Group Intro: No to Genkai NPS! Karatsu Center
By Takano Satoshi
The No to Genkai NPS! Karatsu Center started its activities in 2016. Led by the people who had filed a lawsuit against the use of MOX fuel at the Genkai Nuclear Power Station, the Center was established with the intention of not only fighting in court but also communicating with locals in Genkai Town, which hosts the NPS, as well as in the neighboring Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, about the importance of phasing out nuclear power. Its founders consist of influential figures in Karatsu City. The Center is operated through membership fees and donations.
The activities of the Karatsu Center are diversified. They hold learning sessions periodically, observe nuclear power disaster drills, and guide visitors to the Genkai NPS. However, their most noteworthy activities are silent standing and door-to-door flier circulation, both of which they have been committed to for a long time. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning, they conduct silent standing at Karatsu City Hall and the Saga Prefecture Off-site Center in the city. What distinguishes this action is that, without speaking out using loudspeakers, members simply stand still, holding six to eight flags. Because loud speeches may disturb locals and result in adverse reactions, they communicate their opinions only visually, using the flags to convey their messages. Thanks to this approach, passengers in cars can read the messages. They even exchange greetings with city hall workers and schoolchildren.
These standing actions have achieved a remarkable result. In 2016, a group of residents in the Kushi area, Chinzei-cho, Karatsu City, attempted to invite a Genkai NPS nuclear fuel dry storage facility to Karatsu City. The Karatsu Center immediately started to conduct standing actions against this attempt; they stood in front of the city hall many times. The attempt eventually faded out. The Center members are certain and proud that their action contributed to this result.
The Center has also been committed to circulating fliers door-to-door. They visited all the households of Genkai Town and Karatsu City, about 3,000 and 50,000 households respectively, circulating fliers explaining the problems of the Genkai NPS. Each household has been visited three times, which means that the group has posted about 150,000 fliers. When they visit households, they have opportunities to talk with residents. Their action is truly rooted in the local communities. In NPS-hosting areas, it can be difficult to speak out against nuclear power, and information indicating the problems of the local NPS is not sufficiently available. Under such circumstances, their diehard flier posting action is extremely valuable.
As a future action plan, the Karatsu Center intends to commit itself to responding to the full-scale literature survey upcoming in Genkai Town, which is a candidate spent-fuel disposal site. The Center plans to hold opinion exchange gatherings with Saga Prefecture and Genkai Town, to collect information, and to ensure that the expected “dialog” events will be held in a fair manner. For the residents of Genkai Town, which hosts the Genkai NPS, it is not easy to speak out against nuclear power, but it is certain that some residents are strongly against inviting a final disposal site to the town. The Center hopes to reach such locals.
The Karatsu Center offers office space for members to use for meetings, and also acts as a lodge for visitors for 1,000 yen per night, which is extremely low-cost. If you plan to visit the Genkai NPS, please contact the Center. You can exchange opinions with the members about how to achieve freedom from nuclear power, while immersing yourself in their warm hospitality.
Please see the No to Genkai NPS! Karatsu Center website at: nonukeskaratsu.wixsite.com/karatsu
