Some 300 people joined an Oct. 27 antinuclear rally staged by a citizens' group at Hisaya Odori Park in Nagoya. Observing them were 10 students from Chukyo University.
The students are taking part in a research project under the supervision of Mitsuru Matsutani, an associate professor of contemporary sociology, that includes holding interviews and gathering video footage from such demonstrations, which have been held since June in numerous locations, including in front of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s office in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, as well as such cities as Osaka and Fukui.
Since the Fukushima nuclear crisis started in March 2011, antinuclear rallies have spread nationwide and the Chubu region is no exception. They have increasingly attracted the interest of young people, including the Chukyo University students. It has been many decades since young Japanese have shown significant interest in political demonstrations.