Forget apocalyptic landscapes and marauding tsunamis. For many in Japan, the defining image from the aftermath of Friday's earthquake is that of the country's chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano (pictured). Clad in a now-iconic light-blue jump-suit, Edano has become the public face of the government during the crisis – seemingly ever-present on TV screens, and making announcement after unscripted announcement, morning, noon and night, about rescue operations, and the state of the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor.
As the bags beneath his eyes grow larger than pillows, many are wondering just when Edano will catch some kip. In fact, the question is so urgent the hashtag #edano_nero – "Edano, go to bed" – was trending on Twitter for much of Monday afternoon.
Online concern for Edano is in stark contrast with the antipathy many tweeters feel for prime minister Naoto Kan, who has been criticised for his comparative silence, and who is the subject of a different kind of hashtag: #Kan_okiro, or "Kan, wake up".
