Radiation refugee launches anti-nuke petition

A woman who left Tokyo for Christchurch to escape nuclear radiation has begun a petition for a nuclear-free Japan.

Kuniko Koyama came to New Zealand with her family on January 29 this year to protect her 8-year-old daughter from radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plants that were severely damaged in the March 11, 2011, earthquake.

"Although Tokyo is 200 kilometres away from Fukushima, the level of the accumulated radiation is nowhere near safe," she said.

"The Fukushima nuclear power plants haven't been contained yet and are still dispersing a large amount of radiation."

She and her family chose New Zealand because it was a nuclear-free country.

She was concerned about the Japanese Government's decision to restart operations at other nuclear power plants in southwestern Japan in July, she said, and she felt it was necessary to convey the message from a nuclear-free country.

So far, the petition has about 2500 signatures.

Koyama plans to present the petition to the Japanese Consulate in Christchurch on October 26.

- © Fairfax NZ News