News & Events

May 10, 2011—Japan is taking a cautious, conservative approach in responding to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in order to reassure people that it is safe to live, travel and do business in Japan, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki said today. The government’s request last week that Chubu Electric Power Co. shut down the Hamaoka nuclear facility until its seismic response capabilities are enhanced is a reflection of that caution, he said. Chubu agreed to the request this week, deciding to temporarily close the facility.

Fujisaki said the accident highlighted the importance of coordinated decision-making and effective communications in responding to an emergency. Four days after the tsunami, Tokyo Electric Power Co.  and the government established an emergency headquarters in Tokyo to facilitate decisions to mitigate the accident and restore the reactors to a safe condition. However, communications remained somewhat fragmented in the first weeks after the event, he said. Subsequently, they began holding joint press conferences. “That created a very clear message,” he said.

Looking ahead, Fujisaki said, “It is our responsibility to share our experiences—both good and bad—with transparency. … It is all the more important that we contribute proactively to the safe operation of [the world’s] nuclear power plants.”

The ambassador acknowledged that there is much discussion in Japan about the future of nuclear energy. While he declined to offer a projection, Fujisaki noted that Japan depends on nuclear energy for 24 percent of its electricity—second only to France. He cited a 2007 poll in which 53 percent of Japanese supported maintaining nuclear energy at its current level. A recent poll found that support has fallen to 51 percent, he said.

Fujisaki said the Japanese prime minister plans to conduct a “zero-based” review of the nation’s strategic energy plan. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Japan will halt its development of nuclear plants, he said, the government will reassess its long-term goals for nuclear and renewable energy sources.

The ambassador said Japan has received “huge support” from abroad, especially from the United States, in dealing with the crisis at Fukushima. This support has included more than 50 nuclear experts dispatched to Japan to help respond to the accident, he said. “From the bottom of our hearts, the Japanese people are grateful to America.”

—Nuclear Energy Overview