About 'The town of death' by Mr. Yoshio Hachiro, a former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan

In Japan, it has become a taboo subject to talk the evacuation area by figuratively speaking ‘The town of death’ since Mr. Yoshio Hachiro said the same.  He was compelled to resign his post of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry due to his own word as such.

I think Hachiro expressed his impression (with a firm belief of the abandonment of land) about lethal contamination of his visiting town near stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, not about the fate of death of residents there.  But, the mass media covered the event as it were the latter as if his word has hurt residents’ feelings.  What’s the problem about Hachiro?  On the other hand, Mr. Hosono, the minister in charge of the nuclear power plants, said the earliest removal of designation of the evacuation area including the town as mentioned above to enable the residents to return and live there.  This decision of removal is nothing but forcing the residents into the fate of death, isn’t it?  The mass media have favorably reported this decision.  Crazy!

By R. Enomori