To all the people, the victims, and the members of Japan Society of Maintenology
- About Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident-

On behalf of Japan Society of Maintenology (JSM), please allow me to express our deepest sympathy for all the victims of this catastrophic East Japan Earthquake, and all the victims who are forced to evacuate by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident.We sincerely hope that the victims could overcome this disaster and restart their life full of hope as soon as possible.

Additionally, as one of the engineers and researchers who is involved in nuclear power plant maintenance activities, it tears my heart apart to think of people who are anxious about Fukushima Daiichi' accident.For the victims, we are full of thoughts to make a genuine apology together with those working on the problem.We, the members of JSM, need to discuss what caused this unprecedented accident and what should be done to stabilize these series of events in Fukushima Daiichi NPP.Moreover, we have to summarize opinions about how to deal with anticipated argument about the future of nuclear power plants.In doing so, we, as the engineers and the researchers working on nuclear power plant maintenance, want to accept this accident with sincerity, then thoroughly analyze essential problems the Japanese people are facing now.

We are required to withdraw the answer of the discussion between all the members about whether our past assertions were right or wrong, or what points are needed to change for the better situation for future.To that end we believe that the most important thing is to make a right judgment while we understand minds of the citizens, especially the victims, even when the situation makes us get into a temper.

We believe that it is the crucial matter for us to estimate the accident's scale scientifically, and observe the post-accident situation correctly without caring rumors.For that, it is one of the effective measures to compare the current accident with the actual condition in that of the Chernobyl.For those involved, our task is to discuss the accident by the comparison with that of Chernobyl and the current status of Ukraine's NPPs as taking in view of time course.

In addition, it should be critical to argue whether there should have remained more efforts in the aspect of crisis management, though the primary cause of the accident was the unanticipated force of nature.We think there were blind spots in underestimated natural calamity and the severe accident management even though nuclear safety was deeply discussed for over 30 years.

Japan Society of Maintenology will try to make a contribution for the improvement of nuclear power plant maintenance technology that can be trusted by the people. For this purpose, we will propose remedies and form the optimized maintenance so that such an accident will never happen again.