December 8, 2024

The Japanese Communist Party and civic groups in Shimane Prefecture and the neighboring prefecture of Tottori staged a protest against continued operations of the No.2 reactor at the Shimane nuclear power plant (Matsue City, Shimane Pref.) which the Chugoku Electric Power Company (Chuden) resumed on December 7. Protestors shouted in unison, “Stop operating the aging reactor!”

In Matsue City, JCP Shimane prefectural assemblyperson Omura Toshinari and Matsue city assemblymembers Funaki Kenji and Tachibana Fumi held a protest in front of Chuden’s Shimane branch office. Omura said, “An effective evacuation plan to protect the lives and safety of approximately 450,000 residents living within a 30-kilometer radius has not yet been formulated, and a safe method for disposing of spent nuclear fuel has also not been established.”

Local JCP lawmakers in Yasugi, Unnan, and Izumo cities, which are located within the 30-kilometer zone, also staged a protest. A group of local residents calling for “a zero-nuclear power Shimane” organized a protest rally near JR Matsue Station and former JCP Dietmember Ohira Yoshinobu participated in this action.

In Tottori Prefecture, protest rallies took place in the cities of Tottori, Kurayoshi, Yonago, and Sakaiminato.

Yamanaka Sachiko, co-leader of a local civic group, said, “It has been 13 years since the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP, and there remains no prospect for bringing the situation there under control. The use of the Shimane No. 2 reactor is dangerous because it is old and has been in operation for 35 years.”

JCP Tottori prefectural assemblyperson Ichitani Tomoko said, “In order to maintain dangerous nuclear power generation, Japan’s major power companies curb the use of renewable energy. This is like putting the cart before the horse.” Yonemura Shoichi, secretary general of the local Social Democratic Party, said, “Due to the Fukushima nuclear accident, 40,000 people are still forced to live as evacuees. It is technically impossible to safely operate nuclear reactors.”

Past related articles:
> JCP lawmakers: Restart of Shimane NPP lacks local residents’ consent [November 21, 2024]
> Japan lags behind in promotion and use of renewables [October 26, 2024]