Beyond Fukushima (Toward a Post-Nuclear Society)

''It finally dawned on us. The government was unreliable. Politicians and bureaucrats were unreliable. The media were untrustworthy. The brutal reality hit us that we had to protect ourselves...otherwise bury our heads in the sand or give up altogether.'' *** Written in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Japan and the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Koichi Hasegawa's Beyond Fukushima presents a compelling account of the events of 3/11 against the backdrop of the history and geopolitics of the nuclear industry worldwide. The book begins with the nuclear accident and its immediate impact on Japan, and then expands to form a critical analysis of the global nuclear power industry, providing a framework through which to explain Japan's continued reliance on nuclear power despite widespread public concern. Hasegawa's analysis is convincing. He argues passionately for de-nuclearization and is highly critical of the Japanese government for failing to phase out nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima accident. In the final chapter of the book, Hasegawa outlines steps toward a post-nuclear society, arguing strongly that this transformation must be made to avoid further catastrophe. *** Choice Magazine Editors' Top 75 Community College Resources for July 2016 *** "With a sociological research background in public movement critiques of nuclear power dating back to 1988, the author is in the unique position of being able to present wide-ranging, up-to-date, pertinent data gathered over several decades. Hasegawa very effectively documents the multiple problems associated with the nuclear power industry in Japan in a global context. Highly recommended." -- Choice, Vol. 53, No. 10, July 2016 *** "...a scathing indictment of bureaucratic incompetence and the risks of nuclear power. Detailed, critical, and persuasive, 'Beyond Fukushima' is a 'must-have' for college library social issues and world history collections." -- Midwest Book Review, Library Bookwatch: March 2016, The Social Issues Shelf (Series: Japanese Society) [Subject: Energy Studies, Japanese Studies, Asian Studies, Politics]