Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida heads to his office on June 30. (Koichi Ueda)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on June 30 instructed the relevant ministers to assuage the concerns of local fishermen as well as neighboring nations ahead of the release of treated radioactive water into the ocean. 

Kishida met with Yasutoshi Nishimura, the economy minister, Reconstruction Minister Hiromichi Watanabe, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and others concerning the discharge of treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

“I want the entire government to thoroughly implement measures to secure safety and guard against negative publicity as well as to transmit information through detailed explanations to the local and international communities,” Kishida told the ministers. 

Tokyo Electric Power Co. completed work on June 26 on the equipment to discharge the water, which is currently stored in storage tanks on the site, off the Fukushima coast.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is scheduled to arrive in Japan on July 4 when he will present Kishida with his agency’s final report regarding the water discharge plan.

That would clear the way for the start of the release of the water this summer.

But nations such as China have expressed concerns about the plan, leading to the need for measures to placate such worries.

At his June 30 news conference, Nishimura did not give a specific date for the start of the release.

“We will decide after the government as a whole has confirmed the situation regarding the securing of safety and dealing with negative publicity,” he said. 

The central government and TEPCO promised the Fukushima prefectural fisheries cooperative association in 2015 that the treated water would not be discharged until the understanding of all relevant parties was obtained.

Regarding the still strong opposition by the association, Nishimura said he would continue to carefully explain the situation, including the contents of the IAEA report expected next week.

Grossi will be an invited guest of the Foreign Ministry and he is expected to visit the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant during his stay, which will last until July 7.

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