Five years after the horrific nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant stunned the nation as a result of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japan's once highly motivated anti-nuclear movement is struggling to maintain momentum.

The disaster prompted tens of thousands of people who had never participated in demonstrations to take to the streets demanding that the government shut down the nation's nuclear reactors over safety fears.

That public anger and energy, however, seems to have lost steam over the past few years, especially after the pro-nuclear Liberal Democratic Party returned to power in December 2012.