Thursday, April 5, 2012

Young Mayor of Chiba City Dismisses Citizen's Concern Over Plutonium on the Disaster Debris

Toshihito Kumagai is a 34-year-old mayor of Chiba City who wants to accept and burn disaster debris from Iwate and Miyagi to "help the recovery" of the disaster-affected region. On his twitter on April 5, he answers a question from a citizen as follows:

千葉市が受け入れるかもしれない瓦礫にはプルトニウムは入っていますか?

(Citizen) Is there plutonium on the debris that Chiba City may accept?

プルトニウム、本当にお好きですね。セシウムを心配するのは程度の差こそあれ理解しますが、岩手宮城でプルトニウムを気にするのは理解できません。

(Mayor Kumagai) I don't understand why you like plutonium so much [or "Oh that plutonium again"]. I can understand the concern over cesium, but I don't understand why anyone worries about plutonium in Iwate and Miyagi.

The national government did the survey last year for plutonium in cities and towns in southern Miyagi. No survey for plutonium has been done in Iwate.

Since it is not the job of the Ministry of Education (who did the survey) to interpret the data, there is no word as to whether the amount detected was considered "background". The interpretation, the Ministry decided early on in the nuclear crisis last year, should be the job of the administration (prime minister).

Mayor Kumagai is a graduate of the NPO private school called "Isshin-juku" set up by Kenichi Ohmae, former senior partner of McKinsey & Co. The school's home page declares:

新しい日本を創造するネクストリーダー養成学校

Prep school to educate the next leaders who will create a new Japan

"Nekusuto lih-dah (next leader)". Only those who understand the Japanized English need to apply.

Future is bright.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chiba's doomed anyway. If he can keep some of this trash out of Kyushu, Hokkaido and Okinawa, perhaps we should send it (all?) to him.

Of course I would much prefer that Miyagi and Iwate simply sit on their debris until they can dispose of it themselves (cheaper, safer, local jobs, etc). However if Japan is hell bent on moving the stuff somewhere, there are worse choices than already contaminated Chiba.

As for Mr. Kumagai's age, there are stupid people at all stages of life. Older isn't always wiser as evidenced by the mayor of Oita, etc. But yes, the citizens of Chiba City who decide to stay there for the next election need to be more careful about who they elect to represent them. Me? I'd move if either of these foolish short-sighted persons were my mayor.

Anonymous said...

Adoration of youth has always been overboard in Japan. As if being young means smart.

triggerhappy ranch said...

Mr Kumagai, you are either a very bad man or a very stupid man. How can you sell out your people? Is this for your political gain?

Anonymous said...

"YOU SURE LIKE PLUTONIUM!" Mere words cannot describe the stupidity of his reply.

Someone should poison him so he too can enjoy the unique taste of plutonium.

Oh, but it's actually against the law to incite any kind of rebellious or terrorist behaviour. I shall now be arrested, while politicians freely poison the planet and everything on it. BANZAI!

Chibaguy said...

I would like to replace a majority of the government with 6 graders. I am sure they could handle this better.

kintaman said...

Please post his twitter account link.

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

@kintaman, here it is.

https://twitter.com/#!/kumagai_chiba

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