Tokyo, Dec. 16 (ANI): More than 1,000 people opposed to atomic power staged a march in Tokyo on the eve of the poll to demand a nuclear-free society.
"Japan will face a crossroads tomorrow," Yuko Tanaka, a professor at Hosei University, told a crowd of hundreds who gathered in Hibiya Park, Chiyoda Ward, on Saturday ahead of the march.
"Depending on the result of the election, I feel that Japan could wind up in hell," she said, voicing fears that the final tally may fail to reflect the views of many citizens who want to see Japan's nuclear plants scrapped.
According to the Japan Times, the Liberal Democratic Party, which media polls show will oust the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and form the next government, has pledged to make efforts to reduce the country's addiction to atomic energy, but it is not promising to do away with nuclear plants altogether.
Hosei University's Tanaka said she hoped an anti-nuclear party wins on Sunday so her fellow activists won't have to continue staging such rallies after the election, the report said.
However, she is pessimistic about the final outcome.
According to the report, other protesters believe the demonstrations that have sprung up nationwide to oppose atomic energy since the start of the Fukushima No. 1 disaster should continue, regardless of the poll results.
"No matter which party takes power, we must not lower our voices for the abolition of nuclear power," Satoshi Kamata, a writer who has long warned of the dangers of atomic energy, said.
Kamata believes the antinuclear energy movement has significantly impacted society, and noted most candidates running in the election are campaigning on a promise to end Japan's dependence on nuclear power.
After assembling in Hibiya Park, the demonstrators marched to the high-end Ginza shopping district despite rainy, chilly weather, the report added. (ANI)
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