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As of November 2015, Japan has one nuclear power plant in operation.〔http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/health-science-technology/nuclear-aftershocks/four-years-after-fukushima-japan-makes-a-return-to-nuclear-power/〕 Prior to the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, and the nuclear disasters that resulted from it, Japan had generated 30% of its electrical power from nuclear reactors and planned to increase that share to 40%.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf79.html )〕 Nuclear energy was a national strategic priority in Japan, but there had been concern about the ability of Japan's nuclear plants to withstand seismic activity. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant was completely shut down for 21 months following an earthquake in 2007.〔 The 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused the failure of cooling systems at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant on March 11 and Japan's first-ever nuclear emergency was declared, which caused 140,000 residents within of the plant to be evacuated. A comprehensive assessment by international experts on the health risks associated with the Fukushima I nuclear power plant disaster concluded in 2013 that, for the general population inside and outside of Japan, the predicted risks were low and no observable increases in cancer rates above baseline rates were anticipated.〔(Global report on Fukushima nuclear accident details health risks ) World Health Organization, news release 2013-02-28, accessed 2013-07-04〕 On 6 May 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant be shut down as an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher is likely to hit the area within the next thirty years.〔(Story ) at BBC News, 2011-05-06. retrieved 2011-05-08〕〔(Story ) at Digital Journal. retrieved 2011-05-07〕〔(Story ) at (Bloomberg ), 2011-05-07. retrieved 2011-05-08]〕 Problems in stabilizing the triple reactor meltdowns at Fukushima I nuclear plant hardened attitudes to nuclear power. As of June 2011, more than 80 percent of Japanese now said they were anti-nuclear and distrusted government information on radiation. As of October 2011, there have been electricity shortages, but Japan survived the summer without the extensive blackouts that had been predicted. An energy white paper, approved by the Japanese Cabinet in October 2011, stated that "public confidence in safety of nuclear power was greatly damaged" by the Fukushima disaster, and called for a reduction in the nation’s reliance on nuclear power. All Japan's nuclear plants were closed, or their operations suspended for safety inspections. The last of Japan's fifty reactors (Tomari-3) went offline for maintenance on May 5, 2012, leaving Japan completely without nuclear-produced electrical power for the first time since 1970. Despite protests, on 1 July 2012 unit 3 of the Ōi Nuclear Power Plant was restarted. In September 2013 Ōi units 3 and 4 went offline, making Japan again completely without nuclear-produced electrical power. On August 11, 2015, the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant was brought back online.〔http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/health-science-technology/nuclear-aftershocks/four-years-after-fukushima-japan-makes-a-return-to-nuclear-power/〕 As of November 2015 it is the only nuclear power plant operating in Japan. ==History== In 1954, Japan budgeted 230 million yen for nuclear energy, marking the beginning of the program. The Atomic Energy Basic Law limited activities to only peaceful purposes.〔Johnston, Eric, "(Key players got nuclear ball rolling )", ''Japan Times'', 16 July 2011, p. 3.〕 The first nuclear reactor in Japan was built by the UK's GEC and was commissioned in 1966. In the 1970s, the first light water reactors were built in cooperation with American companies. These plants were bought from U.S. vendors such as General Electric and Westinghouse with contractual work done by Japanese companies, who would later get a license themselves to build similar plant designs. Developments in nuclear power since that time have seen contributions from Japanese companies and research institutes on the same level as the other big users of nuclear power. Between the early 1970s and today, the Japanese government promoted the siting of nuclear power plants through a variety of policy instruments involving soft social control and financial incentives.〔Daniel P. Aldrich 'How the Japanese Government Manipulated Public Opinion'()〕 By offering large subsidies and public works projects to rural communities and by using educational trips, junkets for local government officials, and OpEds written as news by pro-nuclear supporters, the central government won over the support of depopulating, hard-on-their-luck coastal towns and villages. Japan's nuclear industry was not hit as hard by the effects of the Three Mile Island accident (TMI) or the Chernobyl disaster as some other countries. Construction of new plants continued to be strong through the 1980s, 1990s, and up to the present day. While many new plants had been proposed, all were subsequently canceled or never brought past initial planning. Canceled plant orders include: * The Maki Nuclear Power Plant at Maki, Niigata (Kambara)—Canceled in 2003 * The Kushima Nuclear Power Plant at Kushima, Miyazaki—1997 * The Ashihama Nuclear Power Plant at Ashihama, Mie—2000 (the first Project at the site in the 1970s was completed at Hamaoka as Unit 1&2) * The Hōhoku Nuclear Power Plant at Hōhoku, Yamaguchi—1994 * The Suzu Nuclear Power Plant at Suzu, Ishikawa—2003 However, starting in the mid-1990s there were several nuclear related accidents and cover-ups in Japan that eroded public perception of the industry, resulting in protests and resistance to new plants. These accidents included the Tokaimura nuclear accident, the Mihama steam explosion, cover-ups after an accident at the Monju reactor, among others, more recently the Chūetsu offshore earthquake aftermath. While exact details may be in dispute, it is clear that the safety culture in Japan's nuclear industry has come under greater scrutiny. On April 18, 2007, Japan and the United States signed the United States-Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan, aimed at putting in place a framework for the joint research and development of nuclear energy technology.〔(United States and Japan Sign Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan ), ''United States Department of Energy'', published 2007-04-25, accessed 2007-05-02〕 Each country will conduct research into fast reactor technology, fuel cycle technology, advanced computer simulation and modeling, small and medium reactors, safeguards and physical protection; and nuclear waste management.〔(Fact Sheet: United States-Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan ), ''United States Department of Energy'', published 2007-04-25, accessed 2007-05-02〕 In March 2008, Tokyo Electric Power Company announced that the start of operation of four new nuclear power reactors would be postponed by one year due to the incorporation of new earthquake resistance assessments. Units 7 and 8 of the Fukushima Daiichi plant would now enter commercial operation in October 2014 and October 2015, respectively. Unit 1 of the Higashidori plant is now scheduled to begin operating in December 2015, while unit 2 will start up in 2018 at the earliest. As of September 2008, Japanese ministries and agencies were seeking an increase in the 2009 budget by 6%. The total requested comes to 491.4 billion Japanese yen (4.6 billion USD), and the focuses of research are development of the fast breeder reactor cycle, next-generation light water reactors, the Iter project, and seismic safety.〔NucNet. (Japan Budget Proposals Seek Increase In Nuclear Spending ). September 11, 2008.〕 A 2011 independent investigation in Japan has "revealed a long history of nuclear power companies conspiring with governments to manipulate public opinion in favour of nuclear energy". One nuclear company "even stacked public meetings with its own employees who posed as ordinary citizens to speak in support of nuclear power plants". An energy white paper, approved by the Japanese Cabinet in October 2011, says "public confidence in safety of nuclear power was greatly damaged" by the Fukushima disaster, and calls for a reduction in the nation’s reliance on nuclear power. It also omits a section on nuclear power expansion that was in last year’s policy review.〔 Nuclear Safety Commission Chairman Haruki Madarame told a parliamentary inquiry in February 2012 that "Japan's atomic safety rules are inferior to global standards and left the country unprepared for the Fukushima nuclear disaster last March". There were flaws in, and lax enforcement of, the safety rules governing Japanese nuclear power companies, and this included insufficient protection against tsunamis. As of 27 March 2012, Japan had only one out of 54 nuclear reactors operating; the Tomari-3, after the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 6 was shut down.〔("Soon Japan's nuclear power stands still" ) ''NyTeknik'', 27 March 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2012. (English translation )〕 The Tomari-3 was shut down for maintenance on 5 May, leaving Japan with no nuclear-derived electricity for the first time since 1970, when the country's then only two reactors was taken offline five days for maintenance.〔 On 15 June 2012, approval was given to restart Ōi Units 3 and 4〔(Real-time display ) Japanese - Ohi 3 and 4 are the last two on the page〕 which could take six weeks to bring them to full operation. On 1 July 2012 unit 3 of the Ōi Nuclear Power Plant was restarted. This reactor can provide 1,180 MW of electricity. On 21 July 2012 unit 4 was restarted, also 1,180 MW. The reactor was shut down again on 14 September 2013, again leaving Japan with no operating power reactors.〔Matsuyama, Kanoko. ("Shutdown of Japan’s Last Nuclear Reactor Raises Power Concerns". ) (''Bloomberg''. ) 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2014-02-05.〕 Government figures in the 2014 Annual Report on Energy show that Japan depended on imported fossil fuels for 88% of its electricity in fiscal year 2013, compared with 62% in fiscal 2010. Without significant nuclear power, the country was self-sufficient for just 6% of its energy demand in 2012, compared with 20% in 2010. The additional fuel costs to compensate for its nuclear reactors being idled was ¥3.6 trillion. In parallel, domestic energy users have seen a 19.4% increase in their energy bills between 2010 and 2013, while industrial users have seen their costs rise 28.4% over the same period.〔http://hotcopper.com.au/threads/japan-continues-to-count-cost-of-idled-reactors.2300435/〕 The National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) is the first independent investigation commission by the National Diet in the 66-year history of Japan’s constitutional government. NAICC was established on December 8, 2011 with the mission to investigate the direct and indirect causes of the Fukushima nuclear accident. NAICC submitted its inquiry report to both houses on July 5, 2012. The 10-member commission compiled its report based on more than 1,167 interviews and 900 hours of hearings. It was a six-month independent investigation, the first of its kind with wide-ranging subpoena powers in Japan's constitutional history, which held public hearings with former Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Tokyo Electric Power Co's former president Masataka Shimizu, who gave conflicting accounts of the disaster response. The commission chairman, Kiyoshi Kurokawa, declared with respect to the Fukushima nuclear incident: “It was a profoundly man-made disaster — that could and should have been foreseen and prevented.” He added that the "fundamental causes" of the disaster were rooted in "the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture." The report outlines errors and willful negligence at the plant before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 and a flawed response in the hours, days and weeks that followed. It also offers recommendations and encourages Japan's parliament to "thoroughly debate and deliberate" the suggestions. Japan's new energy plan, approved by the Liberal Democratic Party cabinet in April 2014, calls nuclear power "the country's most important power source".〔http://en.haberler.com/japan-reverses-its-withdrawal-from-nuclear-power-418262/〕 Reversing a decision by the previous Democratic Party, the government will re-open nuclear plants, aiming for "a realistic and balanced energy structure". In May 2014 the Fukui District Court blocked the restart of the Oi reactors.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Reflect on Fukui nuclear ruling )〕 In April 2015 courts blocked the restarting of two reactors at Takahama Nuclear Power Plant but permitted the restart of two reactors at Sendai Nuclear Power Plant. The government hopes that nuclear power will produce 20% of Japan’s electricity by 2030.〔 As of June 2015, approval was being sought from the new Nuclear Regulatory Agency for 24 units to restart, of the 54 pre-Fukushima units. The units also have to be approved by the local prefecture authorities before restarting. In July 2015 fuel loading was completed at the Sendai-1 nuclear plant, with a planned startup in 30 days. Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority approved the restart of Ikata-3, this reactor is the fifth to receive approval to restart.〔http://www.nei.org/News-Media/News/Japan-Nuclear-Update〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Nuclear power in Japan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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