Policemen stand guard during a rally to protest against the Japanese government's plan to release Fukushima wastewater, outside the Prime Minister Office in Tokyo on July 10, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
More than 80 percent of the Japanese public said the government’s explanation regarding the release of treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean is “insufficient,” according to a nationwide survey.
When asked if they thought reputational damage would occur from the release of the treated water, 15.8 percent respondents answered “significant damage,” while 71.6 percent believed that it would be damaged “to some extent.”
The purification effect of multi-nuclide removal equipment known as ALPS indicates that the current technology is still unable to fully eliminate radioactive substances from the nuclear-contaminated water
The telephone opinion poll recently conducted by Kyodo News in Japan covered 1,034 respondents, which also found the approval rating of the Kishida administration decline to the lowest level in office, 33.1 percent, while negative rating shot up 7 percentage points to 48.6 percent.
READ MORE: China's nuke safety agency decries Japan's wastewater plan
Katsuya Okada, secretary-general of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said the government needs to make efforts to explain and gain understanding from neighboring countries and fishermen.
Although the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company said it is safe to discharge the filtered and diluted nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean, the information disclosed remains limited, lacking sufficient scientific research to make the world believe in the environmental safety claimed by the Japanese government, said researchers with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
Opposition lawmakers from Japan, including members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, recently issued a joint statement with opposition lawmakers from South Korea, urging the Japanese government to reconsider the release of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.
The statement emphasized that in addition to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was commissioned by the Japanese government to evaluate the environmental impact, the opinions of various environmental specialist organizations should be heard, and a thorough analysis and examination should be conducted. It calls for a reconsideration of the release of treated radioactive water, stating that it will inevitably lead to contamination of the marine environment, The Asahi Shimbun, a daily newspaper in Japan, reported.
The purification effect of multi-nuclide removal equipment known as ALPS indicates that the current technology is still unable to fully eliminate radioactive substances from the nuclear-contaminated water.
By persisting in adopting a direct ocean discharge plan with minimal economic costs, the Japanese government is endangering the marine environment and posing risks to human health worldwide. The water discharge will undoubtedly cause unprecedented pollution to oceans, affecting the safety and development of the global marine industry, and threatening the life and health of coastal populations in affected countries, said Chen Xiang, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Japanese Studies at the CASS.
“Japanese citizens have held multiple rallies to protest against the plan. They are deeply aware that the Japanese government, under the leadership of Fumio Kishida, has disregarded public opinion and acted unilaterally on the issue of discharging nuclear-contaminated water. This not only represents a significant setback for Japan’s environmental protection and peace efforts but also a major blow to Japan’s self-proclaimed democratic system in the post-World War II period,” Chen said.
Faced with grave concerns regarding the marine ecological environment and human health, the Japanese government has ignored opposition from the domestic fishing industry and the strong skepticism expressed by neighboring countries.
Instead, it has intensified its public relations efforts targeting certain countries and international organizations in an attempt to secure endorsements for the nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan. However, this has further exposed its lack of serious intention to address the issue, experts said.
“Over the years, the international community has been actively collaborating to address global issues, including environmental governance and climate change. Japan’s decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean clearly goes against the direction of global governance. Such actions will grossly violate relevant international laws and severely disrupt the order of international marine environmental governance,” Chen said.
Hideki Okuzono, a professor of international relations at the University of Shizuoka, told The Asahi Shimbun that caution is necessary when it comes to the issue of treated water because this issue is not just about matters of national security or historical recognition, but it is a matter of food safety, the marine environment, and the health and life of the citizens.
Japan needs to understand that there are strong concerns in South Korea. Understanding the concerns of the Korean people from the perspective of safety and peace of mind regarding things that are not visible, it is necessary to make efforts to explain objectively based on scientific evidence and international standards, with transparency, to gain understanding and acceptance, Okuzono said.
READ MORE: Japan regulator finishes checking nuke wastewater release system
On July 14, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura visited the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, known as JF Zengyoren, to explain the contents of the IAEA report, which evaluated the release of treated water as complying with international safety standards.
In response, Masanobu Sakamoto, head of JF Zengyoren, reiterated his group’s opposition to the water discharge, The Asahi Shimbun reported.
For fishermen, what is needed is the peace of mind that fishing can continue. How the government can demonstrate that peace of mind is a matter for the country to address, Sakamoto said.
Contact the writer at jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn