An essay written in March 2016 critically examining a Japanese court ruling on nuclear power, questioning the legitimacy of so-called civic movements and their legal advocates. By contrasting Japan’s stance with rapidly expanding nuclear programs in South Korea and China, it highlights the geopolitical and technological consequences of undermining Japan’s nuclear expertise.

2016-03-09

The nature of Judge Yoshihiko Yamamoto, the presiding judge of the Otsu District Court, can be more or less imagined.

That is because more than twenty years ago, at the Tokyo District Court, I personally witnessed a judge say, “That is why I say land belongs to no one,” and I was left utterly stunned.

This judge, as well as the current presiding judge, studied law at a time when university law faculties were completely dominated by Marxism. Even today, many universities remain much the same.

In any case, this ruling is atrocious.

I learned of it while watching the Kansai regional NHK news in the 6 p.m. hour, and for a while I was even led to believe that there was a nuclear power plant located in Otsu City.

Only later did I realize that the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant is located in Fukui Prefecture and faces the Sea of Japan.

The so-called civic groups and their lawyers must apply for provisional injunctions to halt construction and operation of the nuclear power plants that will be rapidly expanded along the Sea of Japan coast in South Korea and China, and the presiding judge of the Otsu District Court must issue rulings identical to this one.

Otherwise, their words and actions have no meaning whatsoever.

There is no legitimacy in their thinking.

South Korea and China are competitors of Japan.

Their ideas aim to degrade Japan’s nuclear technology, which has been refined to one of the highest levels in the world, and to bring about results similar to the past outflow of talented engineers from Japan’s former electronics manufacturers to South Korea and China.

It is common knowledge that nuclear-related technologies in South Korea and China are overwhelmingly inferior to those of Japan.

The Japanese state and its people must not forget that both South Korea and China are countries that possess intelligence agencies equivalent to the CIA.

Moreover, both nations have, since the postwar period, made anti-Japanese propaganda a matter of national policy.

Manipulating so-called civic groups—most of whom are nothing more than remnants of the left—would be child’s play for intelligence agencies; rather, it would be considered a basic, elementary level of their activities.

Anyone, even an elementary school student, should be able to understand who benefits from depriving Japan of nuclear technology.

The only ones who do not understand this are the very people being manipulated.