Japan Press Weekly

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2012 May 16 - 22 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Controversial Oi town mayor has cozy ties with KEPCO

Close relations between Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) and the mayor of Fukui’s Oi Town, which hosts the utility’s controversial nuclear power plant, have been revealed amid mounting public attention to his remarks supporting the restart of the idled nuclear reactors.

Akahata reported that a metal processing company (where Oi Town Mayor Tokioka Shinobu is a founder and a board member) obtained 73 orders for KEPCO’s Oi nuclear power plant-related works projects amounting to 468 million yen for eight years since 2003, with the operator directly awarding more than 300 million yen in contracts.

In response to Akahata’s query, the firm admitted that operations of the nuclear power plant directly contribute to its profit. Furthermore, when Akahata asked the company’s head, a son of the town mayor, if the company has taken KEPCO executives out for wining and dining and playing golf, he replied, “Yes.”

The Oi Town Assembly on May 14 adopted a resolution giving a green light to reactivate the two offline reactors at the Oi plant with all assembly members’ approving except a Japanese Communist Party representative. Mayor Tokioka will reportedly announce his final decision at the end of the month. However, his decision will be called into question due to conflict of interests because his company directly benefits from “nuclear power plant money.”