Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings has requested that Pokémon GO developer Niantic remove the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant from its database after discovering that the app spawns Pokémon on the site.
The plant was partially destroyed by a nuclear reactor meltdown in March 2011, and still poses a serious risk in terms of radiation levels. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco for short) says that it has discovered Pokémon on the site using the app, as well as at the nearby Fukushima Daini plant and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.
A warning has been issued regarding site security after three teenagers entered a nuclear power plant in the US. Tepco has also banned its employees from playing the app when on site.
Fukushima governor Masao Uchibori has added his own comments on the matter, pointing out that he and his prefectural government will be looking into ways of preventing access to power plant sites and drawing more attention to the dangers involved.
This isn't the first case of this kind in Japan - the city government of Nagasaki has already asked Niantic to remove Pokémon from Nagasaki Peace Park, a memorial to victims of the 1945 atomic bombing. Niantic has previously stated that it will seriously consider such requests.
The Japanese minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology Hiroshi Hase has said it is "gratifying" that a Japanese-made brand is reaching such high levels of fame around the world, but warned that the location-based gameplay could put players in danger, and has urged caution.
[source theguardian.com]
Comments (24)
Well like duh! And Niantic I guess should remove them because there are stupid people in this world unfortunately.
Ash wouldn't let a little thing like dangerous levels of caesium-137 stop him.
But there's Mewtwo in there!
@EllenJMiller
To be the very best there ever was you obviously have to mutate!
This thing probably crawled out of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
I never understood why people turn into idiotic zombies with something like this. Going to area like that, breaking in places - especially when the radius is enough to catch something without breaking in.
Or jumping over gravestones at graveyard. Or going to church when there is funerals/weddings/something in process.
Or complain it is company's fault that kids run to the streets. No. You don't have to run to street to catch it, you can catch it from the sidewalk. Your kid, your responsibility.
Adult? Could someone slap you for being an idiot.
@Finntendo
Yeah, i think it's player's fault if they can't CONTROL themself.
Just wake up !
You're controlling the game, not game is controlling you.
I'm afraid if someone has being a Slave for video game.
Oh, one thing. Niantic should removed the Chernobyl Nuclear area too from its database. Imagine, the radioactive level is even worse than Fukushima. Wonder if the Bermuda Triangle area also registered on Niantic database...( Who want to experience with paranormal phenomenon and then vanished ?)
But, but theres a muk inside!
@RandomBlue Don't forget the Zapdos
Don't worry, you can always go to chernobyl.
Wonder if anyone was looking for that unfortunately-named mascot of a refrigerator company, actually based miles away, but linked with the nuclear disaster erroneously.
Egg pokemon...
I'm not surprised by this 😂
Gotta catch ém them,
At any cause,
Pokémon.
BUT THAT'S WHERE THE MUK ARE!
Missingno?
Sigh...
But Battery Jesus is inside there!
@Piersen
No sad little boy is worthy, or let alone competent enough to capture my Mewtwo. None.
Mewtwo is forever my Pokemon and will never be anyone else's. Ever.
Niantic needed to make a list of stuff and avoid letting it get into the app, and you'd think a nuclear wasteland would be high on that list. Guess not, though.
Is sad that common sense is non-existent in a lot of people. Here in the U.S. a woman claimed she would take legal action because (i don't remember if it was her or her daughter) the game made her cross the freeway in search of a Pokemon.
I'm waiting for the first ludicrous lawsuit to pop up.
Something something darwin.
@Finntendo Bad faith? the freedom to choose whether or not you are free, a total paradox.
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