As the eleven climbers from Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA scaled the mountain, a banner reading “No Nuclear” and “Nuclear Free Tomorrow” was deployed at Lake Yamanakako, one of five lakes at the base of Mt Fuji, by a second team of Greenpeace activists.
“Greenpeace is taking messages for Fukushima collected from thousands of people in Japan and all over the world (1) to the top of Mt Fuji to help convince the Japanese Government to listen the voices of the people, not the nuclear industry,” said Wakao Hanoaka, Greenpeace Japan Campaign Manager.
“On March 11th, we will pause to reflect on the lives lost in the tragic earthquake and tsunami one year ago; but we must also remember those whose lives have been irrevocably damaged by radioactive contamination,” said Hanoaka. “We cannot forget the terrible price they are paying for Japan’s blind obsession with nuclear.”
Earlier today in Tokyo, Greenpeace released its “Lessons from Fukushima” report (2), which shows that people are suffering from the impacts of the Fukushima disaster due to the failures of Japanese authorities, who chose to ignore the risks of nuclear reactors and make nuclear industry profits a higher priority than public safety.
“Fukushima was an avoidable, man-made disaster, as industry interests and profits were given a higher priority than health and safety,” said Aslihan Tumer, Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner. “Governments around the world must phase out this fundamentally dangerous technology, and invest in safe, proven, and affordable renewable technologies.”
ENDS
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment, and to promote peace.
Contacts:
Greg McNevin, Greenpeace International Communications, 
, +81 80 5416 6507
Yuki Sekimoto, Greenpeace Japan Communications, 
, +81 80 5088 3048
Greenpeace International Press Desk Hotline, Amsterdam +31 20 7182470
Photography and video of the Mt Fuji ascent and lake banner are available. Please contact:
Greenpeace International Picture Desk, 
, +31 6 2900 1152
Greenpeace International Video Desk, 
, +31 6 4616 2009
For more on Greenpeace’s work in Fukushima, visit: http://www.greenpeace.org/fukushima
Receive Greenpeace International press releases via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/greenpeacepress
Notes:
1) Greenpeace collected messages via the Twitter tag #msgFukushima, its website (http://bit.ly/yzknf2), Facebook (http://on.fb.me/zkEhrB), Greenpeace Japan’s “Love Hairo” website (http://www.love-hairo.org/) and from visitors to its “Shadowlands” exhibition in Tokyo (http://bit.ly/ysPbqP).
2) Link to the Executive Summary and the Lessons from Fukushima report: http://www.greenpeace.org/fukushima-lessons