Japan Press Weekly

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2012 April 18 - 24 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

400 citizens hold rally opposing restart of Oi NPP

Opposing the government’s plan to restart off-line reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant in Oi Town in Fukui Prefecture, citizens on April 22 held a rally in Obama City which adjoins Oi Town.

More than 400 people gathered at the rally from Fukui and neighboring prefectures. About 450 thousand people live within 50 km from the Oi nuclear power plant and a part of Kyoto City falls in this area.

Protesters condemned the government for aiming to resume operations of the idled nuclear reactors at the Oi plant without taking any measures to evacuate the local residents in case of a nuclear accident.

A Buddhist priest living in Obama City pointed out that the NPP-related money such as subsidies granted to localities hosting nuclear power plants has encouraged the citizens to remain silent in addition to supporting the finances of Fukui Prefecture.

A woman from Miyazu City in Kyoto said, “There is an argument that the NPP-related subsidies stabilize the finances of local governments and industries associated with nuclear power generation create new jobs. However, it all becomes meaningless if an accident occurs.”

A mother participating in the rally with her 5-year-old daughter from Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture said that she was shocked by the fact that the Fukushima nuclear accident prevents local children from playing outdoors. “I cannot be indifferent to the Fukushima accident because Fukui Prefecture has 15 nuclear reactors,” she said.