Hundreds of Japanese citizens gathered in central Tokyo on Friday to protest against the Japanese government’s decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. The government is currently in the process of determining a specific date for the discharge, which has been met with strong opposition from both local communities in Japan and the international community.
Despite scorching temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, protesters from various parts of Japan stood in front of the Japanese prime minister’s official residence to demand that the government uphold its promise of not disposing of the contaminated water without the understanding of relevant parties. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns and released radiation following a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011, leading to a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.
One of the protesters, Saeko Uno, expressed her concerns about the nuclear-contaminated water, stating that she had been worried since the leak of radioactive substances was reported in 2012. Uno, who traveled from Kyoto, emphasized the need for a long-term approach to dealing with the contaminated water, such as on-land storage, rather than a unilateral decision to discharge it into the ocean.
The Japanese government made an agreement with fisheries cooperative associations in 2015 that they would not proceed with any wastewater disposal without the understanding of relevant parties. However, in April 2021, the government announced its controversial plan to release diluted wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, with the discharge expected to begin in the spring or summer of this year.
Protesters at the rally handed a petition to government representatives and the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, demanding the withdrawal of the ocean discharge plan and the implementation of comprehensive measures to block groundwater infiltration. They also called for alternative options such as long-term storage in large tanks and mortar solidification to be considered.
Tomoko Abe, a former pediatrician and member of the House of Representatives, stressed the importance of containing and concentrating radioactive substances to prevent dispersion. She argued that discarding waste in another’s backyard is morally wrong, highlighting that the vastness of the ocean does not negate its impact, especially when it is shared by everyone.
Residents across Japan have been staging continuous rallies and submitting petitions to urge the government to retract its plan of discharging the nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. They advocate for alternative solutions such as continued on-land storage or other sustainable methods.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to convene a cabinet meeting to determine the specific discharge date upon his return from the United States. The discharge is anticipated to occur between the end of this month and early September, according to local media outlets.
The upcoming decision holds significant implications for the future of the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The debate surrounding the ocean discharge plan reflects the ongoing concerns of Japanese citizens and highlights the need for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to the management of nuclear waste.
