Japan suffered a tragedy on March 11, 2011, when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake - the fourth most powerful ever recorded - and a subsequent tsunami devastated the Tohoku region. Nearly 20,000 people were killed, thousands were injured, and 2,500 went missing. We continue to grieve with the people of Japan who suffered so greatly from this natural disaster and who have shown the world their courage and resilience in recovering.
Since the disaster, Japan has been open and transparent as it has sought to responsibly manage the Fukushima Daiichi site and the eventual release of treated water, proactively coordinating with scientists and partners from across the Indo-Pacific region as well as with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which concluded that Japan’s process is safe and consistent with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards. As Secretary Blinken noted on Aug. 15, the United States is satisfied with Japan’s safe, transparent, and science-based process.
We welcome Japan’s continued transparency and engagement with the IAEA as well as with regional stakeholders.