Japan Press Weekly

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2011 August 3 - 16 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Farmers protest in front of TEPCO head office

More than 350 farmers, unionists, and women, including 100 Fukushima residents, on August 3 staged a protest rally in front of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) headquarters in Tokyo. They demanded an apology and compensation from TEPCO for losses and damages caused by its Fukushima nuclear plant accident.

Farmers and cattle ranchers complained about their plight. Radioactivity emitted from TEPCO’s plant has been contaminating their farm products, beef, and milk.

Meanwhile, TEPCO has been highhandedly requiring farmers, fishermen, and small business owners who claim damages to submit many documents and certificates in filing claims. The utility has also been threatening farmers, who cannot afford to pay electricity bills due to heavy losses caused by TEPCO’s nuclear accident, with a cut off of their electricity.

President of an organizing farmers’ group, the National Federation of Farmers Movement (Nominren), Shiraishi Jun’ichi, called on the protesters to press TEPCO to pay full compensation.

After the rally, they visited 181 members of the Diet to request an early payment of compensation. Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Kami Tomoko spoke in solidarity with the demonstrators at a rally held inside the congressional office building.