Are nukes an appropriate election issue?

 January 25, 2014

Young voters split over nuclear power's emergence as election issue: survey

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140125p2a00m0na009000c.html

Japan's nuclear power policy has emerged as a major issue in the Tokyo gubernatorial race, which officially kicked off on Jan. 23, but Tokyoites have mixed opinions over whether the issue should dominate campaigns.

Candidates are split when it comes to their stance on nuclear power, with their election promises ranging from an "immediate zero-nuclear" policy to reducing dependence on nuclear power in the long term, and maintaining nuclear energy.

On Jan. 23 the Mainichi Shimbun launched a poll targeting 15 students and workers, mostly in their 20s, who are eligible to vote in the capital's Feb. 9 election. The pollees -- including one 19-year-old who will have come of age by voting day -- will be surveyed a total of four times between Jan. 23 and Feb. 9 over their impressions of the various campaigns, their criteria for singling out a candidate to vote for, and which candidate they actually voted for. None of the pollees has any particular party affiliation, and at the start of the survey, none of them had decided who to vote for.

When asked whether nuclear power was appropriate as a campaign issue in the Tokyo election, the respondents' answers were largely divided, though the small sample results cannot be interpreted as representing the general trend among young people. Out of the three response alternatives, four said nuclear energy is appropriate as a campaign issue, while seven answered in the negative, with the remaining four saying they didn't know.

In the meantime, the survey results also showed that nuclear power is not a black-and-white issue for them, with one respondent saying it is suitable as a campaign issue, but demanding that candidates also debate Tokyoites' livelihood. Some other respondents who either answered that nuclear energy is not apt as an election issue or that they didn't know whether it is suitable nevertheless insisted that the issue is something Tokyoites should think about.

Regarding the prospect of breaking away from nuclear power, the respondents offered various views. One said it was right to do so but added, "An immediate zero-nuclear policy is infeasible." Another commented, "I'm scared of nuclear accidents, but discontinuing nuclear power would result in power shortages, causing trouble for Tokyo residents."

Prosperity in the capital had indeed been supported by power supply from nuclear plants in Fukushima, Niigata and other prefectures up until the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. The ongoing campaigns, in which nuclear power is being contested as a major issue, may provide Tokyo voters with a chance to weigh the quality of prosperity. Members of the younger generation living in the capital are now racking their brains over who should be entrusted with the capital's future.

The Mainichi Shimbun will keep track of the 15 pollees, asking them further questions on Feb. 2, 7 and 9 to track their selection of a candidate.

The following are the respondents' answers to the Jan. 23 survey. The choices of (A) to (C) next to their names stand for: (A) Nuclear power is suitable as a campaign issue, (B) Nuclear power isn't suitable as a campaign issue, (C) I'm not sure.

Male university student, 21 (B): The energy issue is important but it's not everything. The cause of the Fukushima nuclear disaster was attributable to Tokyo Electric Power Co., and nuclear power generation itself is not to blame. (Voted for Naoki Inose in the previous Tokyo election)

Female university student, 19 (C): I'm scared of nuclear accidents, but discontinuing nuclear power would result in power shortages, causing trouble for Tokyo residents. I can't figure out what is best. (Not eligible to vote in the previous Tokyo election)

Female university student, 20 (A): It is natural for Tokyoites -- consumers of large amounts of energy -- to have their will reflected in national politics through the Tokyo election. (Not eligible to vote in the previous Tokyo election)

Male university student, 22 (B): There are many other challenges for the metropolitan administration, including restoring fiscal health, tax reductions to attract companies, and urban development with a global outlook. (Voted for Naoki Inose in the previous Tokyo election)

Female university student, 22 (C): I don't understand the link between Tokyo and nuclear power. I believe there are various other issues to be debated. (Abstained in the previous Tokyo election)

Male confectioner, 27 (B): I have a baby and I'm worried that my child will end up on the waiting list for enrollment at nursery school. I want a new governor to take measures to improve the child-rearing environment. (Voted for Shigefumi Matsuzawa in the previous Tokyo election)

Female university student, 22 (C): Nuclear power is an issue to be considered by Tokyoites who use electricity generated by nuclear power stations, but for me, the priority of the issue is low. (Voted for Kenji Utsunomiya in the previous Tokyo election)

Female company employee, 29 (B): Nuclear power is an issue to be dealt with by the central government and local governments hosting nuclear power plants. Now that Tokyo is to host the 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo should be transformed into an international metropolis that has economic strength. (Voted for Naoki Inose in the previous Tokyo election)

Male company employee, 25 (B): It is important to utter opinions about nuclear power, but the Tokyo governor should do other work considering the legal status and mandate of the position. (Abstained in the previous Tokyo election)

Male graduate student, 28 (A): The Tokyo governor's remarks about nuclear power will have an impact on the entire country. The results of the upcoming Tokyo election will represent the public will in the wake of the nuclear disaster. (Abstained in the last Tokyo election)

Female employee of an organization, 27 (C): All major candidates are calling for a breakaway from nuclear power, and they fail to distinguish themselves. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, no Tokyoites would view nuclear power favorably. (Voted for Kenji Utsunomiya in the previous Tokyo election)

Male university student, 21 (B): It's not convincing for the Tokyo governor to talk about nuclear power. I have a disabled younger sister, and I'm hoping for the enhancement of welfare services. (Abstained in the last Tokyo election)

Female banker, 23 (A): I don't feel uncomfortable about (candidates vying for) the leadership of Japan's capital arguing over the pros and cons of nuclear power and making it a campaign issue. (Voted for Naoki Inose in the previous Tokyo election)

Male university student, 24 (B): Nuclear power is not an issue to be decided by Tokyoites. Breaking away from nuclear power is right, but the "immediate zero-nuclear" advocated by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is infeasible. (Voted for Naoki Inose in the previous Tokyo election)

Female university student, 22 (A): It is important to debate the pros and cons of nuclear power, but candidates should also debate Tokyoites' livelihood, such as the declining birthrate and aging society. (Voted for Naoki Inose in the previous Tokyo election)