PRESS CONFERENCE
Hideaki Higuchi, Former Judge of Fukui District Court
13:00-14:00 Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
The Courts and Nuclear Power: A Judge Speaks Out
Japan’s Supreme Court has ruled that the national government and TEPCO bear no legal responsibility for the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, but not everyone in Japan’s judiciary has been willing to absolve the industry of accountability. In 2014, Hideaki Higuchi, a judge in the Fukui District Court, wrote a headline-making decision that halted the restart of the Oi nuclear plant. His ruling stated that "it is fundamentally impossible to assume, based on scientific evidence, that an earthquake exceeding the tolerable limits for nuclear reactors will not occur in the future."
Now retired, Higuchi has agreed to come to the Club to talk about the legal challenges to nuclear power and why he still believes that atomic reactors are too vulnerable to operate in Japan. In this press conference, he will also give a rare behind-the-scenes look at Japan’s courts. Please join us for what is sure to be an enlightening glimpse at how Japan today works.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in and giving your name and contact details at the reception.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/PqfKBzM8m9DWxXCy5
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
As of May 19, 2025, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan will only allow its members to live-stream Club events. Non-members will no longer be allowed to live-stream. Live-streaming of most events will be available to to watch to the public on the Club's Youtube channel.
Professional Activities Committee