Shinagawa Ward’s homepage announcing the cancellation of the Gender Equality Promotion Forum 2023 (provided by the ward)
It has been announced that the 2023 Gender Equality Promotion Forum, which was scheduled to be held in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, on the 11th has been canceled at short notice. The ward, which is hosting the event, said this was because Yoko Tajima (82), a women’s studies researcher who was scheduled to give a lecture, made inappropriate comments on a TV program regarding the release of treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This has sparked a controversy, with residents volunteering to request that the cancellation be revoked, claiming that it violates the freedom of expression stipulated in Article 21 of the Constitution. (Keigo Okumura)
◆Events commemorating the 30th anniversary of “City Respecting Human Rights”
Shinagawa Ward Office
The forum was held at the general community hall to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Shinagawa Declaration, a city that respects human rights, which pledged to promote a ward administration that respects human rights.Mr. He was scheduled to give a lecture titled “Towards a society where each and every individual can shine beyond the walls of society.”
According to the ward, when Tajima appeared on the September 24 broadcast of “Komune Saito Committee NP” (broadcast on Yomiuri TV, Kansai area, etc.), regarding the release of treated water into the ocean, he said, “The morphology of the fish will change.” Isn’t that so?” he said. Regarding officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who came to Japan for the investigation, they said things like, “Even the people who came looked pale,” and “They didn’t feel well at all, and they looked like this,” and they hung their hands in front of their chests. It made a ghostly gesture.
Tajima’s comments were criticized on social networking sites (SNS) for “adding to the damage caused by rumors,” and Yomiuri Television also received mixed reviews.
◆On the homepage, it just says “Canceled due to various circumstances”
The ward learned of the situation three days after the broadcast, and after discussions among the ward mayor, deputy ward mayor, and the person in charge, decided to cancel the event. On the 29th, they informed Tajima of their intention to cancel the event through the contractor and Tajima’s manager, and received a reply that they had “approved.”
A ward representative explained to this newspaper, “We have no intention of infringing on Mr. Tajima’s ideas or statements, but there may be some people who may be hurt by the reputational damage.To avoid confusion, we have decided that it would be difficult to hold the event.”
However, on the 29th, the ward only explained on its website that the event had been “cancelled due to various circumstances,” and has been receiving a series of inquiries from residents.
Shinagawa Ward’s homepage announcing the cancellation of the Gender Equality Promotion Forum 2023 (provided by the ward)
◆ Residents object to cancellation, saying it “violates freedom of speech and expression”
In a document dated June 6, ward residents requested a reversal of the cancellation, saying, “Rejecting a lecturer because he has made a statement that does not meet the wishes of the government is a denial of freedom of speech and expression.” request. Tsuyoshi Matsuyama (61), one of the volunteers and the director of the clinic, said, “As a citizen, I don’t understand why it was canceled, and it’s extremely problematic in terms of accountability and information disclosure.If it was canceled because of Mr. Tajima’s comments… It also violates freedom of expression.”
This newspaper sent a letter of inquiry to Tajima’s office on the 30th of last month, but as of the evening of the 6th, we had not received a response.
Yomiuri Television’s general public relations department commented to this newspaper, “Along with Mr. Tajima’s statement, we also introduced the views of others who contradicted it, highlighting a wide variety of opinions for and against.”
Release of treated water from TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the oceanThe contaminated water generated by the nuclear power plant was purified, mixed with a large amount of seawater, and released from the seabed approximately 1 km offshore. It started on August 24th. The main release standard is that the concentration of the radioactive substance tritium, which cannot be removed by purification equipment, must be less than 1/40 of the national wastewater standard (1,500 becquerels per liter). Tritium detected in seawater measurements after the start of the project was at most 1/70th of the release standard. In July, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a comprehensive report stating that “the effects of radiation on people and the environment are negligible.”
2023-11-07 21:00:00
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