The foot-and-mouth disease turmoil in Miyazaki Prefecture, involving the continual slaughter of livestock, has finally ended. Many people expressed their doubts about whether it was necessary to slaughter livestock over such a large area. This is a perfectly natural emotion from the point of view of the feelings of the general public. Doubts were also cast about why, if there is no problem consuming the meat and given the waste involved, these burdens were forced upon the farmers and such large compensations were necessary. Honorary Professor of the University of Tokyo, YAMAUCHI Kazuya has spoken of the developments that led to the slaughter of livestock suffering from foot-and-mouth disease. According…
CUJ: Local Energy Production For Local Energy Consumption
Resolution to aim for a clean break with nuclear power generation – We request a conversion of Japan’s energy policy Nuclear power generation leads to radiation poisoning at every level: from the workers involved in uranium mining for the fuel used in nuclear reactors to the final disposal of high-level nuclear waste known in Japanese as shi no hai, “ash of death” or “lethal ash.” Human life and the natural environment are at risk and it is clear that we do not need nuclear power generation that pushes this “ash of death” to the children of future generations. We, who value human life and the natural environment, must insist that…
We Oppose Full-Body Scanning at Airports
We Oppose the Introduction of Full-Body Scanning at Japan’s Airports Statement by the Citizens Association Opposing Phone Tapping and Consumers Union of Japan January 19, 2010 The U.S. government introduced whole body scanning at airports on December 25, 2009. This involves acquiring photographic images that reveal the nude body using X-ray techniques as a way to examine passengers. The claim is that such scanning is needed after attempts to bring bombs on board aircrafts. After that, physical examination using the same type of scanner has been extended to Canada and some EU member countries including the U.K., the Netherlands, and Italy. However, other countries including Belgium and Spain are taking…
CUJ: Annul and Scrap the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement
Resolution to make the best use of Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution, and to request the removal of military bases On May 28, 2010 the governments of Japan and the United States issued a joint statement outlining the relocation of the Futenma base in Ginowan City to Cape Henoko and the adjoining waters near Camp Schwab in Nago City, Okinawa. Strong anger was the response to the Democratic Party breaking its election campaign pledge. We also note that it amounted to crushing the will of the people as expressed by the 90,000 that gathered in the prefectural rally on April 25, 2010 in Yomitan Village, Okinawa. The strong reaction to the decision…
Recent Food Activism
Consumers Union of Japan works closely with a number of local groups around the country and abroad, to promote consumer rights, peace, food safety and food security and many other issues. Here are some recent stories from our office in Nishi-Waseda. Read more in Japanese in CUJ’s newsletter, Consumers Report. To receive the newsletter, please join CUJ by paying a yearly membership fee (7000 Yen). You can also download our English newsletter, Japan Resources, for free. Japanese Consumers Demand Better Food Labelling System 325,125 people signed a petition demanding better food labelling rules in Japan. The signatures were collected by the No! GMO Campaign over a 6 month period, starting…