Another 1,200 people have joined a lawsuit seeking the closure of the Genkai atomic plant in Saga Prefecture, bringing the number of plaintiffs to around 4,200, the most for any current lawsuit against a nuclear facility.
The suit was initially filed with the Saga District Court on Jan. 31 against both the central government and Kyushu Electric Power Co., operator of the Genkai plant, by 1,700 people. By March, plaintiffs numbered roughly 3,000.
The plaintiffs are led by Akira Hasegawa, a former president of Saga University.
"I hope we can shed light on problems concerning Japan's nuclear power operations, which are characterized as 'a private-sector business under state policy,' through the court debates," Hasegawa told a meeting of the plaintiffs Wednesday.
More plaintiffs are expected to join, possibly in August, lawyers handling the suit said.
The plaintiffs argue that restarting the plant's idled reactors would violate their right to "wholesome" living as guaranteed in Article 25 of the Constitution.
Another group of around 300 residents around the Genkai plant filed a suit against Kyushu Electric in December, demanding that the utility shut down the plant.
Another Kyushu lawsuit
JIJIMore than 1,000 residents have filed a lawsuit demanding the shutdown of the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The suit was filed Wednesday with the Kagoshima District Court against the central government and Kyushu Electric Power Co.
More than 1,000 other people are planning to join as plaintiffs.
The suit argues that Kyushu Electric is violating the plaintiffs' personal and constitutional rights