Soon after the crisis started at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Koichiro Genba continued to push exports of Japanese nuclear power technology as a key pillar in reviving the nation's economy.
Soon after the crisis started at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Koichiro Genba continued to push exports of Japanese nuclear power technology as a key pillar in reviving the nation's economy.
But that was before residents in the foreign minister's constituency were forced to scrape away layers of radiation-contaminated soil and raised questions about whether they could continue living in their homes.
Genba is from Tamura city in Fukushima Prefecture. His parents' house is about 40 kilometers from the stricken Fukushima plant.
Genba has now toned down his pitches, despite being a key member of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Cabinet involved in selling Japanese nuclear technologies overseas.
"He apparently has conflicting feelings on the exports of nuclear power plants," a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official said of Genba.
In Hawaii on Nov. 11, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asked Genba for an early accord on nuclear energy, a prerequisite for exporting nuclear plants and related technologies.
Russia has shown a strong interest in Japanese companies' technologies for the construction of nuclear power plants.
But instead of giving his Russian counterpart a sense of optimism for the deal, Genba only replied, "I am asking the Diet for deliberations."
In October, Noda said Japan will export nuclear power plants and related technologies to Vietnam, as well as resume discussions with India and Turkey for the same purpose.
But Genba's enthusiasm for these nuclear sales appears to have waned since the March 11 tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant.
After becoming foreign minister in early September, Genba said in a meeting at his ministry: "We must not think only about exports of nuclear power plants. As for countries we have talked with, there are no other ways (except to export nuclear technologies) because we have built relations of trust with them.
"But as the next step, let's export environmental technologies."
And at a news conference on Nov. 9, Genba said, "As for new (nuclear) projects overseas, we should hold deliberations on them again."
Behind Genba's softened stance is the sentiment of Fukushima residents trying to adjust to life near the site of the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl crisis.
At the elementary school in Tamura that Genba attended, the playground is now dotted with mounds of radioactive soil covered with sheets.
"The hardest thing for us is that we cannot foresee our future," a Tamura resident said.
A Genba supporter added: "Although the government will not allow construction of new nuclear power plants in Japan, it is exporting them. It's contradictory."
On Nov. 6, Genba visited Fukushima city to help out candidates running in the Fukushima prefectural assembly election. He did not say anything about exporting nuclear power plants.
When he was state minister in charge of national policy in the Naoto Kan administration, Genba played a key role in maintaining the policy of exporting nuclear technologies after the March 11 disaster.
Genba also opposed Kan's plan to "abolish all nuclear power plants in Japan," modifying the policy to "reducing the number of nuclear power plants in the country."
Concerned that an immediate absence of nuclear power plants in Japan would hurt the Japanese economy, Genba decided that the best approach would be to lower Japan's dependence on nuclear power from the middle- and long-term perspective.
In the closing days of Kan's administration in August, Genba also agreed with the government's view: "We will decide our stance (on exporting nuclear power plants) based on the results of the investigation into the accident at the Fukushima plant. We will maintain the projects we are currently negotiating (with foreign countries)."
In late October, Genba and Indian Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna agreed to resume negotiations on a nuclear energy accord.
But Genba added to the agreement a sentence that said the two countries will make efforts to strengthen cooperation in the field of environmental technologies, including renewable energies.
(This article was written by Takashi Oshima and Shigeki Tosa.)