Last year tested Japan’s national resilience greatly. A huge earthquake, a devastating tsunami and a resulting nuclear meltdown wreaked devastation on the country on massive scale. In the build-up to the first anniversary of the triple tragedies, DIPLOMAT EAST AFRICA’S KWENDO OPANGA interviewed Japan’s ambassador to Kenya His ExcellencyTOSHIHISA TAKATA

Japan will on March 11 commemorate the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that, says His Excellency Toshihisa Takata, visited on the country the worst catastrophe in its post-war history. Takata, Japan’s ambassador to Kenya, told Diplomat East Africa (DEA) in an interview that the number of people so far confirmed dead and those unaccounted for stands at nearly 20,000.

And Takata further said so far about 70,000 people are leaving in temporary shelters. “Yes, the earthquake and tsunami especially caused significant damage to infrastructure, people’s lives, livelihoods and property,” he said.Speaking slowly, softly and thoughtfully, he recalled that many people lost loved ones “and on March 11, they and all Japanese will come together to look back and pray for the souls of the departed to rest in eternal peace”.

Then his voice rises slowly but firmly and, as if expressing collective resolve, he says:

“As for our recovery and reconstruction effort, I think the first anniversary will be an occasion for us to renew our resolution to rebuild and reconstruct Japan. And this is not just to bring it what it was before the earthquake and tsunami, but to make it an even more resilient, attractive and happier society.” The catastrophe was witnessed around the world and many shared in the grief of the Japanese and commiserated with them.

The anniversary, Takata says, “will be a very good occasion for us to appreciate and express our appreciation for the very warm sympathies and strong sense of solidarity expressed by our friends, including the people and government of Kenya.”

Resilience

At this stage DEA jumps in and asks if the people and government of Japan felt the rest of the world stood with them in their hour of need. “Yes, certainly and by this I do not just refer to the people and government of Kenya, but also from all over the world.”

He told DEA that there was enormous outpouring of sympathy and solidarity from all over the world including a letter of sympathy to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan from Kenya’s President Kibaki. “His Excellency Prime Minister Raila Odinga immediately after kindly visited us in this room (office) in the company of some of Kenya’s marathoners who trained in Japan. Mr Odinga said he was confident Japan would recover from the twin tragedies.”

Speaking in Japanese, the marathoners echoed the Prime Minister’s hope and confidence that Japan would recover. Takata thanked the Kenya Red Cross which organised memorial services; the International School of Kenya which organised a charity concert, and the school children from the slums of Kibera who sang songs for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami which were broadcast in Japan.

He described the $1 million donated to Japan by the government and people of Kenya as a lot of money. He also expressed his gratitude and on behalf of the people of Japan for the donations amounting to US100 million (8.6 billion Yen) from around the world. Assistance from around the world was not limited to money for Japan accepted search and rescue teams, emergency and medical teams from 29 countries and international organisations and, in Takata’s words, countless non-governmental organisations also from all over the world.  Last but not least, Takata speaks eloquently about the US’ Operation Friendship which featured 20,000 soldiers, 20 vessels and 160 aircraft and lasted a couple of months. But his best praise, of course, is reserved for the people of Japan:

“All were and still remain impressed by the resilience and perseverance of the people of Japan who were directly affected by the twin disasters of earthquake and tsunami. Indeed, if there is a positive side to the disasters it is that they brought out our national character. “There was no looting, nothing was stolen. People queued up in an orderly manner for assistance. People were seen trying to prevent items falling off store shelves without paying attention to their own safety.

“These visual images impressed the world. To the Japanese these may be ordinary behaviour, but we were reminded by these resilient features  of good aspects of our national character.” Despite the adversity occasioned by the earthquake and tsunami, Takata gave DEA and the rest of the world Tokyo’s commitment to honour its bilateral obligations. And he is emphatic:

“That has not, will not, affect our commitment to development of Africa, East Africa and Kenya. There are very strong ties between Kenya and Japan and many people including government resolved that we should honour our commitment to continued co-operation in the development of African countries.” Takata helpfully reminds that the new Prime Minister will in 2013 host the fifth edition of Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).

Reactors

This will be a follow up to TICAD 4 in 2008. After the disasters, the ministerial level follow up meeting was held as planned in Dakar, Senegal in last May and which was attended by Mr Wycliffe Oparanya, the Minister for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030. Were there not even murmurs to the effect that this ministerial follow up meeting in Dakar should be put on hold because of the earthquake, DEA jumps in? “Yes, there were,” Takata confirms, but adds that it was resolved that the meeting should go ahead early in May (2011).”

He further confirms that the reconstruction of Japan requires a lot of money, but, first, past commitments will doubtless be honoured and co-operation will continue and as for new commitments “we will try our best”. And how did the meltdown of the nuclear plant at Fukushima affect the internal politics and policies about sources of energy?

“Of course the attitude of the people became very critical, with most taking the view that we should think very seriously about safety. “Secondly we are discussing about the right or best kind of mix of energy sources and we plan to compile a renewed basic strategy for future energy particularly with regard to electricity power generation by next summer (July to September). Takata told DEA that before the earthquake and tsunami, nuclear-based electricity accounted for 27 per cent of Japan’s total energy, but now this has gone down to 10 per cent or less.

Japan has 54 nuclear reactors in 17 power stations and usually 80 per cent of them will be in operation at any given time. Six nuclear reactors were, however, lost at Fukushima.

Most of Japan’s nuclear-generated electricity was lost – or temporarily lost - after the March 11, 2011 disaster. And, in November, only 11 out of the 54 reactors were in operation. Regarding safety, he said every nuclear reactor must be stopped and inspected once every one or two years and that this inspection or maintenance takes a period of three months. The nuclear reactors were stopped for maintenance and checking following the disaster at Fukushima.

“Before a nuclear plant restarted after maintenance,” Takata pointed out, “safety measures will have to be checked and counter-checked by the central government and the governor of the prefecture in which it is situated.” A prefecture, Takata points out amid laughter, is the equivalent of Kenya’s county and, laughing again, he says, Japan, like Kenya, has 47 prefectures.

Echo

A governor will, given the people’s sensitivity and apprehension since March 11, give the go-ahead for a nuclear reactor to be restarted when he or she is absolutely sure about its safety. It is important to observe here that power generation companies increased output in order to bridge the deficit caused by the decline in nuclear-based electricity. Secondly, demand for power peaks in summer for air-conditioning and during the winter when demand for heating grows.

The ambassador is happy to report that rebuilding of the roads and highways “has been going on very well. The main highway was brought back to normal a week after the earthquake and the super express trains – 27 of them – that were running at the time were stopped quite safely.

“There were no deaths, no injuries. It took about a month to inspect the railways and it was back to normal.” The government constructed some 50,000 temporary houses for about 200,000 people who were rendered homeless. Takata laughs again as he describes the houses “as temporary but, fairly fixed, permanent temporary houses”.

The words of the Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda when he addressed the UN General Assembly in September come to mind. Then he said the echo of construction could be heard throughout the earthquake and tsunami stricken areas. He added that the economy of Japan as a whole was showing recovery, a fairly strong recovery. The Ambassador, too, reports that all the supply lines are back to normal. He adds that companies outside the stricken areas which shut down in the wake of the twin tragedies are quickly back in operation.

As regards the huge amount of radiation released into the environment and its effect on it, Takata said the following measures are in play: The government together with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organisation closely monitor the radiation levels and situation and strict measures taken;

The long term effect will be equally monitored closely; Agricultural produce such as rice, a staple food in Japan, and other foods monitored closely and where radiation levels are beyond provisional regulation values, strict measures taken to ensure not taken to the market or for export.

The Ambassador conceded that there is a great deal of soul searching in Japan in the lead up to the March 11 anniversary as the government and people grapple with safety concerns in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and a nuclear meltdown

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