At a July 12 meeting after a diet session, the agriculture minister Kano Michihiko fielded some questions about radioactive contamination in meat from Minami Soma City nearby the crippled Daiichi reactor in Fukushima prefecture. He emphasized that they were getting a plan together for all of the beef to be detected in the evacuation zones nearby the crippled reactors. He emphasized that the full cooperation of the prefectures is needed if they are going to get this system together; only then will the damage to the reputation of Fukushima producers ever be repaired. The plan is to test all cattle, and then test them again after the carcasses have been processed.
Behind the minister's comments are also some frustrations that have been brewing over the past few months.
For example there was the whole fiasco with Matsumoto Ryu's comments when he visited the governor of Miyagi Prefecture.
It was his first visit as minister of reconstruction made to the northeast region of Japan. Part of the problem was his frustration that he had to wait for the the governor of Miyagi in the reception room, and he expressed his displeasure by refusing to shake Murai's hand when he did show up.
But there was a larger frustration lurking in the conversation. He told the governor that he could not expect any money from the central government until he had a solid rebuilding plan. Clearly the central government has been unable to really properly tackle the clean up and rebuilding efforts when the entire infrastructure has been destroyed in the northeast.
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