How Should the Japanese Government Respond to the Devastating Disaster in Nepal?

Nepal has been hit by massive floods and landslides caused by events including the collapse of glaciers, with raging torrents sweeping through many towns and causing enormous damage.

Roads have been cut off, making rescue operations and the transportation of relief supplies difficult. The Nepalese government is also struggling to respond to the situation.

Amid these circumstances, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that, during a phone call with the Prime Minister of Nepal, she had requested the Nepalese government’s utmost cooperation in the early search for and rescue of five Japanese nationals who could not be reached.

It is only natural for the Japanese government to be concerned about the safety of its citizens and to seek their rescue as quickly as possible.

However, there is something that concerns me.

In the media coverage, particular emphasis has been placed on the fact that Prime Minister Takaichi requested maximum cooperation in the search for and rescue of the five missing Japanese nationals.

Taken by itself, this could give the impression that Japan had asked Nepal to rescue only its own citizens, without offering assistance for the disaster itself.

However, according to the Japanese government’s announcement, that is not the case.

The Japanese government is providing emergency relief supplies to Nepal and is also preparing assistance through international organizations, as well as considering the deployment of Japan’s International Emergency Rescue Team.

In other words, the government is not focusing solely on rescuing Japanese nationals. It has also offered assistance to Nepal and is preparing to provide it.

Nevertheless, because of the way the story has been reported, the request for assistance in searching for Japanese nationals may leave a particularly strong impression. This could lead people to believe that the Japanese government is prioritizing the rescue of its own citizens above all else.

This may be partly an issue with the way the media has reported the story, but I do not think the Japanese government itself is entirely without responsibility.

In the face of a disaster of this magnitude, should the Japanese government not put more emphasis on its willingness to actively extend assistance to those affected by the disaster?

Because this message has not been communicated clearly enough, the request to rescue Japanese nationals may become the main focus, creating a situation in which Japan could be perceived as a self-centered country.

Japan is sometimes said to be poor at diplomacy, and I wonder whether the way this situation has been communicated is another example of that.

In this case, I believe the misunderstanding could have been avoided if Prime Minister Takaichi had clearly stated during the phone call that Japan was prepared to provide substantial assistance to the Nepalese government and those affected by the disaster, before asking for cooperation in the search for Japanese nationals.

The Japanese government should take this incident as an opportunity to reconsider how it communicates its actions and policies to the public and to the international community.

Otherwise, no matter how much effort the government puts into providing assistance, those efforts may not be sufficiently understood by the Japanese public or the international community.

And now, what is needed is action: I hope Japan will send relief supplies and rescue teams to Nepal as soon as possible.