Opposition to nuclear power generation among the public has risen enormously amid the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, but two major groups that in the past campaigned vocally against atomic weapons have played little part in the growing movement.
While many people have taken to the streets calling for the suspension of nuclear reactors, the traditional antinuclear groups — whose members have been deeply divided over economic issues related to atomic power generation — have not led any of the protests.
One of the groups, the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, decided to hold the opening ceremony of its annual convention in Fukushima for the first time since its establishment in 1965, preparing a new slogan: "Humans and atomic power cannot coexist."