TOMARI, Hokkaido--Hiroomi Makino on Jan. 10 was re-elected mayor without a vote in this northern village, which hosts the Tomari nuclear power plant, after no candidate emerged to challenge the pro-nuclear incumbent.
TOMARI, Hokkaido--Hiroomi Makino on Jan. 10 was re-elected mayor without a vote in this northern village, which hosts the Tomari nuclear power plant, after no candidate emerged to challenge the pro-nuclear incumbent.
"The Tomari nuclear plant accounts for 40 percent of all power supply in Hokkaido,” the 65-year-old Makino told his supporters after his re-election was confirmed. “And we cannot live our current lifestyle without electric power."
Makino’s term was expiring amid a wave of anti-nuclear sentiment around the nation following the March 11 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
In August, it came to light that Hokkaido Electric Power Co., operator of the Tomari nuclear plant, attempted to manipulate public opinion at symposiums in August 2008 and October 2008 over a plutonium-thermal project at the Tomari plant's No. 3 reactor.
But nuclear energy did not become an issue of contention ahead of the election, which ended in no voting for the first time since January 1980.
"This is a very hard time for nuclear power plants in Japan,” Makino said. “As (the leader of) a village that hosts a nuclear plant, I will make further demands on the central government and relevant organizations for the sake of safety and confidence."
Tomari had 1,561 eligible voters as of Jan. 9.
There were talks about the possible candidacy of a village assembly member who had twice run for mayor. And farmers in neighboring municipalities opposed to nuclear power publicly called on candidates to enter the race.
The Japanese Communist Party also attempted to field its own candidate in Tomari.
But Makino ended up being the only choice for mayor.
The Tomari government said about 80 villagers work either at the nuclear plant or for related companies on the premises of the plant. Many other villagers benefit from the nuclear plant as hotel workers and guards, sources said.
"Our village depends too deeply on nuclear power to talk about a possible phaseout of nuclear power," said one villager. "If tourism and fisheries are our 'key industries,' the nuclear plant is our 'fundamental industry.'"