(From Reuters)

When Atsushi Hoshino set out to revive a group representing atomic bomb survivors in the rural northeast Japanese prefecture of Fukushima 30 years ago, one topic was taboo — criticizing the nuclear power industry upon which many relied for jobs.

Yoshiteru Kohata, an 86-year-old Nagasaki atomic bombing survivor, recounts the horrors of  Nagasaki

That changed dramatically after March 11, 2011, when a massive tsunami devastated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, triggering meltdowns, spewing radiation and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes.

“Until then …I felt somewhat uncomfortable about nuclear power, but not enough to oppose it. Rather, I was in a situation where it wasn’t possible to oppose it,” Hoshino, 87, told Reuters at his home in Fukushima City, about 60 km (37 miles)from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi plant, the country’s first commercial nuclear plant when it went online in 1971. Read More

Categories: Asia Times News & Features

Tags: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Hiroshima bomb survivor speaks out, Japan A-bomb survivors oppose nuke power, Nagasaki bomb survivors recall horror, Nagasaki bomb survivors slam Abe's war views