More than 80 per cent of Japanese want the country's 54 nuclear reactors scrapped in the wake of this year's nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant, a poll showed Sunday, DPA reported.
According to the poll, conducted by a nationwide opinion survey body organized by Kyodo News, 82 per cent wanted the reactors to be decommissioned either gradually or immediately, while just 14 per cent said the operations should continue, reflecting the public's mounting distrust of nuclear energy.
The country has 54 nuclear reactors including six at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The plant was severely damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and has since leaked radioactive substances into the environment.
Of the 82 per cent, 9 per cent said the reactors should be decommissioned immediately while 19 per cent wanted scrapping to start with ones undergoing periodic inspection.
Ninety-four per cent said they were "deeply" or "to some extent" concerned about the safety of nuclear power plants after the crisis. Just 43 per cent said they had felt the same way beforehand.
Meanwhile, 84 per cent said Japan should rely more on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, followed by 45 per cent who wanted more hydraulic power generation and 31 per cent who wanted more natural gas. Only 7 per cent said the country should depend more on nuclear power.