Former Fukushima plant worker continues caring for pets left behind
When Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant went into meltdown following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, many owners left their pets behind as they evacuated the area.
As the pets grew feral, one former nuclear plant worker who felt a sense of responsibility for the situation stepped in to care for them.
Toru Akama, a 62-year-old living in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, turned his home and
family home into an animal shelter, caring for the pets while looking for people to help foster them.
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04-06-2025
Reuse of Fukushima Soil to Begin at PM Office This Summer
News from Japan Politics Jun 4, 2025 20:53 (JST) Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)--The reuse of soil removed during radiation decontamination efforts following the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture will begin at the grounds of the prime minister's office in Tokyo this summer, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday. "Unless we properly demonstrate that the soil can be used, we couldn't gain the people's understanding," Ishiba said during a meeting with Jun Yoshida, mayor of the Fukushima town of Okuma. "We'll start with the prime minister's office," he added. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Yoshida emphasized, "It's important to first gain understanding of the safety (of the soil) from many people." Yoshida, also head of the group of mayors in the Futaba region, submitted a written request to the government for securing funds for reconstruction following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which triggered the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
04-06-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
EDITORIAL: Social agreement needed for disposing of Fukushima soil
The interim storage facility in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, for soil collected in the decontamination work around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in the background (Asahi Shimbun file photo) The government has decided on a basic policy direction for the huge volume of contaminated soil resulting from the 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. The two main measures are to recycle some of it and to eventually dispose of all the soil outside of Fukushima Prefecture. However, no course for those measures has been laid down because of difficulties in finding a location to serve as a final disposal site. This is a grave issue that society as a whole must squarely face. Soil removed during decontamination work within Fukushima Prefecture has been accumulating at an interim storage facility near the nuclear plant so as not to interfere with reconstruction efforts in the prefecture. The equivalent volume of 11 Tokyo Domes has been collected. In order to obtain local understanding, the government has proposed moving that soil outside of Fukushima for final disposal by 2045. The Fukushima governor accepted that proposal, but said it was an 'agonizing decision.' Many blocs in the Diet supported a legal revision that clearly stated it was the central government's responsibility to dispose of the soil outside of Fukushima. There is major significance to the promise made to disaster-stricken areas that were forced to shoulder serious environmental pollution and the bitterness of losing one's hometown. Because there were doubts about whether that goal could be realized, it is also a fact that politicians made a decision before thorough discussion was conducted. With only 20 years before the deadline for final disposal, the most pressing issue will be recycling the soil so the volume for final disposal is reduced. The plan is to use about three-fourths of the total volume with radiation concentration levels under 8,000 becquerels per kilogram of soil in public works projects in various parts of Japan. In the recently decided basic policy, one measure included was using the soil in shrubbery planted within the grounds of the prime minister's office as a sign the central government was taking the lead in the matter. To ensure sufficient safety, the government has said the radiation exposure of workers handling the soil would be kept under international standards and that measures would be taken to prevent the soil from becoming airborne or spilling out from the work site. But understanding will not deepen if only scientific safety is emphasized. The Environment Ministry's plan for experimental use of the soil in the Tokyo metropolitan area never got off the ground because of opposition from local residents. When the government recently sought out views about the recycling soil standard, many concerns and doubts were submitted. There was a sharp difference of opinion regarding the radiation risk from the nuclear plant accident in relation to farm products and the release of treated water into the ocean. Rather than imposing its views, the government has the responsibility of making every effort to achieve social agreement by removing concerns through civil dialogue with local governments and citizens. Now is also the time to enter into serious discussions about final disposal that will come after recycling. There are many issues to discuss, such as the cost and burden, including recycling of the soil, and what plans the government has for the areas around the nuclear plant once final disposal is completed. The handling of the removed soil is an especially difficult matter for the processing of the nuclear accident. According to an Environment Ministry study, only one in four respondents outside of Fukushima Prefecture know about the policy of final disposal outside of that prefecture. That is much lower than the slightly more than half of the Fukushima Prefecture respondents who are aware of that policy. The accident of 14 years ago occurred while Japanese society continued to use nuclear power under a 'safety myth.' The electricity generated at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant was mainly used in the Tokyo metropolitan area. There is a need for deep and careful consideration about how to achieve a resolution to the issue by having the entire nation tackle the task of dealing with the aftereffects. --The Asahi Shimbun, June 4
Asahi Shimbun
04-06-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Tokyo hopes Lee will take softer stance and value ties with Japan
Lee Jae-myung waves to supporters in Seoul on June 4 following his projected victory in the South Korean presidential election. (Kota Kawano) Japanese government officials have expressed both optimism and caution over the future of bilateral relations under South Korea's first progressive president in about three years. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was inaugurated as South Korean president on June 4 following the election the previous day. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed congratulations on Lee's election and said he wants to meet with the new leader as soon as possible. 'I want to work with Lee to further energize Japan-South Korea cooperation, as well as three-way cooperation involving the United States, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary (of normalizing bilateral diplomatic relations this year),' Ishiba told reporters on June 4. Lee, 60, has sharply criticized the previous conservative administration of Yoon Suk-yeol over its 'conciliatory' approach toward Japan. In 2023, Lee went on a fast to oppose Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. However, a senior Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo said South Korea needs to maintain cooperative relations with Japan, citing North Korea's deepening military ties with Russia and the Trump administration's uncertain diplomatic policies. 'I do not think that South Korea wants to see its relations with Japan break down at this point in time,' the official said. Under the Yoon administration, South Korea worked with Japan and the United States to 'institutionalize' the three-way cooperative framework. In November, Yoon, Ishiba and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to establish the Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat to insulate their cooperative relations from future changes in governments. South Korea's first Indo-Pacific Strategy, formulated under the Yoon administration, differs from a 'balanced diplomacy' that also gives consideration to China, with which South Korea has a close economic relationship. In contrast, Lee pledged to build stable relations with China and restore communication channels with North Korea during the presidential election campaign. A senior Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo expressed concerns about the direction of South Korean foreign policy under the Lee administration. 'If South Korea moves closer to North Korea and China, its stance toward Japan and the United States is bound to change,' the official said. Lee has emphasized that he will adhere to 'principles' concerning history issues with Japan, which colonized the Korean Peninsula prior to and during World War II. Under the administration of Moon Jae-in, another progressive president, Japan-South Korea relations sank to what were said to be their worst levels in the postwar years. Past South Korean presidents took a harsh stance against Japan to shore up public support for their administrations. However, many government officials in Tokyo said the political tactics will not appeal to South Koreans anymore because mutual public sentiments have been favorable in the two neighbors. During the campaign, Lee described Japan as an 'important partner' and said he will take a 'forward-looking and future-oriented' attitude toward the country in social, cultural and economic areas. Lee also emphasized the importance of cooperation with Japan and the United States as well as bilateral relations with Japan. 'Given the current international situation, cooperation with Japan is a demand of the times,' a person close to Lee said. 'I do not think that Lee will do something to intentionally worsen relations with Japan.' The source also said Lee is expected to maintain the broad framework of policies implemented by the Yoon administration concerning the compensation for wartime South Korean laborers in Japan. (This article was written by Narumi Ota and Akihiko Kaise in Seoul.)
