Uncertain Future for Nuclear Energy in Japan as Last Nuclear Reactor is Switched Off

Characteristic of the high-profile and high-stakes discussions about the future of nuclear power in Japan are two adjacent articles on Wednesday, October 23 in one of the world’s largest daily newspapers, the Yomiuri Shinbun: in one article, “Zero Nuclear Energy Society Best for Japan”, popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi argues that Japan should remain non-nuclear. Koizumi wrote his article in reaction to a pro-nuclear editorial in the Yumiuri Shinbun on October 8. Koizumi uses two main points to argue for a non-nuclear future for Japan:

1. A zero nuclear policy for Japan can “unify the people” to transform Japan into a society using natural energy sources, and
2. there is no solution now and for the foreseeable future for the long-term storage of spent-fuel, because there is too much opposition in Japan against constructing long-term storage facilities

Placed next to Prime Minister Koizumi’s article, Yomiuri Shinbun Editorial Writer Yuzuru Endo argued strongly for a resumption of nuclear power in Japan.

These articles represent the division of Japanese society in people against nuclear power, including Prime Minister Koizumi, industry leader Masayoshi Son, Nobel Prize Winner Kenzaburo Oe, against supporters of restarting and keeping nuclear power, which includes the current Japanese Goverment.

The fact is that on Sunday, September 15, 2013, Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO) started to shut-down Japan’s last remaining nuclear power reactor (Oi No. 4 reactor), and stopped its operation in the morning of September 16, 2013. Therefore Japan is non-nuclear since September 16, 2013.

To understand Japan’s current energy situation, it is important to understand why Japan is non-nuclear at this time, and for the foreseeable future.

Japan is not non-nuclear because of a clear Government decision to switch off nuclear power. There is no Japanese Government decision to go non-nuclear at this time. On the contrary, the current Japanese government is decidedly pro-nuclear and expresses the wish to restart nuclear power plants as soon as possible.

The reason why all Japanese nuclear power plants are switched off is that in Japan, all nuclear power plants must be switched off for maintenance and checks after each period of 13 months. After maintenance and checks are completed, nuclear reactors are switched on again with approval of the local authorities and the nuclear regulators. Before the Fukushima accident, these approvals were typically granted without any problems. However, after Fukushima, it has proven impossible to obtain these approvals to restart reactors after maintenance.

The fact that Japan is non-nuclear in Japan is not the result of a unified policy, but its the expression and the consequence of the deep division in Japanese society about the future of nuclear energy. The fact that Japan is nuclear-free today also demonstrates the power of local government leaders in Japan’s democratic processes.

Although the present Government of Japan is decidedly pro-nuclear, at this moment in time it is impossible to predict whether nuclear power will ever be switched back on in Japan. Japan is a very democratic country – whether nuclear power will ever be used again in Japan will be the result of Japan’s democratic processes.

4 Comments on "Uncertain Future for Nuclear Energy in Japan as Last Nuclear Reactor is Switched Off"

DC on Fri, 1st Nov 2013 6:33 pm 



EC is truly a garbage publication. Japan is not a ‘very democratic’ country. Its ‘very democratic’ in the same way the US of War is, or Britain, or Canada or Aus etc. That is to say..

DINO -Democratic In Name Only.

There is very real public opposition in Japan no nuclear power, as there is in the US and elsewhere. However, the nuclear industry enjoys the full protection of gov’t everywhere nukes exist. This also gives them immunity from voting on its future. The public have virtually NO input, and there protests are regularly ignored by govts and there corrupt backers. Japan didnt turn those nukes off because of ‘democracy’, they did it because they had no choice in the matter.

Thats what happens when nature forces your hand-finally. People can protest all they want-but ‘democracy’ hasn’t stopped the construction of one nuclear station or weapons plant.

Northwest Resident on Fri, 1st Nov 2013 9:14 pm 



The financial elite need those nuclear power plants pumping out the kilowatts to power their accumulation of MORE and MORE and MORE wealth. If a few (hundred) thousand peasants get radiated every now and then, hey, that’s the price of doing business.

BillT on Sat, 2nd Nov 2013 3:34 am 



I still say that every pro-nuclear person should be given his/her own personal spent fuel rod to keep in their homes. I am sure that there are enough for that and maybe a few thousand left over for the pro-nuclear politicians to keep one also.

Kenz300 on Sat, 2nd Nov 2013 11:22 am 



What is the cost to store nuclear waste FOREVER……

Nuclear energy is too costly and too dangerous….

There are safer, cleaner and cheaper ways to generate electricity.