Appeal for a Lifestyle without Dependence on Nuclear Power

by the Japan Buddhist Federation

December 1, 2011

The spread of radioactive contamination due to the meltdown at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima #1 Nuclear Power Plant has caused many people to forcibly evacuate their homes and live as refugees. They suffer through their days in anger that they have no place to reside and in anxiety of having no prospects for the future. Many families with infants and small children live with worries of damaged health due to the radiation, feeling threatened about their lives. Further, we cannot deny the possibility of widespread radioactive contamination affecting not only Japan but also the global environment and ecosystem, threatening all kinds of life, not just human.

Japan is the only country in the world that has ever been hit with nuclear weapons. A great amount of human life was lost then, and those who survived the attack continue to suffer radiation sickness even until this day. So that humanity will not make the same mistake again, we Japanese through our tragedy and suffering have continued to show the people of the world the preciousness of life. Based in the spirit of Buddhism, the Japan Buddhist Federation has been working toward the realization of world peace and societies where each and every life is respected.

At the same time, however, we Japanese have also been expanding our desire for more comfortable and convenient lifestyles. In the shadow of the pursuit for convenience, there lies the reality that the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima has caused the people of that area to live everyday in fear for their lives. In this way, we must deeply reflect on how we have allowed this nuclear plant disaster to endanger a peaceful way of living and life itself.

We, the Japan Buddhist Federation, will strive to reduce our dependence on such nuclear power that threatens life and to realize a society based on sustainable energy. We must choose a path in which personal happiness is harmonized with human welfare, instead of wishing for prosperity at the expense of others. Finally, we would like to make an appeal for building societies that protect each and every life through each individual confronting this issue themselves by reflecting on their own lifestyle, letting go of excessive materialistic greed, finding contentment in the feeling of moderation, and doing their best to realize living in humility with nature.

The Japan Buddhist Federation is the federation of 104 traditional, mainstream Buddhist denominations in Japan, representing more than 90 percent of all Buddhist organizations in Japan.