Naoto Kan, after surviving the vote of no confidence thanks to Hatoyama's deluded decision to play "kingmaker", just does as he pleases these days without fear or worry. And that includes appointing this man as the minister in charge of recovery and reconstruction in the Tohoku region.
From Tohoku Broadcasting Company's news report:
(Announcer): Ryu Matsumoto, newly-appointed Minister in charge of recovery and reconstruction from the March 11 earthquake/tsunami, visited Miyagi Prefecture for the first time since the appointment. When he didn't see the governor waiting for him in the meeting room, the Minister got angry, and strongly rebuked the governor.
(Announcer): Here's Minister Ryu Matsumoto visiting the Miyagi prefectural government office. When he did not see Governor Murai in the room waiting for him, his countenance became severe.
(Matsumoto): He [the governor] should be here before me, and that's the proper way, isn't it?
(Announcer): A few minutes later, Governor Murai came in smiling, and offered his hand to the Minister for a handshake. The Minister refused. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned tense. After receiving the documents that detailed the requests [from Miyagi Prefecture], Minister Matsumoto told the governor in harsh words.
松本：（水産特区は）県でそれはコンセンサスを得ろよ。そうしないとわれわれ、何にもしないぞ。だからちゃんとやれ。今あとから自分は入ってきたけど、お客さんが来るときは、自分が入ってからお客さんを呼べ。いいか？ 長幼の序がわかっている自衛隊ならそんなことやるぞ。わかった？ はい。しっかりやれよ。今の最後の言葉はオフレコです。いいですか？ 皆さん。いいですか？ はい。書いたらもうその社は終わりだから。
(Matsumoto): [Regarding the special fishery zone, which the government is pushing and many local fishermen oppose] Get the consensus. Otherwise we won't do anything. Just do it. You came in after me, but when you greet a guest, be in here first and call in the guest. Understand? The Self Defense Force would do it because they have the sense of seniority. Got it? Do better than this. [Speaking to the news reporters in the room] Oh my last remark is off the record, understand? Everyone. Understand? If any of you dare write it, that will be end of your company.
(Announcer): This remark by Minister Matsumoto is likely to create a stir.
There is no way to convey the sense of what he said to the governor of Miyagi. Japanese language has several modes of speech from super-vulgar to super-polite. While there are English equivalents in more polite forms of speech, the base language used by him cannot be fully translated without adding extremely rude and vulgar interjections. For example, his first word to the governor would be more like "Get the consensus, you piece of sh-t."
Matsumoto's grandfather was the founder of the Buraku Liberation League, and Matsumoto still serves as the vice chairman of the organization. He is a multi-millionaire from the family business (general contractor in construction) and from, as some allege, the Buraku Liberation League money. The League by the way is mired in financial scandals.
During the early days of crisis after the March 11 earthquake, Matsumoto, who was (and still is) the Minister in charge of disaster countermeasures, allegedly hid in the Prime Minister's Residence, shaking in his boots. The initial delay and confusion in delivering aid to the Tohoku area (where he visited on July 3) was due to his panic and indecision. (from Japanese wiki entry)
Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano defended Matsumoto, saying "It was from his strong sense of duty and responsibility that he spoke that way." (from NHK Japanese)
The governor of Miyagi said "I'm sure Prime Minister Kan has appointed the best person for the job." (from NHK Japanese) The governor is a graduate of the National Defense Academy, and was an officer in the Self Defense Force before he ran for office.
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16 comments:
What a bunch of fucking clowns these politicians are
Your commentary is fine. Mentioning 'Barakumin' however is very uncool. There are laws against discriminating against the so-called 'untouchables' and by mentioning his connection to this caste you are implicitly acting in a discriminatory manner. Please delete this reference from your report. Thank you.
Ultraman,
I am embarrassed to admit I had no concept of the range of speech that can be attained with the Japanese language. For example *blushing from cultural ignorance* I did not think that the Japanese forms of expression held sufficient vulgarity that could come anywhere near that of American language so your effort at illustrating this had me open mouthed with shock (at my foolish ignorance and) that this thug could possibly be employed anywhere, by any employer in Japan, let alone by the Japanese government to 'serve' the embattled people living in regions under the most visible duress from the radiation issue. This man sounds like a sociopath (pleasure from hurting/humiliating people just for sport) and I wonder if Kan had people screened and selected for this trait to carry out his 'wishes'. UNBELIEVABLE. Hope
@anon at 12:33AM, what can I say. When the name of the organization has the word that you say uncool and misspell. Why don't you suggest the organization to change its name because it is "discriminatory"?
To anomynous at 12:38:
The rude English translation is not very litteral, because as the posts says, Japanese and English languages are rude in different ways.
What Matsumoto said isn't vulgar, but it is still shockingly rude. It is hard to be that rude in English without being vulgar, but in Japanese you can. In this case, his being rude comes contempt, rather than from vulgarity.
I don't see anything wrong with mentioning the Buraku organization whatsoever, and since the above commentor does not give the politically correct word I don't understand what he is talking about unless he is promoting censorship (sounds like it). Down with Political Correctness. As for Japanese politicians, they are a bunch of criminals and thugs, but that is nothing very meaningful since the top politicians in most countries these days are no better. Not all politicians are thugs, but the ones that gain control usually are, other than JFK and look what the Israel Mafia did to him.
@ anonymous July 4, 2011 12:33 AM :
I see nothing disturbing in this article. We must call a spade a spade and not stop this kind of remark.
This kind of politician AUTAIN, thinking primarily for reporting lines does not bode well in terms of efficiency. It was the same here!
I fully support the governor. As long as Japan will not get rid of this band of incompetents, consisting of an incestuous relationship banking, government, and large companies ... nothing good will come. especially
Personally, I think that Japan is screwed. For three months, nothing is done ...
...
At ex-skf: Watch yourself and be careful, there are bloggers who talk about the nuclear dead, sorry who commit suicide with bags on their heads ...
I'm a Japanese, but I was as shocked as anon. at 12:38am to hear his words. The way he talks really shows his contempt and sense of superiority toward the governor. Like he has come down from the height to the poor rural area, or something like that. Matured man who has an average level of common sense won't talk like this.
Latest figures as of July 3rd : more than 15,500 deaths, 7100 still missing, and more than 90,000 still living in evacuation shelters. Miyagi Prefecture alone lost 9288 through the earthquake/tsunami. Areas still widely in devastation, utilities not fully recovered yet. Governor must be much much busier than this minister. "Do your job first!" I'd like to yell at him.
What a jackass. I hope the people of Tohoku don't think all Tokyoites are that insensitive. This joker gives Tokyo people a bad rep and should be ridiculed, then removed immediately..
Maybe remind these condescending pieces of shit the only reason Tohoku has nuclear reactors in their back yard is to provide power... to Tokyo!
Get rid of these losers.. Unfortunately, most the bureaucrats in Japan are idiots with no ideas.
It's come full circle. Untouchable Buraku now berates and humiliates High Status Japanese.
I guess power in the hands of anyone ultimately gives the same result--arrogance and corruption.
Laurel and Hardy
Well, I am living in a world where svering and curces are persived to be an artform.
This is nothing near what I have heard or expirienced, by "dignitaries" and leader.
Hehe.
But they got it back to.
That we saw was nothing more than whatt I call a primitiv and rud way of leading anykind of gov. or a company.
Rule by fear.
The reason some people beat their animals, to force them to obey.
Pathetic and utterly imature.
In my world the minister would have been persived as uterly disgracfull and childish.
And it would be difficould to take sutch a person serious at all, exept the pathetic fact that he is superiour.
What a scu...g.
I'd mentioned before that after the Tokai criticality event in 1998 the companies JCO and Sumitomo had their offices raided by the police, and that TEPCO's major motivation was to avoid having that happen to them.
read this,
"In 2002, whistle-blower allegations that TEPCO had deliberately falsified safety records came to light and the company was forced to shut down all of its reactors and inspect them, including the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant. Kei Sugaoka, a GE on-site inspector first notified Japan’s nuclear watch dog, Nuclear Industrial Safey Agency (NISA) in June of 2000. Not only did the government of Japan take more than two years to address the problem and collude on covering it up, they gave the name of the whistleblower to TEPCO."
Forced to shut down all its reactors. That must not have sat well.
[at Fukushima] ".. after the accident all the on-site inspectors fled the site."
"building shaking"
"pipes buckling"
"pipes bursting"
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/07/meltdown-what-really-happened-fukushima/39541/
Matsumoto is a coward who is incapable of correctly carrying out his job duties. Therefore, he behaves like a bully toward anyone who is competent.
hidesan83 HIDEKI
[TBS] now, "Reconstruction Minister to resign meteorite Matsumoto" breaking news flows. miyagi iwate fukushima
from twitter.
Good riddance!
TEPCO being investigated
"Despite its many accidents, TEPCO has managed to shield itself over the years from rigorous investigation and censure. It has done so by wining and dining the Japanese media, spending the equivalent of $294 million in advertising, and hiring retired National Police Agency bureaucrats and former METI officials as “special advisors.” "
Jake Adelstein
Stephanie Nakajima
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/06/tepco-will-someone-turn-lights/39364/
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