Anti-nuclear demonstrations have been held near the Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo every Friday since last March. The number of demonstrators, which initially stood at just a few hundred, increased sharply after the government formally decided on June 16 to restart two reactors at the Oi nuclear plant in western Japan. The number reached between 150,000 and 180,000 on June 29, according to organizers. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Board (MPB) put the turnout at 17,000.

　　　In its July 30 editorial, the liberal mass-circulation daily Asahi Shimbun had this to say about the demonstrations: “In the last half century – not since the ‘Ampo struggle’ staged against the US-Japan Security Treaty in 1960 -€ has there been a case of such large crowds saying ‘no’ to the government … These are the voices of ‘the silent majority.’” The editorial quoted a 60-year-old self-employed woman from Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture, as participating in the demonstrations because “I cannot forgive the prime minister for saying that the government decided to forge ahead (with the restart of the two reactors) in order to relieve the people of their anxiety. He should have simply been honest enough to say that this was all about money-making.” The editorial observed:

　　　 “Surely, we had enough electricity to spare last winter despite the government’s call for power-saving efforts across Japan -€ and presumably we will have enough this summer, too. Isn’t the real purpose of this restart to protect the operations of the utilities companies?”

　　　Prior to the government’s decision to restart the two reactors at Oi, a 14.9% power shortage was predicted at peak periods within the district served by Kansai Electric Co. in western Japan. The percentage was reduced to zero as a result of the restart at Oi, but the government still maintains a 10% power-saving target in view of the power provided the district in 2010. However, if companies are compelled to reduce the production level due to brownouts, the power-saving target may be relaxed to 5% thanks to the restart of Oi. (Asahi Shimbun, July 26, 2012)

　　　Although the power shortage in the Kansai area appears to have tentatively been improved, the still tight situation of power supply and demand in the whole of Japan is clearly discernible from the harsh realities of Hokkaido and Kyushu. Estimating the power shortage at peak periods in August at 1.9% in Hokkaido and 2.2% in Kyushu, the utilities have yet to relax their respective initial power-saving targets of 7% and 10%. (ibid.)

　　　Doesn’t emphasizing “money-making” and “protecting the operations of utility companies,” as the Asahi did in its editorial, totally disregard the full picture of Japan’s power demand and supply?

“We Really Do Not Need Air Conditioners …”

　　　The Asahi is eager to identify the voices of today’s anti-nuclear protesters with those heard during the anti-US-Japan Security Treaty demonstrations back in the 1960s. In a way, there appears to be a common feature linking these two series of demonstrations — a vague anti-establishment sentiment. People then took -€ and now take -€ action prompted by the prevailing atmosphere or mood of where they congregate without bothering to engage in sincere discussions about the vital points at issue.

　　　In order to not repeat the same mistakes as the radical All Japan Federation of Students’ Self-Government Associations (“Zengakuren”), organizers of the current weekly demonstrations make sure to not reveal the identities of supporting organizations by not bringing their names to the fore, urging participants to refrain from identifying specific organizations or labor unions on their placards. Also, to entice as many ordinary citizens as possible to participate, they are said to be doing their utmost to leave a good impression, making sure to avoid violence in their tactics.

　　　Against such a backdrop, figures like internationally recognized musician Ryoichi Sakamoto cry out against nuclear power with this appeal: “Why must we endanger our lives by putting up with nuclear power stations when all we’re talking about is finding a way to supply electricity?” His remarks have encouraged other participants to declare: “We really do not need air-conditioners.”

　　　Blessed are those who can persevere the heat, work vigorously, and live in good health in the absence of electricity or air-conditioners at the height of Japan’s sweltering summer. However, there certainly are those who require electric power and air-conditioners, including senior citizens, little children, and the sick. If all Japanese were to get caught up in the personal crusade of these people who claim that we should do away with air-conditioners, the lives of many citizens would unjustly be endangered while the country’s industrial infrastructure would have to be fundamentally transformed, creating problems that would seriously affect the nation’s economy.

　　　I wish to ask of Mr. Sakamoto and his colleagues: Have you ever bothered to ascertain to what level the safety of the world’s nuclear power plants has been raised over the years, and to what extent Japanese technologies have contributed to that? Have you ever attempted to find out what major progress nuclear power plants in Japan have made in the development of anti-tsunami measures? While mankind continues to seek further development of renewable natural energy sources, the safety of nuclear power stations has also dramatically improved. New technology, such as the AP1000 pressurized light water reactor, is making possible the construction of third-generation power plants that are far ahead of the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

　　　The special feature of the third-generation nuclear reactor is its ability of self-recovery, the so-called “static safety system.” If a severe accident occurs, such as the loss of all power sources, this new generation reactor is designed to protect the reactor core without cooling water supplied from the outside as water is instead automatically injected by means of gravity or other forms of natural water circulation. China has set about building nuclear power plants with four AP1000 reactors in Zhejiang and Shandong provinces. China claims to have also developed an original fourth-generation reactor technology, which will be used in another new power plant in Shandong. These construction plans, suspended since March 2011 when Fukushima was struck by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, have all been resumed.

　　　So the important matter for Japanese today is to ask why Japan had failed to replace the old reactors at Fukushima -€ among the world’s oldest -€ with the readily available third-generation reactors utilizing advanced technologies, and seriously ponder how we may utilize Japan’s proud technologies in the future.

Ignorant and Disinterested

　　　The on-going anti-nuclear demonstrations are one reality in today’s Japan, but it is also true that there are many Japanese who are seeking to grapple with the future of atomic power in a positive and dispassionate way. In point of fact, there are many people who called for the restart of the Oi plant while also earnestly urging the government to adopt every conceivable safeguard. In an opinion poll conducted by the Asahi Shimbun May 19-20, only 29% of the respondents were for the restart of the Oi plant, as opposed to an overwhelming 54% who were against it. However, in a separate opinion poll -€ this one conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun -€ the responses were almost evenly divided: 44% for and 47% against. Noticeable in the Yomiurisurvey, however, was that in the Kinki area, where a drastic power shortage was predicted without the Oi plant resuming operations, 49% were for and 43% against.

　　　Meanwhile, in a poll conducted July 28-29 by the Mainichi Shimbun, another mass-circulation daily setting forth a vigorous anti-nuclear argument, the tide turned for those advocating a restart; 49% replied the plant should be restarted and 45% said it was unnecessary.

　　　The Asahi views the current demonstrations as people’s growing aspiration for direct democracy, which the daily believes is a legacy of the 1960 “Ampo” demonstrations. Critic Susumu Nishibe, who was heavily involved in the anti-government campaigns as a leading member of the radical “Zengakuren” student organization, writes in his memoir1960 Ampo: My Sentimental Journey (Bungei Shunju Co., Tokyo; 1986):

　　　“Generally speaking, the 1960 Ampo ‘struggle’ really was never a full-fledged struggle against the US-Japan Security Treaty per se. The truth of the matter is that most of the participants, including not a small number of us leaders, were not only ignorant about -€ but also totally disinterested in -€ what specifically the new US-Japan Security Treaty would bring in terms of international political and military affairs…What significantly contributed to the scope of our ‘struggle’ was the word ‘peace.’ As soon as this word was uttered, it became taboo to talk about war or military affairs specifically and realistically…With our eyes having grown dim with this magic word, it was no longer possible for us to dispassionately observe the reality of the world’s politics and military matters in the 1960s.”

　　　In The Great Men in My Life (Bungei Shunju Co., Tokyo; 2002), novelist and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara pointed out that his acquaintances who opposed the revision of the security treaty “had rarely read” through its text.

　　　It was ironic that the great politician Nobusuke Kishi, who as prime minister intended to realize Japan’s autonomy and independence from the US with the ratification of the treaty, was forced into resignation by the huge crowds surrounding the parliament building on the day of ratification. They hadn’t the slightest idea what they were opposed to, or what the treaty was all about. Unfortunately, I cannot help but see in the current anti-nuclear demonstrations the same vague anti-establishment sentiment that was prevalent among the 1960 demonstrators -€ neither group able to objectively or dispassionately face the grave reality before them.

(Translated from “Renaissance Japan” column no. 522 in the August 16, 2012 issue of The Weekly Shincho)