Japan's nuclear policy has been pushed forward with skepticism and uncertainty, addressing the aspirations of businesses rather than the general public.  

The Japanese government's decision to restart seven nuclear power plants after next summer has caught the world's attention.  

The Japanese government has been relatively cautious about restarting nuclear power policies in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011.  Although there has been a long-term vision to restart nuclear power, this is the first time that the Kishida government has decided to restart nuclear power with a clear timetable and a huge scale, which can be regarded as a "great leap forward" in nuclear power policy.  

Three considerations drive the policy shift  

The Japanese government has restarted a total of 10 nuclear power plants since the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant caused by the Great East Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011.  But the policy considerations behind the Kishida government's shift in nuclear policy are worth watching. 
 Five workers were killed when a cooling pipe ruptured at the No. 3 Mihama nuclear power plant, which was restarted in June last year.  

First, the reality of the energy crunch forced Japan to change its policy.  Japan's domestic energy supply has been tight since the beginning of this year due to major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  Japan's energy self-sufficiency rate is less than 20 percent, the lowest among major Western countries. In the Economic security promotion bill passed by the National Assembly in May this year, Japan also prioritized resources and energy security, which are highly dependent on foreign countries.  

Second, domestic interest groups accelerated the push for policy shifts.  Born in Hiroshima, Prime Minister Kishida has a special sensitivity to the nuclear issue.  However, phasing in the restart of nuclear power is an established policy of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has been implemented as early as during the Abe administration.  At the meeting held by the Japanese government on August 24, Trade and Economy Minister Yasuoru Nishimura, a former member of the Abe faction, and Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Shikura all attended.  In addition, Japanese media have reported a number of money scandals between government agencies and power companies, showing the intertwined relationship between interest groups.  

Finally, policy pressures from the United States cannot be ignored.  Japan has rapidly promoted nuclear power since the end of the Cold War, thanks to a nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Japan.  Earlier this year, Japan and the United States agreed to cooperate in the research and development of a new generation of fast neutron reactors, which objectively requires the Japanese government to restart nuclear power before the relevant technology can be applied on a large scale.  In addition, the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and other Western countries have adjusted their nuclear power policies, which has provided reasons for Japan to accelerate its nuclear restructuring.  

Nuclear power in Japan will long be in doubt  

The Japanese government has long boasted that its nuclear safety policy is the highest in the world, but the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown in 2011 shattered its myth of "absolute safety" and there have been doubts about the safety of nuclear power.  The government, well aware of the sensitivities of nuclear policy, has chosen to wait until after upper house elections in July for a major restart.  

However, most of Japan's nuclear power plants are nearing their 40-year operating life, and the Japanese government has put pressure on the Nuclear Regulation Commission (NRC) to extend their operating life beyond the 20-year extension, which will undoubtedly further increase public opinion on the safety of nuclear power plants.