The Fukushima nuclear crisis struck a nerve with Japan's normally passive public, prompting many to raise their voices against atomic power and take to the streets to voice their anger.
But momentum for phasing out atomic energy appears to have weakened since the pronuclear Liberal Democratic Party won December's general election by a landslide, pledging to review the ousted Democratic Party of Japan's vow to eliminate nuclear power in the 2030s.
While antinuclear activists and politicians are trying to find new ways of keeping their hopes alive, they are struggling to get their views reflected in the policies of the LDP-led administration.