Yesterday, the anti-nuclear protest at Kōenji that I took part in stretched on for five hours – six if you count the hour before it began!! There were so many participants that because they were so carefully directed by the police into a single street lane, it stretched on forever and moved quite slowly. Protestors were orderly, but adamant, remaining until the end in the square outside Kōenji Station.
It was like a huge moving festival. A large sound truck blasted the neighborhood with chants and music, and people danced. Where I helped carry a banner, though, we were so far away from the truck we couldn’t hear it. Other musicians played drums, flutes, guitars, trumpets, pots, and we all chanted. It was a great atmosphere.
According to one man counting us from the roadside, we were 8,000 people, plus thousands more watching on UStream. According to a report by Kyodo News, we were 15,000!
In the days to come, I hope to write about how I understand the experience. In the meantime, here are a few pictures. . .
Update: Haha! How embarrassing. I’ve fallen into the Japanglish trap again. This time I used the word “nuke” for nuclear power instead of for atomic bombs! Sorry! I’m going to try to correct that. . . Does “nuke energy” work? Um. . . no. “Nuclear Energy” it is.
Sleeping Mountains 
2 replies on “4/10 Anti-Nuclear Energy Protest”
Hanna, wonderful pictures, thanks for posting!
Sometimes pictures say more than a thousand words.
I know that it is not easy to take those AND be a protester,
you did both and deserve praise !
I slowly read in your former blogs and see so much of your
photography and appreciate it.
Thanks again.
CH
Dear Christiane,
Your comments always make my day! Thank you!
I think you’re very right about the power of pictures, but I also think that the impressions gained from pictures are best processed by trying to put them into words. I mean, we can’t understand what we feel when we look at a picture without trying to put it into words. Does that make sense? That’s what I’m trying to do with this blog. I’ve been feeling so much lately, but I don’t understand it all, so I’m trying to write about it to make things clearer for me.
Hugs,
Hanna