Protesters gather in Tokyo for anti-nuclear demonstrations on the second anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear incident.
It’s just over 2 years since the catastrophic March 2011 magnitude 9 Tōhoku Earthquake and subsequent tsunami ravaged the coast line of north-eastern Japan, devastating commercial centers, houses, countless farms and fisheries and, most dramatically, one of Japan’s largest nuclear reactors, the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant and many other plants in the region were immediately shut, but as the Tōhoku recovery process got underway, the full extent of the disaster, and the fact that more precautions should have been taken, came to light. Since then, a growing anti-nuclear movement, “genpatsu zero”, has developed in Japan, warning not only of the health and environmental risks of nuclear, but also of the dangers of having highly sensitive plants in such a risky setting.
From Yahoo! Japan:
A Wave of People Demand “Genpatsu Zero”: Demonstrations at Diet, Prime Minister’s Residence and Ministries 2 Years After Fukushima Disaster
Right before the second anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, citizens aiming for “zero nuclear” carried out demonstrations around the Diet and the official residence of the Prime Minister on March 10. Calls of “we don’t need nuclear” and “no restarting operations” could be heard from within the strong throng of protesters.
Before the start of the protest, there was a meeting at the Hibiya Park concert hall and all the people who could not get inside flooded onto the streets around. After a minute of silent prayer for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Misao Redwolf, from the Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes which organized the event appealed to the crowd to “aim this year more than ever to tell the government to stop nuclear”.
The head secretary of the Fukushima NPO “Iwaki Citizen’s Radioactivity Measurement Center”, Suzuki Kaoru also took the stage and, criticizing the economic sphere and the government’s approval for restarting nuclear activities, said: “There is a strong feeling that we have not even made one step forward since this day two years ago. We have not been able to seriously confront each other on the importance of human life”.
Comments from Yahoo! Japan:
fuf*s*ouny*さん:
Small protest groups who embrace mass-media become big news
Groups who are against mass media, even if they are huge, are thoroughly ignored
oji*a*nh*tukare*aさん:
But the monetary ties with anti-Japanese Asian countries were exposed in the mass media and internet abroad though?
The idiots who support these irresponsible guys who throw criticism without actually proposing any suggestions are just as “loopy” as Hatoyama [N.B. The now unsuccessful Democratic Party of Japan once headed by Hatoyama is sometimes mocked as LDP, or “Loopy Democratic Party”, as a spoof on the name of its rival, the real LDP]
kot**otuiku*o2*0*さん:
This movement should spread to China and Korea.
If an event the scale of Fukushima happened in China or Korea, Western Japan would be destroyed.
It is pointless to “only” stop the re-launch of Japanese nuclear activities, they have a very narrow outlook if that’s what they consider success.
jinseiさん:
My 7 year old daughter asked me why, if they’re so against it, they don’t just stop using electricity at home…
jetさん:
It’s important to think about nuclear power, but I don’t get why the left-wing is using it [to their advantage].
bluedahliaさん:
Getting to what’s called “nuclear zero” is extremely easy but it’s irresponsible to not give concrete answers to how we will find alternative energy after nuclear zero, how we will deal with the trade deficit and whether we care or not whether Japan will become poorer because of this.
ワクチン丸山さん:
The left-wing’s power to mobilize people is amazing! lol
sya*aok*200*さん:
I really deeply think these protestors who use the internet and their cell phones to spread the word to their contacts to organize their protests, meet in trains and make a scene are “absolute idiots”
So you’re saying “nuclear zero” whilst enjoying electricity and without properly thinking of alternative sources, is that it? That’s such a joke w
しゃくれ専用猪木さん:
What’s Taro Yamamoto up to? If he took part, he would be pretty interesting.
シンジロー（tub…）さん:
The parties which criticized nuclear zero [N.B. the Tomorrow Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party and the DPJ] won seats in the Diet last year. That was the people’s consensus, democracy.
The left-wing is full of shit should show us what they plan for alternative energy first. This is the issue.
波紋の達人さん:
That traitor Oe Kenzaburo is at the head of this. Suspicious-looking anti-establishment demo
lvq*is*（lvq…）さん:
Though you very eloquently blast out your opinions, are you actually trying to save energy at all?
No nuclear, but still use electricity!
Well, that’s a contradiction!
sya*aok*200*さん:
It’s bad but I feel these dodgy-looking groups are somehow really persuasive. There is room for argument over the absolute need for and safety of nuclear, but these guys only pull you into thinking “there is absolutely no use arguing”.
samny507さん:
You’ll fix all the fuel price problems if you completely destroy pachinko parlors.
calcalcalさん:
Wonder if our friends who went and wrecked the grass, stole electricity and yelled “NO RE-STARTING THE PLANT” shielding themselves behind children when Ōi nuclear power plant was going to be re-started were also mixed up in this demonstration…
oiyiyoyさん:
It was a gathering of left-wing people from anti-Japanese countries and people who make money in the radioactivity safety business.
しゃくれ専用猪木さん:
>Misao Redwolf
Who’s that? Her name makes me laugh lol
コージさん:
Left-wing demonstrations almost always embrace mass media and conservative demonstrations, no matter how large, hardly use it at all.
If the mass media spread information with little regard to the truth, then it has failed at its mission.
ilovejapanさん:
How about the civil activists in Okinawa also participate? w
Anti-nuclear demonstrations are always extensively covered by Mr. Mass Media, always.
rag*42*9さん:
We don’t need you idiots.
If nuclear power is that bad, go and demonstrate in China and Korea as well. That is the issue.
