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Survey of anti-nuclear energy demonstrators shows 60 percent now more strongly opposed to nuclear weapons

by Kohei Okata and Takashi Takekawa, Staff Writers

Citizens of Japan have been calling for an end to the use of nuclear energy in demonstrations staged in front of the prime minister’s official residence and at other locations. What is their view, though, when it comes to eliminating nuclear weapons? The Chugoku Shimbun interviewed 50 of the participants from a large demonstration held in Hibiya Park and around the Diet building in Tokyo on July 29. Among those surveyed, 31 people, or about 60 percent, responded that they now feel more strongly that nuclear arms should be abolished, compared to their position before the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant.

Ritsuko Koyama, 62, a housewife from the city of Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, said without hesitation, “The nuclear accident brought home to me what horrific harm radiation can cause. I now believe more strongly that nuclear weapons, which use the same technology as nuclear power plants, should be abolished as well.” Others, too, have become more deeply interested in nuclear-related issues and have been learning about radiation and the history of atomic bomb development through the Internet or in study meetings in local communities.

Some people expressed mixed emotions over the fact that the A-bombed nation came to accept atomic power. Kayoko Kobayashi, 50, a housewife from Komae, Tokyo, visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum when she was 19. She regrets that she has done nothing to help stop the use of nuclear energy, while realizing that turning to the atom was unacceptable.

The organizer of the weekly demonstrations in front of the prime minister’s residence is the Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes. Unlike other anti-nuclear movements organized largely by labor unions, this organization has been making protests more agreeable to ordinary citizens by asking the participants to refrain from carrying banners with the names of organizations or distributing leaflets. Jiro Yanase, 39, a self-employed worker from Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, said, “Thanks to the widespread use of the Internet, it’s now easier to take part in demonstrations or rallies.” For families at the protest site, baby buggies were made available, and music from popular animated TV shows was heard in the air.

Parents, especially, are driven strongly by a sense of crisis. Yuko Tsuchiya, 37, a housewife from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, took part in the demonstration with her 4-year-old daughter. “I don’t want children to suffer from the harmful effects of radiation,” she said. “Adults must take action.”

What efforts, then, should be made to promote the abolition of nuclear weapons? Kaoru Kajiwara, 36, a clerical worker from Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, hopes that if we can break away from using nuclear energy, we may be able to put a stop to nuclear weapons, too. Satoshi Shigemori, 47, employed by an organization in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, said, “It’s quite possible for the movements to be coordinated, to appeal for the elimination of both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, neither of which can be controlled.”

Takeshi Suzuki, 16, a first-year high school student from Machida, Tokyo, was taking part in the demonstration with five classmates. “Instead of leaving everything in the hands of the government, I would like to think that nuclear weapons and nuclear energy are problems I can do something about,” he said firmly. The movement against nuclear power plants is gaining momentum and the mood is growing for every person to take a stand and voice their views. Whether this movement can also lead to a surge for the abolition of nuclear weapons should be carefully watched.

(Originally published on July 31, 2012)

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