December 12, 2025

Akahata ‘current’ column (gist)

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake (initially reported as M7.6) struck Japan’s Tohoku region late on December 8. In Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu, the seismic intensity reached upper 6, prompting evacuation orders for many residents.

Given the heightened risk of a major earthquake following such a major tremor, the Japan Meteorological Agency and experts are cautioning local residents to prepare for rapid evacuation in case of emergencies such as being hit by a tsunami.

Hokkaido Governor Suzuki Naomichi, at a committee meeting of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly on December 10, announced that he will approve the restart of the No.3 reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO)’s Tomari Nuclear Power Plant. Stating that “utilizing nuclear power is a realistic choice,” he made the decision in line with the wishes of the government and the utility, ignoring residents’ opposition and leaving the current inadequate safety measures and evacuation plans unchanged.

Japanese Communist Party member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly Maruyama Harumi at the committee meeting criticized the governor’s decision, calling it absolutely unacceptable. She demanded that Governor Suzuki withdraw his consent.

On the same day, some hundreds of Hokkaido residents surrounded the prefectural government office building, raising their voices in protest against the reactivation of the No.3 reactor.

Each time a major earthquake hits Japan, the public is concerned that a devastating nuclear accident could occur. The governor himself acknowledges that disaster prevention measures for nuclear power will never end. If so, the best countermeasure is to just not operate nuclear power plants. This is precisely the lesson that the Japanese people should have learned from the 2011 nuclear meltdown catastrophe in Fukushima Prefecture which is also located in the Tohoku region.