HONG KONG — Prime Minister Naoto Kan rightly called it the worst disaster to hit Japan since World War II. But the question now for Japan is whether the massive earthquake and tsunami that smashed the country on Friday can prove to be the earthmoving event that wakes up Japan's politicians to set the economy on a more secure foundation.
There are simply too many problems for stunned ordinary people or ordinary politicians to comprehend, especially given the short time before the huge earthquake, now estimated to be of magnitude 9, triggered a massive tsunami, followed by fears of nuclear meltdown at power plants in the area.
The nuclear question is a separate but linked potential disaster, not least because nuclear power accounts for 30 percent of Japan's energy supplies. The government is trying to move people out of the possible danger zone without alarming them, but it is a fine path to tread, especially when Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), which runs the plants, has long been accused by critics of being economical with the truth in covering up accidents and falsifying repairs at its nuclear installations.