The Fukushima nuclear power plant remains to have a tremendous impact on the environment, society and economy of Japan. The consequences of the nuclear catastrophe are also effecting the international community and environment. Prof. Dr. Wim Turkenburg, a highly renowned professor of the Copernicus Institute of the Utrecht University (The Netherlands), gave a presentation on the present situation at and near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 4th September 2013. This presentation was part of a successful information night organized by Hope Step Japan and WISE International (World Information Service on Energy) in the Japanese Cultural Centre in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
About 60 participants took part in the sparkling information night on Fukushima and its aftermath. A fruitful discussion followed the presention of Prof. Dr. Wim C. Turkenburg. Among the international attendees was one young lady from Fukushima. She emotionally explained the situation from the perspective of a family suffering several effects of the nuclear catastrophe and asked how the local citizens in this area of Japan could get more international support. After that Mr. Matsumoto - one of the founders of Hope Step Japan - introduced the recently founded association Hope Step Japan and their perspective on the situation in Fukushima and the players involved.
A very recent and remarkable impression of Fukushima was presented by a member of Green Cross who took pictures of the aftermath of the catastrophe. At the end, two short movies showed how locals have experienced it. The participants also had the opportunity to taste delicious Japanese specialties, get informed about Hope Step Japan and WISE International (World Information Service on Energy) and to network. The event was a success and the opening night for more events to come, initiated by Hope Step Japan. The information night left many of its participants not only with a lot of updates and answers, but also with a number of new questions and the hope to live in a world without nuclear energy.
