Use frequent dialogue to deepen alliance
We hope the close dialogue and cooperation that has flourished between Japan and the United States in the response to the Great East Japan Earthquake will strengthen the bilateral alliance.
But to further improve the Japan-U.S. relationship, it should not be forgotten that efforts are needed to resolve pending issues between the two countries, such as the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington and expressed gratitude for U.S. assistance after the March 11 disaster. Matsumoto and Clinton agreed to cooperate to prevent harmful rumors about Japanese products that might spread due to the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
This was the third time Matsumoto and Clinton have held talks in the 1-1/2 months since the disaster. We welcome these frequent meetings. Close political dialogue has underpinned Japan-U.S. cooperation in many fields, including the U.S. military's Operation Tomodachi relief mission, the dispatch of U.S. nuclear experts and assistance from economic circles.
It is important that maximum use is made of this frequent Japan-U.S. cooperation for Japan's future diplomacy.
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Key meetings coming up
A Japan-China-South Korea summit meeting and a Group of Eight major nations summit meeting are scheduled for late this month. International cooperation and how to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants during a disaster likely will be high on the agendas.
What preparations and arrangements should be made in advance so relief supplies and search and rescue squads can be swiftly sent to disaster areas, and to ensure smooth cooperation in the event of a nuclear power plant accident?
We suggest that Japan, based on its experiences from the recent disaster, actively propose the creation of concrete international rules and agreements on this issue.
During their talks Friday, Matsumoto and Clinton could not agree on a specific schedule for the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee, also known as two-plus-two security talks, involving foreign and defense ministers from both countries.
The two-plus-two meeting was originally scheduled to be held during the Golden Week holidays, but has been delayed because the government wanted to focus on disaster relief efforts. After this meeting goes ahead, the two countries are scheduled to issue a joint statement outlining progress in their efforts since last year to deepen the alliance. This is to be the premise for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's visit to the United States in late June.
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Remember Futenma
It has been pointed out that the stalled Futenma issue was behind the failure to arrange the schedule for the two-plus-two meeting. If Kan really wants to ensure his visit to the United States is a success, he cannot abandon the Futenma issue on the pretext of focusing on disaster response.
Last week, Carl Levin, chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, visited Okinawa Prefecture. His trip came as calls grow in the U.S. Congress to slash the budget for relocating U.S. marines stationed in Okinawa Prefecture to Guam if the Futenma issue is left high and dry.
The Okinawa prefectural government wants to reduce the burden that hosting U.S. bases puts on its residents. We believe the Okinawa government does not want the gridlock in the Futenma issue to complicate the marines' shift to Guam.
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa will meet Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima on Saturday. The Kan administration needs to step up efforts to convince Nakaima and others who insist the Futenma base should be relocated outside the prefecture to reconsider their view.
Both govt, private sector must tackle energy saving
In preparation for the power shortages expected this summer in areas served by Tokyo Electric Power Co., the government has compiled a new package of measures to cope with the likely gap between the electricity supply and demand.
The package calls on large-lot power users, such as major factories and department stores; midsized and small corporations; and households to cut electricity use this summer by a uniform 15 percent from a year ago.
Compared with the outline of power-saving steps the government announced in early April, the goal for power conservation has been revised downward, primarily because of the augmentation of TEPCO's power supply capacity.
However, electricity demand may soar due to increased use of power for air conditioners if there is a severe heat wave. Therefore it may not be easy to attain even the lower reduction target.
In addition to its relaxation of the power-saving goal for summer, the government has put the so-called Cool Biz campaign to have people wear light clothing at workplaces into effect from May 1, one month earlier than usual. It also has expanded the campaign period to six months.
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TEPCO supply capacity boosted
There have been moves among businesses to voluntarily adopt summertime working hours, bringing employees in earlier than usual to cut back on electricity consumption.
We strongly hope such energy-conservation and power-saving efforts in the public and private sectors will prove effective enough to avert the danger of an electricity shortage crisis this summer.
The government estimates this summer's maximum power demand in TEPCO service areas at about 60 million kilowatts. There were initially expected to be supply shortages of as much as 10 million kilowatts, prompting the government to address the expected supply-demand gap by setting extremely stringent power-saving goals.
The initial plans were designed to call on large-lot business users to cut power use by 25 percent, small-lot users by 20 percent and households by 15 percent to 20 percent.
As in its initial plans, the government's revised program is set to invoke mandatory restrictions on power use by large-lot business users based on the Electricity Business Law. This shows the government still has a strong sense of crisis over a possible electricity crunch.
TEPCO eventually announced it could boost its supply capacity to 55 million kilowatts through such measures as resuming operations at power stations that had been suspended. This led the government to revise downward its goal for reducing electricity consumption.
Already, some large-lot power users are considering trying to clear the 25 percent reduction goal through such means as operating at night and on Saturdays and Sundays, or by shifting production activities to western Japan regions.
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Households key
However, many firms in such fields as food processing and the operation of refrigerated warehouses will find it difficult to achieve even a 15 percent reduction. We urge these businesses to redouble their power-saving efforts.
Another concern is how households, which account for 30 percent of the nation's power consumption, will use electricity this summer.
Although many households are said to have tried earnestly to economize on electricity use, it is uncertain how much effort they will make in midsummer, when the need for power consumption cuts will be truly urgent.
To what degree should households reduce power use through such means as setting temperatures of air conditioners and refrigerators higher?
The government should seek sufficient cooperation from households by providing specific, detailed examples of how to reduce their power use.
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