Is it just people in Fukushima who hoped the election was about nukes?

February 10, 2014

People hosting nuclear plants voice hope, caution over new Tokyo gov.

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140210p2g00m0dm038000c.html 

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Residents of Japanese towns and cities that host nuclear power plants expressed both hope and wariness over the victory of former health minister Yoichi Masuzoe in the Tokyo gubernatorial race on Sunday.

Some said they expect Masuzoe, 65, to exercise leadership as the new governor of Japan's capital on energy policy, while urging him not to ignore the number of antinuclear votes cast in the closely watched election.

"I wanted a candidate promising to bring the number of nuclear power plants to zero to win," said Kazutoshi Mabuchi, a 68-year-old evacuee from Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture.

"Is it just people in Fukushima who hoped the election was about nuclear power?" Mabuchi said, adding that memories of the nuclear crisis "are fading away like this."

Masuzoe, who received support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the junior coalition New Komeito party, is aiming for less dependence on nuclear power in the long run, differing from other candidates endorsed by opposition parties who sought an immediate end.

"It is a mere political performance to discuss whether or not Japan should keep nuclear power plants, but not their safety," said Hiromi Maeda, a 59-year-old member of a cooperative union that promotes the use of both nuclear and green energy in Kashiwazaki, Niigawa Prefecture.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crippled by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, approved a plan in January that includes the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

Kazuyuki Takemoto, 64, who is opposed to the plant in Kashiwazaki, said the new Tokyo governor should not forget about the local municipalities that supply electricity.

"It's irresponsible for Tokyo to prosper through the sacrifice of other municipalities," Takemoto said.

Other residents said they agree with the idea of zero nuclear power, but also pointed to the fact that their jobs and the local economy depend heavily on hosting nuclear power plants.

Yasuo Miyoshi, 71, who lives in Ikata, Ehime Prefecture, where Shikoku Electric Power Co. is aiming to restart the Ikata plant, expects Masuzoe to guide Japan's energy policy.

"Tokyo should take the lead and show the path...because it will affect the country as a whole," Miyoshi said.