Japan anti-nuclear protests mark 6 months since quake - Reuters

 

1 of 5. Protesters stand as they form a human chain around the building of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) during a protest against the government's handling of the nuclear crisis and tsunami aftermath six months after the disaster in Tokyo September 11, 2011. Thousands protesters gathered in central Tokyo on Sunday to make human chain around the building of METI as Japan works out a national energy policy in the wake of the world's worst nuclear crisis at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima plant.

Credit: Reuters/Issei Kato

TOKYO | Sun Sep 11, 2011 7:03am EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Anti-nuclear protesters took to the streets of Tokyo and other cities on Sunday to mark six months since the March earthquake and tsunami and vent their anger at the government's handling of the nuclear crisis set off by meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant.

In one of the largest protests, an estimated 2,500 people marched past the headquarters of the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and created a "human chain" around the building of the Trade Ministry that oversees the power industry.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan's northeastern coast left 20,000 dead or missing and crippled the Fukushima plant, triggering the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

The accident that led to radiation and contamination fears spurred widespread calls for an end to Japan's reliance on nuclear power in the quake-prone country.

Protesters, marching to the beat of drums, called for a complete shutdown of nuclear power plants across Japan and demanded a shift in government policy toward alternative sources of energy.

Among the protestors were four young men who declared the start of a 10-day hunger strike to bring about change in Japan's nuclear policy.

"I believe it is very important that the young generation voices opposition against nuclear power, and in order to bring our point across we need to put ourselves on the line and that's why we chose to hunger strike for 10 days," said 20-year-old Naoya Okamoto.

Japanese media reported similar protests in other cities across Japan on the day many offered prayers to those who died in the March 11 disaster.

(Reporting by Olivier Fabre; Writing by Tomasz Janowski)

View the original article here

Japan anti-nuclear protests mark 6 months since quake (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) – Anti-nuclear protesters took to the streets of Tokyo and other cities on Sunday to mark six months since the March earthquake and tsunami and vent their anger at the government's handling of the nuclear crisis set off by meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant.

In one of the largest protests, an estimated 2,500 people marched past the headquarters of the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and created a "human chain" around the building of the Trade Ministry that oversees the power industry.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan's northeastern coast left 20,000 dead or missing and crippled the Fukushima plant, triggering the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

The accident that led to radiation and contamination fears spurred widespread calls for an end to Japan's reliance on nuclear power in the quake-prone country.

Protesters, marching to the beat of drums, called for a complete shutdown of nuclear power plants across Japan and demanded a shift in government policy toward alternative sources of energy.

Among the protestors were four young men who declared the start of a 10-day hunger strike to bring about change in Japan's nuclear policy.

"I believe it is very important that the young generation voices opposition against nuclear power, and in order to bring our point across we need to put ourselves on the line and that's why we chose to hunger strike for 10 days," said 20-year-old Naoya Okamoto.

Japanese media reported similar protests in other cities across Japan on the day many offered prayers to those who died in the March 11 disaster.

(Reporting by Olivier Fabre; Writing by Tomasz Janowski)

View the original article here

Japan Protests Chinese Incursion Near Disputed Islands - Voice of America (blog)

Posted Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 at 5:05 am

Japan formally protested to China Wednesday after two Chinese patrol boats entered what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the Chinese ambassador in Tokyo was summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the incident, which occurred early Wednesday near a disputed island chain known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The islands are administered by Japan.

Japan's arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain in the same area last year created a crisis in relations with China that lasted for several months.

Edano said the vice foreign minister told the ambassador the islands are an integral part of Japanese territory, historically and under international law. He said the vice minister demanded that China prevent a recurrence.

The Japanese coast guard said the two fisheries patrol boats approached the islands Wednesday morning and sailed inside of what Japan claims as its 20-kilometer territorial limit.

The coast guard said it radioed a warning to the Chinese boats, which responded that they were acting legally within Chinese territory. It said they stayed for about 40 minutes.

Edano said Chinese vessels have approached the islands several times since last year's incident, but this was the first time they have sailed inside the 20-kilometer zone.

Last year's crisis was sparked when the Japanese arrested a Chinese fishing captain who rammed his trawler into a coast guard vessel.

China responded by breaking off all high-level contact with Japan and restricting the export to Japan of vital rare earth minerals used in high-tech manufacturing.

Tags: China, Japan, Ships
Posted in East Asia Pacific

View the original article here

Japan protests China boats' entry in disputed area - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Japan says it has protested to China after two Chinese patrol boats entered waters near islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says two Chinese vessels entered Japanese waters off the islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China early Wednesday. He says the boats left the area about 30 minutes later after warnings by Japanese Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft.

Edano says Japan's government "strongly" protested to China and reiterated its claim to the islands.

Last year, a collision between a Chinese fishing trawler and Japanese patrol boats sparked a diplomatic spat. Japan says Wednesday's incident is the first time China has entered Japanese waters since then.

View the original article here

Protests over Thaksin Japan trip - BBC News

22 August 2011 Last updated at 11:38 GMT Thaksin Shinawatra's visit to Japan has prompted angry protests in Bangkok Thailand's ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is visiting Japan despite protests in Thailand, where he still has to serve a two-year jail sentence.

The Thai opposition criticised Japan for granting a visa to Mr Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile, despite his conviction for abuse of power.

They said Japanese officials had been influenced by the recent election win of Mr Thaksin's youngest sister.

Yingluck Shinawatra leads a six-party coalition which dominates parliament.

The authorities in Tokyo usually refuse to grant visas to people still to serve time for criminal convictions, which should have ruled out Mr Thaksin's request.

Mr Thaksin - whose populist policies won him the support of much of the rural and urban poor - was forced from office in a 2006 military coup.

He now lives in exile in Dubai, and is seen as the de facto leader of his sister's governing Pheu Thai party - although the party maintains his role is purely advisory.

'No formal role'

Mr Thaksin's advisers have tried to paint the trip to Japan as strictly a personal matter.

A spokesman described the visit as "just one of a number of visits that ex-world leaders make".

He said Mr Thaksin had no plans to return to Thailand "until things are settled there" and that he "has no formal role in the new government even as some kind of unofficial envoy".

But the BBC's Guy De Launey in Bangkok says few people are convinced as the former prime minister's plans look more like those of a statesman than a private individual.

Mr Thaksin will visit areas of Japan devastated by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami during his week-long visit.

He is also expected to give a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

Mr Thaksin's opponents have accused the new government of applying political influence to enable the ousted leader's visit, starting legal action against both individual ministers and the governing party.

View the original article here