Despite the fact that Japan was the first and only nation to suffer a nuclear attack, this editorial from Japan’s Chibanippo Shimbun explains that with time, much of the insecurity felt by Japanese over nuclear fission had diminished. That is until that fateful day three months ago, when an earthquake and tsunami triggered one of the most devastating nuclear accidents in history.
The Chibanippo Shimbun says in part:
It’s a painful fact of history that 300,000 people died as a result of the U.S. nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Pacific War, and that there are still survivors who suffer the aftereffects. In the 1950s, when America, Britain, France and the USSR repeatedly carried out nuclear tests, a campaign against nuclear testing gained traction in Japan. However, with the passage of time, the fear and sense of insecurity of a nuclear disaster once felt by the Japanese people seemed to have faded.
Nuclear trade groups emphasized that “radiation need not be feared as long as it is handled correctly and with the right know-how.” But is this still enough to persuade the general public?
The most pressing issue now is clear – regardless of party or administration. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident was partly a result of human error, and will continue to be a source of radiation anxiety for the Kanto and Koshinetsu regions. We must urgently implement measures to stem the release of radioactive material from Fukushima Daiichi plant. Radiation check points should be added in neighboring areas to make thorough measurements possible and make available accurate information to the public. Of course, we must also hasten to establish an overall energy strategy. If we are to continue using nuclear power, we must determine whether fundamental security measures are possible – or whether like Germany, to aim for becoming a “non-nuclear” state.
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