Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Citizens’ groups and environmental protection associations in Japan have expressed concern over the new nuclear policy guidelines issued by the Ministry of Economy and Industry’s (METI) Subcommittee for Atomic Energy, which were adopted on Thursday.

In a press release, they denounced the government’s decision to allow nuclear reactors to operate for more than 60 years in effect. They pointed out the risks of continuing with these obsolete installations and the very high costs of upgrading them to acceptable standards.

The 40-year lifespan rule for nuclear power plants was adopted by the Japanese parliament in 2012 shortly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Environmentalists have also mentioned the storage of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which poses significant safety problems as it has to be stored in a cooling pool for 100 years.

A citizen camping out in front of METI’s entrance expressed the same concerns to Arab News Japan and said that nuclear plants have become strategic targets since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Eleven years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, people in Japan remain concerned about another nuclear accident that the Japanese people will have to pay for again.