Home Of Hokkaido Town Mayor Vandalized
The home of a mayor on Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido has been vandalized as the town debates a plan to host a disposal site for nuclear waste.
Kataoka Haruo, the mayor of Suttsu, notified police before dawn on Thursday that a window of his house was shattered and scorched. The mayor was not hurt.
Police suspect someone threw an unidentified object into the mayor's home.
Officials in Suttsu announced in August that the town was considering a preliminary survey by the national government on whether it would be suitable as the final disposal site for highly radioactive waste from nuclear reactors.
The mayor was expected to announce on Thursday that he has decided to apply for the preliminary survey.
However, the mayors of three neighboring municipalities have urged caution in making the decision.
The heads of other municipalities in Hokkaido and representatives of fishermen's groups have also voiced opposition to the move in Suttsu.
