Prometheus_4

According to Greek mythology, it was Prometheus who gave fire to humans.
The acquisition of fire allowed humankind to develop civilization. Fire derived from fossil fuels further spurred production capacity. In time, humans attained atomic fire, a feat that was also described as "superior energy." Playing with fire, however, has presented humans with a dilemma.
Humans, who achieved a civilized world through Prometheus, are now troubled by atomic fire. The series of articles contemplate the country, its citizens and electric power in light of the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
This fourth series, "5 Days in the Prime Minister's Office," depicts what was going on in the prime minister's office during five days immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake took place on March 11, 2011. Titles of the people in this story are those they held at that time.

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The prime minister’s office in Tokyo’s Nagata-cho district (Hideaki Kimura)
U.S. Forces Japan received SPEEDI data before Kan
March 09, 2012
On the morning of March 14, 2011, Daisuke Roberto Kido, a 33-year-old official of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division of the Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs...
The Headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan had received radiation prediction data via the Foreign Ministry. (Hideaki Kimura)
Top administration officials were clueless
March 09, 2012
An explosion occurred at the No. 3 reactor building of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant at 11:01 a.m. on March 14.
Masataka Shimizu, president of Tokyo Electric Power Co., on March 13, 2011 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Kaieda to Shimizu: 'Please hold down the fort'
March 09, 2012
TEPCO President Shimizu desperately tried to contact Kaieda on two occasions on March 14.
Yukio Edano, left, in consultation with Tetsuro Fukuyama during a news conference on March 15, 2011 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Kan puts his foot down
March 09, 2012
Awoken from his shut-eye, Prime Minister Kan stepped into his office at 3 a.m. on March 15. Awaiting him there were industry minister Kaieda, Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano,...
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's notebook shows his personnel plan for the integrated emergency response headquarters. (Hideaki Kimura)
18-minute meeting
March 09, 2012
TEPCO President Shimizu arrived at the prime minister's office at 4:17 a.m. on March 15.
Haruki Madarame, chairperson of the Nuclear Safety Commission (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Only 'ultra-superman' could have done
March 09, 2012
Around 6 a.m. on March 15, the pressure in the suppression chamber of the No. 2 reactor dipped to zero with a big bang. It suggested that an explosion had blown holes in the...
Tsunami strikes the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on March 11, 2011. (Provided by Tokyo Electric Power Co.)
How it all began
March 09, 2012
When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, Prime Minister Kan was attending an Audit Committee meeting in the Upper House.
Nobuaki Terasaka, director-general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, at a news conference (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
NISA chief with a degree in economics
March 09, 2012
According to Terasaka, NISA director-general, it was between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. when he and industry minister Kaieda briefed Prime Minister Kan on the total loss of power that...
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's mobile phone (Hideaki Kimura)
No Fukushima No. 1 plant blueprint
March 09, 2012
Only about 10 people could fit into the small room on the mezzanine level above the crisis management center in the basement of the prime minister's office.
A vehicle-mounted power generator is used in a drill at the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture in April 2011. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
A scramble to send vehicle-mounted generators to...
March 09, 2012
When the evacuation of residents within 3 kilometers of the Fukushima No. 1 plant was announced at 9:23 p.m. on March 11, there were still no prospects of restoring power to...
Still no venting
March 09, 2012
Near 4:30 a.m. on March 12, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuyama was fuming that venting had yet to begin at the No. 1 reactor unit. "Why has it not begun?" he yelled in...
The doors of the earthquake-proof wing of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant (Provided by Tokyo Electric Power Co.)
Kan loses it, and so does Kaieda
March 09, 2012
At 7:12 a.m. on March 12, the SDF helicopter carrying Prime Minister Kan and his entourage of 12 arrived at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.
Manabu Terada, then special advisor to the prime minister, is currently a Lower House lawmaker. (Hideaki Kimura)
'We must broadcast the truth'
March 09, 2012
An explosion occurred at the No. 1 reactor building of the Fukushima No. 1 plant at 3:36 p.m. on March 12. The first party to notice this was Fukushima Central Television.
Koichiro Nakamura, NISA deputy director-general for nuclear safety (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
'An explosion-like phenomenon'
March 09, 2012
Hibino, an engineer and old school friend of Prime Minister Kan, agreed to come to the prime minister's office on the evening of March 12.
Yasushi Hibino, vice president of Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Hideaki Kimura)
No ideas, suggestions on next step to be taken
March 09, 2012
After the meeting at the prime minister's office in the evening of March 12, TEPCO fellow Takekuro phoned Yoshida, chief of the Fukushima No. 1 plant.
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