Photo/Illutration Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori speaks at a regular news conference in Fukushima on Nov. 11. (Nobuyuki Takiguchi)

FUKUSHIMA—Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori doesn't know why U.S. President-elect Donald Trump believes the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant site cannot be entered for 3,000 years. 

But he wants the central government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. to distribute correct information about the crippled plant within and outside of Japan.

Uchibori told reporters at his regular news conference on Nov. 11 that he was confused by Trump's remark.

Trump said that people are not supposed to enter the land around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant for 3,000 years during a podcast in October when he was campaigning for president. 

Currently, there are thousands of workers on the Fukushima No. 1 site engaged in cleanup and decommissioning efforts. 

Uchibori said at the news conference, “I wasn’t able to understand enough to determine what he (Trump) intended to say.”

Trump made the remark when he appeared as a guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast and was talking about his policy on nuclear power generation.

When Trump had a dialogue with billionaire businessman Elon Musk in August, he made a similar comment. 

Uchibori said that he checked Trump’s remark in the original English when it was reported by some media outlets.

Nov. 12 marks the 10th anniversary since Uchibori took office, at a time the prefecture was facing the decades-long task of decommissioning the nuclear plant, devastated in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

The governor looked back on those 10 years, saying, “I feel that time flew by but at the same time, these 10 years were rich in content and fulfilling.”

Uchibori also discussed the decommissioning challenge ahead.

The work includes removal of nuclear fuel debris, releasing treated contaminated water into the sea and meeting a March 2045 deadline to ship contaminated soil from Fukushima's interim storage site to a site outside the prefecture.

“It still has a long way to go,” Uchibori said. “I’m determined to move forward on a long and difficult journey to reconstruct Fukushima.” 

Uchibori is currently in his third term as Fukushima governor.

Asked if he will seek a fourth term, he only said, “I will continue to do my best every day to reconstruct and revitalize Fukushima Prefecture.”

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