Japan’s Emperor Akihito urges quake-devastated nation to ‘share the burden’
ISSEI KATO/ REUTERS - People watch a television broadcasting Japan's Emperor Akihito's address to the nation in Tokyo. Japanese Emperor Akihito said on Wednesday problems at Japan's nuclear-power reactors were unpredictable and he was "deeply worried".
TOKYO — With the death toll mounting and fears of radiation poison growing , Japanese Emperor Akihito made a rare public address Wednesday, urging his besieged country not to give up hope and saying he is “deeply concerned” about problems at Japan’s nuclear plants.
Video: The operator of Japan's Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant says a fire has broken out again at its No. 4 reactor unit. It says the blaze erupted early Wednesday in the outer housing of the reactor's containment vessel. (March 15)
“I sincerely hope that we can keep the situation from getting worse,” Akihito, 77, said. “I think it is important for all of us, in various ways and however small, to share the burden of the difficult period that the victims now face.”
Akihito, wearing a dark suit and gray tie, said he was praying for the country. He thanked rescue workers who have been tirelessly mining rubble for survivors along the nation’s coast.
Broadcast across the nation, the emperor's prerecorded statement came five days after a 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami left thousands dead, devastated the coastline, triggered dangerous meltdowns at nuclear power facilities and disrupted Japan’s stock market and supplies of gas, food and other necessities.
“I, from the bottom of my heart, hope that we will all continue to hold hand in hand, paying consideration to one another, overcome this unfortunate period,” Akihito said, using the formal, solemn language of Japanese royal communications.
With lingering fears over the inability to stabilize dangerous nuclear power plants, Japan’s collective fear and suffering has yet to ebb. The National Police Agency released updated numbers of the dead and missing Wednesday afternoon: 3,771 confirmed fatalities, 8,181 officially missing.
“The number of people killed is increasing day by day, and we do not know how many people have fallen victim,” Akihito said.
The list of those killed in the tragedy is expected ultimately to top 10,000.
Nearly 450,000 people are believed to be displaced from their homes in the northern coastal regions and crammed into shelters. Many are still waiting for resources and aid to reach them.
Snow and cold conditions Wednesday have only compounded delivery issues, and Thursday’s forecast looks similarly dire.
In the ravaged Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, gas, food and water have become especially rare commodities. Even the areas that weren’t flattened by the tsunami last week are without running water. Many businesses can’t open their doors because they have nothing to sell.
In a rare positive sign, the Nikkei index of major Tokyo Stock Exchange posted its first gains since the earthquake struck last Friday, closing up 488 points Wednesday at 9,093 — still 1,161 points lower than before the natural disasters.
Elsewhere, however, signs of recovery are few. Aftershocks continue to rock the eastern part of the country, and a 6.0-magnitude quake shook buildings in Tokyo Wednesday. Plumes of white steam billowed from Unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and by late Wednesday afternoon, plans to cool the sector with seawater dropped from a helicopter were deemed too dangerous and had to be abandoned.
The threat of radiation poisoning continued to spark fear in locals and foreigners alike. As some train lines have opened up, many people have headed straight for Tokyo’s airports. At Narita International, the nation’s largest airport, lines snaked throughout the terminals and took two or more hours to navigate. Workers marched throughout the airport, barking instructions into megaphones, and every seat in every terminal was filled, as anxious travelers arrived days — not hours — before their scheduled flights.
U.S. Ambassador John Roos said Wednesday that he felt Tokyo was still safe from radiation, despite elevated exposure levels. He supported Japan’s assertion that the radiation levels are not dangerous in most parts of the country, save for the evacuation zone that spans a 20-mile radius around the stricken nuclear plants.
“After careful analysis of the radiation levels and damage assessments of the units at Fukushima, our experts continue to be in agreement . . . to continue to follow the advice of the Japanese government,” Roos said.
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