The Sea of Tuna and the Shadow of Nuclear Power Plants - June 2004

The Sea of Tuna and the Shadow of Nuclear Power Plants - June 2004

The waters off the town of Oma in Aomori Prefecture are known throughout Japan as a good fishing ground for bluefin tuna. The construction of the Oma Nuclear Power Plant, which had been planned since the 1980s, took shape in the early 2000s in these rich waters, causing a deep division in the local community. Proponents of the plan pinned their hopes on the employment creation and economic benefits of nuclear power generation in the face of depopulation and an aging population. Opponents, on the other hand, complained about the impact of radiation on the fishing industry and the risk of losing the region's natural resources. The plant was also attracting attention as Japan's first facility to use full MOX (uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel), and concerns about its safety were growing nationwide.

In addition, while there were growing calls in some quarters at the time to rethink dependence on nuclear power, the structure of nuclear power money, which relies on local finances, remained strong, making it a difficult choice for the local government. Residents continued to struggle over whether they should protect the "bounty of the sea" or accept it for their "future life," leading to a situation in which even the reconstruction of local identity was being questioned. The question of how to create a sustainable community was raised at the intersection of two seemingly irreconcilable symbols: tuna and nuclear power.