PRESS CONFERENCE
Challenging the Narrative: Thyroid Cancers in Fukushima
Motomi Ushiyama, Chief of Internal Medicine, Sagami Seikyo Ophthalmology and Internal Medicine Clinic
Kenichi Ido, Attorney at Law
10:00-11:00 Tuesday, March 10, 2026
The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
Fifteen years after an earthquake and tsunami caused nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in one of the world’s worst nuclear catastrophes, the Japanese government asserts that there is no evidence of direct radiation-induced diseases or deaths.
But internal medicine expert Motomi Ushiyama, who has studied the health effects of radiation, begs to differ. She argues that the voices of young affected Japanese are being silenced to preserve the official narrative. She notes overwhelming evidence: Pediatric thyroid cancer is extremely rare; yet in Fukushima, nearly 400 residents aged 18 or younger in 2011 have been diagnosed with the illness. This large number, she says, mirrors the impact seen after the Chernobyl disaster, where the causal link to radiation exposure was officially recognized. How, then, can Japan continue to insist on its narrative?
Attorney-at-law Kenichi Ido is leading the fight for recognition and compensation, as he represents a group of young plaintiffs from Fukushima who suffered thyroid cancer after the nuclear disaster. Aged between six and 16 at the time of the accident, they are seeking damages from Tokyo Electric Power Company, the nuclear plant operator. In their case, which is currently before the court with the 17th hearing held on March 4, they argue that radiation exposure was a direct cause of their illness, which has significantly affected their education, employment, and future prospects.
On the eve of the 15th anniversary of this tragedy, join Ushiyama and Ido at the FCCJ as they make the case that these thyroid cancers are linked to the Fukushima disaster and discuss the lawsuit.
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/hTgMMZdysgBSbckd6
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.
Professional Activities Committee