Japan Press Weekly

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2012 December 12 - 18 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

5,500 citizens rally to demand a Japan without nuclear power

On December 15 and 16, 5,500 citizens took part in rallies and demonstrations as part of an event which was held in Tokyo and Fukushima under the slogan, “Nuclear Free Now”.

The event was called for by an organizing committee consisting of anti-nuclear power organizations such as the Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes, which has played a leading role in the weekly Friday night protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office.

At a rally held on December 16 in Tokyo, participants talked about lessons learned from the Chernobyl accident as well as ways to regulate atomic energy and create a society without nuclear power generation.

Ogasawara Atsuko, daughter of the late Kumagai Asako who refused to sell her land in a planned construction site for a nuclear power station in Aomori’s Oma Town, said, “It’s unbelievable that the government gave a green light to the construction even after the Fukushima accident. Following in my mother’s footsteps, I will fight against the construction by refusing to sell her land.”

Ogasawara and Kumagai built a log house in 2005 on their land in order to obstruct the planned construction. The house is called “Asako House” and has become a symbol of opposition to the construction.

A male participant spoke about a residents’ 30-year protest against the plan to build a nuclear power plant in Iwai-shima island in Yamaguchi’s Kaminoseki Town. He said, “Residents of the tiny island with a population of 500 have crossed swords with a large company. We will never give up!”

On the previous day in a rally held at Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Tamura Tomoko gave a speech in solidarity.