On March 18, 2011, as Japan deployed special fire trucks to Fukushima Daiichi, the author invoked the “Sword of Damocles” to describe humanity’s peril. Praising the courage of JSDF and volunteers, he condemned the government’s scapegoating and media complicity, urging leaders to embody the resolve of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu.

On March 18, 2011, the author reports on the arrival of special fire trucks from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and is impressed by the heroic actions of those working at the risk of their lives, and the support from within Japan and abroad. The author likens the irresponsible actions of politicians and the media to the “Sword of Damocles” anecdote, harshly criticizing their tendency to shift blame to the public. The post questions what true leadership means and asserts that those who act without regard for their own lives are the real heroes of the country.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has a special fire truck that can spray water from a high place…
2011-03-18
As I was leaving for work, NHK News explained this special fire truck and showed footage of the vehicles, which can spray a large amount of water at high pressure from a height of several dozen meters, arriving at the site and on standby for deployment. God. Please grant success and glory to all of these people, to their hearts, bodies, and souls that fight without flinching, and to all the support from Japan and abroad. All the great people our country has produced—Kūkai, Sugawara no Michizane, Lord Nobunaga, Lord Hideyoshi, Lord Ieyasu, and all the great men of today—are all praying for their success and glory. Nijō Castle, which I visited on March 13th, was also filled with sadness. All the people who have built Japan are now praying wholeheartedly. Grant us success and glory. The Sword of Damocles… from Wikipedia. One day, Damocles praised King Dionysius for his good fortune. The next day, Damocles was invited by the king to a magnificent banquet. The feast was extremely lavish, but when Damocles happened to look up, he saw a sword hanging from the ceiling by a single horsehair. The hair was so thin that it could break at any moment, and the king sought to show Damocles that a king is always in a situation where his life is in constant danger. From this anecdote, the “Sword of Damocles” has come to be used in European culture as a metaphor for a precarious situation or for something that brings about such a situation. *Damocles (4th century BC) is said to have been a courtier of Dionysius (I or II), the tyrant of Syracuse. He is famous for the anecdote of the “Sword of Damocles.” The Sword of Damocles doesn’t just represent nuclear power. Human beings have evolved by fighting nature, or rather, by adapting to it, but in the middle of the 20th century, we created the Sword of Damocles as an artificial creation… This sword was more terrifying than the forces of nature, and we are now facing an all-out battle against it. Not only my readers, but also the more than 10 million people who have been reading the major newspapers and the people who have been watching the idiotic television for over 20 years—including its content and nature—must not forget the following. “You must never do the same thing again,” I say with the thunderous voice of Lord Nobunaga. The cabinet that should have been facing one of the greatest catastrophes in human history wasn’t even the unanimous cabinet of the Democratic Party. … Who turned it around overnight, and who created the public opinion to do so?

When the party election was over, they went ahead and decided to go against Ichiro Ozawa, who was supported by half of the party members, and created this half-baked cabinet. Now, seven days later, they’ve realized they are incompetent and are reorganizing the system… putting Mr. XX, who has connections in various ministries and is well-versed in policy, back into the core of the administration… from page 6 of this morning’s Asahi.

It goes without saying that the most important 72 hours, which is now common knowledge around the world, have long since passed. Who created the public opinion that said a cabinet like this was okay? Or, who brought about this situation two years ago? What kind of programs has our country’s television been broadcasting for over 20 years?

I believe that the only way to repay all the people who have died—far more than 10,000—and the hundreds of thousands of victims who have been in a difficult situation for seven days until yesterday, and the many people who are now facing another Sword of Damocles without regard for their own lives, as well as those who are continuing their volunteer activities on the ground with full knowledge of the dangers… is for them to realize that the Sword of Damocles is always hanging over their own heads, and to never repeat such things again.

The Secretary-General said that he hasn’t heard any voices on television saying that the Democratic Party’s response has been slow… This person, if by any chance the work that various people are doing with a resolve to die does not succeed… I believe that will not happen. I believe that God will always smile upon the truly brave, the “invictus,” and I have lived my life believing this. But if God were to show his anger again towards these unprincipled people, I, like 99% of the Japanese people, would lose everything. However, this person would not lose everything, not even if he stood on his head. He probably doesn’t truly understand the feelings of the public. I also think that his mind only operates on the theorem that 1 + 1 = 2. Everyone is just holding back their criticism because they believe it is a time for prayer, endurance, and patience. They are in an unbearable situation, but they are desperately holding on… wondering, “Can’t we get some drinks, food, blankets, gasoline, kerosene, or something for the toilets?” They are not even aware that even if they think things are delayed, they have no way of making their voices heard by you.

In any case, this administration is one that has a comeback for everything. Only after seven days… after I wrote, “Mr. Edano, what the public wants to hear is not a lecture… Why can’t supplies be sent? Why aren’t the usable airports being utilized?”… did they finally provide an explanation. It seems to me that there is something very strange about their attitude… Do they really think that lecturing the public is what politics is all about?

Even in Prime Minister Kan’s press conference a moment ago, it might be harsh, but I wondered why he was so pathetic. He also seems to think that lecturing is politics. If he were a real politician, like Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, or Lord Ieyasu (which is impossible), his speech in a situation like this would naturally bring tears to the eyes of reporters and the public alike. And when his speech was over, there would be a thunderous round of applause and a spontaneous display of an indomitable spirit.

During his press conference, the only time I heard a truly truthful and dignified voice was when the first reporter to ask a question after his speech spoke in a way that everyone could agree with. And with that unmistakable ring of truth in that voice… the man who has been focused on nothing but temporary fixes and chasing whatever topic is current was, for a moment, left speechless.