Italian voters adamantly said “no” to nuclear power generation in a
referendum on June 12 and 13, a move likely to have repercussions in
Japan, which is the centerpiece of the ongoing nuclear crisis that has
added to the anti-nuclear power momentum in Europe.

In Japan, a referendum is to be called over constitutional amendments
but cannot be held over issues like whether to resume operations of
nuclear power plants, as seen in Italy. A senior official in the
electric utility industry stresses that the situation in Italy is
different from that in Japan, saying, "Italy had already pulled out of
nuclear power generation, so the circumstances are different from those
in Japan, where nuclear power generation accounts for about 30 percent
of total power output."

By saying this, the official implied that the outcome would not be the
same even if a similar referendum was called in Japan. Prime Minister
Naoto Kan has also indicated that the operation of nuclear plants apart
from Chubu Electric Power Co.’s Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant — which was
suspended following a government request — can be restarted once their
safety is guaranteed.

However, public trust in the central government and utility companies,
which have long propagated the myth of nuclear power plant safety, was
undermined from its very foundations among residents in areas hosting
such facilities in the wake of the accident at the Fukushima No. 1
Nuclear Power Plant.

Governors of prefectures that are home to nuclear power plants have also
expressed their distrust. "Safety comes first before power supply for
the moment," said Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa, while Aomori Gov. Shingo
Mimura said, "While the government maintains that there are no safety
concerns for resuming the operation of nuclear power plants, it has
urged the Hamaoka power plant to suspend operations. It is hard to
figure out what aspects of safety the government looked at and how it
assessed them in making its decision."

For nuclear power plants under suspension for regular inspections and
other reasons to restart their operations, they will need approval from
the governors of prefectures hosting those facilities. The prevalence of
the anti-nuclear power movement in Europe could likely raise further
concerns over nuclear plants in Japan and affect governors’ decisions.

Junko Edahiro, director of the Institute for the Study of Happiness,
Economy, and Society, believes Italy’s referendum results would affect
the public in Japan.

"The move in Italy follows that of Germany and other countries in their
serious attempts to break away with nuclear power generation. The
referendum results in Italy could prompt Japanese to wonder if they have
seriously thought about nuclear power generation and acted
appropriately,“Edahiro said.”The referendum has also indicated the possibility of a political system
through which voters can directly question crucial policy measures," she
said, adding, "We in Japan would also be able to change the electric
policy if we form and voice our own opinions about energy issues."

Mainichi Shimbun