Tsushima, a small island in Nagasaki Prefecture across the sea from South Korea, is embroiled in a renewed debate over whether to proceed with a survey on its suitability to host a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.
The idea of conducting the survey was discussed in the past and was then dropped. Now, once again, it has become a topic of conversation, with some residents expressing hopes for regional development — mindful that the city will receive a large subsidy if it proceeds with the survey.
Meanwhile, opposition to the project is still strong due to concerns over safety and negative perceptions associated with hosting the waste. On June 10, about 530 protestors took part in a rally in central Tsushima carrying signs that read "'No' to nuclear waste." As they marched through the city center, they chanted, "'No' to the survey.”