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On August 26, DPJ President Banri Kaieda held his regular press conference at party headquarters, commenting on the issue of contaminated water leaking from Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and the review of the House of Councillors election result.
Regarding the issue of contaminated water at Fukushima No. 1, Kaieda said, “The DPJ has pointed out from an early stage that measures to deal with contaminated water and to separate it from underground water are important, but the Abe administration has been extremely lacking in awareness of the seriousness of the issue. The failure of the government to engage in comprehensive measures has invited the current situation. The issue of contaminated water leaking or being released into sea water and the ocean is a matter of enormous concern not just for neighbouring countries such as the Republic of Korea and Russia, but also for Europe and the United States and it is important for the government to come to the fore and engage in proper countermeasures in order to preserve Japan’s international standing.” Kaieda continued, “It is a fact that the problem of cost caused TEPCO to back away across the board, and central government should step up to the plate and take responsibility, including in terms of financing.” He declared his intention of urging the government and ruling parties to carry out debate in the Diet while the session is in recess.
With regard to the overall review of the House of Councillors election, Kaieda explained that a meeting of the executive of the House of Councillors Election Strategy Headquarters would be convened on August 27 to discuss the first proposal and that following this a meeting of DPJ Diet members would be held to hear the opinions of all party members and that the review would finally be completed by the first week of September. He said that he intended to propose a new party leadership line up during the same period.
Kaieda was asked for his opinion of the decision by Matsue City’s board of education to reverse their call to elementary and junior high schools in the city to limit pupils’ access to the comic ‘Barefoot Gen’. He replied, “I myself took a look at several volumes of ‘Barefoot Gen’, and I believe that it is important for children’s education for them to learn about the horrors of war. Children should be able to take this comic in their hands and read it.”
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