Drone Sent to Abe's Roof to Investigate US Meddling in Japan Nuclear Policy

A Japanese man who landed a drone with radioactive sand on the rooftop of the prime minister's residence might have aimed at checking whether the United States was meddling in Japan's nuclear power policy, Kyodo news agency reported Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Last week, a drone carrying a capsule with radioactive sand from Fukushima landed on top of the residence of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, local media reported. Shortly after the incident, Yasuo Yamamoto, a 40-year-old Japanese national, claimed responsibility for remotely controlling the drone and was arrested.

In 2014, Yamamoto aimed to use a drone to take a closer look at a nuclear power plant complex in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to the man’s blog. His attempt to take aerial footage of the site failed as the drone was unable to reach a reactor building.

Yamamoto also described his drone’s future visit to the US embassy housing compound, where he allegedly intended to make out whether the United States was “applying pressure” to resume operations of nuclear power plants in Japan.

In 2011, Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant was hit by a 14-meter tsunami that caused three of the plant's six reactors to melt down. Radioactive material leaked into the sea and air, and hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from settlements near the plant.

All of Japan’s nuclear plants were shut down after the incident and may only resume work if new and stricter safety standards are met. Over the past year, the country has moved toward returning to nuclear power, with several local courts approving the restart of nuclear reactors.