Japan’s Nuclear Energy Policy: A Review of Early years to Now

Japan started its nuclear energy journey through establishment of three laws in 1955: In December 1955: Atomic Energy Basic Law, Law for Establishment of Atomic Energy Commission, and Law for Establishment of Atomic Energy Bureau. In June 1957, the Law Concerning Regulation of Nuclear Source Materials, Nuclear Fuel Materials, and Nuclear Reactors, the so-called Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law, was promulgated. In the 1960s, Japan’s economy pushed toward rapid economic growth, and Japan’s energy demand also increased, especially in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which pushed for the commercial use of nuclear energy, which was privatized widely. The oil crises added to this movement, and there was a rush to develop and build nuclear power plants from the 1970s to the 1980s. Japan’s nuclear energy policy evolution can be classified into three periods: the first period (1957–1977), the second period (1978–1999), and the third period (2000–2011). Different regulations and legislation were established and revised through considering different industrial and natural hazards. However, the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 and nuclear meltdown in Fukushima made a turning point to the evolution of a transparent, trustworthy decision making and risk communication. The “safety myth” was broken and the overall policy evolution took a resilient pathway.