Japan Press Weekly

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2013 December 11 - 17 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Fukushima people form group to have all local nuclear reactors decommissioned

People in Fukushima Prefecture have set up a group working to achieve the decommissioning of all nuclear reactors in the prefecture.

The group’s initiators include former Fukushima governor Sato Eisaku and curator of the Auschwitz Peace Museum Japan Obuchi Mari.

An inauguration meeting of the group took place on December 15 in Fukushima’s Nihonmatsu City with 450 citizens attending.

Nagi Akira, an advisor to the Fukushima prefectural association supporting small-enterprises’ tax payments, on behalf of the initiators delivered a speech, saying, “Let’s join hands with many citizens, regardless of differences in political views, and develop our movement in order to realize shutdown of all nuclear reactors in Fukushima.”

Explaining about the group, lawyer Hirota Tsuguo, a group secretary, said, “The consensus among Fukushima people is to discontinue nuclear power generation. However, there exists no movement in the prefecture focusing on the permanent closure of nuclear power plants. The group determines to spread collaboration on our goal of decommissioning all nuclear reactors in the prefecture and create a massive movement in Fukushima to achieve this.”

In advance of the inauguration, the group had made representations to the prefectural government, demanding that next year’s memorial ceremony for the March 11 victims be used as an occasion to appeal for the closure of all nuclear reactors in Fukushima.

In Fukushima, the prefectural assembly and most municipal assemblies have demanded that all 10 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power stations be decommissioned. This demand is shared by 80% of Fukushima residents.