The emergence of a ‘nuclear knowledge movement’ in Japan

1.

The Japanese political scene is being drastically shaken up by the massive demonstrations and meetings that took place on June 11th throughout Japan; and also by the Italian people’s victory at referendum the following day. The day Italy made a decision against nuclear power, a Japanese poll finally reached 70% for “abolishing nuclear power plants.” Symbolically, following the events, Nobuteru Ishihara, chief secretary of LDP, made the following remark, “these demonstrations are a mass hysteria,” prompting his fellow regional officials to restrict such demonstrations. However, it goes without saying that the politicians are the ones in hysteria and panic. The Japanese politicians, who had long underestimated the effect of mass protest calling it powerless, are in total fear of the mass uprising today. They have no option but to confront the movement. After seeing ‘tomorrow’s Japan in Italian reform, the government officials are encountering a dilemma. Since June 11th, Japan has begun a breakthrough in its anti-nuke movement — a completely new cycle which none of us has experienced before. *

2.

Another meltdown will begin; a meltdown of population that will fragment and leak from corporate society. Non-metropolitan cities will be awash with a new population and the ‘Japan’ of old will no longer exist. This huge population and intelligent potential will burn up the entire archipelago. *

Excerpted from Yoshihiko Ikegami:

“It was only because the state and mass media never told us truth that there was no other choice for us but to study ourselves. And this impetus knows no faltering, but only advancement.

Now spreading with tremendous vigor is a movement to measure the doses of radiation one is receiving in one’s own everyday circumstance. Although measurements of radiation in a few determined points are publicized by public institutions, people in all districts are troubled by uncertainties vis-à-vis their near-by parks, homes and children’s schools. They have begun to find that out by themselves. I would call this, including my own research process, a new movement of the people.

Some might find incongruous to call it a movement. Many intellectuals have envisioned a mass movement as that which arises when people become politically awaken. This process, however, is slightly different from that. In other words, the people have been awaken less politically than scientifically in this case. This is an unexpected turn of event. There is no doubt that herein exists the singularity of the nuclear disaster.

First of all, the most important objective for this movement is to know our own physical condition, namely, the realistic state of contamination. Only by precise knowledge can we direct our lives and determine our action.

Secondly, the nuclear disaster can be by no means concluded in the coming several months. Influences of radiation will not surface immediately; symptoms will appear gradually and anytime in the coming five, ten, twenty, thirty… years, the unimaginably long span of time. We know the fact well enough. We also know too well the fact that the state will not easily acknowledge the causality between the accident and the symptoms. For this precise reason, we must record the present. The anti-nuke groups have long been aware of these cruel facts and struggling over and against them. And some groups of scientists have begun their full-hearted investigations right at the wake of the accident with their keen awareness of these facts. Precisely like the victims of Minamata disease (struggling for more than fifty years) and Chernobyl radiation, the present struggle will definitely be long-term. We are well aware of this.

Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, this movement trains us to observe ourselves objectively. This movement necessitates a process through which we learn our environment, cities, and nation-state, a process that is totally different from conventional academic programs, and is filled with cruel and crucial discoveries. Therefrom we shall learn our past, social mechanism and relationship with the external world.

Can this movement that has begun with the scientific awakening synthesize the knowledge and understanding retrospectively and move on toward a social and political awakening?”

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