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Wind Power News: Japan
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Experts oppose plan to build wind farm in bird sanctuary
Wind turbines and birds in Hokkaido are a contentious mix for academic societies raising issue over the impact that Daigas G&P Solution Co.’s proposed structures may have on wildlife. The Ecological Society of Japan and the Ornithological Society of Japan announced at an April 7 news conference that they submitted a petition requesting that the Osaka-based company and related ministries review and modify plans to construct a wind farm. Daigas’ proposed location spans Hokkaido’s coastal areas of Atsuma and Tomakomai. . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine blade falls in northern Japan, one man dies
A 40-meter-long blade has fallen off a wind turbine in the northern Japanese prefecture of Akita. A man was found collapsed near the site and later confirmed dead. Police say they received a report at around 10:30 a.m. on Friday that a blade had come off a turbine in a park in Akita City. The local police and fire department say an 81-year-old man was found unconscious with head injuries, and that he was later pronounced dead after being transported . . . Complete story »
Akita man dies after broken blade falls from wind turbine
An elderly man died on May 2 after being found collapsed on the ground near a broken blade from a wind turbine here, police said. Akita prefectural police are investigating whether the fallen blade caused the death of Takashi Shishido, 81, who lived in Akita city. The fire department was notified about Shishido’s condition at the Araya seaside park in Akita city’s Araya district at around 10:20 a.m. He was taken to a hospital with a head injury but was . . . Complete story »
As Japan makes major investments in wind power, some residents are pushing back
About a 40-minute drive to the north from central Sapporo lies the Sea of Japan port of Ishikari, a city rich in biodiversity that now finds itself at the heart of a fierce debate over wind power as Japan scrambles to decarbonize its energy sector. In a sense, Ishikari represents the idealized version of Hokkaido for many Japanese as well as for foreign tourists: Its coastal waters are famous for their seafood, while the city’s nature trails and parks are . . . Complete story »
Wind farm plan in Hokkaido called threat to endangered fish
Environmental groups are demanding the suspension of a wind power plant project in Hokkaido, saying it could devastate the population of “ito” (Japanese huchen), an endangered species of salmonid freshwater fish. The Environment Ministry has also cited the need for major revisions to the project. Japan Renewable Energy Corp. (JRE), a Tokyo-based company affiliated with Eneos Corp., a major oil company, is in charge of the wind power project. JRE has indicated it is open to changes. “We are aware . . . Complete story »
Bill submitted to restrict windpower construction that interferes with defense radar
The Japanese government is set to submit a new bill to a regular diet session convening early next year to restrict the construction of wind farms as they can potentially interfere with the Self-Defense Forces’ radar systems, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. The legislation will obligate businesses to notify the government of their construction plans if those facilities are built in areas designated by the defense minister, according to the sources. In cases where the government determines that . . . Complete story »
Internal email sheds light on wind-power bribery scandal
A former president of Japan Wind Development, currently at the center of a bribery scandal, told executives of the firm that he had asked a lawmaker to make a parliamentary statement in connection with the company’s operations, informed sources said Saturday. Masayuki Tsukawaki, 64, sent an email to multiple Japan Wind Development executives saying that he urged House of Representatives member Masatoshi Akimoto, 48, who was arrested for allegedly receiving bribes, to ask a question in the country’s parliament about . . . Complete story »
Prosecutors question Japan lawmaker over wind farm bribery case
Tokyo prosecutors have questioned lower house member Masatoshi Akimoto on a voluntary basis over allegations that he received tens of millions of yen from a wind power company, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s special investigation squad is expected to decide whether to build a bribery case against the former ruling Liberal Democratic Party member, known as an advocate of renewable energy. The president of Japan Wind Development Co., Masayuki Tsukawaki, has decided . . . Complete story »
Transition to “clean energy” is hurting Indigenous communities
When Francisco Calí Tzay, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, spoke at the 22nd United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, or UNPFII, last week, he listed clean energy projects as some of the most concerning threats to their rights. “I constantly receive information that Indigenous Peoples fear a new wave of green investments without recognition of their land tenure, management, and knowledge,” said Calí Tzay. His statements – and those made by other delegates – at . . . Complete story »
Japan suspends wind power projects over threat to endangered birds
The central and local governments have suspended a number of wind farm construction projects over concerns about the protection of endangered birds. Japan is currently pursuing wind power as a source of clean energy with an eye on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but fears have also been voiced over wind turbine strikes on rare avian species. There have been many cases in which imperiled birds of prey – including golden eagles and mountain hawk-eagles – have been killed in bird strikes both . . . Complete story »
