Kishida vows 'ceaseless' aid as snow hampers quake relief

Imagine the party giving , sake swilling Gikai members (led by Kishida) going to Ishikawa and helping out for a few days?

What an example that would be…

I think it's got to be an enormous challenge if not nearly impossible, to adequately anticipate and prepare for a disaster of this scale, but worry that the eventual Nankai megathrusts will be even worse, and given the problems it appears the various government agencies and utility organizations have had with this one , worry that the country, especially those living in inaka, will have things really bad. I'm happy I live in Kobe and near services, though I think the really big ones could make life miserable for everyone regardless where we live. The Hanshin Earthquake presented a huge challenge for millions throughout Kansai, including many in urban areas. Fortunately after the Hanshin Quake, lots of private citizens did what they could to help those more harshly affected.

Kishida is too busy trying to stay priminister to worry too much about this catastrophe! Been nothing but lip service since it happened! Hasn't even had the courage to visit himself...!

37mil will go to Kiev junta,people from Noto will sleep better now...good start of your "help" to people affected by earthquake...

what kind of human is Kishida san?taking taxes and spending abroad for nothing instead of spending in Japan???

It would be nice to think that each member of the Diet representing citizens living in the areas hit by the quake has been spending lots of time in their respective districts meeting with constituents, listening to any concerns they have, and perhaps even doing some clean up work, and not just throwing rolls of paper towels at them, (like an infamous western pol did). Given how disasters have nation-wide impacts, it would also nice to think that a large number of Diet members, regardless area represented would be down there observe firsthand what people have to endure, and then trying to figure out what more can be done when a natural disaster occurs. Same with cabinet members and their staff in Tokyo.

As long as won't be a 'ceaseless' aid for the Kyiv regime too..

Given that the central government response has been less than impressive up to now, "ceaseless" efforts are essential if he wants to save his skin. A lot of people are asking why it took so long for the SDF to show up and for the government to set up emergency headquarters to deal with this - and while I think "emergency headquarters" in many cases are just a PR job, taking a day in this case is pretty unforgivable. Kishida could have turned his approval ratings around, but this is just likely to make things worse for him once the media starts asking about the poor response.

I’m no fan of the LDP, but I think they will take care of the people of Ishikawa, just as they did for the Tohoku regain. It’s time to rebuild and invest in the fishing and tourism industries.

"Ceaseless"? His choice of word belies his shallowness. Once it's all cleaned up and back to normal, rescue and repair operations can cease. At times like this what is needed is action, not empty words from someone sitting in a nice centrally heated office.

Victims of this tragic disaster can rest assured that the caring, benevolent Kishida will relentlessly marshal every resource available to care for his beloved people.

He's certainly 'ceaseless' with the vows and pledges he dishes out.

More vows and pledges from ceaseless lies Kishida & the LDP.

However it does seem relief efforts are getting more efficient but i do suspect unnecessary dithering and a lack of able bodied personnel.

And how do you get relief supplies to the cut off area? Considered the situation. The roads are blocked. The next best option is ships, but the harbor is smashed because of  the Tsunami and the seabed makes the use ships impossible. The next option is air,  both helicopters and airplanes. But Noto airport is knocked out because of the earthquake. That leaves helicopters. The best and only option avaible, which J government is using.

Now back to you. How do you get relief supplies to area??????

Excuse me for being perhaps realistically cynical and reminding you Japan has had plenty of previous earthquake disasters to have delt with and more to come , so to be ill prepared and not have contingencies and response strategies in place or as you say 'adequately anticipate' shouldn't be an excuse.

And of course, you can tell us when the next Earthquake will hit and where. The fact that the death count was very low and that fact the Emergency shelters  where in place with supplies shows that the government was prepared.

Give the man a helmet and work gloves and let him go at it. His time as PM is coming to a close. Tick tock

The often criticized Osprey has become useful for transporting men and supplies over long distances.

The Self-Defense Force's landing ships are also equipped with helicopters and are providing support from the air. Other than that, supplies are brought in using hovercraft.

Repair work is currently underway to repair the roads that have been cut off above ground, and at least it will be done sooner than in other countries.

What is the use of Kishida directly visiting the site?

At the time of the 311 Tohoku earthquake, the foolish Prime Minister Naoto Kan went to the area, but was exposed to fierce criticism from all the people.

There are no preparations on the ground to accept the Prime Minister, and unlike in developing countries, there is no need for the Prime Minister to take the lead on the ground.

Roads aren’t totally blocked. Governments can provide supplies using military 4-wheel trucks. When there is a will, there’s always a way.

And how do you get relief supplies to the cut off area???

Two years ago, on-line shopping companies and delivery services were gushing over the use of drones to deliver medical goods and urgent supplies to isolated places. This would be an ideal scenario for their use.

But nothing has happened.

Two years ago, on-line shopping companies and delivery services were gushing over the use of drones to deliver medical goods and urgent supplies to isolated places. This would be an ideal scenario for their use.

And can the drone carry a 1 ton Pallet of food????

Bad taste in choice of a statement to make. You don’t hear about budget constraints when they speak of sending funds and aid to other nations or the defense spending. Oh, and even Bush visited NY, and New Orleans after those disasters. Perhaps make a statement to retrieve funds from those involved in the current LDP scandal to support the very people you are supposed to be ministering? Now that would be leadership.

National government response has been slow. For a disaster in inaka, the assumption should be "its worse than it sounds", because of the difficult in spread out and hard to access areas. The default should be to send more troops than needed and then scale back, not the minimum and then scale up.

Local government preparation, such as storing food, water, blankets in a distributed way at shelters (community centers, elementary schools etc.) was poor. Every school in inaka has unused classrooms (falling child population) and plenty of space to store relief goods. Storing a 12L case of water per person (cost = 600 yen) is hundreds of times easier than trying to ship one in post quake.

Houses collapsed on people because they were not reinforced. Do not assume that every single owner is poor and could not afford reinforcement work. Some will now rebuild completely new houses on the same site. Anyone whose house collapses has to be temporarily and then permanently rehoused, very often at high taxpayer expense. Both the government and homeowners should be obliged to proactively avoid people having houses that collapse. Storehouses that collapse, okay, garages that collapse okay, houses, no.

I wonder if this be the same 'Ceaseless' effort he spent on collecting LDP slush flunds.

Let's acknowledge the truth here: he is a bum, as are the majority of the figures that occupy his political party. If the combination of their inability to provide relief from this disaster in addition to their slush funds scandal isn't enough to get the voters to dislodge this dangerously incompetent cabal from power, than Japan certainly deserves to decline as an economic and cultural power. The Japanese are having their future sold away by a group of people that literally could not do more to show how little they care about them.

Just look at how swiftly the government acted a few months ago over their little "weed gummy crisis" wherein a few people got dizzy in the park, versus how they are handling this. They're more concerned if they should dress business formal or cosplay in first responder attire.

This is embarrassing and cannot continue.

On the news last night, I saw people sleeping inside a plastic greenhouse in one of the affected areas. There was a woman who looked to be over 90. It’s been a week.

It was pretty disturbing.

Kishida had said on Friday that his government would tap 4.74 billion yen of budget reserves for reconstruction efforts.

It had better be ‘ceaseless’, because the woefully insufficient $35 million he’s just promised, itself less than the paltry $37 million offered to the Ukraine, needs to be ramped up by a factor of ten if there is to be any hope of an expedited recovery.

How about liquidating some of Japan’s vast US Treasury reserves; taking both the huge profit on their purchase cost, and ensuring some much needed currency appreciation to bankroll relief efforts.

It had better be ‘ceaseless’, because the woefully insufficient $35 million he’s just promised, itself less than the paltry $37 million offered to the Ukraine, needs to be ramped up by a factor of ten if there is to be any hope of an expedited recovery.

You are mistaken. They are offering FAR more than just $37 million to Ukraine. Last I read they want to give like $4.5 BILLION to Ukraine.

Fortunately it looks like under "Operation Tomodachi", the US is going to be helping out as they did in 2011. I really hate the direction the America is going in, but honestly, I don't think Japan has done very much to deserve the insane privilege that is having the US as a major military ally and economic partner. All they ever do is complain, from things ranging to the precious coral reefs in Okinawa to the Ospreys, while they simultaneously anger their neighbors by dumping Fukushima water into the ocean, and crash into JAL planes full of passengers. But every time Japan is in need, the US finds a way to help out somehow. If the US collapses, it is definitely over for these guys and they will have no future.

It's been known for some time the area is likely to have a swarm of strong earthquakes. The local authorities do not seem to have been prepared for a major disaster like this one.

The words of recent PM of Japan has no reliability.

In the first place, present Japan's Govt virtually begun to respond disaster from next day of quake, not from on the day. Their slowness and insufficient response are increasing victim and difficulties.

But, domestic obedient media avoid to even mention about Govt's missteps.

When I look at the Japanese articles, they used the word "切れ目ない" (kiremenai), which also can be translated "seamless". I think this captures the fact that the available budget will be used as well as the new fiscal year budget to help the victims rebuild. Maybe this is just a detail but the nuance seems to have been missed by some of the commentors.

*commenters

And can the drone carry a 1 ton Pallet of food????

25 small drones could carry 10 kg on 4 return trips.