Reporting from the top of scary Fukushima Reactor 4

I am sound-recording the scene in a quite acrobatic position (R)

This is Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear power plant on Thursday November 7th, in the plant exploded after the March 11th 2011 earthquake and tsunami. This is the first time foreign journalists are invited to enter in and on the roof of the reactor 4 by Tepco. We are 30 meters above earth, nearby the pool with the used fuel assemblies of rods to be removed soon this month. Huge work operated with cranes in the 50 meters giant metallic structure built since 311. 

I report this Sunday for my French news broadcasting station RTL France about this day when I climbed on the top of Fukushima Dai Ichi reactor 4, watched the delicate and risky operation. 
En langue française.

On this photo I'm wearing the pink breathing filter with a yellow helmet and inspect the radioactivity while sound recording the scene, Tepco technicians rehearsal with hooks and crane by the uranium rods storage pool. Also here is the Tepco radioactivity data on Fukushima Dai Ichi plant, 7 Nov 2013.

 Radioactivity on Fukushima Daiichi 7 Nov 2013

Update - Mise à  jour le 10 Nov 2013:

My RTL's report - Mon reportage sur RTL http://www.rtl.fr/actualites/info/environnement/article/immersion-a-fukushima-a-la-veille-d-une-grande-operation-de-demantelement-7766641291

Programme: RTL Monde
http://www.rtl.fr/emission/rtl-monde/ecouter/rtl-monde-du-10-nov-2013-7766637672 

Fukushima Dai Ichi, Tepco plant manager Ono answers to our questions 

about the removal of nuclear rods assemblies of reactor 4 (BBC World TV photo)

R: Plant manager Akira Ono, L: Yoshimi Hitosugi Communications Manager

Carnet de bord, extraits: "... Beaucoup m’ont demandé ce que je faisais à ce moment précis saisi avec justesse par notre photographe du "pool" d'une quinzaine de reporteurs de la presse mondiale. Je suis devant la piscine de stockage, la radioactivité monte et baisse. Forte devant le réacteur, elle est un peu moins forte devant la piscine. Je suis sur l'escalier qui monte vers l'une des grues qui surplombent la piscine des 1553 assemblages de combustibles nucléaire. Sur ma droite une demi-douzaine de techniciens du réacteur 4, sur les 36 des équipes en rotation. Ils s’entraînent à récupérer ces assemblages devant une machine complexe, avec de gros crochets d’aciers de près de 30 à 40 cm de long, des crochets brillants comme des sabres japonais. Les assemblages sont dans la piscine face à moi à 2 m. Je monte l’escalier suivi par des techniciens et par le personnel de sécurité de Tepco et aussi par quelques collègues journalistes. Libre à chacun de monter ou non sur la grue. Certains le font d’autres y renoncent. A ce moment il y a pas mal de vacarme sur ce 4 e étage du bâtiment qui enveloppe le réacteur. Cela ressemble à un véritable chantier et ma surprise est grande car on dirait alors que la centrale nucléaire est flambant neuf. J’enregistre le son d’ambiance et mes interviews, j’enregistre mes commentaires à travers ce masque étouffant. Je vérifie les niveaux de radioactivité en micro et millisievert. Je les compare entre ceux de Tepco et les nôtres ainsi que les cps (counts per second). Devant nous se tient, solidement ou est-ce factice, cette piscine aux eaux transparentes, bleues, renfermant ces 400 tonnes de barres de combustibles, dans des eaux d'apparence, disons épaisse, elles renferment ce carburant nucléaire si dangereux mais si calme plongé sous 7 mètres d’eau. Vous imaginez mon regard sur cette eau troublante alors que je calcule que devant moi repose de quoi déclencher une radiation équivalent près de 15.000 fois la bombe d’Hiroshima, un sacré bruit de fond..." 

When trilateral allies US Japan ROK work on North Korea disarmament

Japan the US and South Korea will meet this week in Washington to discuss North Korea and its nuclear program. Envoy for North Korea policy, Glyn Davies, will host a trilateral meeting Wednesday with his Japanese counterpart Junichi Ihara and South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yong.

The State Department said it reflects close cooperation among the three nations on pursuing the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

It follows meetings in Washington this week between Davies and his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, which discussed under what conditions six-nation disarmament talks with North Korea could restart. The North says it wants to restart the talks, without preconditions, it withdrew from five years ago. Washington first wants to see concrete steps by Pyongyang to demonstrate its sincerity about denuclearization. (From AP, Japan Today)

Also these spectacular pictures of DPRK "Uncensored Instagrams From North Korea" by David Guttenfelder, the AP’s Chief Asia Photographer.

http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2011/north-korea-journal/

http://lightbox.time.com/2012/04/25/david-guttenfelder/#1

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/04/uncensored-instagrams-from-north-korea-a-rare-glimpse-into-the-worlds-most-secretive-country/

Les risques du métier de journaliste

I'm horrified and so sad, my old friend and colleague of the French radio Ghislaine Dupont, journaliste of RFI, was killed by gunmen while reporting in north east Mali ???!!!

Ghislaine disparue, abattue en reportage au Mali. Je ne peux y croire. Nous étions proche, très proche à une époque lors de nos débuts dans le journalisme audiovisuel, proche malgré les années et la distance. Ghislaine Dupont de RFI est partie au coeur de l'action. Exécutée, assassinée samedi 2 novembre 2013, après avoir été kidnappée avec son collègue Claude Verlon à Kidal au Mali, en Afrique.

Révoltant, insupportable. Nous avons avec Gigi et d'autres copains Marion, Claude, Laurence, démarré à Radio France, à Belfort. Gigi était le sourire, la gaieté, le dynamisme, plus tard elle s'est aguerrie en travaillant sur l'Afrique qu'elle connaissait si bien et quelle aimait, avec mes vieux copains Christophe et Jean-Karim. A peine entrés à Radio France, nous avions passé des mois ensemble, au bureau, en découverte du métier dans cette grande maison, Gigi avait vécu chez moi lors de nos premiers pas dans la Maison Ronde. Que de rires et d'enthousiasmes. Gigi c'était la joie de vivre et il nous l'ont enlevé à jamais, pauvre Ghislaine, pauvres de nous. Je connaissais son bon sens, son expérience, on était très "complice" et puis un peu plus. Et puis les années et la distance kilométrique, mais les souvenirs, les sons et les mots et gestes restent profondément inscrits en mon coeur.

Je ne comprends pas aujourd'hui. Oui, je suis indigné, indigné que des journalistes sont assassinés alors qu'ils sont des messagers, des témoins privilégiés pour informer, pour porter les messages recueillis dans des conditions parfois très difficiles, et il y a des gens qui nous l'interdisent.

Elle avait la passion de l'Afrique, j'ai la passion de l'Asie. On en a souvent parlé ensemble. Et c'est  ce matin à Tokyo en écoutant la radio française que j'ai appris que Gigi est partie, tuée en reportage. J'imagine la douleur de ses collègues, de ses amis, et de sa famille auxquels je présente nos très sincères condoléances.

Il faudra maintenant établir clairement les faits et les responsabilités.


FR: http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/5min/20131102-rfi-ghislaine-dupont-claude-verlon-mali-assassinat-journaliste-passionnee
ENG: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-03/french-journalists-killed-in-mali-claude-verlon-ghislaine-dupont/5066304

Junichiro Koizumi battles for a safer energy

 小泉 純一郎 Junichiro Koizumi

Japan popular former Prime Minister 小泉 純一郎 Junichiro Koizumi crusades for a safe energy policy for the archipelago. His wish is to realise the abolition of nuclear power plants. He will be invited November 12th at Japan National Press Club to challenge his 後輩 (junior) Shinzo Abe's nuclear policy while the Parliament enters into long debate regarding the future of the national energy policy.

Japanese electric (atomic) industries' plan, sustained by the Abe's faction, is to renew the whole park of nuclear reactors. Junichiro Koizumi voiced his opposition against this policy that generates nuclear waste for future generations rather than seeing Japan becoming a new energies more renewable and sustainable industry giant. 

As we say in English: "Koizumi calls the shots" as TV reported on Tuesday October 29th. All news stations TVs presented long reports about Koizumi's latest political move. Koizumi insisted today while meeting Parliament members that, quotes: "he is not planning to form a new party or a political force centered on anti-nuclear policy, but he will continue to seek to change public opinion, which will eventually influence the government." 

What is astonishing since the end of summer is that Koizumi step by step deconstructs piece by piece what he regards as negative for Japan future economy and generations while proposing to enter into a deep debate about the future of nuclear energy.

Junichiro Koizumi said that public opinion could be changed to lead the government to make a political decision to phase out nuclear power plants and that it would be impossible for the earthquake-prone country to continue nuclear generation. He opted out nuclear energy after the March 11th 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear power plant accident.

Officials at the prime minister’s office and LDP senior officials seem genuinely  worried about Koizumi’s anti-nuclear call, according to the evening news. As one commentator said: Junichiro Koizumi remarkably knows how politics functions. His son the popular 小泉 進次郎 Shinjiro Koizumi is currently serving at the Diet and occupying an important position in the Abe's administration  acknowledges there is nothing that can stop his father once he decides his political move.

 小泉 進次郎 Shinjiro Koizumi

The Day when China and Japan will rebuild trust 

Asians will breathe better...

(Chine Japon, juste une question de confiance...)

I like the China school of Japanese diplomats (and the Japan school of Chinese diplomats) therefore I chose today this major news: "Beijing-Tokyo Forum calls on mutual responsibilities." This is real politics http://www.ecns.cn/2013/10-27/85929.shtml

Chinese and Japanese high hands on diplomacy talks happen in Beijing on a seminar occasion to try to mend faulty diplomatics gesticulations (as we know achieved by Abe's boys and hard liners of China military) for their domestic purposes. Question is can Mr Abe and his nationalists cool down with these territories problems in the China seas which disturb the economy and trade climate in NE Asia? Founded in 2005, the Beijing-Tokyo Forum is an annual large-scale international symposium jointly sponsored by China Daily and Genron NPO, a Japanese non-profit organisation. I see the presence of Japanese Ambassador to China Masato Kitera and of former UN undersecretary-general Yasushi Akashi (ex PKO Cambodia big man)

By the way, according to Japanese security commentators whom I met, the US are pushing Japan to go for the NCS (National Security Council) and for the anti-leaks bill (Secret Bill). So at the end of the day, let's relativize Sunday Japanese media news about the Camp Asaka's JGSDF review by Shinzo Abe and these inflaming (but factual) headlines seen in Reuters "Abe says Japan won't tolerate use of force to change regional status quo" or Afp's "Japan's PM warns China on use of force as jets scrambled".
 

Zhu Ling (left third), China Daily's publisher and editor-in-chief, meets Japanese Ambassador to China Masato Kitera during the welcome reception before the 9th Beijing-Tokyo Forum in Beijing, Oct 25, 2013.

Abe's administration anti-leaks bill 

Shadows and threatening silences risk to numb the country of the rising sun...

What place for the freedom of the press and the free exchange of information in Japan?

(Verrouillage du gouvernement japonais de Shinzo Abe
qui approuve le projet de loi sur les "secrets spéciaux.") 

In the Diet, the National Security Council (NSC) proposal will be read, to be moved to Diet committee next week and fixed by Diet MPs by early November. Next project is the state secret bill, Japanese government is to sign the anti-leaks proposal.

National Security Council (NSC) decided by Abe would play a more centralised role to the Japanese government in national security and crisis management. But is its configuration compatible and validated in a parliamentary system, in a democracy, for the right of people to have free access to information? The point is for the NSC to make prompt decisions when necessary. (International crisis Senkaku-Diaoyu or ballistic missile type, pandemic crisis, terrorist attack, natural catastrophe such as Fukushima) The second objective is to make the NSC the headquarters for intelligence on national security and crisis management. Will it succeed? What is it aiming at? Who will deal with it?

"Japan’s bureaucratic and organisational culture should be kept in mind. Most officials in the NSC are expected to come from existing ministries. When Japan tried to centralise the Cabinet Office, key officials found it difficult to work independently from their "original" ministries. The NSC will face the same problems and needs its bureaucrats to be independent to be successful. The increased membership of the Cabinet Office may prevent the prompt decision-making that the bill seeks. In addition, the 2013 bill will not develop human resources for national security and crisis management. Institutions cannot work without relevant human resources. The NSC needs people who have been properly trained and understand security policy to work effectively, but Japan lacks institutions to provide this training" writes Toshiya Takahashi, ANU In "Abe and a Japanese National Security Council" (edited Oct 6th 2013)

About the anti leaks bill (also State Secret Bill)

The bill would allow government organisations to designate information as broadly defined special state secrets at their own discretion, writes the Mainichi Shimbun in his editorial: "Under the bill, Diet members, who are frequently aware of special secrets would be subject to punishment if they leaked such confidential information, which raises concerns that the legislative branch cannot sufficiently monitor the executive branch's activities. Serious questions remain about the bill in light of the Constitution, which defines the Diet as the "highest organ of state power."

But the anti-leaks bill goes well beyond what security means and many expected that the Komei Party (Buddhist) current partner of LDP in the parliament majority could or would discourage Abe's team to transform Japanese fundamental rights, as many in journalism and academia told me these last days. A reading of press reports of the Mainichi, Asahi, Daily press, Japan Times clearly describe the mood of the media in Japan since the nationalist self portrayed prime minister came to power. One example is that diplomatic documents held by the Japanese Foreign Ministry as well as police information among other information would be designated as state secrets. How can journalists work out and the public can have the right to know?

"It goes without saying that sufficient consideration should be given to people's right to know and the freedom of the press in light of the Constitution. However, there is a high possibility that a strict penal provision in the bill could discourage journalists from gathering news about state secrets," the Mainichi writes.

We at the FCCJ (Press club for Foreign Correspondents in Japan) Freedom of Press Committee voice our concerns in an editorial from our committee Chair, an article to be published in the November 2013 edition of the press club magazine (after in-depth talks within the committee and the PR specialist editing the magazine Number 1 Shimbun) with here an exclusive excerpt:

"If the Designated Secrets Bill becomes law, I wonder how many journalists and their editors will be deterred from publishing stories based upon unofficial government sources fearing, whether fully justified or not, that they may spend ten years in a Japanese prison for doing so? Beyond that, of course, is the matter of how public officials themselves might be so terrorised by the law that they would become almost entirely unwilling to respond to quiet media enquiries."

It now remains to be seen what Abe's party LDP and Komei are to do. Pessimism is rising as we hear from our sources in the Parliament that Komei party after having offered some opposition to the anti leaks bill will bow without grace to Abe's decision and vote for it. "The evidence to date suggests considerable cause for alarm."


Articles quoted:

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20131021p2a00m0na011000c.html

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/09/09/editorials/anti-democratic-secrecy-bill/

http://japandailypress.com/public-outcry-in-japan-against-secrets-protection-law-1037510/

Added Japanese press reports:

Mainichi shimbun "Editorial: Diet should reveal the dangerous nature of state secrets bill"

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20131026p2a00m0na005000c.html

"The Day the Tepco Will Die"

("Le Jour où Tepco Disparaîtra")

Excellent news-event with Sumio Mabuchi (DPJ) today Oct 18 2013 at the press club in Tokyo. Representative Mabuchi served as an aide to the prime minister Naoto Kan on the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. Mabuchi san made lots of proposition on the concrete resolution of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

M: Rep. Sumio Mabuchi, L: Interpreter Takamatsu R: Moderator Tetsuo Jimbo (Videonews)

Today we faced a sharp rise in radioactivity in a well near a storage tank on Fukushima. How far can Tepco go further unable to fix problems on reasonable terms? Unable with present technologies? Bad choices? Also to halt the flow of groundwater, Tepco engineers say they will build a mile-long underground wall of frozen earth around the reactor buildings. But Sumio Mabuchi says the idea of building such underground barrier was planned as early as June 2011, when he was working with Tepco engineers to try to bring the Daiichi plant under control. But the plan was kept secret because the utility was worried about the possible negative impact on the financial markets...

Dealing with Tepco once for ever, imagine new technologies (for instance spray and transformation of contaminated substances instead of millions of tonnes of water for 40 years on the ruined reactors and melted cores) and open the debate to the international community to receive nuclear physicists' options/solutions but not depend once for ever on Tepco. Splendid idea. The issue is now provided by a constructive parliament opposition (Minshuto-Democrats) to succeed instead of pretending all is under control as PM Abe pretended.

Sumio Mabuchi is one of leading figures of the DPJ. He served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the Kan administration. He twice ran for president of the party, losing to the incumbent Banri Kaieda at the last race of December 2012. He is a graduate of Yokohama National University, Department of Civil Engineering. And HE answers to foreign media questions with clear cut sentences, not mere satisfied self-promoting propaganda.

His interview Sept. 25th in the Asahi Shimbun: "If taxpayer money is used to deal with the contaminated water problem at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the government should consider having Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant's operator, go bankrupt or nationalising it, Sumio Mabuchi, who served as an aide to the prime minister on the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, told The Asahi Shimbun in a recent interview."

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201309250060

"Extremely flippant" control of Fukushima politics!

(Contrôle "extrêmement désinvolte" de la politique sur Fukushima)

 Japanese Parliament 

"The government will continue efforts to address the problem with multiple preventive measures using the world’s wisdom," Abe told a plenary session of the House of Representatives. "The situation has been under control as a whole." Abe’s repeated no-cause-for-alarm assessments of the situation at the Fukushima plant, which suffered three reactor-core meltdowns shortly after it was hit by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and monster tsunami, are raising the eyebrows of critics who regard the condition as worrying and warn of possible negative fallout on the environment and industries," the Japan Times writes today.

Not so in control actually. In the new 185th Lower House session special committees, the Parliament MPs committee overseeing the work of the nuclear energy safety commission 原子力問題調査特別委員会 and nuclear related issues, is to disappear. If confirmed and if no MP is eager to impose rigorous Parliament control's tools on the monitoring of the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, then what a big surprise. Seen as an added outrage by the Parliamentary opposition.

Fukushima is on everyone and global security radar screens, here especially with the nuclear refugees/evacuees… and abroad with the safety risks imposed on Japan and its neighbouring countries such as China, Korean peninsula, the Asia Pacific nations and the Asian seas community.

Banri Kaieda DPJ, opposition.

Banri Kaieda, head of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan questioned on Wednesday the prime minister Abe on Fukushima at the Diet and according to a Diet watcher:

"Abe was short on explaining to the Diet what the government is going to do, now that "it (not Tepco) is in full charge". Abe reiterated that the government will play a major role in addressing the water problem (including taxpayers money potential financial assistance for the utility) not leaving the task to the Tepco's utility alone.

Taro Aso and Shinzo Abe yesterday

Nevertheless in regard to a proper democratic functioning of Japan politics, axing the committee while Fukushima crisis is developing, is a political error, "maybe a different one [committee] would have been less prone to misunderstanding" as a Japan based commentator told me. The number of Lower House special committees is limited to 10.

Japan opposition leader Kaieda stated that Shinzo Abe, as a prime minister, should be more careful about assessing the situation at the plant, criticising his remarks as being "extremely flippant!" EoQ.

 Anti nuclear demonstrator

Japan's 311 ongoing anxiety

IAEA is coming 14th for a week of invitation to study Fukushima contamination and before to come to Tokyo stated that Japan should work harder to address international concerns about leaks of radioactive contaminated water.

It goes without saying that Japan government does not always hear or act in regard to what others have to advise, recommend, or argue about the current nuclear crisis since Fukushima 3/11, Iaea included. But Abe does not listen, spends his time in his dream come true cute country "うつくし no kuni" and wants to explain the world that all is fine here, all is under control.

True enough, people don't say much about the real situation, so they ask abroad. How often I met anxious Japanese, with no time to think about their safety because life here does not give them time to think and look up. They ask us foreign media to dig for truth and to question events and people. Often we have vague answers from authorities.

When breaking news happen, there are devastating improper moral conducts revealed. People know to well about it because motives are fear and greed. Tepco and Co did not assume relevant safety measure, maintenance and proper reparations on their power plants. Then accident happened. A battle is allegedly engaged between regulators.

I don't think Mr Tanaka has the power to fight against the industrial lobby handled by Keidanren big bosses. It is all pretending everything is normal, like in a normal country, and do the necessary agitation on the surface like flies on the pond.

We heard enough nuclear cleaners testimonies from Fukushima employed by the sub-sub-sub contractors paid by Tepco which employs workers who often are totally ignorant about how to clean a facility such as a nuclear destroyed plant as Fukushima Dai Ichi is presently. So why does the NRA and the Abe's administration let it go until next... accident, leakage, and what will happen when disease start to affect people? It will be most important to follow the health and check up of Fukushima nuclear workers. Of course some will argue that it is a matter of health privacy.

So, there are still people who demonstrate. Friday is the day when Japanese used to demonstrate in Tokyo in front of the Parliament and in front of Kantei Abe's office to voice their opposition to Abe's nuclear industry since 2011 March 11th Fukushima nuclear accident. Interesting events happened this week, important too is the pain of the Tohoku people, who see the enthusiasm for Tokyo 2020 Olympics grow and their hope to restart a new life weakening.

And as an echo to their painful concerns, same are Fukushima people evacuees who live in a dilemma: "Move back population in contaminated area even though the radiation levels are too high or abandon their assets without proper compensation," said Greenpeace friday at a conference in Tokyo. 

"Decontamination efforts by Japanese government are insufficient" Greenpeace confirmed after radiation measurements the organisation made in Tamura region surrounding Fukushima Dai 1, near Koriyama. On the ICRP radiation recommendation and accumulated level of radioactive contamination,  Greenpeace Jan VandePutte (who work on Chernobyl and Fukushima contamination) considers that "2 years and a half after Fukushima accident, you can't keep referring to emergency situation." Japan does not control the situation. 

Levels of radiation for nuclear workers and population continue agitating the campaigns of information launched by nuclear opponents. Those I have seen in Tokyo and the northern Japan are ordinary normal people, not necessarily the activists type. I was not sure about it, after all demonstrations are filled with believers.

So I went to Nagatacho, the hill on top of the city with parliament, government and political parties headquarters. I have been chatting yesterday with LDP people about former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi posture since he advocates Abe to courageously address the nuclear situation in Japan since Fukushima nuclear accident.

Something Japanese newspapers (Yomiuri, and especially Asahi and Mainichi) focus a lot, with lashing editorials against Abe's nuclear policy. And I was told, interesting enough, that in their circles and current talks, the LDP members discussion are really nervous and vivacious about the future of the nuclear energy and how Japanese media will act about it. 

Should the media opt for a confrontation with LDP on issues that divide the Kantei from their MPs' and the coalition, this will sell lots of papers. Let's remember that grass roots organisations and local politicians are constantly in fear not to be re elected in next parliament. Problem is they do not know much about the real situation. Some plan to invite foreign scientists, with no connection what so ever with the industry...

And as things are indeed unconfident, we now read that NRA President Tanaka is himself unsure about restarting Tepco's Kashiwazaki Kariwa as long as Fukushima Dai 1 accumulates daily troubles. 
http://tinyurl.com/mainichi-nuclear-regulation

This would not really be seen as a surprise, as local electric companies (say... atomic energy companies) are disregarding essential procedures to guarantee people's safety on the archipelago as we learned. Still regarding nuclear industrial cooperation between Japan Vietnam, things move on, and one question came in town the other day about the Vietnamese nuclear workers that are to visit Japan to learn about nuclear power. 

Some voices abroad say that emergency training in Japan are to include the vietnamese staff to work in decontamination at Fukushima crippled nuclear plant as manpower. We are told of  5.000 or 6.000 remunerated employees concerned by Japan Vietnam agreement with Vietnamese companies and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba and Hitachi contract. 
Contract deals are here: http://tinyurl.com/lj8dedx

As a matter of fact, more and more Vietnamese (and Turkish) consumers products are accessible on the Japan market these days, from farming to IT. Vietnamese lecturers appear more often at conferences and seminars here and there. Japan knows well how to thank his friends when... he needs them!

Last as one one my scientist friend wrote me recently: "In the Fukushima cleanup, it is required to have Tepco executive officers with accountability. Media vigilance is a guarantee and we need [have] to force Tepco to greater transparency. The NRA, the Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority should play this card. Does it with such communiques? http://www.nsr.go.jp/english/e_news/ And does the NRA has all its investigation known to the public? This Fukushima Dai Ichi situation concerns the whole of Japan and its treatment can not remain private. Equally important is that everyone's responsibility will be more significant if the debate becomes more opened." I could not agree more.

Abe's political bet - He says yes to increase VAT tax!

Kantei October 1st, Abe's announcement. Photo Jlk

"I believe it is possible to quickly put Japan back on a growth path, because of this and to maintain trust in Japan and to hand to the next generation a sustainable social-security system, I have decided to raise the sales tax."


He did it. Why? Japan in the past played easy with the debt. Thanks to former bureaucrats decision to let bubble reminiscence go. That, combined with a rapidly ageing society in which a shrinking number of taxpayers are funding the welfare costs of a growing number of pensioners, has left Japan with one quadrillion yen in debt, twice the size of gross domestic product, nationally owned.

Now what does the SCMP has to say about it?

Q: What are the risks of the rise?

A: Firstly, there’s the danger that it will crush a fragile consumer recovery that has sprouted over recent months. That would badly derail Abe’s plans to fix the economy.

Secondly, there’s the risk all politicians face when they ask voters to pay more tax, and precedent is not in Abe’s favour.

Two months after then-prime minister Noboru Takeshita ushered in Japan’s first-ever sales tax – a modest 3.0 per cent – in April 1989, he was forced to resign amid plunging popular support and a separate corruption scandal. His successor then got a walloping in national elections.

Ryutaro Hashimoto quit as premier after his party lost landslide 1998 polls amid a public outcry over an increase in the tax to 5 per cent a year earlier, which was widely blamed for helping snuff out a fledgling economic recovery.

Abe is lucky in that his immediate predecessor, Yoshihiko Noda, did the legwork getting the law through parliament in a political suicide mission that played its part in him being booted from office last year.

Abe may just take Noda’s glory – but only if the Japanese economy survives the rise in the levy.


The economy will contract an annualised 4.5 percent in the three months after the sales tax is increased in April before returning to growth, according to the median calculation of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. For the 2014 calendar year, the expansion is seen slowing to 1.6 percent from 1.9 percent this year, the median estimates show. Will Abe able to fulfill its commitment to 2 percent inflation by fiscal-year 2015? To handle Japan’s rising welfare costs and rein in its debt, the consumption tax rate should rise to at least 20 percent by 2020, according to Takatoshi Ito, the head of a panel advising Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s biggest pension fund.

But then, maybe Japanese, whose majority is less tolerant and in need of immediate requests compared to the past, could loose patience, endurance, resilience and just go wild, and do revolution...