Regarding the May 29 front-page article "Kan tells nuke probe: 3/11 overwhelmed us": However former Prime Minister Naoto Kan is judged, to me his actions in the wake of the 3/11 Fukushima nuclear plant accidents were like those of a father desperate to protect his family facing an unimaginably enormous and horrifying monster in a strange environment that he was unable to control.

Whether Kan's actions are considered too spontaneous or unprofessional, they can be understood perfectly as the response of a normal human being with a heart. Under the circumstances, I think Kan was a rare and very trustworthy prime minster.

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.

ritsuko shimada