Last Friday, depending on whose estimates you believe, as many as 40,000 protestors gathered in Tokyo to send a message to Japanese Prime Minister Noda over the government's decision to restart two nuclear reactors at the Oi power plant. Their rally cry? Simple and to the point. "No Nukes!" Later today, protest organizers hope to have over 100,000 protestors gather to make sure the message is reiterated, loud and clear.

And they've got some help. Popular contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara has been outspoken against the use of nuclear energy for many years and his painting of a young girl carrying a No Nukes sign has become a major icon in the movement. Last week he tweeted (@michinara3) that he wouldn't mind if people borrowed his 1998 book "Slash with a Knife" from a library and photocopied his "NO NUKES girl" to use for protest, as long as they didn't plan to profit from it. You can download a high-resolution version at A3 size here.

 

Tonight's protest is 6-8 p.m. in front of the Prime Minister's office in Nagatacho. More information is available in Japanese at Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes.