Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe and other prominent figures held rallies Saturday in Tokyo and Niigata Prefecture calling for the abolition of atomic power plants in light of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Addressing protesters at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, Oe demanded that Japan eliminate all its nuclear power stations.
"We will be handing nuclear waste generated by the nuclear reactors to our grandchildren. This is unethical conduct," Oe said.
About 12,000 people showed up for the rally in Tokyo, organizers said.
The rallies were part of the group's campaign to collect 10 million signatures to submit to the prime minister and the leaders of both chambers of the Diet.