Eda NO! Protest in Saitama Going Strong (Live Netcast)

Mr. Yukio Edano's constituency is Omiya City in Saitama. People are shouting "EdaNO!" (with accent in NO), "Saikado Hantai" (againt nuke plant restart, a rather tired refrain).

It is still a great change as far as Japan is concerned. People no longer feel afraid or silly to march, shouting slogans and beating drums and blowing whistles, and they don't care if they are not a 10,000-strong crowd or 100,000. And unlike in China, no one in the government is telling them to take to the streets (as far as I know).

Live Video streaming by Ustream

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#Anti-Nuclear Japan: EdaNO! Protest in Omiya City, Saitama (Mr. Yukio Edano's Constituency)

Following the last week's success, they are at it again, protesting in Omiya City against the restart of Ooi Nuke Plant and against Mr. Edano himself, calling out loud, "EdaNO, YameRO! (Edano, resign!)" with accent on "NO" and "RO".

The crowd looks less than last week, but just as noisy and vigorous.

Come to think about it, Japan has come a long way. Now ordinary citizens are calling the sitting minister of one of the most powerful ministries in the Japanese government without "Mr.".

Live Video streaming by Ustream

I like these local events. There are no fences, there are no orange cones. People are shouting about all kinds of issues.

"No No EdaNO!"
"Genpatsu Iranai, Edano mo Iranai!" (We don't need nuke plants, we don't need Edano)
"Zo-zei Iranai!" (We don't need tax increase!)

and "Let's vote them out in election. Let's vote out Edano!"

I wonder if people in Goshi Hosono's constituency are doing any protest...

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July 8 EdaNO! Protest Against Nuke Plant Restart & Yukio Edano in Omiya City, Saitama (Mr. Edano's Constituency)

I just missed the USTREAM live netcast, but there were several hundred people gathered in Omiya City in Saitama Prefecture to protest against the Ooi Nuclear Power Plant restart and against Mr. Yukio Edano, whose constituency is Omiya City.

Mr. Edano was Chief Cabinet Secretary in March last year under Prime Minister Kan, and he was the voice and the face of the government and administration dealing with the nuclear accident and radiation contamination (of which he was instrumental in de-emphasizing and diminishing the severity). His refrain of "There is no immediate effect" at his press conferences in those days will be forever remembered by the Japanese people. He is the current Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

According to the tweets of people who were watching the USTREAM (IWJ's channel), they even stopped in front of the huge mansion of Edano and protested. Residents of Omiya City were seen receiving the anti-nuke and anti-Edano flyers from the protesters. Way to go, people.

I'm watching the video recorded live. Ordinary people, quietly walking the main street of Omiya City. As they walk and are warmed up, they start to shout very funny slogans. They also have an excellent collection of hand-made signs and banners.

Screenshot of the USTREAM video (recorded live, still available for a little while), organizers of the event and their handmade sign featuring Mr. EdaNO:

Look at the caricature of Mr. Edano in the screenshot below. The words say "Let's immediately un-elect EdaNO! Goodbye Nuclear [Goodbye] EdaNO! Protest Executive Committee". Take a close look at a yellow balloon that's coming out of Mr. EdaNO's behind. It is a "vent":

People are yelling "Usotsuki EdaNO!" (Liar Edano, with emphasis on NO), "Sayonara EdaNO!", "Don't take us for fools!" "Don't lie to us!", "NO, NO, Eh-Dah-NO!, NO, NO, Eh-Dah-NO!" Then, "Edano wa Jiko Bengoshi." "Jiko bengo" is to defend oneself, make excuse for oneself. "Bengoshi" is an attorney. Edano is an attorney.

This man's sign on his back says "He that will lie will become EdaNO!":

Ah...this is fun.

I think this is Mr. Edano's house. It looks like a fortress (just like TEPCO's former chairman Katsumata's house in central Tokyo):

People are shouting, "EdaNO, Yamero! (Resign!), EdaNO, Yamero!" It rhymes. Sort of. They shouted "Resign!" in front of Mr. Edano's district office in the city center.

Well, Mr. EdaNO is extremely unlikely to resign, so he has to be un-elected, come the Lower House election.

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