Face to face with Fukushima

One thought on “Face to face with Fukushima”

1. As the Qld government makes motions to open an uranium mining industry in this state, the anniversary of the ongoing disaster at Fukushima serves as a timely reminder of the dangers of the nuclear industry…

   Between the 9th and 15th of March 2013 a delegation from Japan will tour Australia to share first hand accounts and experiences of the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred following the Tsunami that devastated East Japan on March 11, 2011. Today, families continue to deal with the stress, upheaval and break down as over 150, 000 people have been forced to leave their homes, communities and businesses.

   The tour will commemorate two years since the disaster occurred with public meetings and events in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Darwin. The delegation will also visit the town of Jabiru within the bounds of Kakadu National Park to view the Ranger Uranium mine.

   The delegation includes:

   HASEGAWA KENICHI (JPN): Mr Hasegawa is the leader of Maeda District in Iitate Village, which has been totally evacuated following the nuclear disaster of March 11, 2011. Mr Hasegawa is also a veteran dairy farmer, and Chair of the Fukushima Prefecture Dairy Farmers Union. Yet as his milk cannot be sold since the disaster, he was forced to first pump and dispose of the milk, and then give up the cows which had formed his livelihood until then. After the population of Iitate was evacuated Mr Hasegawa remained in the village looking after what was left, and recording the situation with photographs and video to give testimony about the reality of the Fukushima disaster. He is now living in temporary housing in Date City, Fukushima Prefecture.See Mr Hasegawa’s story here:

   AKIRA KAWASAKI (JPN): Akira Kawasaki is an Executive Committee member of the Tokyo-based NGO Peace Boat, and a Co-Chair of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). In 2009-2010, he served as an NGO Advisor to Co-Chairs of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND). After the 11 March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster, he initiated Peace Boat’s activities to help children of Fukushima and was Conference Director of the Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World in January 2012, which was attended by more than 11,500 people from 30 countries. He lectures at Keisen University, Tokyo, and frequently writes in Japanese newspapers and journals on nuclear issues.

   TOMOHIRO MATSUOKA (AUS): Accompanying the tour from within Australia is Mr Tomohiro Matsuoka, from the Melbourne based organization, Japanese for Peace. By profession, he is an investment analyst specializing in socially responsible investment. Working for an ethical bank in Europe, he investigates publicly listed companies for their involvement in controversial business activities, such as, military contracting, human rights violation and nuclear power.

   Brisbane event will include speakers from Electrical Trades Union and Friends of the Earth/Qld Nuclear Free Alliance… plus more…

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   Fukushima links Japan and Australia in many ways. Australian uranium fuelled the doomed Fukushima reactors and radioactive fallout from the March 11 disaster reached the Top End of Australia (in very small quantities). Australian non-governmental organisations have been actively involved in supporting victims of the disaster.
   A wide group of organisations within Australia have organised the tour to understand the full risks and consequences of Australia’s uranium exports.

   For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Cat Beaton on (+61) 08 8981 1981 or 0434 257 359.

   For Brisbane events contact Robin Taubenfeld on 0411 118 737

   Also visit: http://www.choosenuclearfree.net/tour/
   and
   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Face-to-Face-with-Fukushima-Australia-Tour-MARCH-9th-to-16th-2013/595125320501457

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