Japan’s largest anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo draws over 170,000

Japan’s largest anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo draws over 170,000

By Adam Westlake /
July 16, 2012 /
No Comments

Despite
the scorching heat on Monday, July 16th, more than 170,000 protesters
marched through Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park to demand the government bring an
end to Japan’s use of nuclear power. As anti-nuclear protests have been
occurring nearly every week since the end of March, this easily marks
the largest in the series, as well as one of the largest demonstrations
in Japan’s history. Recalling the Fukushima nuclear crisis from March
2011, demonstrators shouted in chorus to stop the return to nuclear
power, and for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to quit his position.

Leading participants at the rally included Kenzaburo Oe,
a winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, a
renown Japanese musician and composer. One 71 year old evacuee from
Fukushima stated his anger at the lack of progress in compensating the
victims who have had to abandon their homes, as well as little being
done in the decontamination efforts. He added that the people of Japan
will not accept a return to nuclear power until the Fukushima case has
been completely resolved. Today’s protest comes shortly after the first
restarted nuclear reactor at the Oi, Fukui Prefecture plant returned to full operation last week, and just before the second reactor begins its activation process later this week.

The nuclear reactor restart was the first since the Fukushima plant
was hit by the March 11th tsunami, and it also brought an end to Japan’s
two-month hiatus on nuclear power. Prime Minister Noda gave his approval to restart
the Oi facility, regardless of the rapidly increasing anti-nuclear
sentiment among the Japanese people, as well as the independent
parliamentary review that determined the Fukushima disaster was essentially man-made and could have been prevented.
Yasunari Fujimoto, one of the demonstration’s organizers, says that
they will continue to protest until the Japanese government understands
it is going against the wishes of the people.