Author: Rick E

Minamata, a film drama based on the book by W. Eugene and Green Action director Aileen M. Smith, premiered on February 21st at the Berlin International Film Festival. Directed by Andrew Levitas, the film stars Johnny Depp as photographer Eugene Smith, who travels with Aileen to Japan to document the effects of mercury poisoning on the residents of a coastal community. Actors Bill Nighy, Hiroyuki Sanada and Minami play supporting roles as Life editor Robert Hayes, activist Mitsuo Yamazaki and Aileen Mioko Smith. At a press conference for the film, Depp, who spearheaded the film’s production, said he felt that Minamata was “a story that needed to be told.” He…

Press Release / Briefing Paper 9 May 2014 Contact: Aileen Mioko Smith cell: +81-90-3620-9251 email: amsmith@gol.com   Will Japan Restart Nuclear Power Yet Again Ignoring Danger of Earthquakes? Osaka High Court Hands Down Verdict on Ohi Injunction Lawsuit Case, Reneges on Judicial Responsibility —Rules In Favor of Kansai Electric Japan—The Osaka High Court handed down a verdict today at 14:00 in favor of the defendant, Kansai Electric, in an appeals case brought by 253 citizens seeking an injunction to stop restart of the Ohi Units 3 and 4 nuclear reactors located along Wakasa Bay in Fukui Prefecture and owned and operated by the utility. Plaintiffs were from the central Japan…

Third Anniversary of the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake Those Responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident Not Held Accountable Japanese government pushing for restart of nuclear power Press Release For immediate release For further information contact: Aileen Mioko Smith +81-90-3620-9251 amsmith@gol.com 11 March 2014 (Kyoto, Japan) No One Held Criminally Responsible for Man-Made Accident Three years into the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, not a single individual has been held criminally responsible for the disaster. This is in spite of the fact NAIIC (The National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission) stated on 5 July 2012 in its final report that, “The TEPCO Fukushima…