Tokyo, Japan – 14 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster devastated the northeast region of Japan. Greenpeace Japan extends heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families who are still suffering the aftermath of this devastating catastrophe.

Sam Annesley, Executive Director of Greenpeace Japan said: 

“Today marks 14 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. I would like to once again express my condolences to those who lost their lives, and my heartfelt sympathy to all those who lost loved ones and to the victims of the disaster.

On 18 February, the Japanese Government submitted its 2035 National Determined Contributions (NDC) to the United Nations, and on the same day the Cabinet approved the Seventh Strategic Energy Plan and the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures, which form the basis for achieving its greenhouse gases emission targets. Japan’s NDC aims for a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in FY2035 compared to FY2013, but this target is extremely low from the perspective of limiting global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius, and from the perspective of its responsibility as an industrially advanced country. It should have aimed for a 78% reduction, consistent with the 1.5 degree target. In addition, with regard to nuclear power, the phrase ‘reduce dependence on nuclear power as much as possible’, which had been included in the Fourth Strategic Energy Plan (2014) following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, has been deleted. However, increasing nuclear power will not be in time to avert a climate crisis, as nuclear power plants have many challenges and require a long time from planning to the start of operation.

The risks of nuclear power plants increase with the length of time they have been in operation, as does their vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident occurred at a nuclear power plant that had been in operation for more than 30 years, and radiation levels remain so high that even 14 years after the accident, it is still impossible for humans to directly inspect the damaged reactors. Therefore, the change of policy to promote nuclear power is unacceptable.[1] There is no prospect for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel while the existing storage facilities are already close to full capacity, and many local authorities have yet to put in place an effective method for the safe evacuation of residents living near nuclear power stations in the event of an unforeseen emergency. In addition, the Japanese Government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), pushing aside the concerns of fishermen, residents and others, have decided to start deliberately discharging contaminated water containing radioactive substances from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the environment. This discharge is expected to continue for about 30 years until 2051.

14 years ago, the then Government considered the possibility of evacuating 50 million people in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In fact, water treatment plants in Tokyo even introduced temporary restrictions on the amount of water that infants should drink. Due to the direction of the wind, much of the released radioactive material was carried out to sea, but a different wind direction would have resulted in a completely different outcome. The Prime Minister secretly drafted a statement at that time which stated that the worst case scenario had occurred.  Have we, who experienced the accident, stayed true to the feelings we had in our hearts at the time?

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 30 years ago, the Great East Japan Earthquake 14 years ago, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake a year ago and other earthquakes and floods across the country have occurred in rapid succession. We can only prepare for these natural disasters as best we can, but nuclear disasters are different. Nuclear disasters are caused by our choice and use of nuclear power as a means of generating electricity in Japan. Fortunately, there are many possibilities in Japan to pursue comfortable energy savings, as the electricity supply can be replaced by renewable energies that use neither nuclear power nor fossil fuels. 

Therefore, Greenpeace Japan, whose vision is to preserve the bounty of the earth for our children 100 years from now, believes that the only reasonable course to take is to stop nuclear power generation in order to prevent nuclear disasters from happening again. The government should clearly state its policy to phase out the use of nuclear power and fossil fuels, in order to ensure a stable energy supply and decarbonise the country. They should make great strides in energy conservation in a way that promotes health, comfort and efficiency, and the use of renewable energy in a way that is in harmony with local communities and nature, thereby aiming to make Japan an energy-saving and renewable energy powerhouse. We will do our utmost this year to work towards this goal.”

ENDS

Notes:

[1] Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Cabinet Decision on the Seventh Strategic Energy Plan”

Contacts:

Natalia Emi Hirai, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Japan, +81 (0)80-6558-4446, [email protected]