Campaigning kicked off on Thursday for the Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial election, which will not only decide the leader of the nation¡¯s capital but also influence the debate on whether Japan should continue to rely on nuclear power ¡ª a major issue that will help determine the shape of Japan¡¯s future.
The nuclear issue has assumed great importance because former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa has entered the race with the backing of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and is running on a ¡°zero nuclear¡± platform ¡ª a stance shared by Koizumi. Both Hosokawa and fellow candidate Kenji Utsunomiya, a former head of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, are calling for the immediate halt of nuclear power generation. They oppose the Abe administration¡¯s plan to restart idled nuclear power plants if their safety is confirmed by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Candidate Yoichi Masuzoe,a former health and welfare minister, calls for ending Japan¡¯s reliance on nuclear power over the long term while another candidate, former ASDF Gen. Toshio Tamogami, favors the continued use of nuclear power.
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