I have something I would like to report to the people of Japan. I want everyone to know how very pleased I am to have received both the warm words of encouragement, and the harsh criticisms. I am truly grateful to the people of this nation for all of it. Without all of you, the Kan Administration could not have accomplished a single thing.
On March 11 was the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the subsequent nuclear accident. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone islands on this planet, and we also have many nuclear power stations. The extreme danger posed by the experience this time taught us that even one accident can threaten the future of this country and its people. My insufficiencies as a Prime Minister and my lack of preparation are two things that pain me deeply. Because of these inadequacies, we were unable to prevent the accident in Fukushima from occurring. Considering the nature of the nuclear accident we face, should the situation worsen, a wide-scale evacuation and long-term effects will be unavoidable. How should we deal with the risk that nuclear power might cause our country to perish? This question is what led me to propose the creation of a society free from dependence on nuclear power. It is my own answer. I have just started public debate on this. Everything must be on the table in these debates, from the safety and cost of nuclear energy to the issue of nuclear fuel cycles without any sanctuary. Even after I step down, as the single politician working as Prime Minister during the Great East Japan Earthquake and the start of the nuclear accident, I intend to continue to exert every possible effort to listen to the stories of those affected by these disasters.
The great spirit of compassion and consideration shown by the Japanese people following the earthquake is something that has been commended around the world.
I feel deeply apologetic that I was not able to express my thoughts better to the public and that I was not able to push matters forward more smoothly. And with that, I announce my resignation from the post of Prime Minister. Thank you.
Naoto Kan
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Start the novel from Chapter 1 here or use the next/previous arrow keys to flip through the book.
That was a chapter of Half Life: A Hana Walker Mystery. I’m publishing a chapter a day in sequence on this blog to promote the book. You can buy HALF LIFE as a paperback from Create Space here or as a Kindle download from any Amazon site including links to the book here at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.co.jp.
The sequel, Prime Life, is coming out in the New Year.
Patrick Sherriff 