More than half of the people in Japan oppose plans to restart reactors at the Oi power plant in Fukui Prefecture, and an overwhelming majority distrusts the government’s safety measures for nuclear facilities.
More than half of the people in Japan oppose plans to restart reactors at the Oi power plant in Fukui Prefecture, and an overwhelming majority distrusts the government’s safety measures for nuclear facilities.The findings reflect responses to a nationwide telephone survey carried out May 19-20 by The Asahi Shimbun.The newspaper received 1,736 valid responses.Fifty-four percent of respondents were against reactivating the Oi plant compared with 29 percent who were in favor.Only 21 percent said they “trust” the government’s safety steps either “greatly” or “somewhat,” while 78 percent said they “do not trust” those steps “so much” or “at all.”In a March survey, 19 percent said they “trust” the government’s nuclear safety measures, while 80 percent said they “do not trust” them.Ministers in the Noda administration established provisional safety standards to go ahead with the restart, but those steps have not won over the public.Among those who put faith in the safety measures, 67 percent supported the restart of the Oi plant, while 21 percent were against. But among those who “do not trust” the safety measures, 20 percent were in favor of the restart, with 63 percent against.Asked about the Cabinet’s efforts to secure power supply, including binging nuclear plants back online to meet power demand this summer, 26 percent said they “appreciate” the efforts “greatly” or “somewhat,” while 71 percent said they “do not appreciate” those efforts.With regard to inconveniences in daily life caused by power shortages due to a lack of nuclear energy, views were split, with 44 percent saying that is “OK” and 47 percent saying that is “not OK.”Even among those who said “not OK,” 33 percent opposed reactivating the Oi plant, while 46 percent supported the restart.On power-saving this summer, 23 percent said they will “make efforts greatly,” 66 percent said they will “make efforts somewhat” and just 10 percent said they will “not make efforts” “so much” or “at all.”The support and nonsupport ratings for the Noda Cabinet remained almost unchanged from the April survey at 26 percent and 53 percent, respectively. In April, the figures were 25 percent and 52 percent, respectively.The survey also broached two other domestic issues: Public sentiment toward ruling party bigwig Ichiro Ozawa and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s plan to raise the consumption tax rate from the current 5 percent.Ozawa, a former president of the Democratic Party of Japan, was forcibly indicted on a charge of violating the Political Fund Control Law but was found not guilty at his first trial. Designated lawyers prosecuting Ozawa have appealed the case.Asked about the DPJ’s decision to lift its suspension of party privileges for Ozawa, 22 percent said the action was “appropriate,” while 65 percent saw it as “inappropriate.” Even among DPJ supporters, 59 percent answered “inappropriate,” while 32 percent said it was “appropriate.”On proposed legislation to raise the consumption tax rate, 39 percent were in favor and 51 percent were against. These were almost unchanged from the April survey, when 40 percent voiced support and 51 percent expressed opposition.