@Gulf
Crisis, confidential iPWj@
PW)
Tokyo conference
I did not go back to Osaka directly from Narita. I had to attend
the conference in Tokyo for 2 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
reserved a hotel for me in Kasumigaseki, where the ministry is
located. It was a small, but very comfortable hotel, named Kasumi
Hotel. It was managed by the prestigious Hotel Okura. No wonder.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs frequently used this hotel for
its official use in those days, but it does not exist anymore.
On December 5, 1990, the following day of my homecoming I attended
the conference for about an hour, with the ministry members. Mr.
I, a diplomat dispatched from the ministry and I sat in front
of about one hundred ministry members. Mr. I reported on what
happened and what we did in Riyadh objectively and precisely.
Next was my turn.
I was told to speak frankly and say anything that I felt. I reported
that our medical team could not achieve an effective activity
for a short period (one month) because we wasted time getting
many permission forms approved from Tokyo.
On December 6, directors of the major hospitals all over Japan
were summoned. The main issue was to discuss if a continuous dispatch
of the medical team to Riyadh was necessary or possible. Most
of participants said it was difficult to dispatch doctors and
nurses from their hospitals. They concluded to have the conference
again on December 15 and make a final decision. Since there were
no volunteers from any hospitals, the next dispatch was practically
abandoned on December 15.
During the conference on December 15, the president of Japanese
Medical Association (JMA), Mr. Haneda and vice president, Mr.
Mishima talked to me personally. They said JMA was planning to
buy a hospital in Saudi Arabia and used it as a base for the Japanese
Medical Team. They planned to hire English speaking non-Japanese
staff. The same idea was discussed among the vanguard members
but was abandoned because they thought Japanese doctors were not
able to manage foreign staff. I, however, thought it was quite
possible. As I wrote in my report "Medical conditions in
Riyadh," it was not unusual at all to hire foreign doctors
and nurses. An essential point was the fair, practical knowledge
of English and ability of administration. I had several suitable
candidates in my mind then.
This proposal by JMA was also abandoned.
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