The Role of Nuclear Power in Japan’s Energy Transition

The article is devoted to the energy transition and the role of nuclear power within this process in Japan. Tokyo’s energy policy after 2011 is focused on the implementation of innovative technologies in the field of renewable energy sources, but the government’s plans for the period up to 2050 devote considerable attention to nuclear power. However, the topic of reactivation of nuclear power plants and their place in the country’s future energy mix is unpopular among researchers, as evidenced by the low number of papers on this topic. The article examines the changes in the country’s policy towards the nuclear industry amid the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. The current regulatory structure of the nuclear power sector and the interconnection of organizations within it are demonstrated. Major changes in official energy development plans are also analyzed, leading to the conclusion that nuclear power will continue to play a role in Japan’s energy mix for the next several decades. The information on operating NPP reactors on the territory of Japan was updated and graphically presented, thus, the tendency to restart some of the shutdown reactors and their longterm orientation is noted. It is shown that the current situation is characterized by a tendency to soften the opposition to nuclear power within Japan’s society, which is the outcome of the government’s work to restore confidence in the peaceful atom, as well as a result of the global energy crisis. The study concludes that Japan’s active use of the peaceful atom is resuming, and notes the significant role of nuclear power plants in Japan’s energy transition.

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