Why Japan wants more nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster | ABC News
Japan to increase nuclear power as new crises overshadow fears of Fukushima repeat
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-12/rebirth-of-japanese-nuclear-power-industry/104922298
Tokyo, September 1, 2025 — Sixty-eight NGOs from 25 countries and regions, including Japan, have launched a global petition urging the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to reverse recent moves toward financing nuclear power projects. For decades, both institutions excluded nuclear power from their lending due to unresolved risks: nuclear proliferation, safety hazards, radioactive waste, and high costs. However, on June 10 the World Bank’s Board of Directors lifted its ban, and the ADB is expected to follow in its upcoming energy policy review. “The reasons nuclear power was excluded in the past remain as urgent as ever,” the petitioning groups warned. “Supporting nuclear projects would pose…
Lessons the G8 Can Learn from Japan: the Nuclear Fuel Cycle is an Economic Failure Providing No Energy [Word Doc (US Letter size): 226kb] [Word Doc (A4 size): 234kb] For Immediate Release: 14 July 2006Contact: Philip White (CNIC) 03-5330-9520 Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan—-Japan has opportunistically jumped on President George Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) bandwagon in the hope of aiding its troubled nuclear fuel cycle program and gaining recognition for Japan’s unique position as the only Non Nuclear Weapons State (NNWS) member of the Non Proliferation Treaty with access to the full nuclear fuel cycle. It is difficult to imagine, however, that Japan could play a significant role in…
In February 2001, Governor Eisaku Sato of Fukushima Prefecture announced that he would not allow the use of MOX fuel in Fukushima Prefecture in spite of earlier promises to the national government and Tokyo Electric to allow the pluthermal program to proceed. At the same time, Governor Sato announced his intention of setting up an Energy Policy Review Committee to examine the entire national energy policy from the perspective of an energy producing prefecture. After listening to the views of twelve prefectural citizens on 31 May 2001, the committee proceeded to hear the views of eight lecturers. On October 25, Professor Hitoshi Yoshioka, expert committee member of Japan’s Atomic Energy…
“Has fast breeder Monju been good for Japan’s energy?” Fast breeder’s electricity is expensive. Download PDF version (266 KB)
Commonly referred to as the pluthermal program, Japan has plans to commercially burn MOX (mixed plutonium uranium oxide) fuel in 16 to 18 nuclear power plants by 2010. The program, however, is way behind schedule and yet to begin. MOX utilization was initially to take place in Fukui, Fukushima, and Niigata Prefectures. However, at this time, all plans to load MOX fuel in these regions have been temporarily suspended, and opposition to implementation of the pluthermal program remains strong. NIIGATA PREFECTURE: Kariwa’s ‘No to MOX’ Referendum Result Remains Unchanged May 27, 2002 marked the first anniversary of a referendum in Kariwa village, Niigata Prefecture, in which a majority of residents…
11 May 2009 STATEMENT BY JAPANESE AND RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CONSEQUENCES OF JAPAN-RUSSIA NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will arrive in Tokyo today. During his visit he will meet Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. According to media reports, they may sign a new nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries. The agreement will allow Japanese nuclear material to be sent to Russia. Japan and Russia have for several years been considering the possibility of extracting uranium from spent nuclear fuel reprocessed in the UK and France and re-enriching it in Russia. The re-enriched uranium could be used in nuclear fuel for Japanese nuclear power plants, but there…