*Note: This is a provisional translation for reference purposes only.

9:43-9:50 a.m.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Press Conference Room, METI Main Building

Opening Remarks

Visit to the United States

I would like to mention one point.
If circumstances permit, from tomorrow, May 24, to May 28, I will visit Detroit, the United States, to attend the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting and the IPEF Ministerial Discussion. At the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, discussions will be held on matters such as what measures to implement in order to enable the WTO to more effectively respond to the recent challenges and what actions to take in order to promote sustainable and inclusive trade.
The IPEF Ministerial Discussion will be the first since September last year, although an online meeting was held in December. As you know, there are four pillars— trade, supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy. At this time in particular, I believe that building and strengthening supply chains with reliable partners will be the most important theme. I would like to exercise leadership in the discussion so that some agreement can be reached.
I will use this occasion to hold face-to-face bilateral meetings to exchange opinions with relevant countries’ ministers. I hope to share perspectives and cooperate with those countries with regard to the outcome of the G7 summit—that is, the agreement on promoting energy transition along various pathways—and the importance of preparations for the WTO Ministerial Conference, or MC13.
In particular, with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo, we are making arrangements for holding a meeting under the Japan-U.S. Commercial and Industrial Partnership, or JUCIP, which is the framework for cooperation between METI and the Department of Commerce. If the meeting, which will be the second, is held, we would like to hold discussions on how to put into practice the agreement on expanding cooperation in fields such as quantum computing, semiconductors, biotechnology, and AI, which was reached at the Japan-U.S. summit.

Question-and-Answer Session

ALPS-Treated Water

Q: I have a question related to treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The delegation from the Republic of Korea (ROK), which is visiting Japan, has been holding a meeting since yesterday. On what points is the Government of Japan placing emphasis when providing explanations? In addition, please tell me what processes and arrangements you are considering in relation to the neighboring countries and fishermen before finalizing the policy toward the discharge of treated water into the sea, which is planned to start around summer.

A: With regard to the disposal of ALPS-treated water, we have indicated a plan to start the discharge into the sea at some point between around spring and summer, after the completion of construction of facilities for the discharge and the pre-usage inspection by the Nuclear Regulation Authority following the completion of the construction, and the issuance of the IAEA’s comprehensive report, which is scheduled for the first half of this year.
Based on this basic policy, the government is making efforts to ensure safety and securely guard against reputational damage, including holding various explanatory meetings and providing information through SNS and web advertising.
We are using various opportunities to provide careful and transparent explanations to the international community based on scientific evidence. Japan has undergone several IAEA reviews. The IAEA report published in April stated that an additional mission is unnecessary. The leaders’ communique issued at the recent G7 Summit in Hiroshima also included a paragraph expressing support for the IAEA’s review to ensure the safety of treated water.
At this time, during the observation of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station by the ROK delegation, we would also like to provide careful explanations, including numerical data, and to let the delegation take a close look at the current situation of the tanks and the state of construction. We hope that in the ROK, the understanding will deepen on the safety of the discharge of ALPS-treated water into the sea.
We will continue efforts to ensure safety and securely guard against reputational damage, including preparing for the issuance of the IAEA’s comprehensive report, strengthening monitoring activity, expanding consumption of fishery products from the disaster-affected areas, and improving the environment for maintaining the distribution of fishery products. METI, myself included, will continue providing careful explanations to local fishermen and many other stakeholders.