Japan Press Weekly

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2013 July 17 - 23 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

80% in survey call for end to nuclear power generation

A governmental nuclear power-promoting organization has received survey results in which about 85% of respondents demand an end to nuclear power generation.

The survey was conducted by professor emeritus of Tokyo Women’s Christian University, Hirose Hirotada. He submitted the survey results to the Cabinet Office’s Japan Atomic Energy Commission on July 17.

According to the survey results, the percentage of respondents saying that Japan should depart from nuclear power generation increased to 84.8% from 79.7% in the previous survey in 2011, while the percentage of those agreeing that Japan should maintain nuclear power decreased to 9.8%, a decrease of 6.7 percentage points.

In regard to reactivation of off-line nuclear power plants in Japan, about 80% of respondents said that they have fears of a nuclear accident occurring as serious as the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Regarding emergency evacuation plans around nuclear power plants in case of nuclear accidents, about 80% people expressed concern and about 90% said that the government’s countermeasures against nuclear accidents are insufficient.

More than 90% of respondents said that the Fukushima nuclear disaster has not yet been brought under control.

Analyzing the survey results, Hirose said, “Based on the recognition that the situation at the Fukushima power station has worsened rather than improved since the nuclear disaster occurred two years ago, people have more negative judgments in regard to nuclear power generation and nuclear waste.”