Japan’s reconstruction minister resigns after offending tsunami victims

Ryu Matsumoto steps down after threatening funding would be withheld unless local leaders came up with workable plans Japan’s minister in charge of overseeing the reconstruction of the country’s devastated north-east coast resigned on Tuesday, just one week into the job, amid criticism that he offended victims of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami in comments captured by TV cameras. Ryu Matsumoto’s resignation could not have come at a worse time for the prime minister, Kan Naoto, who is struggling to pass legislation to fund Japan’s biggest reconstruction project since the end of the second world war. Matsumoto came under pressure to quit after a TV station broadcast footage of a testy meeting on Sunday with Yoshihiro Murai, the governor of tsunami-hit Miyagi prefecture. After Murai arrived a few minutes late, Matsumoto, in a passable impression of a hectoring schoolmaster, said: “When a guest comes to visit, do not call the guest in until you have arrived in the room. Do you understand?” Matsumoto, 60, suggested such sloppy manners would not be tolerated in the self-defence forces [SDF], where young people respected their elders. Murai, a 50-year-old former SDF member, nodded and smiled through clenched teeth. Matsumoto effectively sealed his fate when he warned Murai that the government would do nothing to help the region unless local leaders arrived at a consensus over post-disaster reconstruction. Perhaps sensing the mood had turned against him, Matsumoto quipped to reporters in the room: “That was all off the record, OK? Understand? You write this up, and it’ll be the end for your company.” Unfortunately for Matsumoto, the journalists simply ignored him. The exchange quickly appeared on YouTube , where it has been viewed more than a million times, and became a trending topic on Twitter and Facebook. In a separate meeting with Takuya Tasso, the governor of neighbouring Iwate prefecture, Matsumoto threatened to withhold funding unless local communities came up with workable reconstruction plans. On Monday night, Matsumoto apologised and blamed his indelicate remarks on his blood type. “If I hurt the feelings of the disaster victims, I would like to apologise,” he said. “I’m a type B and can have the tendency to be simplistic and straightforward at times. “My intentions don’t always come across perfectly. My wife called me earlier to point that out. I think I need to reflect on that.” The haematic reference wasn’t particularly outlandish in Japan, where many people believe their blood type defines their personality . But no one in the battered north-east appeared willing to forgive Matsumoto or his blood type. Jin Sato, the mayor of Minamisanriku, a badly damaged town, said the comments had added to the anguish of residents already disheartened by the slow pace of rebuilding. “I have been saying all along that this government has no sense of speed,” he told NHK. “My frank opinion is that this resignation drama is another misstep.” Matsumoto is not alone in committing a tsunami-related gaffe: Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo, described the disaster as divine punishment for Japan’s culture of “egoism” and was re-elected weeks later. In an attempt to placate opposition MPs, Kan has promised to step down once three key bills – an extra budget, and legislation to allow fresh borrowing and　promote renewable energy in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi accident – have passed. His best hope is that Matsumoto’s swift departure helps smooth the way for a US$25bn-extra budget (£15.6bn) for disaster-hit areas and a compensation scheme for people who lost homes and businesses due to the nuclear crisis. But opposition MPs spied Matsumoto’s resignation as an opportunity to put Kan under fresh pressure to quit soon. Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic party, said Kan’s resignation offered the best hope for the tsunami-affected region. The government’s chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said Kan had no intention of stepping down early, adding that it would be “irresponsible” to resign while the reconstruction and energy bills were still being debated. Japan disaster Japan Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 5, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.