Sailor: “After we left Japan, it felt as if the ocean itself was dead”

[Art_from_Ark]

134. Kan would not still be in office if he were pro-nuke

He would still be in office if he had showed leadership. He wasn't kicked out for closing the nuke plants-- that's what a vast majority of the Japanese public wanted, and still want.

Here are examples of how Japanese media were criticizing him in the aftermath of the disasters:

国民向けの「一方的な」[74]メッセージを発する以外に地震発生から2週間以上も記者団の取材や質問に応じず、国会での答弁も行わなかった菅首相について「表舞台に姿を現さない」[195]「首相のリーダーシップが見えない」[195]「引きこもり」[196]「枝野官房長官に説明を丸投げ」[196]「パフォーマンスばかりが目立つ」[197]とメディアから批判された[74][195][196][197]。
2011年3月26日の日本経済新聞は「原子力には詳しい」と自負していた菅が「臨界って何だ」と発言したと報じ、「なまじ知識があるだけに話すとぼろが出そう」との周囲の不安が出番の激減につながっているとした[198]。

"Except for the 'one-way" messages he was giving the public, for more than 2 weeks after the earthquake (Kan) did not hold a press conference nor answer questions in the Diet (Parliament) and "did not appear on center stage". "Leadership was not apparent" "He became a shut-in." "He defers explanations to his Chief Secretary Edano" "It is obvious there is nothing but a performance."

On March 26, 2011, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that for a man "who supposedly was knowledgeable about atomic energy", Kan asked "Rinkaitte nanda?" ("What is nuclear criticality?&quot .　"He only has superficial knowledge, and it is apparent when he speaks". His uneasiness with those around him is helping to greatly diminish his duties.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/菅直人

Even the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's largest left-leaning newspaper, eventually threw in the towel on Kan. It was the Japanese version of Lyndon Johnson's "I've lost Cronkite" moment.