New Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda yesterday visited the northeastern region devastated by the March 11 quake and tsunami as Japan prepared to mark six months since tragedy struck.
Noda, visiting ravaged Miyagi and Iwate prefectures for the first time after taking office late last month, inspected the port city of Kesennuma, one of the most severely damaged communities on the Pacific coast.
“I would like to reflect your needs and opinions on such measures as special economic zones for reconstruction, subsidies and the third extra budget,” he told local officials.
Noda, accompanied by the state minister in charge of post-disaster reconstruction, Tatsuo Hirano, later visited Iwate Prefecture’s devastated Rikuzentakata city.
Noda’s visit, a day ahead of the six-month anniversary of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, follows his inspection of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant on Thursday.
Ceremonies to mourn the dead and rallies against nuclear power are scheduled to take place across the nation with silent prayers to be offered at 2:46pm today, the exact moment the quake struck six months ago.
A day before the anniversary, Soma city in Fukushima Prefecture held a memorial ceremony, where 417 survivors of the quake and tsunami participated in a moment of silence. In Soma alone, 459 people are dead or missing.
The tsunami ravaged the country’s northeast, leaving nearly 20,000 dead or missing, according to the latest police figures.
After just a week in office, Noda’s new government has run into trouble, with calls for one of his ministers to quit over gaffes on the sensitive topic of radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant.
Japanese Trade Minister Yoshio Hachiro yesterday faced pressure to resign after reports that he joked with a reporter about radiation from the nuclear plant.
Hachiro was quoted in Japanese media as attempting to rub up against a reporter saying, “I’ll give you radiation” after visiting the Fukushima plant on Thursday.
Ruling Democratic Party of Japan policy committee chief Seiji Maehara said it was “very serious” if the report is true.
“It is important for him to explain clearly his true intentions by today,” Maehara said.
The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party’s policy chief Shigeru Ishiba demanded the minister’s resignation.
“He should resign ... If he does not, PM Noda should dismiss him,” Ishiba said.
Hachiro has already been rebuked by Noda and apologized on Friday for calling the deserted area near the plant a “town of death.”
The fuss over the remarks by Hachiro, who handles the energy portfolio, is an early blow to Noda’s new administration.
Noda, who took over as Japan’s sixth prime minister in five years after his predecessor, Naoto Kan, resigned, will likely face harsh questioning over his appointment of Hachiro and other novice ministers in a session of parliament expected to begin this week.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa has already come under attack for calling himself an “amateur” in security matters.
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