Fukushima Women Against Nuclear Power: Finding a Voice from Tohoku

Extract

This article focuses on the politicization of women following the Fukushima disaster. Slater argues that women are the most “effective anti-nuke spokespersons” because their role as mothers gives them moral authority on issues relating to the safety and health of children. Women from the Tohoku region (which contains Fukushima prefecture) have influenced political conversations all around Japan by organizing protests and issuing statements criticizing the Japanese government. Their actions have inspired more protests in other regions of Japan. One woman, SATO Sachiko, who was mentioned in Smith's article above, travelled to the U.S.A. to extend her message beyond Japan's borders.