East Japan earthquake: On first anniversary, Japanese PM vows to rebuild nation

Says the country will overcome historic challenge.

March 11 is a date now etched in Japan’s collective consciousness. A year after the East Japan earthquake, which was one of the most destructive that the country has had to face, the lives lost were commemorated.

This was said by the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, according to a statement issued on Thursday. He went on to thank the international community for its outpouring of support and solidarity.

“In light of the current mood of national solidarity and sense of urgency, I am confident we have the collective will to tackle the reconstruction of affected areas, full decommissioning of the Fukashima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, and the revitalisation of the Japanese economy”, he said.

Noda said that one trillion yen have been provided for the decontamination of residential areas close the nuclear plant.

“We recognise that the issues of greatest concern for our citizens are job security and the provision of a sustainable livelihood for their families.

Through the creation of special reconstruction zones and other initiatives, the affected regions will see an increase in investment, creating jobs and enhancing innovation,” he said.

Noda cited the creation of a number of “future cities”, using disaster-hit municipality of Higashimatsushima as an example. “Through budgetary, tax and regulatory measures, support will be provided to develop industrial and social infrastructure linked with compact cities,” he said.

Noda also spoke about the importance of sharing  knowledge on disaster risk reduction, adding that it is no longer acceptable to claim that such events are unforeseen.

Consequently, Japan is working to dramatically strengthen its disaster management measures.

The projects currently underway constitute the first step towards the country’s economic revival. Citing rising global economic uncertainty, he said that though robust economic growth is a challenge, it is not insurmountable.

He sought an open and cooperative approach from Japan’s international partners and hoped to intelligently exploit the promise of new growth areas. “We aim to create the condition to support increased international interest and investment in Japan, not only from a business perspective, but also in the growth of tourism,” he said.

Terming the destruction equivalent to the one caused in World War II, Noda added, “Our goal is not to simply reconstruct Japan, but to build a new one. This is a historic challenge and we are determined to overcome it.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2012.