Former Japan prime ministers urge phase out of nuclear power

Published January 13, 2015

Two of Japan's former prime ministers are adding their voices to calls for the country to phase out nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster.

Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday that the current prime minister, Shinzo Abe, should use his public popularity to "do the right thing."

Koizumi said that with Japan's nuclear plants all offline for safety checks it would be easier to begin the phase-out soon.

Abe favors restarting the nuclear plants under safety guidelines revised after the March 2011 meltdowns in Fukushima, contending that Japan cannot afford not to.

Another former leader, Morihiro Hosokawa, said in an interview published in the Tokyo Shimbun on Tuesday that he also favors an end to reliance on nuclear power.

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