Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has again called for Japan’s complete exit from nuclear energy. “Nuclear power plants will become a negative legacy for future generations,” he said at an event organised by a civic group in Sapporo that wants the nuclear reactors at Hokkaido Electric Power Co’s Tomari power station to be decommissioned.

He added: “Japan can become a much better country with zero nuclear power plants, just harnessing natural energy. Replacing nuclear energy with renewable energy will not be so difficult a challenge, if technological innovation advances.”

Mr Koizumi criticised Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s nuclear policy, which aims to re-start atomic plants, most of which remain offline. “If Mr Abe said ‘zero nuclear power’, the situation would greatly change.”