From Atomic Bombings to Fukushima, Japan Pursues a Nuclear Future Despite a Devastating Past

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• published: 15 Jan 2014
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http://www.democracynow.org - Japan is getting ready to mark the third anniversary of one of the world's worst atomic disasters. It was March 11, 2011, when a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that struck Japan's northeast coast. The twin disasters triggered a meltdown at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The radiation that spewed from the plant stranded more than 315,000 evacuees. In the years following the Fukushima disaster, tens of thousands of Japanese have taken to the streets to march in opposition to nuclear power. In the nearly three years since the disaster, the Fukushima cleanup and decommissioning efforts have been complicated by leaks of highly radioactive water. The effort has also suffered from a lack of oversight and a shortage of workers, which Reuters reports has led to Japan's homeless population being easy prey for recruiters. Following the disaster, Japan halted nearly all nuclear-related projects. However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party reversed its campaign pledge to move Japan away from nuclear power just one week after coming into power in December 2012. Today, Japan's trade ministry said it would approve a revival plan for the utility responsible for the Fukushima nuclear disaster: Tokyo Electric Power Company. This will be the second attempt to restore the utilities' depleted finances. We speak with David McNeill, a longtime foreign correspondent based in Japan who writes for the Independent of London, the Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications. McNeill is co-author of the book, "Strong in the Rain: Surviving Japan's Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster." Watch our entire special broadcast from Japan at http://www.democracynow.org/topics/japan. Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit: http://owl.li/ruJ5Q Democracy Now!, is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on 1,200+ TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch it live 8-9am ET at http://www.democracynow.org. FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: @democracynow Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracynow Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DemocracyNow Instagram: http://instagram.com/democracynow Tumblr: http://democracynow.tumblr.com Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://www.democracynow.org/donate/YT