(From Toby Daw)
The video is making fun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs program to invite foreign social media writers to Japan as it explains the new safety standards for food and drinks in Japan.
FYI, Japan's new food safety standards:
10 becquerels/kg for drinking water, not 100.
50 becquerels/kg for baby food
50 becquerels/kg for milk
100 becquerels/kg for general food
assuming 50% of food is contaminated
Another "win" for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who operates the ODA (Official Development Assistance). They have managed to obtain support from the United Nations on this one.
I first wrote about this particular ODA in June last year, with the follow-up post in September when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally requested the appropriation for the 3rd supplementary budget.
Now it's official, with the help of the UN. Canned fish from Tohoku will be given to people in developing countries in the world so that the fisheries in the disaster-affected areas can recover and "baseless rumors" disappear.
The fish cans will go to Cambodia and 4 other countries and will be used in school lunches to feed school children.
From Sankei Shinbun (3/30/2012):
食料支援で風評被害解消 被災地の缶詰を途上国に
Food aid to dispel baseless rumors, by sending canned food made in disaster-affected areas to developing countries
政府は、東日本大震災の被災地で製造された水産加工品を発展途上国の人々に食べてもらうため、国連機関の世界食糧計画（ＷＦＰ）と政府開発援助（ＯＤＡ）に関する書簡を交換した。食料支援を通じ、被災地の水産業振興と風評被害の解消につなげるのが狙いだ。
The Japanese government exchange letters with the UN WFP (World Food Programme) regarding the ODA (Official Development Assistance) so that people in developing countries will be able to eat processed marine products made in the areas affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The purpose is to promote [the recovery of] fisheries industry in the disaster-affected areas and to dispel baseless rumors [that food in Japan is contaminated with radioactive materials].
政府が平成２３年度第３次補正予算に計上した１０億円を元手に、ＷＦＰが青森、岩手、茨城、千葉の４県の水産加工場で製造されたイワシやサバなどの水煮の缶詰を調達。カンボジアなど５カ国で学校給食などに役立ててもらう。加藤敏幸外務政務官は書簡交換の式典で、「甚大な被害を受けた被災地の水産加工企業は、操業の全面再開に向け努力している」と強調した。
The Japanese government allocated 1 billion yen in the fiscal 2011 3rd supplementary budget. Using this money, WFP will purchase cans of boiled sardines and mackerels made in factories in Aomori, Iwate, Ibaraki, and Chiba Prefectures. The cans will be shipped to 5 countries including Cambodia for the use in school lunches. Toshiyuki Kato, parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [No.3 politician at the ministry] emphasized in the letter exchanging ceremony, "The marine product processing companies in the disaster-affected areas have sustained grave damage, and they are doing their best to resume full operation."
このＯＤＡをめぐっては、東京電力福島第１原発事故の影響を懸念する一部の市民団体などが反発。外務省幹部は「放射線量を検査し、安全性に問題がないものを輸出することで、海外に根強い風評被害の打破を図りたい」と説明している。
There are a few citizens' groups who oppose this particular ODA program as they are worried about the effect of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident. The top officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explain that the radiation measurement will be conducted, and only those products without any worry of safety will be exported so that the baseless rumors that still persist overseas are dispelled.
When the Japanese government officials say "without any worry of safety", their safety equals 100 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium starting April 1, 2012.
I couldn't find any press release on this, and no information as to other 4 countries receiving the canned fish from Japan.
Here's from the feedback page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can contact them by mail or by phone, or you can contact the embassies and consulates around the world.
The UN's WFP contact information is here: http://www.wfp.org/contact
(Applicants can download an application in Excel file at the Embassy's site. Go to the end of the post for more.)
Remember that harebrained project that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would do after grabbing some extra money in the supplementary budget last year? Well it has just started.
"An Invitation Program to Japan for SOCIAL MEDIA WRITERS: Hello social media writers!--the Government of Japan invites you to participate in an opportunity to travel to Japan and share your experience through social media."
The post (23 hours ago) says the following (emphasis is mine):
An Invitation Program to Japan for SOCIAL MEDIA WRITERS: Hello social media writers!--the Government of Japan invites you to participate in an opportunity to travel to Japan and share your experience through social media.
- objective: to share your impressions, positive experiences, and attraction to Japan through social media i.e blogs, Facebook, &Twitter. Witness a vibrant Japan as it recovers from the disasters of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
- visit places that would help you understand Japan's politics, economics, society, and culture + meet with persons in your area of interest
- area of interest: pop culture, fashion, design, science & technology, Japanese food culture, sports, academia, art, etc.
- You should have more than 1000 followers per social media profile. After returning to Canada, participants will be required to write at least three articles about their visit.
- duration: 7 days sometime after April 2012
- expenses covered: accommodation, travel to and from Japan, transportation in Japan, and accident insurance
- deadline: April 4.
Please find the application form & procedure @ http://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/canada_e/JapanCanada/2012/social_media_writers_april_2012.html
*Embassy of Japan may request candidates to visit the Embassy for an interview.
Please apply & spread the word!
The anon reader who gave me the link says the Embassy people (or whoever is managing their Facebook page) keep deleting the negative comments.
The Japanese people I know are all disgusted with the government scheme and they are extremely ashamed. And angry that their tax money is being used like this by their government.
==================
This is hilarious. I clicked on the link in the Embassy's Facebook post to take a look at the application form. IT'S AN EXCEL FILE! Are we still in the late 1980s, when companies that were very much behind the curve about computers were using Excel spreadsheet as word processor?
So these Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials do not even know how to create a simple form either in editable PDF format or web format, and they want to invite social media writers.
It was probably created by a local secretary who doesn't know anything about social media...
(What an atrocious color scheme... What has happened to the fine sense of design and color that the Japanese want to think they possess?)
The article by Pico Iyer at New York Times (3/22/2012) seems to say "Nothing has changed about Japan, only better". The author says he's been living around Kyoto for the past 25 years:
...The 9.0 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown that hit the country on March 11, 2011, claimed almost 20,000 lives, overturned an economy that had already been foundering through 20 years of recession, and demoralized a citizenry dealing with one suicide every 17 minutes, a loss of direction, and what is now seven prime ministers in fewer than six years.
Yet it also highlighted the resilience, self-possession and community-mindedness that are so striking in Japan; suddenly, the country that had seemed to insist on its difference from the rest of the world could be seen in its more human, compassionate and brave dimensions. Japan has long been what the globally savvy magazine Monocle called, in a recent issue, “The World’s Most Charming Nation”; now it is also one of those most grateful for visitors.
You can read the entire article at the link.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japan Tourism Agency can't be happier.
The Youtube video of the Emperor's speech at the memorial ceremony on March 11 now has over 7,000 views.
While the Emperor was the only one at the ceremony who mentioned radiation contamination and the plight of residents who had to flee the land contaminated with radioactive materials (he even mentioned the workers dealing with the nuclear accident), the Noda administration has been very busy peddling recovery by launching the media blitz around the world with infomercials to tell the world how the disaster areas in Tohoku, particularly Fukushima, have recovered and everything will be just fine from now on.
Nuclear accident? What nuclear accident? Radiation contamination? Oh it's just a baseless rumor.
I hate to think how much they spent to create the commercials, and how much they spent to buy the ad time.
The announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (3/8/2012) is as follows:
TV Commercials Transmitting the Attractions of Japan and Tohoku to the World
1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has produced four TV commercials transmitting the attractions of Japan and the Tohoku region to the world for the purpose of mitigating reputational damages generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and recovering and improving the image of Japan, as follows:
(1) “JAPAN Power of harmony” introduces Japan’s superior technological capabilities in areas such as lacquerware, the research and development of iPS cells, space exploration, and the Shinkansen, through the use of the technique of origami. (60 seconds)
(2) “Colorful emotions TOHOKU” communicates the attractions of sightseeing in the Tohoku region such as the Nebuta Festival, the making of Akabeko (dolls of a red cow), playing in the snow, hot springs, strawberry picking, and the warlords of the Samurai , by showing the excitement and expectation of a family who travels Tohoku from abroad. (60 seconds)
(3) “We believe in FUKUSHIMA” shows the invincible resolve of the people in Fukushima toward the restoration of their daily lives before the Great East Japan Earthquake. It features the people of Fukushima working on strawberry farms, in Fukushima Railway Station, at the E-rosoku (pictured candle) Festival, and at Tsurugajo Castle. (60 seconds)
(4) “Message from Japan “ARIGATOU” (Thank you)” is a commercial to convey appreciation to the world. “Arigatou” is a word to express thanks for heartfelt words, sympathy, and supports sent from the world in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
2. In particular, commercials (2) and (3) were produced thanks to cooperation received from local governments and institutions concerned such as Fukushima Prefecture, Sendai City, and the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization.
3. These commercials are currently on the air all across the world through CNN etc. From April onward, the commercials are to be broadcast on NHK World TV (JIB-TV broadcast) through close coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
4. Moreover, these commercials are to be screened in receptions and events held abroad by the local governments and institutions concerned such as diplomatic missions abroad, the Japan Tourism Agency, Fukushima Prefecture, Sendai City, and Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, as well as at international conferences held in Japan.
[Reference]
The commercials are posted on the video channel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA channel)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL485006D5D9738951
Foreign Minister Genba, when he was the minister in charge of national strategy back in March last year, told the Japanese that they should all be cheering for TEPCO.
Here's one, titled "Colorful emotions, Tohoku" (I absolutely have no idea what that phrase even means), featuring a foreign family (Russian?) visiting Tohoku in winter. The Ministry disallows embed for this particular commercial.
The commercial titled "Japan Power of Harmony" is clearly targeted at the global business communities. The Ministry disallows this embed also. It goes:
Japan, a country of perseverance and spirit of harmony.
Spirit form, from the severe nature of our nation.
And that reality has formed Japan, through endless innovation and cooperation.
"These innovation from my country of Japan will ultimately contribute to the entire health of our society, to the entire advancement of the human race."
Now, more than ever, the world is facing challenge.
And Japan offers our unique experience for everyone.
We know, we learned, power is created from the cooperation of people.
It's the power of harmony.
Together for a better future.
Japan.
Can anyone tell me what this means? I can see through the original Japanese or original muddled thinking in English, but does this make any sense in English?
Whoever created the original copy in Japanese and whoever translated it into English uncritically should be shot.
These commercials must be the work of either Dentsu or Hakuhodo, two largest PR firms in Japan who have been closely cooperating with the national government since March 11, 2011 on campaigns to sell Tohoku, whether it is a tourist destination or food from Fukushima.
The message I get from these commercials is this: "We're trying our utmost best to ignore the nuclear accident and radiation contamination, and so should you."
From a tweet by an independent journalist who seems to be residing outside Japan:
日本の外務省が各国の大使館等で１２月行われる天皇誕生日レセプションに、福島の食材でもてなすという企画をしているらしい。IAEAのトップが外務省のOBならそれも頷ける。外国では一般人レベルで既に日本レストランから足が遠ざかっているのに。
It seems Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to use produce from Fukushima in the receptions to be held in Japan's embassies around the world for the emperor's birthday in December. That's understandable, considering the IAEA chief is a former bureaucrat of the Ministry. But foreigners are avoiding Japanese restaurants. What are they thinking?
As to the question of how the Ministry plans to bring in Fukushima produce to countries that ban the agricultural import from Japan (i.e. EU), he answers:
噂では、外交特権を使って輸入するらしい。
The rumor says they will import [food from Fukushima] using the diplomatic immunity.
In later tweets, he says he personally knows the embassy people in charge, who are ashamed of the Ministry's plan. He is most likely to attend the reception, as he has attended every year, he says, and will report.
Well, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is going to squander 1.1 billion yen inviting foreigners to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate so that they can tweet "favorably". Serving Fukushima vegetables and meat to dignitaries at Japan's embassies around the world so that foreigners think "favorably" of Japan and Fukushima in particular is just as demented, therefore totally in line with their (lack of) thinking.
The Japanese government has dispatched the imperial family to disaster areas including high-radiation Fukushima City in April and May. They had the crown prince's family spend summer in high-radiation Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture. Now, they may use the emperor's birthday to force foreigners to eat Fukushima food.
Are there any readers here who are regularly invited to the Japanese embassy events? The emperor's birthday is December 23.
The Japan Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is competing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in giving away free trips to Japan to foreigners in the hope of "favorable" coverage on the Internet social media.
From Yomiuri Shinbun (10/10/2011):
観光庁は、東日本大震災後に激減している外国人観光客の回復を狙い、２０１２年度に全世界から、旅費無料で１万人の一般観光客を日本に招待する方針を固めた。
The Japan Tourism Agency has decided to invite 10,000 tourists from all over the world in the fiscal 2012, free of charge. The purpose is to help increase the number of visitors from abroad which has plummeted after the March 11 disaster.
募集は主にインターネットを通じて行い、応募者の旅行計画などが審査に合格すれば、日本への往復航空券を提供する。
The Agency will invite foreigners to apply via the Internet. If the application and travel plan is accepted by the Agency, the applicant will be given a free round-trip ticket to Japan.
こうして来日する旅行者には、日本滞在中にインターネットで世界へ情報発信してもらう方針だ。日本国内の滞在が安全・安心であることを口コミで世界的に広げる効果を見込んでいる。旅行者にはこのほか、震災後の日本旅行についてアンケート調査をしたり、新たな日本旅行のモデルとなるような旅行プランを提案してもらったりする。事業費として、観光庁は１２年度予算の概算要求に１１億円を盛り込んだ。
The Agency plans to have these tourists broadcast information to the world during their stay in Japan via the Internet. The Agency is hoping the message of how safe it is to stay in Japan will spread to the world by word of mouth. The tourists will be asked to participate in the opinion survey on traveling in Japan after the March 11 disaster and to submit travel plans that can be used as a new model for travel in Japan. For the project, the Japan Tourism Agency is asking 1.1 billion yen (US$14.3 million) in the budget proposal for the fiscal 2012.
The fiscal 2012 year will start on April 1, 2012 in Japan.
So my readers outside Japan, watch out for the formal announcement on the Agency's website, which should come before that date: http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/index.html
I don't know if the Agency (or for that matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has the "Plan B" - what if these foreigners do not tweet favorable impression? (Confiscating their return tickets, maybe, or send them off to "volunteer" somewhere north of Tokyo. Just kidding.)
The Agency's catchphrase is "Japan. Endless Discovery."
No kidding.
This must be part of that 1 billion yen that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded in the 3rd supplementary budget.
12 IAEA experts for 9 days in Japan including travel days.
From Yomiuri Shinbun (10/4/2011):
藤村官房長官は４日の記者会見で、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故で発生した放射性物質の除染活動を進めるため、７日から１５日まで国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）の「国際除染ミッション（調査団）」を受け入れると発表した。
On the October 4 press conference Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura announced that the government will accept "International Decontamination Mission" from IAEA from October 7 to 15 to assist in decontamination of the radioactive materials from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.調査団は日本側の要請に基づくもので、１２人の専門家が派遣される。日本の除染作業の支援や、作業の評価や情報共有などを行い、報告書をまとめる。
The Japanese government has invited the Mission consisting of 12 experts. The Mission will support the decontamination efforts in Japan, evaluate the efforts and share information. It is expected to report on the findings.
The last time the IAEA experts visited Japan was to "investigate" the Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident back in May. They duly issued the report, finding the Japanese government's response to the disaster "well-organized". IAEA chief Amano did his personal tour of the plant on July 25.
It's buried in my previous post about radioactive canned fish and wheelchair out of Tohoku as ODA, but this merits its own post because of its sheer absurdity.
(Who do you call someone who tweets, anyway?)
From Mainichi Shinbun (9/19/2011):
東日本大震災：「日本安全」つぶやいて 風評対策、海外からツイッター発信者ら招待
Tweet "Japan is safe" to dispel "baseless rumor": Japan to invite Twitterers from overseas
外務省は、東京電力福島第１原発事故による日本の農 産物や観光などへの風評被害対策として、フェイスブックやツイッターなどソーシャルメディアの発信者を海外から招く準備に入った。世界で５億人以上が利用 するとされるソーシャルメディアが、中東政変などで大きな影響力を見せていることに着目した試験事業。被災地を回った発信者に、安全性や感動を伝えてもら うことで、風評被害の緩和を狙う。
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have started to make preparations for inviting people from overseas who disseminate information via the social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as part of the countermeasures against "baseless rumors" that have damaged sales of Japanese agricultural products and tourism industry. More than 500 million people in the world are said to use the social media. The ministry has seen the great impact of the social media in the revolutions in the Middle East, and decided to use the social media to counter the "baseless rumor" by having people disseminate the messages of safety and favorable impressions.
東日本大震災からの復旧に向けた１１年度第２次補正予算で、外務省は風評対策のため、１５億円を計上した。外務省として初めての発信者招待は、この対策の一環。
In the second supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2011, the ministry obtained 1.5 billion yen for the countermeasures against "baseless rumors". This plan to invite Facebook and Twitter users with large followers is part of the countermeasures.
１１月ごろから、欧米や中国、中東などから、読者の多い発信者約１５人を数回に分けて、福島、宮城、岩手県などに招く方向で、在外公館を通じて参加者を選ぶ。
Starting November, the ministry will invite the total of about 15 people over time from Europe, the United States, China and the Middle East who have large Facebook or Twitter followers. They will be selected by the Japanese embassies and consulates overseas, and they will be invited to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.
ソーシャルメディア関係者が、日本に好意的な書き込みをする保証はないが、外務省の担当課は「現地に足を運び、特産物を食べてもらった上での発信だけに、風評ではない信頼性の高い内容になる可能性が高い。迅速、大量、広範囲に情報を届けることもできるはず」と期待。さらに、海外の新聞やテレビ関係者を数十人ずつ被災地に招き、より広範囲に日本の農産物、観光情報を発信したい考えだ。
There is no guarantee that these social media users will disseminate messages that are favorable to Japan. But the section in charge of the project at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hopeful that "They will send out messages after they actually visit the places and eat the local specialty food. We believe that the messages will be more credible, not the baseless rumor. The messages will be sent out fast, in great numbers, and widely". In addition, the Ministry will invite foreign media - newspapers and TV stations - to the disaster affected areas, so that they can send out information on Japanese agricultural products and tourism to a wider audience.
風評対策事業ではこのほか、日本産品の安全性を伝える著名人のテレビコマーシャルを海外で流し、各国の在外公館で被災地産品の物産展や試食会の開催も計画している。
Other countermeasures against "baseless rumors" include airing TV commercials outside Japan using celebrities telling the foreign viewers how safe the Japanese goods are, and fairs and food tasting events at the Japanese embassies and consulates overseas that feature the goods and produce from the disaster-affected areas.
So the Ministry correctly identified the social media like Facebook and Twitter that played a significant role in the Middle East uprisings. What they have chosen to ignore was that the social media was used by the protesters as a countermeasure to the government propaganda, not the other way around.
Using the same budget, the Ministry is hiring two people with collage or graduate degrees to tweet in English on behalf of the Ministry, and take care of these social media foreign visitors when they come. The message that they should tweet is about how charming Japan is and how well it has recovered from the earthquake/tsunami disaster. The position is temporary, lasting 6 months starting October 3, and you are to work 5 days a week excluding weekends and holidays for up to 29 hours per week. One hour lunch break. English proficiency is a must.
If you think you've got what it takes to do the government propaganda, contact:
外務省外務省大臣官房広報文化交流部総合計画課 経理庶務班
電話番号：03-5501-8127
ファックス：03-5501-8126
I wonder who will appear in the commercials? Which celebrity will be purchased? Anyone that you would recommend?
I reported this already in late June, but now it's a formal request from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the appropriation for the 3rd supplementary budget for the fiscal 2011.
Back in June, the talk was only for processed seafood like canned fish. Now, as part of the ODA (Official Development Assistance) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to use 5 billion yen (US$65 million) to buy up canned fish, wheelchairs and other industrial products from the disaster-affected areas and offered them to developing nations, says NHK News Japanese (9/19/2011).
By "disaster-affected" areas, read Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures.
The purposes for this plan is two-fold, according to NHK. First, to aid the developing nations of course. Second and more importantly, to erase for once and for all the "baseless rumors" about radiation contamination of the Japanese produce and products in the minds of people in the developing nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asking for 17 billion yen (US$221 million) total in the 3rd supplementary budget. If you look at the planned projects at the ministry, they read like a sublime lesson in irony and cynicism:
5 billion yen for this ODA fish and wheelchair for development countries scheme
4 billion yen for giving the earthquake and tsunami analysis and early warning systems to nations in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific Rim
1 billion yen for inviting IAEA experts for their advice on how to wind down the Fukushima I Nuclear Plant accident
(from the 2nd supplementary budget) 1.5 billion yen for inviting people with big Facebook and Twitter followers in the US, Europe, and Middle East to Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate and wine and dine them with local produce, with the hope that they will spread the word to their followers "Japan is safe"; launching a media blitz overseas using celebrities to appeal safety of Japanese products (Mainichi Shinbun, 9/19/2011)
For the last one, the ministry is hiring 2 people with college or graduate degrees with English proficiency to tweet for the ministry, and take care of the Facebook/Twitter writers when they come to Tohoku. The ministry's elite bureaucrats seem to think the revolutions in the Middle East happened because of Facebook and Twitter. What they've decided to ignore is that they were used by the anti-regime protesters, not by the regimes.
Despairing of their own government, some Japanese are hoping that the US will occupy Japan again. But then, under the current US president, all they would get would be killer drones.
As part of the ODA (Official Development Assistance) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a host of aid programs for developing nations around the world, the Japanese national government is going to buy up processed seafood [canned fish, for example?] from the earthquake-affected areas and offered them to developing nations.
It's not clear whether these seafood packages will be free or they will make the developing nations pay, even a token amount. But don't worry, says Nikkei Shinbun, they will be first tested for radiation by the WFP (UN's World Food Program).
From Kyodo News Japanese (6/26/2011):
政府開発援助（ＯＤＡ）配分など２０１１年度の国際協力重点方 針案が２６日、判明した。東日本大震災被災地の水産加工食品などを購入して途上国に提供するなど、国際社会にも「開かれた復興に資するためのＯＤＡ活用を 最優先課題とする」と明記。被災地に外国人研修員を積極的に受け入れることで風評被害防止にも取り組むとした。
The government plan for the international aid programs for the 2011 fiscal year [that started in April 1] became known on June 26, which include the Official Development Assistance (ODA). The plan states that the government will purchase the processed seafood from the areas affected by the March 11 earthquake and offer them to developing nations, and that "it will make it the utmost priority to utilize the ODA for the recovery open to the international community". Under the plan, the government will also accept more foreign "trainees" in the affected areas to counter the baseless rumors [of radiation contamination].
政府は２７日に決定する。震災復興に巨額の経費がかかることからＯＤＡを削減すべきだとの意見が出ていることを意識し、復興への貢献を前面に打ち出した形。一部は１１年度第３次補正予算案に盛り込む考えだ。
The government will decide on the plan on June 27. There are critics who have been pushing for the reduction of the ODA budget as the recovery/reconstruction from the earthquake is likely to be very costly. In response to the critics, the government will frame the ODA as part of recovery/reconstruction. Part of the program cost will be included in the 3rd supplementary budget of the fiscal 2011.
Foreign "trainees" usually means cheap labors from developing nations. Before the earthquake/tsunami of March 11, there were many "trainees" from China working in the seafood processing plants at the ports in the Tohoku region, even as the jobs were not abundant for the locals.
A baseless rumor or ”blowing in the wind” rumor (風評）, has become the euphemism for "radiation", as you already know.
The Japanese government wants to buy up fish and other seafood from fishermen in Tohoku, package them and sell them to developing nations so that Tohoku can recover.
(That's totally in line with the Japan-US plan to create the final processing plant for used fuels in Mongolia.)
Please keep in mind that this is what the national government (and probably the prefectural governments in Tohoku) wants, and not the fishermen themselves. I'm sure some fishermen will be all for it, but others won't be, as I've read about them who simply stopped fishing when they become aware that the fish were contaminated with radioactive materials.
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If you want to write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, here's the web page that you can send your message. It's on their Japanese site only:
https://www3.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/mail/qa.htmlThe fields from the top: Subject, Message (1000 characters), Email address, Phone number, Age, Gender (male, female), Occupation.
Required fields are Subject and Message.
Left button: Review the message
Right button: Reset
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