information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
15 Février 2013
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130215p2g00m0dm061000c.html
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's parliament on Friday approved the appointment of five experts who have been working as the new nuclear regulatory body's commissioners since September last year, a move that will bring an end to criticism that they lacked official status.
The appointments of Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka and four others were endorsed by the House of Representatives on Thursday and by the House of Councillors on Friday.
Diet approval of the appointments had been an issue left over from the previous Democratic Party of Japan-led government amid criticism that Tanaka's past career suggests he could be influenced by vested interests promoting nuclear energy.
Fearing that an internal feud could intensify inside the DPJ, then Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda used his authority to appoint the five members in September as an extraordinary measure, rather than seeking a vote at the Diet.
The NRA was launched later in that month as part of the country's efforts to enhance nuclear regulations in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi complex disaster, triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Tanaka had said his uncertain status would not affect his work, but the NRA has faced criticism from some quarters for producing views that could affect the fate of Japan's nuclear power plants even though members lacked parliamentary authorization.
Tanaka is a former vice chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, a key panel involved in setting the country's pro-nuclear policy before the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
The other four NRA members are Kenzo Oshima, former ambassador to the United Nations, Kunihiko Shimazaki, former head of the Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction, Kayoko Nakamura from the Japan Radioisotope Association, and Toyoshi Fuketa from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
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