Koizumi and Hosokawa in Hakodate

October 29, 2015

Koizumi, Hosokawa head to Hakodate to help city fight MOX nuke plant across strait

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/29/national/koizumi-hosokawa-head-hakodate-help-city-fight-mox-nuke-plant-across-strait/#.VjHVyit1Cot

Kyodo

HAKODATE – Former Prime Ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Morihiro Hosokawa, who are now known as leading opponents of nuclear energy, will visit Hakodate in Hokkaido Thursday to lend a hand to its mayor’s campaign against the construction of a nearby atomic plant slated to use mixed oxide (MOX) fuel.

In April 2014, the Hakodate Municipal Government sued the central government as well as plant operator Electric Power Development Co. (J-Power), demanding construction be halted on the Oma nuclear plant, located in Aomori Prefecture across the Tsugaru Strait just 23 km away.

Hakodate Mayor Toshiki Kudo and many residents of the city believe a nuclear accident at the MOX plant could endanger their lives.

The lawsuit filed with the Tokyo District Court is a sign that municipalities at risk of being seriously affected by a nuclear crisis want a greater say in safety matters.

After holding talks with the mayor, Koizumi, who is still popular with the public, will give a lecture on Japan’s energy policy in Hakodate.