we have more from junko noda. what's your take on the results of the meeting? >> the iae received a mandate to strengthen its role in securing nuclear safety but member states have to agree on concrete measures. some emerging countries that plan to introduce nuclear power plants aren't enthusiastic about paying the cost about associated with strengthening safety standards, so at this stage it's unclear if the iaea can come up with an effective action plan. >> you know, japan is being singled out as the country with the multitude to strengthen nuclear safety standards. tell us about the savings that are under way. >> the discussions were started this week to change the current safety guidelines. one problem with the guidelines is the lack of preparation for the loss of all power sources. right now they say utilities don't have to consider this because power lines are expected to be restored shortly after an earthquake but at fukushima daiichi the quake cut off the external power supply and then the tsunami disabled emergency generators. another problem is the la

nhk world's junko noda sat down with hidehiro nishiyama to talk about the current situation at fukushima daiichi and the lessons learned since march 11th. >> as the work continues at fukushima daiichi to bring the crisis under control by january 2012, what is going well and what problems persist? >> we are doing our work according to the roadmap tepco and the government announced. and what is going well is the cooling of fuel core and spent fuel pools. actually the unit two's spent fuel pool is now cooled by the special equipment. that is the most advanced work. on the other hand, treatment of stagnant water is the challenge of us. and another challenge is how to overcome high radiation dose in every place of the plant. so that's the very difficult thing we have to deal with. >> the seriousness of what happened on march 11th only became public months after the accident. why did the government and tepco let people know about the best-case scenario rather than the worst? >> i don't think that is the case. actually, we have been trying to let our people know, let other countries' people kno

earlier we spoke to nhk world's junko. >> safety is the main agenda at the meeting. how serious is the japanese government about nuclear safety? >> we're at the earliest stages of the crisis, information provided by the japanese government was sometimes too late or confusing, especially when the government failed to inform neighboring countries such as south korea, china and russia about the release of contaminated water into the pacific ocean. these countries expressed strong concerns. also, the government has yet to get a clear picture of what's going on inside the reactors and the reactors are far from being stabilized. it it wants to show the world its commitment to information sclo disclosure and better communication. >> what are representatives going to discuss during the meeting? >> stherp establithey were esta promote use of energy. in recent years it's known better for its activities to prevent nuclear proliferation. now promotes safety will be one of the its most important tasks. >> agree on standards is one thing, but implementing them is another. what iss

if earlier world's michio i ckia spoke with junko suatomi, a lawyer with expert knowledge on international trade issues for more insight. >> a lot of exporters need to get their products checked for radiation. how are they going to deal with the situation? >> the program, that japan has a range of organizations that have different radiation standard and different kinds of certificates. this means that a company, a japanese company has to find an appropriate inspection organization which is suitable for its products. somemes they have to wait for several days to have tests because there are a lot of demands for testing and if it is causing a delay in the delivery, it could make a japanese company less competitive and damage its reputation. >> how are they going to prevent that from happening? >> yeah. a lot of companies are now trying to speed them up by seeking certificates issued by jcci. jcci is the japan chamber of commerce and industry, and all a japanese company has to do under the system is to prepare a document saying their place of production are not contaminated, and using data wh

." >> reporter: english teacher junko machida was also touched by buck's words. machida said before the classic, she was deeply depressed because she couldn't do anything for the people who died or disappeared on march 11th. >> translator: the book changed my mind dramatically. if i hadn't read it, i wouldn't have been able to feel better. >> reporter: machida says a paragraph in "the big wave" helped to put her mind at ease. it involved the dialogue between kino's father and the children. >> "to live in the presence of death makes us brave and strong, kino's father replied. that is why our people never fear death. we see it too often and we do not fear it. to die a little later or a little sooner does not matter." >> translator: it made me think that i want to cherish my ordinary life. i want to treasure the life i have with my family and my community. >> reporter: editor jun harada says she was particularly interested in the way the traumatized child, jiya, is treated. it takes years for him to heal. first, his body, and then his mind. >> translator: the novel