Japan Press Weekly

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2011 May 25 - 31 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

PM Kan’s speech shows Japan’s continuous dependence on nuclear energy

Prime Minister Kan Naoto’s speech in Paris has revealed that the Japanese government is still supporting nuclear power generation even after the outbreak of the nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

In his speech on May 25 at the commemoration ceremony of the 50th anniversary of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), Kan said, “Drawing on the lessons from the nuclear accidents, we will achieve the highest standard of nuclear safety.”

Kan said, “Japan will now review its basic energy plan from its basis and is set to address new challenges. We must nurture the two new pillars of renewable energy and energy-efficiency, in addition to the two pillars to date of nuclear power and fossil fuels.”

Asked by reporters for a comment on Kan’s speech, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said on May 26, “This particular remark is a clear declaration that Japan will continue to depend on nuclear energy in the future.”

Shii stressed, “The prime minister lacks the basic awareness that the Fukushima nuclear crisis is a human-generated disaster brought about by the political promotion of the ‘nuclear safety myth’.” He added that the JCP will continue to call on the government to turn away from nuclear energy.