Nagasaki marks A-bomb anniversary with call for nuclear-free Japan

The problem is that the nuclear village profit-minded crooks, some politicians and nuke electricity supporters may not have been affected in any way by the fukushima disaster and the nuclear bombs. So, words from nuclear bomb survivors just fall on deaf ears.

Trying to bank on the emotional fear of the unknown by fear mongering. Typical.

I wish they had been saying this for the last 20-30 years

Just like Hiroshima, all the politicians and anti-nuclear folks included, take the solemn event and turn it into a political discussion about nuclear energy.

The survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be screaming at the politicians and anyone who desecrated, as I see it, their memorial day. These memorial events are to remind people about the horrors of nuclear weapons and should never be used as a politicians political platform to state their views on nuclear energy.

All of them will give an excuse about what a perfect time it is to make their views known, but what gets lost in all the noise are the people who survived and the memories of the dead.

They all should be ashamed of themselves.

He also called on the central government to “set new energy policy goals to build a society free from the fear of radioactivity”.

They will never be rid of the fear because the fear is irrational.

keep nuclear power, let the government control nuclear facilities, use the ocean for energy resource

keep nuclear power, let the government control nuclear facilities, use the ocean for energy resource

I wouldnt let this government take care of my pet goldfish let alone have them control the nuclear power plants in this country.

Let the IEAE control and regulate them. That would be a step in the right direction.

These memorial events are to remind people about the horrors of nuclear weapons and should never be used as a politicians political platform to state their views on nuclear energy.

Its their memorial day and they will use it as they wish. There is what you say on one hand, but meanwhile, some people would suggest that Japanese mind their own business. Telling the world to dispense with nuclear weapons is not doing that. Supposedly, Japan does not have nuclear weapons, so that field is already won. The rest of the world has not been paying much attention to them given the number of nuclear missiles out there. They have been spinning their wheels on that for decades. So they chose another field of battle with an actual potential for victory here at home. Cant blame them. This fight is a good way to keep the memory of the A bomb victims alive. Your way ensures slipping into obscurity.

Also, this is a way that A bomb survivors can and will motivate themselves. I am glad to see them so opposed to NPPs, because the rest of Japan is too apathetic. I cannot think of any better or more apt ally in the fight against nuclear power here in Japan.

Its their memorial day and they will use it as they wish.

If by "their", you mean the victims' and their families', I'd agree. But politicians should keep their trunks out.

Let the IEAE control and regulate them. That would be a step in the right direction.

LOL the IAEA are pro-nuclear lapdogs for the industry.

let alone have them control the nuclear power plants in this country.

Which country should allow the government to control nuclear energy? I can't think of one...

He also called on the central government to “set new energy policy goals to build a society free from the fear of radioactivity”.

Good luck with that. While you're at it, throw in freedom from fear of solar radiation, cosmic radiation, and background radiation. As long as somebody is waving around a geiger counter without a clue as to what they are doing, you're going to have more fear than you can handle.

Visited the memorial in Nagasaki over twenty years ago. I cried like a baby while watching films and photos of the bombing. However, I do believe there's a place for nuclear energy until something better is discovered. I hope there's never a need for nuclear arms and sincerely hope no other natural disaster comes anywhere close to a nuclear plant. I agree, this is definitely not a platform for political gain or grandstanding.

@Yubaru

I wouldnt let this government take care of my pet goldfish let alone have them control the nuclear power plants in this country. Let the IEAE control and regulate them. That would be a step in the right direction.

It is obvious you seem not to know the governance of IAEA...It is only you who expects anything constructive from there.....

The mayor of Nagasaki is idiot.

While Japan government is championing restart of nuke plants at will, USA government has stopped issuing and/or renewing permits for nuke electricity plants until the issue of long term nuclear waste storage is resolved!!!! http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/09/news/economy/nuclear-plants-waste/index.htm These are people who put health and well being of citizens up and above profits...Even their local 'nuclear villages' and corrupt politicians cannot deter their resolve...!!

Rick KisaAug. 10, 2012 - 06:39AM JST

Except that the there haven't been any new reactors built in almost fourty years in the US, while Japan has built most of it's reactors since then. Coal and oil are cheap in the US, but far more expensive in Japan. Waste is hardly an engineering issue, just a political one, and people like this mayor try to blow it out of proportion.

Let's have a memorial day for the dead of the Fukushima disaster?