13,000 rally against U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier's permanent deployment

Monday 14th July, 05:01 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Latest 15 of 22 Total Comments Show All

MeanRingo at 08:05 AM JST - 14th July

Geez I thought it was just one of the summer festivals. Brought the kids out. Now I see why there were no greasy wieners on sticks or snowcone thingys. Oh well. Down with submarines. Down with nuclear power. Down with the American war machine.
OssanULTRA at 08:26 AM JST - 14th July

Fact is that these people, those protesting, suing, or otherwise would like to see the US Military leave Japan immediately are a minority. If they were a majority, the Japanese government would not be able to contine workig with the US as they do for their defense. And yes, as usual, the anti's are misguided on the facts of the issue (nuclear reactors are not nuclear bombs), just as anti's of any subject are very often misinformed.
wanderlust at 08:32 AM JST - 14th July

Falsified X-Rays of welding, a bucket of uranium fluoride exceeding critical mass, deleted videos of plant maintenance, lack of regular maintenance, cover of of faults and repairs, poor construction, poor operation, and the locals still succumb to local funding and grants (aka bribes) for their own nuclear plants...

The residents of areas near the J-plants have little choice but to take the money and keep quiet, as fishing and agriculture have declined, young folks have moved away, it's really all that they have left now, esp. with the massive pension fraud and loss of savings.
MeanRingo at 08:32 AM JST - 14th July

"just as anti's of any subject are very often misinformed." Ha ha haaaa. Just like those those anti-Bush opposers right?
japanyesterday at 08:38 AM JST - 14th July
i would have asked a few questions if i was able to speak to these protesters.
1. if the US military left, would u volunteer your or your kids services in your country's self defense force?
2. why are you protesting? if answer is "carrier have fire, kowaii!!" then the next question would be "how much do you know about about japan's nuclear program?"
3.
kjunluc2 at 08:45 AM JST - 14th July

****They used to pay protesters a piddling, most of which went in the nearest bar. The protests never changed anything.
kjunluc2 at 09:00 AM JST - 14th July

****The half life of plutonium (?have forgotten isotope number) is 144 thousand years. Imagine a bad leak with wind blowing in the right direction. If any life survived in Japan and Korea it would be cockroaches deeply embedded in the earth. As I see it, it doesn't make much difference. The powers-that-be, which are running this world are gonna wipes us all out soon, anyway. It won't be from a carrier power source. They're safer than any nuclear plant.
Triple888 at 09:31 AM JST - 14th July

That ship is probably there because of "North Korea". But in actual fact it's there for something much much bigger.
faroukbax at 10:46 AM JST - 14th July

It would seem that 13,000 people have been sadly misled by the organizers of this protest. The Kitty Hawk with a conventional power plant was OK, but the George Washington with a nuclear power plant is NOT. Does the word "nuclear" put the scare in these protesters? Were they also informed that there are 54 operating nuclear plants throughout Japan where some very serious nuclear related safety incidents have occurred over the years - many of which were covered-up by the authorities? If these 13,000 want to get a positive result for their efforts they should perhaps protest for greater transparency and openness in Japan's own nuclear power program.
Taka313 at 03:40 PM JST - 14th July

I went passed the protest yesterday. It was pretty big but as far as protests go, not too impressive.
As I walked through Verny park, there was an old guy singing enka, a lot of people milling about and one really funny guy who had made a cardboard ship with a little fire on it. His ship kept falling apart and he was beside himself. I was so tempted to tell him to run with the falling apart thing and just replace USS George Washington with Tokaimura.
Suprisingly enough, I was able to refrain. Had a lot to do yesterday.

Taka
Taka313 at 03:46 PM JST - 14th July

Also...here's what I don't get. Why protest in Yokosuka? Let's just say for argument's sake that the new CNFJ admiral (I forget his name) decided he agreed with them and that the U.S. Navy should, in fact, pull out of Japan. What can he do about it? ZERO.

13,000 people and not one of them thought of protesting at the Diet or at the Prime Minister's office?

Being a politician in Japan has got to be a pretty good gig.

Taka
usaexpat at 11:57 PM JST - 14th July

Our nuclear powered ships are safer than Japanese nuclear power plants so sleep tight all.
teaabe at 05:09 AM JST - 15th July

may be another country should build bases on u.s. soil. or send a warship to dock off at port in one of the states. babel fell btw.
USARonin at 07:09 AM JST - 15th July

"Nuclear powered?" Heh, heh...

-You think we're gonna go to all that trouble and expense and that thing's not gonna be laden down with nuclear warheads that can be quickly affixed to conventional artillery rounds, aircraft ordnance, et al?

Bonby, BeeTee... At Pearl Harbor we have where World War II/"the Pacific War" began and ended for America. The USS Missouri is berthed a few meters from the USS Arizona... the beginnin' and the end.

US & Japan... the ties that bind.

USAR
taikan at 10:05 AM JST - 16th July

As the article clearly states, the Japanese people generally are opposed to the use of nuclear power for military purposes. That is why, at a time when the US and Russians use nuclear-powered submarines, all Japanese submarines are still powered by diesel engines. Except on the most superficial level, there is no inconsistency between opposing the use of nuclear power for military purposes and approving the use of nuclear power for other purposes, such as generation of electricity.

Historically, the US military has been sensitive to the concerns of the Japanese people in this regard, and has not stationed nuclear-powered ships in Japan. However, all US aircraft carriers now are nuclear-powered vessels. Therefore, the Japanese government either had to allow a nuclear-powered carrior to berth in Japan, or do without any US aircraft carrier in Japan. Obviously, they chose the former alternative.