Yamamoto in trouble (for breaking protocol?)

 November 1, 2013

Upper house committee hears lawmaker who handed letter to emperor

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131101p2g00m0dm075000c.html

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Members of the House of Councillors steering committee on Friday listened to independent lawmaker Taro Yamamoto who, in a rare breach of protocol, handed a letter directly to Emperor Akihito the previous day at an autumn garden party hosted by the emperor and Empress Michiko.

"I was not aware that (such an action) was violating the rules. I will accept any decision and opinion of the parliament," Yamamoto said after the meeting with committee members including Mitsuhide Iwaki, chairman of the upper house's Standing Committee on Rules and Administration and a veteran upper house lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Yamamoto also insisted that his action did not constitute political exploitation of the emperor, but did not give a clear answer when asked by a reporter if he had any plans to resign.

The nation's Constitution defines the Japanese emperor as a "symbol" of Japan and allows him to perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided in the Constitution. The Constitution also says the emperor shall not have powers related to government.

On Thursday, Yamamoto handed the emperor a letter detailing the current working environment at the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi power plant. He told reporters afterward he simply wanted the emperor to know about the health effects of the nuclear crisis.

Yamamoto, 38, an actor-turned-politician, won an upper house seat for the first time in last year's upper house election from the five-seat Tokyo constituency. He is known for his antinuclear power activities.

Iwaki quoted Yamamoto as saying during the hearing, "I didn't think that (my action) would cause such trouble. I feel sorry about that."

The committee decided to hear from Yamamoto earlier in the day, where they agreed that his action "defied common sense," but they were split on whether it was subject to punishment. The committee will decide on Tuesday whether to discipline him, taking into account the outcome of the hearing.

Meanwhile, many Cabinet ministers criticized Yamamoto on Friday.

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Hakubun Shimomura told the day's news conference that Yamamoto appeared to have used the emperor for political purposes, urging him to resign as a lawmaker.

Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Akihiro Ota, who is the former head of the LDP's junior coalition partner New Komeito party, said Yamamoto acted inappropriately and lacked common sense as a legislator.

State minister Keiji Furuya, who supervises the country's police forces as chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, said Yamamoto's act was extremely unusual and that many Japanese people would regard it as unforgivable.

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Yoshitaka Shindo told the day's news conference that he feels very uncomfortable about Yamamoto's act, which he viewed as a breach of manners toward the imperial family, and said Yamamoto should have acted in a way befitting a lawmaker.

Masashi Waki, secretary general of the LDP's delegation in the upper house, said parties should consider submitting a resolution urging Yamamoto to resign as a legislator if he does not step down voluntarily.

Jin Matsubara, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan's Diet Affairs Committee, said Yamamoto's act was unforgivable.

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, co-head of the opposition Japan Restoration Party, said any Japanese could understand that Yamamoto's act was inexcusable, although there is no law against it.

Anti-nuclear politician under fire for handing letter to emperor

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201311010075

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

A new Upper House member is in hot water for handing a letter to Emperor Akihito on Oct. 31 at a biannual imperial garden party expressing his anti-nuclear concerns, an action his colleagues say constitutes the political exploitation of the emperor.

The Upper House steering committee on Nov. 1 summoned Taro Yamamoto, an actor-turned-lawmaker who campaigned as an independent in the July election on abandoning nuclear power, for questioning about the incident. The committee is scheduled to hold an executive meeting on Nov. 5 to decide how to deal with the junior lawmaker.

“I think we have to impose some sort of punishment on him,” said Toshiei Mizuochi, a committee head executive from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

After the hearing, Yamamoto told reporters that he will accept whatever punishment the committee imposes, because he, in fact, broke a tacit rule even though it was unintentional.

He also blamed the media for overblowing the incident.

“Because the media made too big a fuss over the issue, what I did has become political exploitation,” Yamamoto said. “If I had intended to use (the emperor) for political purposes, I would have disclosed the contents of the letter, but I haven't.

"I, as an individual, only wanted to tell the emperor the truth about the health hazard posed to children and the workers who are exposed to radiation and being abandoned (at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant).”

At the garden party, Yamamoto handed the letter to the emperor, asking, “Could you read my letter?”

Saying nothing, the emperor accepted the letter and handed it to the grand chamberlain, who was standing next to him, according to Yamamoto.

“I wanted to explain the plight of children exposed to radiation released after a nuclear accident (at the Fukushima plant) and people who are working at the facility in the worst conditions,” Yamamoto told reporters later that day.

"From a common sense point of view, handing a letter to His Majesty may be rude. However, even though it is, I could not contain my desire to have him understand what is happening," the lawmaker said.

But the fresh-faced politician came under heavy fire immediately, because his action is seen as inappropriate to the formal occasion and may conflict with a stipulation of the Constitution that bans the political exploitation of the emperor.

Chapter 1 of the Constitution states that “the emperor shall be the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power,” as well as that “he shall not have powers related to government.”

“His behavior obviously constituted a breach of the Constitution,” said Masashi Waki, the LDP’s secretary-general in the Upper House, on Nov. 1. “He should take responsibility to prevent a recurrence.”

Another LDP executive said Yamamoto should resign from the Diet.

“What he did merits his resignation as a lawmaker,” said education minister Hakubun Shimomura. “Allowing that action to go unpunished means allowing all people to hand letters directly to His Majesty at various events and ceremonies. That was nothing but political exploitation.”

The emperor and empress invite about 2,000 guests twice a year in spring and fall to gatherings at Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo to be able to meet and talk with leading figures of the nation.

Such guests include the speakers of both parliament chambers, the prime minister, Cabinet members, other lawmakers, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, local government leaders, and prominent figures in various fields, such as culture, arts and social activities.

Junior Diet members are more likely to be invited than veteran lawmakers, according to sources.

Antinuclear Japanese lawmaker breaks protocol with letter to emperor

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131101p2g00m0dm031000c.html

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- In a rare gesture breaking protocol, a Japanese lawmaker known for his antinuclear activities handed a letter directly to Emperor Akihito on Thursday at an autumn garden party hosted by the emperor.

House of Councillors lawmaker Taro Yamamoto told reporters afterward he simply wanted the emperor to know about the current health effects of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power complex, but his action drew swift criticism from the government and other lawmakers on grounds it could be interpreted as an attempt to use the emperor for political purposes.

The nation's Constitution defines the Japanese emperor as a "symbol" of Japan and allows him to perform only acts in matters of state provided for in the supreme law. The Constitution also says the emperor shall not have powers related to government.

"I wrote the letter because I wanted the emperor to know the situation of children who have suffered from radiation exposure, the appalling labor conditions for workers at the nuclear plant, and the poor way radiation (exposure) is being managed," Yamamoto said.

He said he "absolutely" had no intention of using the emperor for political purposes.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga at a press conference indirectly expressed displeasure over the incident which took place while the emperor and Empress Michiko were hosting the party at the Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo, saying, "Participants are to decide based on common sense whether it was appropriate or not (to take such action)."

Suga, the government's top spokesman, added he was not aware of the letter's contents.

Yamamoto was in the front row with other attendees lined up waiting for the emperor to pass by.

When the emperor came near him, Yamamoto expressed fear that the children are suffering from health problems, saying, "The future of the children is in danger" and gave the letter to the emperor, who soon handed it to the grand chamberlain nearby.

The upper house's Rules and Administration Committee decided Thursday to discuss Yamamoto's action on Friday.

Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties voiced concern about Yamamoto's action.

Keiichi Ishii, chief policymaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner New Komeito party, said to a different group of reporters that such action "can exploit the imperial family for political purpose."

Akihiro Ohata, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said at a press conference, "Just because he is a Diet member does not give him the right to do everything."

Yamamoto, who became known for his antinuclear activities in the wake of the 2011 crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, won a seat as an independent in the upper house election last July.

November 01, 2013(Mainichi Japan)