Provisional Translation, August, 2021
第30回原子力委員会
資料第2号

White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2020
Published in 2021 (Summary)Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC)Preface
Purpose of the White Paper on Nuclear Energy is to update the status of the entire view of nuclear energy
utilization in Japan. The White Paper has been published by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) every
year since 1957. It consists of the Special Report and the Chapters which deal with topics laid out in the “Basic
Policy for Nuclear Energy” issued by JAEC in 2017. This year, the Special Report focuses on “10 years after the
Accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.” Here the White Paper spotlights the current
situation of the decommissioning of the Power Station, and recovery and reconstruction of the local community
damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. It also illustrates the progress made in nuclear safety and security
cultures, and reminds the important lessons learned and messages to all relevant parties concerned with nuclear
energy, for the future. The Chapters contain upgraded nuclear safety based on new regulatory standard, nuclear
energy application policy, international cooperation and activities, nuclear non-proliferation and international
security, efforts for restoring public confidence in nuclear power generation, decommissioning of nuclear stations,radioactive waste management, applicating radioisotopes to nuclear medicine, nuclear research and development,
and human resources development and education. Furthermore, the White Paper was edited in a user-friendly
manner for a wide range of readers, especially for younger students.
Dr. UESAKA, Mitsuru
Chairman of JAEC
August 2021
1

Table of Contents
Special Report“10 Years after the Accident of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident”

See Page 3

Special Report (Summary)

Chapter 2“Steady recovery and reconstruction of Fukushima, and seamless safety improvement withlessons learned”“Nuclear energy use addressing global warming issues and providing cost-effective electricity
for national economy”

Chapter 3“Efforts at home and abroad in the global context”

Chapter 4“Peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear non-proliferation, and nuclear security”

Chapter 5“Rebuilding public trust and confidence as a precondition for using nuclear energy”

Chapter 6“Decommissioning of nuclear stations and the radioactive waste management”

Chapter 7“Promoting the utilization of radiation and radioisotopes”

Chapter 8“Strengthening the foundation for using nuclear energy”

Chapter 1

See Page 15

Chapters 1 to 8 (Summary)2Summary

Special Report
10 Years after the Accident of the Tokyo Electric Power
Company Holdings’ Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

3

1

Fukushima Today: Efforts made off the premises of FDNPS(1) Recovery and reconstruction of Fukushima steadily moving forward
March 2021 marks ten years since the accident at TEPCO*’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). At that time, theexplosions of the reactor buildings released enormous amounts of radioactive substances mainly over north-east of Fukushima prefecture.
The radiation air dose rates in various areas of the prefecture were considerably high right after the accident.
(* Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings)
How is the situation in Fukushima today?
The air dose rates in major cities of Fukushima prefecture as of September 2020 showed much lower figures than ten years ago and,except for the close proximity of the power station, are largely on par with those in major cities abroad, such as New York, Paris andLondon (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Air dose rates in major cities in Fukushima and overseas

Source: Fukushima Prefecture, “〜Fukushima Today〜Steps for Reconstruction and Revitalization in Fukushima Prefecture”
4The air dose rates measured at one meter above the ground surface within an 80-km radius of the FDNPS as of October 2020 havedecreased by approximately 80% compared to those in November 2011 (Figure 2).

As of November 2011

As of October 2020

Figure 2 Decrease in air dose rates* Measured at 1m in height from the ground surface* The target area is divided into 250-m grid meshes and the value is calculated from the ratio of the measurement results in the central point of each grid mesh.
Source: Nuclear Regulation Authority, “Measurement Results of Monitoring by Aircraft in Fukushima Prefecture and Nearby Prefectures”

5Decontamination work wascompleted in all 100 municipalities
of eight prefectures by March 2018,
except for the Restricted Area inFukushima. By March 2020, theevacuation orders were lifted in allareas except for the Restricted
Area and in several zones within
the Specified Reconstruction andRevitalization
Bases
in
the
Restricted Area. Today, the lands
under evacuation orders accountfor 2.4% of the total area of theprefecture.
The living environment for
returnees to the areas where
evacuation orders were lifted has
greatly improved due to theaccelerated efforts toward reestablishing the residents’ livelihoods
and social infrastructure, such as
the development of reconstruction
public housing, opening of stores,
attracting enterprises to theindustrial area, re-opening and reestablishing healthcare centers,
nursing homes and welfare
facilities. Education returned tonormal with opening of elementaryand secondary schools and newly
constructed schools. Expansion of
the highways and recovery of theentire JR Joban line railway are in
progress (Figure 3).

Figure 3 Improving the living environment in areas where
evacuation orders have been lifted

Source: Reconstruction Agency, “Status of Reconstruction and Reconstruction Efforts”

6How did the radiation affect over human health?
The Fukushima prefectural government has carried out its survey since 2011. The basic component of the survey to estimate the total
external exposure doses after the first four months following the accident showed that 99.8% of the respondents received less than 5 mSv
and that the maximum value was 25 mSv. Based on this result, it concluded that the radiation doses estimated so far were unlikely tocause adverse effects on human health1. The thyroid ultrasound examination undertaken for residents of Fukushima prefecture aged 18
years and younger (age as of March 11, 2011) has suggested no correlation between thyroid cancer cases detected through the full-scale
screening and radiation exposure. According to a March 2021 report by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic
Radiation (UNSCEAR)2, the Committee’s estimates of dose and assessment of health risks implied that radiation-associated health effects
were unlikely to be discernible among Fukushima residents.
What about radiation-associated effects
over agricultural, forestry and fisheries
products?
In April 2012, the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare implemented a new
set of standards for managing radioactive
contamination of food in the light ofinternational standards prescribed by the
Codex Alimentarious Commission3. The
new standards were developed to achieve
the world’s strictest limit of radiation
dosage from food namely lower than 1
mSv per year. Food items exceeding thelimits are not allowed to be on the market.
Owing to various efforts by all the people
concerned, excluding a handful ofmushrooms, wild edible plants andfisheries products, no items exceeding thelimits have been found since FY2018(Table 1).

Table 1 Results of inspections on radioactivity levels inAgricultural, Forestry and fishery products in 17 prefectures*
From April 1, 2020 to January 27, 2021
Number of samples
Proportion ofclassification
Total number ofabove thesamples above thereported samples
maximum limit
maximum limit
Rice308,65000%Wheat and Barley
114
0
0%
Pulse
91
0
0%
Vegetable
3,655
0
0%
Fruits84400%Tea (Tea infusion)
16
0
0%
Other cultivated plants
14400%
Raw milk
2334
00%
Meat and Hen Eggs
18,5590
0%
Mushrooms an Wild Edible Plants
5,562
82
1.5%
Fishery Products
8,953
1
0.01%
* Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo,
Kanagawa, Niigata, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Shizuoka
Source: Created based on “Results of inspections on radioactivity levels in agricultural products,” “Resultsof inspections on radioactivity levels in livestock products,” “Results of the monitoring on radioactivity levelin fishery products” by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Fukushima Medical University, “Report of the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FY2019)” (http://kenko-kanri.jp/img/report_r1.pdf)
https://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/publications/2020b.html
3 The CAC was jointly set up by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963. The
CAC oversees the Codex Alimentarius, a set of international standards for food, to protect consumers’ health and to promote fair international food trade.
1
2

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The initiative of “Fukushima
Innovation Coast Framework” waslaunched with the aim to build freshindustrial bases and hubs in
Hamadori area and other parts ofFukushima. As a part of this initiative,“the Fukushima Robot Test Field”
became fully operational in March
2020 (Figure 4). “The Fukushima
Hydrogen Energy Research Field,”theworld’slargesthydrogenproduction demonstrator, started
production and shipment as well.
The initiative promotes advanced
R&D activities to help create newindustries with focusing on six key
sectors, i.e., i) decommissioning, ii)
robotics and drones, iii) energy,
environment, and recycling, vi)
agroforestry and fisheries, v) medicalcare, and iv) aerospace.

Figure 4 The layout of the Fukushima Robot Test Field

Source: METI Journal Online in the Japan Times, Fukushima after 10 years, “Fukushima faces businessreconstruction, reactor decommissioning”

In addition to these projects, “aninternational institute for educationaland research” will be established tofoster innovations that will strengthen industrial competitiveness and solve problems common to the world. The research and humanresources development are also indispensable for creative revitalization of Fukushima.
Even though the situation in Fukushima has dramatically changed in this way, many people around the world vividly remember what
happened there ten years ago. The public image at the wake of the accident has remained unchanged since then. The first step toaccelerate the rebuilding of Fukushima is to update the public image of Fukushima by providing precise data and information of Fukushima
today.

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(2) Recovery and Reconstruction of Fukushima is still on the way
As of March 2021, approximately 36,000 residents of Fukushima are still forced to live away from home. The government has not beenable to announce a concrete plan for lifting the evacuation orders in the Restricted Area (excluding the Specified Reconstruction andRevitalization Bases).
With the lack of proper understanding as to what radioactive contamination means and the progress of decontamination work, theagriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism and other sectors continue to suffer from ungrounded rumor and reputational damages, and thisalso affects other industries. Several countries and regions have still restricted their import of farm products from Fukushima (Table 2).
In this context, there still exists a lingering negative reputation both in and abroad.
The market value of agricultural
products in Fukushima has not recovered
to the pre-disaster level. More specifically,in the 12 municipalities affected by
the nuclear disaster, the areas wherefarming has already been resumed
account for only 32% of the predisaster level as of the end of FY2019.
In the fishery sector, the landing
volume in FY2020 is still at merely
17.7% of the pre-disaster level.
While some municipalities that lifted
the evacuation orders earlier havesuccessfully received large numbersof returnees, others that lifted theorders later received fewer returnees.
As a result, difficult issues such as
the provision of healthcare andnursing care, as well as the obstacles
in community regeneration that
accompany serious depopulation andthe declining birthrate and aging
population are revealed.

Table 2 Status of countries and regions introduced import measures on Japanese foodSource: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, “Status of countries and regions introduced importmeasures on Japanese food after the TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident”

92

Fukushima Today: Efforts made on the premises of FDNPS(1) Significant improvements of the environments in and around the NPS
Due to the high levels of radiation on
the premises of FDNPS immediately
after the accident, workers had to wear
radiation protection suits when working
on the site. Now that the averagetemperatures inside the reactors arestably maintained at 15 to 35 degrees
Celsius and the working environmenthas been greatly improved, ordinary
working clothes are used in about 96%
of on-site areas (Figure 5).
The surrounding environments of thestation have also been greatly improved(Figure 6). The concentration ofradioactive materials (cesium-137) inthe sea around the station is about 0.7
Bq/L as of December 2020, sufficiently
lower
than
international
qualitystandards for potable water. The annual
dose at the site boundary has likewise
fallen down to approximately 0.9 mSv
per year as of July 2020. The amount ofcontaminated water generated per day
has also been reduced to about 140 m3
on average in 2020 by installing
impermeable walls and taking othermeasures.

Area where workers can workin ordinary working clothes

Areas where workers need towear protective clothes

Figure 5 Improvement of working environment at FDNPS

Source: Created based on the data by Agency for Natural Resources and Energy
Concentration of radioactive materials
in the sea around the site

Estimated doses from facilities
at the south side of the site

Approx. 10,000Bq/L

9.76
mSv/yearLess than thedetection limit*(approx. 0.7Bq/L)
March 2011

December 2020

March 2014

Amount of contaminated water
generated (daily average)
490㎥

140㎥
Approx. 0.86
mSv/year
July 2020

April 2015 toMarch 2016

January 2020 to
December 2020

* The concentration of radioactive materials in the sea around the plant refers to the cesium-137 level near the south discharge channel* The international standard for drinking water quality is 10Bq/L

Figure 6 Significant progress in management of contaminated waterand in improvement of sea water quality around the FDNPS

Source: Created based on the data by Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

10(2) Still a long way to go toward the completion of decommissioning
The fuel debris, stemmed from the melted fuels and materials inside the nuclear reactors, have kept high dose levels inside and in thevicinity of the Units 1 to 3. When working there, workers need to put on radiation protection suits.
Under those circumstances, there still remains much to be done forinvestigating and analyzing the cause of accident. The Nuclear
Regulation Authority (NRA) continues its analysis of the accident
while monitoring the progress made in the environment on the site
and the decommissioning work. In March 2021, it released an interim
report on the investigation and analysis of the accident compiling
findings obtained from September 2019 to March 2021. Similarly,
TEPCO is still conducting investigations and studies on the accident
by identifying and working on unknown facts and outstanding
uncertainties to fully understand the progression mechanism of theaccident.
The government of Japan and TEPCO have joined hands in thedecommissioning of FDNPS with the target completion date being 30
to 40 years. The task currently being carried out are three-fold, i.e.,
how to deal with contaminated water and treated water, how to
remove fuel from spent fuel pools, and how to retrieve fuel debris(Figure 7). In April 2021, the government of Japan announced the
Basic Policy on handling of ALPS4-treated water. This water meetsthe regulatory standards for discharge into the environment regarding
nuclides other than tritium. The government of Japan is poised toproceed with concrete preparations, such as the construction offacilities for discharge and countermeasures to adverse impacts on
reputation, in order to discharge ALPS-treated water into the sea
approximately after two years.

4

Figure 7 Major process of decommissioning of FDNPS

Source: Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, “Important Stories on
Decommissioning 2019”

A multi-nuclide removal system which removes various radioactive materials from contaminated water.
11

3

Efforts in the areas of organizational culture and frameworks(1) Improvements made based on recommendations and lessons raised by accident investigation commissions
Prior to the accident, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the former
nuclear safety regulator, was put under the command of the Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry (METI), which itself promoted nuclear power “utilization”.
This governmental structure, as it has been pointed out, did not secure theindependence of the agency as a regulator and, combined with the lack ofexpertise, did not allow the agency to fulfill its missions of supervising andensuring nuclear safety. To remedy the situation, the government reconsidered
the ideal state of regulations as well as the relevant systems and established the
Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) as an affiliated agent of the Ministry ofEnvironment and its supporting secretariat in September 2012 (Figure 8), basedon decisions to separate the regulation and the utilization of nuclear energy andto consolidate all the work related to nuclear safety regulations.

MissionOur fundamental mission is to protect the generalpublic and the environment through rigorous andreliable regulations of nuclear activities.
Guiding Principles for activities
We in the NRA and its supporting Secretariat shallperform our duties diligently acting in accordancewith the following principles.
(1) Independent Decision Making(2) Effective Actions(3) Open and Transparent Organization(4) Improvement and Commitment(5) Emergency Response

In the effort to reinforce the safety standards, new standards took effect inFigure 8 NRA’s core values and principles
2013, including a strict application of Defense-in-Depth, more rigorous safety
Source:Created based on the website of NRA
measures against natural disasters, e.g., tornados, forest fires, and newly
introduced countermeasures against severe accidents and terrorism such as anintentional aircraft crash. The government also introduced the operation of a nuclear regulatory inspection program in April 2020 afterrevisiting the previous inspection system with reference to the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC). The current program provides clearer definitions of primary responsibilities of operators for securing nuclear safety
and, comprehensively supervises and assesses safety activities of business operators.
At the same time, the operators are also moving forward on voluntary safety improvements. The Japan Nuclear Safety Institute (JANSI)
and the Atomic Energy Association (ATENA) were established in 2012 and 2018 respectively. JANSI is the self-regulatory organization in the
nuclear industry, and ATENA is aimed to formulate effective measures while engaging in a continuing dialogue with regulators and others. It
also encourages nuclear operators to incorporate these measures into their actual site operations. In 2014, the Nuclear Risk ResearchCenter (NRRC) was set up inside the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry. The Center is expected to play a central role indeveloping and employing state-of-the-art methods of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) and other risk management approaches.
The government has conducted reviews on nuclear emergency preparedness. As a result, the newly-established Nuclear Emergency
Preparedness Commission is mandated to take charge of risk management under normal circumstances, while the Nuclear Emergency
Response Headquarters will lead the response activities in the case of an emergency.
12(2) Issues remaining to be addressed
The NRA of Japan accepted an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission dispatched by the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in 2016, followed by an IRRS follow-up mission in January 2020, which reviewed the status and progress of responding to
the issues identified by the first IRRS mission. The follow-up mission5 found that of the thirteen recommendations and thirteen suggestionsin 2016, which were related to management systems and organizational structures had not been fully addressed, leaving Japan tocontinue its efforts for improving those areas.
The new regulatory standards include unparalleled safety requirements for existing reactors and are thus regarded as the world’s
highest standards. On the other hand, some are concerned that such a high level of strictness may easily lead to a new safety myth inwhich people may complacently think that as long as a station satisfies the standards, it is perfectly safe. All people concerned need toremain engaged in improving nuclear safety and promoting a culture of safe practices by learning from the latest scientific findings in theworld and by understanding and utilizing risk-related information.
It is easy to say that we must put lessons learned into practice, but in actuality, it is easy to forget what happened in the past as weconstantly encounter new things and new events in our day-to-day lives. Over time, important lessons may slip from our minds, and theselessons forgotten may increase the risk of repeating the same mistakes. Nuclear energy-related organizations including the governmentand operators, and also the public as a whole, are therefore called on to keep the memory of the accident alive in order to continue toremember the lessons we’ve learned.

5Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) Follow-up Report to Japan (https://www.nsr.go.jp/data/000305662.pdf)
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4

JAEC’s position

The Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) compiled andissued the Basic Policy for Nuclear Energy in 2017, in the view ofdrastically changed environment following the accident at FDNPS.
The Basic Policy points out fundamental issues ingrained innuclear energy-related organizations, as shown in Figure 9, andnotes that a wider use of nuclear energy in Japan will definitely
require solving those issues.
The JAEC has explored over the last decade since the FDNPS
accident and put together what all people concerned with nuclear
energy must never forget and what they need to tackle in acollaborative manner. We must work on nuclear energy use withkeeping the following firmly in our minds.

 The unique mindset and groupthink in Japan, the pressure toconform tacitly or forcibly to the opinion of the majority, and thetendency to maintain the status quo are all very strong.
 Another tendency within organizations is to lapse into suboptimization. As a result of the sub-optimization of information
sharing in terms of the contents and scope, truly needed
information does not get appropriately shared.

Figure 9 Fundamental issues ingrained innuclear energy-related organizations

Source: Created based on “Basic Policy for Nuclear Energy” by AEC(1) All people concerned with nuclear energy must never forget the following.

• There still remain people displaced from home because of the accident and evacuation orders have not yet been lifted in some areas.
• Negative reputation resulting from the accident still remains, inflicting suffering to the people of Fukushima.
• We have to remember the memories of and the lessons learned from the nuclear disaster so as not to repeat any similar accident totake place again.
• It is a never ending journey of securing safety and building trust and confidence of the public.

(2) All people concerned with nuclear energy must redouble their effort and collaboratively tackle the following.
• Recovery and reconstruction of Fukushima until such a moment when the people of Fukushima regain pride and confidence in their
homeland.
• Ensuring safety and rebuilding trust.
• Solving the fundamental issues ingrained in nuclear energy-related organizations.
• Keeping the memories and lessons associated with the FDNPS disaster and pass them on to future generations.
• Reinforcing their capacity to provide the necessary support to ensure that future generations can acquire scientifically accurate
knowledge about nuclear energy and radiation, which enables them to evaluate the significance of nuclear energy and radiation in
the society.

14

Summary

Chapters 1 to 8
Current status and efforts
related to the nuclear utilization in Japan

15

Chapter 1 “Steady recovery and reconstruction of Fukushima, andseamless safety improvement with lessons learned”
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Efforts toward the reconstruction/revitalization of Fukushima

Efforts include lifting evacuation orders, inspecting radioactive materials in
food, eliminating negative reputational impact, processing and disposing
removed soil and specified wastes, and promoting the initiative of “Fukushima
Innovation Coast Framework” for creating new industries.

Seamless safety improvement with serious lessons learned

In April 2020, the implementation of the nuclear regulatory inspection program started.
The Secretariat of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) and the nuclear
industry have technical view exchange sessions to discuss how to manage
the aging of nuclear energy-related facilities.

Decommissioning

Robots and Drones

Medical Care

Technological developmentthat brings together theexpertise of Japanese andinternational professionals

Creating industrial clusters ofrobotics with the Fukushima
Robot Test Field at the core

Developing business
opportunities throughsupporting technologicaldevelopment

Energy, Environment,
and Recycling

Agroforestry andfisheries industry

Toward the establishmentof cutting-edge renewableenergy and recycling
technologies

Revitalization of agroforestry
and fisheries industries throughthe use of ICT, robotics, andother technologies

Aerospace"Flying car" testing, andinviting new enterprises
associated with flying cars

Countermeasures against nuclear disasters

The Cabinet Office announced in June 2020 a basic policy on protective
actions in responding to nuclear disaster under the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Major Projects of Fukushima Innovation Coast Framework

Chapter 2 “Nuclear energy use addressing global warming issues andproviding cost-effective electricity for national economy”
 Utilization of nuclear energy
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Utilization of nuclear energy is to be promoted by extending the lifetime of existing reactors and taking other actions as a means
to respond to global warming, ensure a stable supply of energy, improve economic efficiency of power supply, and serve otherpurposes, all the while ensuring safety as a prerequisite condition.
The Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050 formulated in December 2020 states that nuclear
energy can provide carbon-free electricity in a stable manner and presents goals and schedule regarding small modular reactors(SMRs), high-temperature gas reactors, and nuclear fusion.
As of March 2021, 16 power reactors have received permission for the alteration of the reactor installment license, nine of which
are already back in operation.

Efforts concerning the nuclear fuel cycle

After confirming the conformity with the new regulatory standards, NRA approved the amendment of the Business Permit to thebusiness of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant operated by Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) in July 2020, JNFL’s MOX Fuel
Fabrication Plant in December 2020, and the Recyclable-Fuel Storage Center (interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in
Mutsu City, Aomori) run by Recyclable Fuel Storage Company in November 2020.
16

Chapter 3 “Efforts at home and abroad in the global context”
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Trends in international organizations and nuclear superpowers

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) mentioned in its report issued in March 2021
that radiation-associated health effects in Fukushima residents resulting from the FDNPS accident are unlikely to be discernible.
OECD/NEA issued in June 2020 a policy paper on roles played by nuclear energy in the post-COVID-19 society.
U.S. President Biden, incumbent since January 2021, has decided to make use of nuclear energy technology as part ofcountermeasures against climate change.

Engagement in and collaboration with international organizations, and promotion of bilateral andmultilateral collaboration
At the IAEA General Conference held in September 2020, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Mr. INOUE Shinji,
made a statement as the head of delegation of Japan, explaining Japan’s actions including the state of study regarding how tohandle ALPS-treated water and Japan’s contributions to the Peaceful Uses Initiative.
The Ministerial Level Meeting of the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA) held in December 2020 focused on nuclearrelated activities under the COVID-19 pandemic (including possible future cooperation between FNCA and IAEA in the area of
medical care) and was concluded by adopting a joint communique.

Chapter 4 “Peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear non-proliferation, and nuclear security”
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Promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy

Peaceful use of nuclear energy of Japan is assured by implementing IAEA’s stringent
safeguards and other relevant regulations. In 2021, after verifying the appropriate
plutonium use plans developed by nuclear plant operators, permission for mid-term
implementation plans of Nuclear Reprocessing Organization of Japan was granted.
The total volume of separated plutonium held by Japan as of the end of 2020 isapproximately 46.1 tons in aggregate both within and outside of Japan.

Ensuring nuclear security

The Status of Separated Plutonium Management
As ofthe end of 2020
Total
Approx. 46.1t
Held in Japan(Total)Held
U.K.
abroad Breakdown France

Approx. 8.9t
Approx. 37.2t
Approx. 21.8t
Approx. 15.4t

Nuclear security is ensured by providing nuclear material protection based on the Reactor Regulation Act, which promotes aculture of nuclear security practices, and carrying forward programs to reinforce nuclear security controls (e.g., issuing acorrective action order to TEPCO in April 2021 in response to the security problem found at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPS).

Maintaining and strengthening nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation frameworks

As the only country to have experienced the use of atomic bombs in war, Japan has engaged actively in efforts toward nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation on the basis of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, such as submission of a resolution on theelimination of nuclear weapons to the U.N. General Assembly, and worked hard to mediate among countries with different stanceswith respect to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and other agenda.
17Chapter 5 “Rebuilding public trust and confidence as a precondition for using nuclear energy”
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Toward rebuilding of public trust in nuclear energy use

An environment in which each and every Japanese citizen can deepen their understanding on topics concerning nuclear energy
needs to be provided through the building of an information system which provides scientifically accurate information andobjective facts and evidence.

Efforts to enhance information sharing and communication by nuclear energy-related organizations
Information provision initiatives include hosting symposiums on energy policies, organizing
nationwide interactive seminars, distributing timely articles on websites, and operating
hands-on information centers.
View exchange sessions are held on the theme of the handling of treated water from the
FDNPS inviting a wide spectrum of stakeholders including the local government andauthorities (e.g., “Meetings for Hearing Opinions”).

Coexistence with the local communities at nuclear plant locations

Dialogue-Based Meetings on Final Disposalof High-Level Radioactive Waste

In March 2021, the Act on Special Measures concerning Development of Areas around Nuclear Power Plants and Other Facilities
was extended for ten years for supporting the development of disaster management infrastructure.

Chapter 6 “Decommissioning of nuclear stations and the radioactive waste management”
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Decommissioning of FDNPS

With a view to a completion in 30 to 40 years’ time, the government and TEPCO are currently carrying out the decommissioning
work steadily including the management of contaminated water and treated water, removal of fuel from spent fuel pools, andretrieval of fuel debris. In April 2021, the government published the Basic Policy on the handling of ALPS-treated water.

Decommissioning of nuclear power stations and nuclear-related research centers

In May 2020, TEPCO submitted applications for approval on the decommissioning plan for Units 1 to 4 at Fukushima Daini NPS.
As of the end of March 2021, the decommissioning process of 14 commercial power reactors and 15 research and development
facilities are underway.

Management of radioactive wastes

Literature surveys on Suttsu Town and Kamoenai Village in Hokkaido started in November 2020 for site selection of a final
disposal facility for high-level radioactive wastes.
Discussions are being held toward a development of regulations concerning mid-depth storage, disposal of uranium waste and soforth, while low-level radioactive wastes are properly classified and disposed of in trenches and pits.
18

Chapter 7 “Promoting the utilization of radiation and radioisotopes”
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Making use of radiation and radioisotopes in various fields

Utilization of radiation and radioisotopes (RIs) is an essential technology which supportssociety in a wide range of sectors from the industry to agriculture and medical care.
The technology is used for both diagnosis and treatment in the medical field. In June
2020, Japan’s health insurance was applied to cover accelerator-based Boron
Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for select tumors. Research on cancer treatmentusing alpha emitter RI-based pharmaceuticals is also underway.
In the area of science and technology, radiation and RIs are relevant to various
disciplines, such as material science and life science, and have applications such as
to the structural analysis of materials.

Setting a stage for radiation use

The government revised relevant regulations in March and April 2020 to align withinternational standards, so as to ensure the safe and appropriate use of radiation
and RIs. Therein, the dose limitations to the lens of the eye were lowered.

(No. ofcases)
14,000

Prostate cancer with bone metastasis (Ra-223)
Malignant lymphoma (Y-90)
Pain relief for bone metastases (Sr-89)
Thyroid cancer (I-131)
Hyperthyroidism (I-131)

12,00010,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0

1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012 2017

Growth in the annual number ofnuclear medicine treatments using unsealed RIs

Chapter 8 “Strengthening the foundation for using nuclear energy”
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Promoting research, development and innovation

An initiative, Nuclear Energy X Innovation Promotion (NEXIP), was launched jointly by The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2019 with the purpose of promoting
the seamless innovation from basic research to commercialization, is proceeding.
Japan has continuously been promoting R&D on higher safety of light water reactors, on innovative reactors such as hightemperature gas reactors, fast reactors and small modular reactors, and on nuclear fusion. In September 2020, the government
selected the reactor type of a new research and test reactor to be installed at the Monju site.

Strengthening foundational facilities

The government is striving for ensuring compatibility of foundational facilities indispensable for R&D and human resources
development with the new regulatory standards, in view of the aging of the facilities.

Securing and fostering human resources

Being aware that Japan needs to secure and nurture human resources for both the promotion of nuclear energy use and its
controlled safety, the government, research institutes, universities and other stakeholders are collaboratively carrying forward avariety of efforts (e.g., training sessions, visiting lessons, and hands-on training using actual reactors).
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Useful Information
Commissioners of JAEC (as of Aug. 2021)

JAEC Website
http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/eng/index.htm

Decisions of JAEC
Dr. UESAKA, Mitsuru
Chairman“White Paper on Nuclear Energy”
http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/about/hakusho/index_e.htm“Basic Policy for Nuclear Energy” July 2017
http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/about/kettei/kettei170720_e.pdf“Plutonium Utilization in Japan“ October 2017
http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/about/kettei/kettei171003_e.pdf

Mr. SANO, Toshio
Commissioner

Dr. NAKANISHI, Tomoko M.
Commissioner“Basic Policy for Nuclear Research and Development (R&D)”
June 2018
http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/about/kettei/180612_e.pdf
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