Earlier in the day Hitoshi had driven north to the crippled FukushimaNuclearPowerStation, where the reactors are feared to be leaking radiation and at risk of an outright meltdown.
The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan said that on Monday morning, a radiation level of 3, 130 microsieverts per hour was recorded at the Fukushima Daiichi NuclearPowerStation, about six times the legal limit.
Nuclear plant operators are battling to prevent meltdowns at three reactors, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano warned Sunday that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Unit 3 of the Fukushima No.1 nuclearpowerstation.