Photo Gallery The Nuclear State
After the oil crisis of the 1970s, Japan embraced atomic power with a vengeance. Since then, the ties between the government and the nuclear industry have become so close that public safety is at threat. Here, an anti-TEPCO rally in Tokyo on April 15.
For a full two months, TEPCO management tried to reassure the public and denied all responsibility for the Fukushima disaster, even during its ineffectual attempts to get the damaged reactors under control. It wasn't until last Friday that TEPCO President Masataka Shimizu (left) and Vice President Sakae Muto (not shown) finally announced their resignations.
Safety inspections are too lax, and anyone who criticizes the status quo can find themselves out of a job. This photo shows a reactor model in a nuclear museum in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture
"Atomic energy is a cult in Japan," says Taro Kono, a member of the lower house of the Japanese Diet for the conservative LDP who is known for his critical stance on nuclear power.
