『潮流』●1-2

「公然の秘密＆秘密の場所」
　東京都民だけでもなく、テレビの夕方のニュースやワイドショーなどの街頭インタビューでお馴染みの、蒸気機関車をアイコンにした駅前広場を通り抜け、駅前の雑踏から抜けたビジネス街の一角にそのビルは建っている。
ビルの前には応援に駆けつけた複数のラスタファリ運動の実践者たち。警備員の立つエントランスを抜け、ちょっとした階段の先には今日開催されるイベントとして〈令和3年度厚生労働省委託事業「職場における熱中症予防に用いる機器の適正な使用法等周知事業」〉の表示があるが、同日同場所同時刻にその場に集まったのは熱中症の専門家や「熱中症予防に用いる機器」のエンジニアたちではない。公の会議ではあるが場所は非公表として行われたのは「大麻等の薬物対策のあり方検討会」の８回目の会合だ。議題はひとこと「とりまとめ」。公式の参加者は厚労省関係者を除くと12名。ただし、2名は匿名。非公式の傍聴者5名。そしてメディア関係者といった顔ぶれだ。主催は〈厚生労働省医薬・生活衛生局監視指導・麻薬対策課〉。

Open Secrets & Secret Places

The building is located in a corner of the business district, away from the hustle and bustle of the station, through the square in front of the station with a steam locomotive as its icon, which is familiar not only to Tokyoites but also to those who watch TV interviews on the street on the evening news and wide screen.
In front of the building were several Rastafari movement practitioners who had rushed to support the movement. After passing through the entrance where a security guard was standing, there was a sign at the end of a small staircase that read "FY2021 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Commissioned Project: "Project to Publicize the Appropriate Use of Devices Used to Prevent Heat Stroke in the Workplace" as the event to be held today. However, the people who gathered at the same place at the same time on the same day were not heat stroke experts or engineers of "devices used to prevent heat stroke. It was the eighth meeting of the "Study Group on Measures to Prevent Marijuana and Other Drugs," which was a public meeting but the location was not disclosed. The agenda was simply "summary. There were 12 official participants, excluding those from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. However, two participants were anonymous. There were five unofficial observers. And then there were the media. The event was organized by the Surveillance Guidance and Narcotics Control Division of the Pharmaceutical, Life and Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.