Anti-nuclear protesters surround Diet building

gaijinTechieJul. 29, 2012 - 09:58PM JST

Star-viking:

You can start with this: http://tinyurl.com/bmeb7zu. Tepco was the only entity who decided that the tsunami couldn't be higher than five meters. Years up to 2011 are full with congressional hearings and meetings where nuclear scientists and tsunami experts alike were ignored "because it was convenient for Tepco".

First, it is TEPCO that says a larger tsunami than 5 meters could hit in that article. Second, TEPCO suggests that a 8.3 Magnitude earthquake could cause it. Third - we were hit with a 9.0 Magnitude earthquake. Fourth - the Seismological community did not expect such an earthquake there. Here's a reference to that from the journal Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6032/911.full

Until someone produces scientific papers negating the information in the Science article I posted I am not going to change my mind. TEPCO is guilty of a lot of things, but to believe that they are somehow more learned than the world seismological community when it comes to earthquakes beggars belief.

No one finds it even slightly disturbing that people had their 3 year old children outside protesting on a day where hundreds of cases of heat stroke occurred, no one?

Organizers estimated 20,000 but the police put the figure at closer to 15,000 I saw in the J news today.

These two figures are refreshingly close for a first-world nation.

Shiofuki: July 30, 2012- 05:40 AM (It could get bloody if this persists) Is that a threat?, if not what is your point?

The demonstrations are actually a sign of healthy people. Wouldn't body give less and less if the head kept abusing it, and eventually respond in pain?

Schopenhauer, is there nothing that is more important to you than the vagueness of "national economy"?

National economy is not important. It means less and less for more and more people. Japanese people are getting so much less for it than the nations who can balance their lives better. Lose the zaibatsu and salaryman cultures and you'll see.

As the crow flies, I think the older people are feeling guity - and also dislike what the government has done to this country. Good for them being out. The sights on TV were amazing. I'm glad people are finally speaking up. I hope this spills over to other facets of life as well.

There were far bigger demonstrations surrounding the Diet in '60s almost everyday. They were demonstrations against the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Because of this, then prime minister Nobusuke Kishi had to resign. The treaty passed the Diet eventually and what happened after was Japan grew faster in economy under stable international environment protected by America andwithout much spending on defense, and finally became No. 2 economic power in the world. What would have happened if the treaty was denied and our relations to U.S. and the other western world damaged. Demonstrators are not always doing right thing historically.

It could get bloody if this persists.

Schopenhaurer: July 29, 2012- 09:23AM- (Your comment), " A burnt child dreads fire", (your second comment), "Japan had a unexpected earthquake and tsunami " are you kidding me, neither of your statements make sense, especially on the topic of (anti-nuclear protesters). Please read Takahiro Katsumi: July 29, 2012-08:02PM After reading, maybe you will understand why I gave you a thumbs down.

If Greens Japan can afford people's livelihood, I do not object. But it is a dream of future. For most of the people, livelihood of today and tomorrow is more important. I received 17 "no" for my comment "These people do not care about the economy of Japan." I wonder who are these people who voted "No." They may be those who have some kind of political intentions.

I was there a couple of hours ago, and what struck me is that the people there, allthough there was a fair sprinkling of younger people, and quite a few children, most of the people were over 60, and looked like the sort of people who'd usually be out there in yukata doing bon-odori, the obachan of the neighbourhood association, the old guy with the wispy beard and Hawaian shirt who has come out to man the barricades after a 40 year break. The voices were a touch quavery, but quietly determined.

I think it's taken people like this a long time to stir, but now they've stood up and started to out the corrupt political system, my gut feeling is they're not going to quietly go back to their committee meetings and their onsen trips to Hakone. I think the government will ignore them at its peril. Intelligent politicians will realise that this lot is majime, and I believe they're in for the long haul.

It was weird, seeing your local obaachan and ojisan screaming at the police on the barricades. In their floppy hats, you'd kind of expect them to be obediently following a young woman hoisting a little flag aloft, not yelling "Oi, open up the road!" at the young police manning the barricades. There managed to be at the same time a kind of natsu matsuri party atmosphere (not a few people in yukata), and a more solemn, quasi religious ceremony. The good thing is noone lets the heat put them off turning out in large numbers.

Star-viking:

You can start with this: http://tinyurl.com/bmeb7zu. Tepco was the only entity who decided that the tsunami couldn't be higher than five meters. Years up to 2011 are full with congressional hearings and meetings where nuclear scientists and tsunami experts alike were ignored "because it was convenient for Tepco".

We have been through this, even on this forum. Tepco ignored all the warnings, it ignored even the geological data from the area showing marks of tsunami several kilometers inland. One can pretend over and over again that Tepco wasn't warned as a method of propaganda, but since Tepco went too far, there will always be people who will remind everybody of the fact. Tepco's obfuscation techniques might have worked better before the time of the unforgetting internet.

Who on earth demonstrates on a Sunday? Only in Japan!

People rarely speak out publicly in Japan. The demonstrations that became a mainstream social phenomenon in Japan is the largest since the post-war protest against US-Japan defense treaty in the 60's, The Japanese people have learned to voice their minds.

Though their rallies may not have a direct impact on national policies, it already impacted national politics, prompting mass secession from the governing Democratic Party and also a birth of a third independent Greens Japan party. A general election is expected this fall following the dissolution of the Noda Cabinet through a vote of non-confidence, and people's policy choices can have a great impact on the outcomes of the election.

So it does have a great sociopolitical impact.

Edojin - Try telling that to the hundred thousand people living in temporary housing in Fukushima.

Anti-nuclear 'human chain' to surround Diet building

It should read: Anti-human 'nuclear chain' surrounds Japan

As I sit here under the coolness of my air-conditioner, I think ... let the nuclear power reactors roll on. They do help to keep one cool in this hot weather.

Great to see people wanting to be heard but Its sad that protests like this, with tens of thousands, do nothing to sway the gov but the chinese protest a sewerage pipeline, with only hundreds, and the gov folds to pressure.

Wolfpack: " It will take years to wean themselves off of nuclear and they will only be able to replace it with non-renewable energy source for the foreseeable future."

You're correct, but they should still be starting on the weaning process all the same. No need to refurbish reactors that are already passed their prime when clearly they are not needed, and instead putting the money into alternative resources. Likely we can't stop a few more restarts, but that's absolutely NO reason for TEPCO's criminal actions or any reason why nuclear power still be developed.

FernanroUchiyama: "People should ask for transparency from J-government."

The government has already promised it time and again, both at home and abroad, but so far all they've done is promise bigger walls.

People should ask for transparency from J-government. Nuclear Power, well... Japan needs it.

Did we see any of these demonstrations before the Tohoku Disaster?? Japan has been using nuclear power for long long time and lets not forget that J companies have no.1 share in setting up nuclear power plants around the world and they are still signing those contracts after the disaster. My heart is with the people suffering from the nuclear and natural disaster but these demos are just waste of time!!! Japan aint enough energy self sufficient and Japan needs one or two nuclear power plants to keep running the ACs or more people die of heatstrokes!

Japan has the land mass to go Solar (of all flavors)

Japan could be the size of Russia and still not be able to make solar a major source of electrical power on the scale that is economically feasible as nuclear or fossil fuel. Japan has no replacement for nuclear except for a huge increase in the number of oil or natural gas power plants. Based on the surge in oil imports it appears that this is already underway.

The Japanese are understandably afraid of another nuclear accident but they have very few economically viable alternatives now. It will take years to wean themselves off of nuclear and they will only be able to replace it with non-renewable energy source for the foreseeable future. It took years to get to the point where nuclear power is such a large portion of the nations energy supply. It will take years and many compromises by the global warming cabal to remove them out of the energy mix.

"The giant utility largely cleared itself of blame, saying the size of last year’s earthquake and tsunami was beyond all expectations and could not have reasonably been foreseen."

Now there's a laugh! (save that it's so sad). Show me a corporation willing to actually blame itself, first. Show me one in Japan willing to let in independent, foreign panels, second. Third explain why TEPCO was warned of this countless times and yet failed to heed said warnings, even after the Niigata scandal a few years back. Finally, if they had 'no idea' what about the made up 'meeting' they had about the possibility of such a disaster four days before it took place, which of course they have no records for. I'm seriously getting sick of the criminal actions and excuses of companies here.

gaijinTechieJul. 29, 2012 - 09:11AM JST

"The giant utility largely cleared itself of blame, saying the size of last year’s earthquake and tsunami was beyond all expectations and could not have reasonably been foreseen."

That's a laugh! They were warned that this would happen. By Japanese scientists.

Do you have a reference for that? As far as I have seen in the scientific literature the March 11th earthquake was higher than anything expected in the area.

saru_au: "the only way nukes will be shut down is when another one is put out of action by "natural" disasters ( aka : greedy nuke owner makes one too many mistakes and it takes out 1/2 a prefecture), I expect it will take at least one more Fukushima scale "accident" for 100% of JP people to reject them."

I agree, and it's not an 'if' so much as a when, given they all seem to be built upon fault lines. Sadly, the next disaster may be even worse and the fears of 'Tokyo being evacuated' or another city may be realized.

If the Japanese wanted to become true World Leaders, they would Champion Solar from Space and then lead the World toward a safe new future

Im not sure "solar from space" is the answer but totally agree with the rest of this. Japan has a chance to lead the world into a new consciousness, a new way of living, a new way of harnessing electricity. Regrettably it likely wont happen, but I think you make a solid point.

Let's review the basics- Solar far more expensive to build to produce the same power as Nuclear. Far less reliable. Ridiculous area required. Needs backup power so much that it replaces nothing.

These people do not care about the economy of Japan.

or... they care more about a nuclear free, clean and safe living environment than they do about political notions economy.

The sooner the pro-nuclear faction realizes there is a higher calling than economy and money the sooner Japan can begin the process of recreating itself as a nuclear free, environmentaly safe and sound nation (dare I include sustainable?).

Lest anyone in the pro-nuclear camp think differently, NO ONE is oblivious to the fact that a nuclear free Japan means a complete revamp, overhaul of life as we know it. The question is, just how much are the people of Japan are willing to sacrifice?

Is it so wrong not to care about economy and money?

the major "problem" with solar and similar alternatives : the power MONOPOLY CAN NOT MAKE MONEY if average Yamada installs and uses it, and they loose money if average Yamada sells it to them.

tepco ( aka JP gov buddy / partner) and every other power monopoly in JP will fight solar and any alternative every way they can - lies, false safety etc, and most nukes will be back on within a year, "never to be shut down".

the only way nukes will be shut down is when another one is put out of action by "natural" disasters ( aka : greedy nuke owner makes one too many mistakes and it takes out 1/2 a prefecture), I expect it will take at least one more Fukushima scale "accident" for 100% of JP people to reject them.

Maybe this will actually lead to a democratic movement in Japan?

What's the point? I'm glad people are expressing themselves, and now more than ever in the past few decades the Japanese are standing up instead of showing the usual apathy, but collecting trash in protest and surrounding the DIET on a Sunday, which I'm guessing is closed for the weekend, doesn't seem like it will accomplish much. Why not gather on a Monday and bar people from entering as a further means of protest? I realize that would require most to take a day of leave or not attend club activities or what have you, but still.

There is a saying in Japan "Atsumono ni korite namasu wo fuku" it is somethink like "A burnt child dreads fire." Not all nuclear plants ared doomed to disasters. It was a very unfortunate accident by an unexpected scale of earthquake and tsunami.

The giant utility largely cleared itself of blame, saying the size of last year’s earthquake and tsunami was beyond all expectations and could not have reasonably been foreseen.

That's a laugh! They were warned that this would happen. By Japanese scientists. And Onagawa nuclear plant defenses didn't have problems deflecting the same tsunami. I guess it wasn't souteigai for them to put big enough tsunami barrier and position the backup generators on higher ground, like all the other NPP operators around the world.

Tepco is criminally behind modern times. Even their excuses reek.

Noda defended the move citing looming power shortages

And exactly who was it that told him that? Was it Kepco? Before or after they shut down eight non-nuclear power plants to create the illusion of power outage?

Schopenhauer, they found out that there are more important things in life than "Japan's economy".

Gotta love that last statement. What a crock of sh!t! These twits are directly responsible and should be facing criminal charges.

The giant utility largely cleared itself of blame,

Says who? It put its fingers in its ears and said "I didn't do it, it wasn't me, nobody saw me do it". That is not the same thing as clearing oneself of blame.

After all, Japan is a so called "democracy". Whether nuclear reactors are restarted or not, they still pose the same danger.

These people do not care about the economy of Japan.

I am not sure what effect, if any, this will have. But, it is nice to see people standing up for what they believe in.