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January 17, 2019

Koizumi says Japan must say ‘no’ to nuclear energy

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201901170010.html

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

When he was prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi championed the use of atomic power to generate electricity.

Then the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster struck, triggering a crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture.

Koizumi, in office from 2001 to 2006, and widely regarded as one of Japan's most popular postwar leaders, started reading up on the nuclear issue, and had a change of heart.

Koizumi, 76, published his first book by his own hand titled “Genpatsu Zero Yareba Dekiru” (We can abolish all nuclear plants if we try) in December. It is available from Ohta Publishing Co.

In it, he lambasts consumers for lacking a sense of crisis and simply believing a serious accident like the Fukushima disaster will never happen again in Japan during their lifetime.

In a recent interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Koizumi said it was “a lie” to claim that nuclear power is “safe, low-cost and clean,” although that is precisely what he espoused when he held the reins of power.

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Excerpts from the interview follow.

Question: An opinion poll by The Asahi Shimbun in February 2018 showed that 61 percent of people oppose the restart of idle nuclear reactors, and yet, reactors are successively being brought back online. What is your view about this?

Koizumi: Many people still support the zero nuclear power generation policy. When I teamed up with Morihiro Hosokawa, (a former prime minister), who ran for the Tokyo governor's election (in 2014), to call for abolition of nuclear power facilities, voters on the streets showed a positive reaction.

But now many people do not realize how dangerous nuclear reactors are. They probably believe a nuclear accident will never occur again while they live because of all the attention that has been paid to safety since the Fukushima crisis.

However, in the 2012 report compiled by the government’s panel to investigate causes of the disaster, the panel’s chair said, “Things that are possible happen. Things that are thought not possible also happen."

In other words, there are no totally safe technologies.

Q: Many people seemingly believe that they have no choice but to accept nuclear power because it costs less than other types of electricity generation and electricity rates are cheaper. Do you agree?

A: The argument is doubtful. Nuclear power is relatively cheap just because the government covers part of the costs. Nuclear plants cannot be operated without assistance from the government. Private financial institutions would not extend loans to operators of nuclear facilities if the state did not provide guarantees.

Were it not for governmental support and taxpayers’ money, nuclear power would be more expensive than other kinds of energy.

Renewable energy (such as solar and wind power) currently accounts for 15 percent of total power production in Japan. The percentage is much higher than before the Fukushima crisis. Even if costs slightly increase, citizens would accept the zero nuclear policy.

Q: Is it really possible to replace all the nuclear reactors with other sorts of power plants?

A: No reactors were operated for two years after the Fukushima disaster. But no power shortages were reported during the period. That means Japan can do without nuclear plants. It is a fact.

Q: During your tenure as prime minister (between 2001 and 2006), it emerged in 2002 that Tokyo Electric Power Co. had concealed problems at its nuclear facilities. Didn’t that cause you to lose your trust in nuclear power even then?

A: No. Power supply is important and the risk of power failures could damage the economy. It was then said to be difficult to replace (nuclear plants that produced) 30 percent of the nation's electricity needs with other power sources.

As there were few facilities to generate power based on renewables at the time, I believed nuclear reactors were essential. I simply trusted the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which said “nuclear energy is safe, low-cost and clean.”

But that was a big lie.

Although some people argued “nuclear plants are dangerous” even before the Fukushima crisis, I was deceived by the ministry and did not take their words seriously.

I did some soul-searching and decided I ought to spread the word that Japan can do without nuclear plants.

Q: You said “deceived.” Are you working to rectify your past mistake?

A: Yes. I am touring across Japan as I am keen to share my thoughts with many people.

Q: The issue of nuclear plants and their safety has hardly featured in recent national election campaigns. What's your take on this?

A: The construction of a nuclear reactor is estimated at 1 trillion yen ($9.28 billion) now. Building reactors requires many materials, so many companies are involved in the nuclear power business.

Many tiny, small and midsize companies benefit from nuclear plants. Many of them insist that abolishing nuclear power would throw people out of work.

Some labor unions that support opposition parties are engaged in the nuclear power generation industry, though the (main opposition) Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan says it is in favor of the zero nuclear power policy.

Q: What do you think is important in realizing a nuclear-free society?

A: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insists nuclear plants are essential, so many lawmakers remain silent about the issue. But there are lawmakers even in the (ruling) Liberal Democratic Party who support the zero nuclear power policy.

If Abe declares the state will abolish all nuclear plants, the situation will drastically change. Both ruling and opposition parties can cooperate over the issue.

Why hasn’t the government set dream-inspiring goals to promote solar, wind and geothermal power generation?

Q: Could you explain the words in your book that “it is regrettable and irritating that I was deceived”?

A: When meeting with Abe, I always tell him, “Be careful not to be deceived by the economy ministry.” But he just smiles a wry smile and does not argue back.

He should not miss the current political opportunity that he has the upper hand (to change the government’s conventional nuclear energy policy).

Q: Do you talk with your son and Lower House lawmaker Shinjiro Koizumi about the issue of nuclear plants?

A: He knows my opinion all too well. He is still young, so he should do what he wants after gaining power.

(This article is based on an interview by Asahi Shimbun Staff Writer Takashi Arichika.)