2011/04/03
The situation at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is raising concern about the Hamaoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, operated by Chubu Electric Co. Both plants are on the Pacific coast, and both use boiling water reactors.
During my university days, I spent many days in Hamaoka working on a final-year research project. I can still recall the overpowering smell of grass and chicken coops on hot summer days.
It was 1979. The Three Mile Island meltdown had occurred that spring in Pennsylvania and the Hamaoka plant had only been in operation for four years. There was talk of what would happen if a major earthquake were to strike the Tokai region.
I come from Shizuoka and, naturally, I was concerned about the safety of the Hamaoka plant. The focus of my research was finding out how locals felt about the possibility of a nuclear disaster.
I interviewed 100 local people. More than 30 percent anticipated a potentially lethal accident, but they also said there was no point in fretting about it. I sensed something like quiet resignation in all the villages I visited.
The public's fear was allayed by false reassurances about the industry's safety. Nuclear power now accounts for 30 percent of our country's electricity. I am not happy with the situation. But, here I am: a consumer taking this power for granted. I know I am in no position to preach against nuclear power when I remain silent about the fact that the Fukushima plant supplied power to Tokyo, where I now live, for years.
I am painfully aware of the sense of betrayal felt by the people of Fukushima. The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is five years older than Hamaoka. For more than 40 years, the two towns near the Fukushima plant have relied entirely on Tokyo Electric Power Co. for employment and fiscal stability. One could call them TEPCO "castle towns." The castle has now fallen.
People who believed they were safe have now lost their homes. Prolonged displacement could destroy their communities for good. It is difficult to think of a crueler fate for people who have been supporting the convenient lifestyles of others for decades?
Neighboring cities and towns are being exposed to radiation without ever having benefitted directly from the power plant. The situation is so dire that residents cannot even search for missing loved ones.
We should share their fury, and we should use that anger to spur us to finding alternative ways of producing power.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 2
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
During my university days, I spent many days in Hamaoka working on a final-year research project. I can still recall the overpowering smell of grass and chicken coops on hot summer days.
It was 1979. The Three Mile Island meltdown had occurred that spring in Pennsylvania and the Hamaoka plant had only been in operation for four years. There was talk of what would happen if a major earthquake were to strike the Tokai region.
I come from Shizuoka and, naturally, I was concerned about the safety of the Hamaoka plant. The focus of my research was finding out how locals felt about the possibility of a nuclear disaster.
I interviewed 100 local people. More than 30 percent anticipated a potentially lethal accident, but they also said there was no point in fretting about it. I sensed something like quiet resignation in all the villages I visited.
The public's fear was allayed by false reassurances about the industry's safety. Nuclear power now accounts for 30 percent of our country's electricity. I am not happy with the situation. But, here I am: a consumer taking this power for granted. I know I am in no position to preach against nuclear power when I remain silent about the fact that the Fukushima plant supplied power to Tokyo, where I now live, for years.
I am painfully aware of the sense of betrayal felt by the people of Fukushima. The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is five years older than Hamaoka. For more than 40 years, the two towns near the Fukushima plant have relied entirely on Tokyo Electric Power Co. for employment and fiscal stability. One could call them TEPCO "castle towns." The castle has now fallen.
People who believed they were safe have now lost their homes. Prolonged displacement could destroy their communities for good. It is difficult to think of a crueler fate for people who have been supporting the convenient lifestyles of others for decades?
Neighboring cities and towns are being exposed to radiation without ever having benefitted directly from the power plant. The situation is so dire that residents cannot even search for missing loved ones.
We should share their fury, and we should use that anger to spur us to finding alternative ways of producing power.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 2
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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