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In the evening of March 13, Secretary General Goshi Hosono spoke at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo. Hosono started by speaking about the restoration efforts from the Great East Japan Earthquake, saying that “When I was a Cabinet Member or the Policy Research Committee Chair of the ruling party I was able to directly influence government policy, but now I have to find a way to assist the efforts in the affected areas as a member of an opposition party.” Hosono outlined two principles he would adopt with regard to assistance for the affected areas: (1) To overcome partisanship and thoroughly support the Government (2) To do whatever he could in a personal capacity. He stated that “I will not idly criticize the Government about issues regarding decontamination and interim storage facilities for spent fuel; rather I will mobilize tightly-formed networks and support their policies.” He also declared that “I will personally establish an NPO with Member of the House of Councillors Kan Suzuki, former Parliamentary Secretary of the Environment Satoshi Takayama, and Sports Commentator Atsuya Furuta in order to support Fukushima by addressing health issues that affect children or implementing countermeasures against the spread of harmful rumors.” He also noted that he would enhance discussions when he found differences in views between his position and those of the Government or the ruling parties.
In addition, Hosono remarked on the joint activities by Japan and the U.S. to manage the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, stating that “Japan and the U.S. have made united efforts to overcome the most difficult situation we have faced since entering into an alliance after WWII.” He criticized Prime Minister Abe who has repeatedly emphasized that “The Japan–U.S. Alliance has now been fully restored” arguing that, “PM Abe claims that the alliance between Japan and the U.S. was ineffective during the three years and three months that the DPJ was in power, but this is simply not true.”
Regarding responses to the Diet, Hosono expressed his intention for the DPJ to play a proactive role in addressing various issues, leveraging its position as an opposition party with experience of running the country. He also commented that “I don’t think the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) played a satisfactory role in its capacity as an opposition party,” pointing out the fact that the LDP exploited important political issues, such as personnel appointments requiring Diet approval or legislation for special measures regarding the issuing of government bonds, for gaining partisan advantages.
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