Call on the US military in case of disaster?

 May 19, 2012

Shizuoka governor says he would directly contact U.S. in event of nuke disaster

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120519p2a00m0na010000c.html

SHIMODA, Shizuoka -- Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu told U.S. government officials May 18 that he would directly seek U.S. military aid if a crisis hit the prefecture's Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant.

Kawakatsu made the comment in a closed meeting attended by U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos. Later, at a news conference, Kawakatsu said, "After the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster, President (Barack) Obama gave full rights to Ambassador Roos and prepared a team of well over 100 nuclear workers. I said that if there were a similar situation (at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant), I would directly phone the ambassador. The ambassador responded, 'Of course.'"

The Shizuoka Prefectural Government says that the U.S. military in Japan operates under the security treaty with Japan and there are no legal grounds for a governor to call on the U.S. military.

Hideo Ogawa of the prefecture's disaster management department said the governor's comment represented his own thoughts.