One year ago, on December 8, the National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) was officially established.
Today, exactly one year since then, many from the NAIIC team reunited to spend three hours together in the afternoon. During the highly intense six months, which at times seemed to have no exit, we overcame major obstacles together and developed a camaraderie. We shared this team spirit and spent the afternoon talking about about many topics.
I presented everyone with a commemorative gift that I had prepared to express my feelings of gratitude.
As I have mentioned on this site (1), NAIIC has been evaluated highly by the world.
Then, how has the response been within Japan?
Most of the people on the NAIIC team did not know each other one year ago. To share such an experience for several months as a working professional must have been a significant experience and a source of further self-confidence for the future. I have heard many people expressing such feelings.
I remember back to my opening remarks (in Japanese) and closing words (in Japanese) of my address to the Diet one year ago on this day. That day was the seventieth anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The amazing aspect of the information age in which we live today is that anyone, including me, can access this speech online and listen to it anytime. When I reflect back, even now, I believe that my feelings regarding undertaking NAIIC are expressed straightforwardly in this speech.
During this past year, so many things have changed irrevocably in the world and in Japan.
However, what is the current situation of Fukushima? Yesterday evening, there was a considerable earthquake in north eastern Japan and although it was small, a tsunami occurred. What did you think about this?
Japan, true to form, will soon have an election again. But it is difficult to have much hope… what is the cause of this?
It is now a time when each person should think and change, as I have written in the Preface of the NAIIC report.