gratitude for the massive support received from the United States after the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami. He further conveyed appreciation for the close consultation being held between Japan and the United States, to respond to the accidents at Fukushima Daiichi Power Station. Prime Minister Kan expressed his intention to continue to have close consultations with the United States in this regard. In response, President Obama once again offered his deep sympathy, and expressed his confidence that Japan would achieve reconstruction. He further stated that the Government of the United States is prepared to provide necessary assistance in both the short term and the long term, and we are very grateful for that. The other phone conversation the Prime Minister held was with the German Chancellor. On the same day, Prime Minister Naoto Kan had a telephone conversation with Her Excellency Dr. Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany. Chancellor Merkel offered her deepest sympathy and expressed her intention to continue to assist Japan in all forms. Prime Minister Kan thanked the German Chancellor for her words and support, and the expression of solidarity, and explained the current situations, including the current situation at Fukushima Daiichi Power Station. The Prime Minister added that he intends to provide information with the maximum transparency to the international community. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that Japan would overcome the situation and then meet the German Chancellor, among other G8 leaders, on the occasion of the G8 Summit Meeting, to be held in the latter part of May. These are the gists of the conversations that Prime Minister Kan had yesterday.

  3. Statement by Minister Matsumoto on Myanmar

    4. Mr. Sobashima: The next topic is the statement by the Foreign Minister, on the occasion of the establishment of a new government of Myanmar. Yesterday, Myanmar formed a new government headed by President Thein Sein. Japan hopes that Myanmar will become more open and more democratic, based on the discussions in its parliament, and also on the positive efforts to be made by the government for further national reconciliation. Thus we hope that the relationship between Myanmar and the international community, including Japan, will be strengthened.

  4. Visit to Japan by President Sarkozy of the French Republic

    5. Mr. Sobashima: The next item is the visit to Japan by His Excellency, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic. President Sarkozy will be paying a visit to Japan today. During his stay in Japan, the President will hold a meeting with Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan. Upon the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake, as the Presidency of the G8/G20 Summit meetings this year, President Sarkozy has been expressing his intention to visit Japan, to offer the solidarity and support of the international community to Japan, and we welcome the President.

  5. The 4th Japan-SAARC (The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Symposium on Regional Cooperation in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

    6. Mr. Sobashima: Finally, the 4th Japan-SAARC (The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Symposium on Regional Cooperation in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This Japan-SAARC Symposium is being held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday and today, co-organized by the Government of Japan, the Government of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, and the SAARC Secretariat. Experts and government officials in the field of energy resources will attend the Symposium. As for the Japan-SAARC Symposium on energy, three Symposia had already been held since Japan became an observer to SAARC in 2005, which discuss energy efficiency and renewable energy. These are the topics that I would like to explain. Now I invite your questions.

  6. Questions concerning international assistance, with regard to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

    7. Q: With regard to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Japan, I heard that he is accompanied by the French Ecology Minister and also the Chief of the French Nuclear Agency. At the same time, the CEO of the French Nuclear Energy Company Areva is visiting Japan. What kind of assistance is Japan going to receive or seek from the French experts or French officials, in its efforts to resolve the Fukushima nuclear crisis?

    Mr. Sobashima: Thank you for your question. I do not have at hand the details of the senior officials or the people accompanying the President. However, yes, France did indeed offer us assistance, including assistance and advice in the field of nuclear energy, particularly with regard to the problems we have at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Already, some members of Areva have arrived in Japan. I don't know who exactly will be coming. However, yes, the Areva people have already arrived and we hope to receive advice from them. On nuclear energy, we already have experts from the IAEA and from the United States in Japan, and we will have also experts from France. We are very grateful to France, among other countries and organizations, for their offer of assistance.

    Q: Just to follow-up, I have heard that France and the United States offered to provide some radiation-resistant robots or spy planes that can operate in the high radiation environment of the Fukushima plant. Do you know if this equipment is already being used?

    Mr. Sobashima: I'm afraid I don’t, though I read such a report. However, we certainly expect that some sort of equipment will be introduced, in connection with the advice and cooperation they are offering. However, at this point in time I am unable to confirm what the kinds of equipment they may be offering to us exactly. But indeed, we are very grateful for their advice, including the possible offer of certain types of equipment.

    If you have no further questions, thank you very much for coming.

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