Kan Administration Silences Prof. Toshiso Kosako with "Kindly" Advice on Confidentiality

Professor Toshiso Kosako of Tokyo University, who resigned on April 30 in protest over the 20 milli-sieverts per year allowable radiation exposure to children, was threatened with a "kindly advice" from the Prime Minister's Office not to hold a press conference on May 2 to explain his opposition.

"老婆心": literal meaning of the word that I translate into "kindly" is "granny's heart". The advice is for the benefit of Professor Kosako, out of the kindly granny's heart. "It is none of my business really, but just to remind you, for your own good" is the gist of it.

The "kindly advice" told Professor Kosako that he still has a confidentiality obligation not to disclose any information that he was privy to during his days as a special advisor to the Prime Minister.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (5/2/2011):

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故対策を巡り、４月３０日に内閣官房参与を辞任した小佐古敏荘(こさことしそう)・東京大学教授が２日夕に予定していた報道関係者向け説明会が中止された。

The press conference that Professor Toshiso Kosako of Tokyo University had planned to give in the evening of May 2 was canceled. Professor Kosako had resigned from his post as special advisor to the Prime Minister on April 30 over the government's dealings with TEPCO's Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

　民主党の空本誠喜・衆院議員によると、小佐古教授が官邸から守秘義務の指摘を受けたことが、中止の理由だという。

According to Representative Seiki Soramoto (Democratic Party of Japan), Professor Kosako was notified by the Prime Minister's Office of the confidentiality agreement [between him and the PM's office] and that led to the cancellation.

　小佐古教授は、政府の事故対応に納得できないとして、２９日に辞任の意向を表明した。空本氏によると、小佐古教授は２日夕、小学校の校庭利用などについて文部科学省が説明した放射線被曝(ひばく)限度の問題点について詳細な説明を行う予定だった。

Professor Kosako announced his resignation on April 29 saying he couldn't accept the government response to the Fukushima I accident. According to Mr. Soramoto, Professor Kosako was going to give a detailed explanation as to why the radiation exposure limit for use of school yards set by Ministry of Education and Science was problematic.

　ところが１日、小佐古教授から空本氏に、「（官邸関係者から）老婆心ながら、守秘義務があると言われた」として、説明会には出席できないと電話で伝えてきたという。

However, Professor Kosako phoned Mr. Soramoto on May 1 and told him that he couldn't not attend the press conference because he "had been kindly informed (by the source in the Prime Minister's Office)" that he still had a confidentiality obligation."

　文科省は校庭利用の放射線被曝限度を年間２０ミリ・シーベルトとしている。空本氏は「小佐古教授は、子供の被曝量はせいぜい年間５ミリ・シーベルトにとどめるべきだという考え。きちんと説明する場がなくなったのは残念だ」と話している。

Ministry of Education and Science has set the annual radiation exposure limit of 20 milli-sieverts for children to use school yards. According to Mr. Soramoto, "Professor Kosako thinks the radiation level that children could be exposed to is 5 milli-sieverts per year at most. It is regrettable that Professor Kosako's point of view cannot be aired."

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