The only Japanese nuclear power station to have been restarted since the nuclear disaster of March 2011 is the one at Oi in Fukui, just 60km from Kyoto and only 30km from our drinking water supply, Lake Biwa. (Stephen Gill)
There will be a big anti-nuclear rally at Maruyama Park this Saturday (March 9th). As usual with these events it looks very much like it will have a festival feel. People will gather for speeches, performances etc from 12. The main rally is at 1.30 and the march commences at 14.45. Details (Japanese only) at this site: http://nonukeskyoto.jimdo.com/
Thanks to Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action Japan for sharing this news.
Of related interest are these recent articles from Fresh Currents writers Winifred Bird and David McNeil.
Winifred Bird, has recently published two new articles with her colleague Jane Braxton Little on the contaminated forests of Chernobyl and Fukushima. They give a good overview of the likely long-term effects on both ecosystems and the dilemma that local authorities face in how best to manage them. LINK
David McNeil has an excellent interview in the Independent with one of the “Fukushima 50”:
They displayed a bravery few can comprehend, yet very little is known about the men who stayed behind to save Japan’s stricken nuclear plant. In a rare interview, David McNeill meets Atsufumi Yoshizawa, who was at work on 11 March 2011 when disaster struck. LINK
UPDATE (7th March): Stephen Gill informs me that there is a further event on Monday March 11th – the anniversary of the disaster. Demonstrators will gather at the Bic Camera plaza (beside Kyoto station) from 6.30 and march from there at 6.45 twice around the KEPCO offices. So if like me, you can’t make the big event on Saturday, this is your chance to show your solidarity and make some noise. For an insight into why this issue is still important check out this video: Fukushima: Human Impacts
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