Original Japanese written by Kay Ikezumi, Secretary General.

The English below written and arranged by Heeday, based on the original Japanese

The English edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), on November 16^th, gave a go-ahead to the extended operation of Unit 3 of The Kansai Electric Power’s Mihama Nuclear Power Station (hereafter “KEPCO” and “Mihama NPS,” respectively). Located in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, Japan (some 47 miles north-northeast of Kyoto), the old NPP has been at work over the last four decades. This is the third aged reactor whose “prolongation” has been approved, following Units 1 and 2 of KEPCO’s Takahama Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).

Following the disaster of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi NPP, the NPP safety laws were revised in 2011 to eliminate outdated NPPs. Under the revised safety laws, Japan has a “40-year of operation” regulation. There is, however, an exemption to this. The NRA can authorize an old NPP’s “prolongation” of operation, just once, for up to 20 additional years, as a “highly exceptional case,” since applying the “40-year rule” strictly would eliminate many reactors, which might result in a power shortage.

The approval of Mihama Unit 3’s prolongation is making “highly exceptional cases” commonplace. At present, what practical meaning does the “40-year rule” have? Many are seriously worried that we might see more and more aged reactors’ lives prolonged.

The Mihama NPS marks its 40^th year of operation this November, and should have been decommissioned, if the NRA had not approved its prolongation.

The Authority claims it has confirmed that a major accident would not destroy Unit 3’s reactor vessel. When the Fukushima Daiichi disaster hit, however, most media reported that the “myth of NPP safety has broken down.” So, where has this lesson gone?

KEPCO says it will spend some JPY165 billion on reinforcing the unit, to make it resistant to earthquakes and tsunamis. The reinforcement work should be finished in 2020, after which the reactor is to be restarted. Despite this gigantic investment, at a regular press meeting last October, KEPCO’s President, Shigeki Iwane, emphatically stated: “We believe the restart work should pay off economically.”

Recently, India and Japan signed a civil nuclear agreement. One result of the deal is that many of Japan’s reactor providers—now that it is next to impossible to build a new NPP in Japan—can now count on India’s market as a major NPP export target.

The restart approval and the nuclear agreement stand on the same principle—money matters more than life. Life is disregarded for money.

In the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, currently almost 100,000 Fukushima citizens are still living as evacuees, to avoid exposure to radioactivity and other hazards, in places far away from their hometowns. They have already been living as refugees for 5.5 years now, and this has cost many of them their health. Many aged evacuees are living in isolation, which adversely affects their health, both mentally and physically, while some have chosen to commit suicide.

The Fukushima Daiichi disaster has deprived those citizens of their ordinary living, exposed them to radiation, and left behind gigantic heaps of radioactive waste. Also, the decommissioning of the NPP has a long, winding way to go. None of these grave issues have so far been resolved. Still, there is a mega trend in Japan to approve NPP life prolongation, permit NPP restarts, and export NPPs.

We need to stand up against this trend. Otherwise, it will run wild.

Below: Article from the November 17^th, 2016 edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper

Original Japanese written by Toshiaki Ozeki, member of the No Nuke Project’s Committee

The English below written and arranged by Heeday, based on the original Japanese

The English edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA

Below: Article from the November 12^th, 2016 edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper

Prime Ministers Modi of India and Abe of Japan, on November 11^th, agreed to and signed a civil nuclear agreement which will enable the export of nuclear power plants from Japan to India. Japan has experienced the devastation nuclear energy can cause, and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster has yet to be controlled. India, an owner of nuclear weapons, has yet to join in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Thus, many are asking serious questions about the agreement. Though the deal provides that, in the event India resumes nuclear weapon tests, Japan can cease cooperation with India, this agreement, in its essence, is an arrangement for Japan’s nuclear power plant builders/providers to secure a good market. Thus, PM Abe’s remark that his nation is going for “a world without nuclear weapons” now sounds empty.

Original Japanese written by Izumi Koshiyama, staffer

The English below written and arranged by Heeday, based on the original Japanese

The English edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA

Below: Article from the November 9^th, 2016 edition of the Fukushima Minpo newspaper

The JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency, a national R&D agency) intends to build a new experiment facility in Tomioka Town, Fukushima. (The northern border of the town is only around 3 miles away from Fukushima Daiichi, at its closest point.)  At this facility, they plan to conduct experiments in FY2017 to learn what caused the melted fuel rods (called “fuel debris”) at Fukushima Daiichi. The Japanese government has allocated a budget of some JPY 1.5 billion to the new facility’s construction according to the article. Literally, billions of our tax money is going to this project.

Original Japanese written by  staffer
The English below written and arranged by Heeday, based on the original Japanese
The English edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA

Below: Articles from the August 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th, 2016 editions of the Fukushima Minpo newspaper

Fukushima being rebuilt, yet not restored

5 and 1/2 years after the devastating earthquake and the nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster of March 2011, no-go restrictions have been lifted for one district after another. Thus, recovery seems to be in rapid progress—until you see that most residents here live with the fear of radiation. Especially important and urgent is the care of children living here, whose precious childhoods have been ruined by radiation.

A new move

Now, some groups in Fukushima have visited Chernobyl. Their intentions? To learn the experiences and knowledge acquired since the 1986 disaster, and to see what is happening today in those areas contaminated with radiation.

To Belarus

One such visiting group, “Fukushima Kodomo no Mirai wo Kasngaeru Kai” (Fukushima Association for the Children’s Future), runs fellowship programs in cultural and athletic activities for secondary students in Fukushima and children in Belarus. The participants from Fukushima stay in camping facilities or elsewhere in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. During the summer school holidays this year, a group of Fukushima children spent 10 days at  a state-run facility for children’s education and recuperation.  Following the Chernobyl disaster in Belarus, the national government established recuperation facilities The nation has 14 such facilities, and affected children can choose to utilize any of them. The facilities are free of charge for children up to high school age living in the contaminated areas.

The facility the Fukushima children visited has an abundance of equipment, ranging from jet baths that treat arms and legs with an extract from pine leaves, to massage machines, to aroma therapy rooms. The children visiting from Fukushima happily used them to refresh themselves, both mentally and physically. The facility also includes a museum of farmers’ lifestyles from the end of the 18^th century through the early 19^th. In addition, there are classrooms for making craftworks of straws, embroidery, and etc. Thus, this facility is a great place where Belarussian children can learn their own traditions and culture. Clearly they are proud of their cultural heritage. Seeing their pride, Fukushima children are now more eager to learn their own cultural heritage.

The Japanese author’s wish

Ever since the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown began, many organizations have been running temporary retreat programs which take Fukushima children to places with less radiation so they can regain their health during, for instance, their summer school holidays. We, the No Nuke Project of the Anglican-Episcopal Church in Japan, have been holding such retreat programs as well. The children play as they want to outdoors in places with less radiation and look so delightful and full of energy – proof that such programs are truly helpful. I hope we will soon see facilities like the ones in Belarus, as well as more integrated programs, available for all the children growing up here in Fukushima.

Original Japanese written by  staffer
The English below written and arranged by Heeday, based on the original Japanese
The English edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA

Below: Articles from the August 4^th, 2016 editions of the Asahi Shimbun, Fukushima Minpo, and Akahata newspapers

Putting aged reactors to more work

The Kansai Electric Power Company’s Mihama Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) should be into its 40^th year of operation this coming December. The NPP is located in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture (some 80km [50 miles] NNE of Kyoto). Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved the inspection report, one of the requirements to extend the NPP’s operational life. Two more approvals, and the NPP can legally run for up to two more decades.

The relevant nuclear power control laws stand on the principle that “any reactor aged 40 years or more should basically be shut down to prevent any unexpected accident.” Thus, legally speaking, life prolongation of a reactor is an exceptional measure. In spite of the spirit of these laws, in June 2016, the NRA gave the go-ahead to two other aged reactors in Fukui, namely Units 1 and 2 of Takahama, both of which are more than 40 years old. Now, will the Authority give the same go-ahead to Mihama’s Unit 3 as well? Where is the “spirit” of the law?

And its own problems

Besides its age, Mihama’s Unit 3 has other problems as well. First, the reactor is located close to a geological fault. The NRA, therefore, had to raise the level of the reactor’s “maximum seismic intensity” 1.3 times above what Kansai Electric originally proposed. To meet this new and higher seismic standard, the power company asked the NRA for more time to take new safety measures. Thus, the Authority decided to “wait and see” before holding the final inspection of the seismic resistance capabilities of Unit 3’s major facilities. The same “wait and see” attitude took place with Units 1 and 2 of Takahama. In truth, however, seismic resistance inspection should be conducted in the beginning of the whole inspection process.

Furthermore, Kansai Electric decided to abolish Units 1 and 2 of Mihama. Why is it trying to extend the life of Unit 3 alone? One factor is that the economy of the municipality hosting the NPP has been dependent on the power plant. Another factor is that Unit 3 provides greater power output and, therefore, can be still profitable even after all the additional safety measures have been taken. Here, once again, we see the major factors that make Japan hold on to nuclear power—“economic addiction” to NPPs of the municipalities hosting them, and power companies going for money at the cost of safety.

Once a major NPP disaster has hit —-

Turning our eyes to where I am, Fukushima, many are still living with serious difficulties after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster took away their jobs and their hometowns. Once a major NPP accident has contaminated the environment, there is nothing we humans can do to bring it back to normal. This is obvious when you see what is happening here.

True, much decontamination work has been done—removing radioactive soil and cleaning road surface asphalt. After a while, however, the radiation levels of those “decontaminated” places rise again. I live and work in Koriyama, Fukushima, where many kids stroll around today, seemingly care-free. The town might seem to be at perfect peace. Actually, however, there are countless “hot spots” where the radiation levels are dangerously high. Thus, many parents tell their children not to touch the soil or plants. And many kids can stay outdoors for only limited periods of time. Those parents are seriously worried that their children will experience some radiation-related health problems, as well as mistreatment from other people. Worse yet, those parents simply have to keep these worries to themselves. It is not easy here for residents to talk about such worries, since doing so can ruin their relationships. In short, radiation has robbed the residents here of the right to live in freedom and in peace.

The Japanese author’s opinion

5 and 1/2 years ago, most people of this archipelago saw what terrible things radiation can do, and reconsidered what truly matters to them. The NRA, supposedly learning lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, has set up new nuclear regulations, saying that “there is no end to our efforts for nuclear safety. Always, we have to strive for a higher safety standard.” Now, however, economic greed is corroding such “repentance.”

Dear readers, are you aware of where electric power, something you consume every day, comes from? Today, residents of Japan are capable of choosing who should supply power to our homes. Thus, every one of us is, in one way or another, involved in national energy policies. We need to be wise; we cannot let national energy policies ruin either our beautiful natural environment or our freedom to live in peace. We are the ones to prevent another nuclear disaster.

Original Japanese written by  staffer
The English below written and arranged by Heeday, based on the original Japanese
The English edited by Rev. Dr. Henry French, ELCA

Based on articles from the July 30^th and August 3^rd, 2016 editions of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and the August 2^nd, 2016 edition of Fukushima Minpo newspaper

Evacuation orders lifted, but evacuees….

An evacuation order was issued in many districts soon after the meltdown began at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and now the order has been lifted for one district after another. Japan’s national government plans to lift all such orders by the end of March 2017, except for the “no return zones” where the radiation levels are still high. One intention of the government is to call the 2020 Tokyo Olympics the “Olympics of Recovery” and let the world know how well Japan has recovered from the March 2011 disaster.

So far, thanks to the evacuation orders that have been lifted, some 20,000 citizens are now “eligible” to return to their hometowns. How many of them, however, have actually “gone home?” In fact, only 5% or so. After spending some years as evacuees, many have gotten a job in the places they evacuated to, many are going to school there, and now, for many of them, the places they evacuated to have become a home where they make their living.

We can safely conclude that five years is too long a period to be called “evacuation.” Another factor preventing many from returning is that radiation is still an issue in many of their hometowns. Also, many of their hometowns today have only a few stores, clinics, etc. Thus, many evacuees, especially younger ones, find it hard to return.

Where to go?

At the same time, TEPCO and the national government are terminating their compensation and livelihood support payments to the evacuees. Many of the evacuees, called “voluntary evacuees,” left their homes without an order from the government. For evacuees of this kind, in compliance with the Disaster Relief Act, Fukushima’s prefectural government and the relevant municipal governments have rented some apartment rooms, both in and out of Fukushima Prefecture, and offered them to these evacuees free of charge. The prefectural government has decided to terminate this program at the end of March 2017. Every evacuee affected by this decision is now forced to make a tough decision – to continue to live as a “voluntary” evacuee on their own expense, or to return to their hometown.

Affected by the March 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, 40,982 Fukushima citizens are currently in evacuation (including voluntary evacuees), as of July 14^th, 2016. Also, as of August 1^st, 2016, 47,922 others are still living inside the prefecture, but not in their hometowns. Twenty other people are living in evacuation in unidentified places. Thus, a total of 88,924 are in evacuation in and out of the prefecture.

Finding a place is quite difficult

Fukushima’s prefectural government officials and some other individuals visited some voluntary evacuees in and out of Fukushima in their residences. They successfully interviewed some 5,190 households. 1,693 (32.6%) of them had yet to figure out where to live after April 2017.

Many of the voluntary evacuees are households consisting of a mother and her child/children who fled from their original homes as soon as possible to protect themselves from radiation, taking only what they could carry with them. To such households, the termination of the rent-free apartment program is a critical issue. Moreover, in addition to their difficult life as evacuees, countless voluntary evacuees experience discrimination and prejudice from some of people around them.

Living with radiation

Parents raising a child in Fukushima still experience numerous conflicts and anxieties. As time goes by, those living in the prefecture talk less and less about radiation. Once you have chosen to stay there, you simply have to live with radiation, which does not disappear. Still, in many places, the radiation levels are still dangerously high, although many residents just avoid talking about it. Some residents just ignore radiation, while others take all the protective measures they can. Each resident here has their own standard of radiation protection for their own life.

 The Japanese author’s wish

Some media reports claim that residents of Fukushima have no more need to worry about radiation, while others say that radiation is still dangerously high. Both opinions are widespread. I hope that voluntary evacuees outside Fukushima will learn as much as they can about the radiation in the prefecture. If possible, they should visit their hometowns and just walk around. This way, I hope, they can clearly learn both the advantages and disadvantages of returning home and thereby make the best decision for themselves.

I also call for the Japanese government and the relevant municipal governments to provide as much help as they can to voluntary evacuees as they face new and uncertain lives.