Fukushima High School Academy 2023

Purpose of the Training Program
The purpose of the training program is to increase participantsʼsense of ownership by making social issues “about oneself,” and todevelop empathy, cooperation skills, self-expression, and respect fordiverse opinions. Through this, we aim to disseminate informationon the issues at hand, and the importance of revitalizing
Fukushima, both nationally and internationally.

Three areas of the Training Program① Investigate the current status and future perspectives in two
countries, Japan and Sweden, in terms of technologies andpolicies for the ﬁnal disposal of high-level radioactive waste.
② Inform the people of Sweden about the current situation in Japan,
including the prefecture of Fukushima.
③ Bring back information learned in Sweden, think about the ﬁnal
disposal site in Japan and distribute this information all overJapan and across the world.

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P1〜P2

Investigating the Future of Nuclear Waste Disposal in Sweden,
Aomori and Fukushima!

P3〜P8“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 1: Group Activities

P9〜P16“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 2: Panel Discussion

P17〜P18“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” omments

P19〜P21

P22〜P24

Special Feature 1“Communicating and conveying information as a stakeholder”
Communication and getting the message across as a stakeholder
Ryo Ota, Iwaki Sakuragaoka High School

Special Feature 2

A new way of thinking and “taking ownership”
Preparing for an uncertain future by confronting the present
Motoha Oi, Haramachi High School

Facing Reality: Seeing for oneself

P25〜P28“Learning from Sweden’s advancements” and“Status report on Aomori and Fukushima Prefectures”

P29

Unavoidable challenges of high-level radioactive waste

P30

What we should learn from Sweden?

P31

Keywords for us to envision the future

P32

Editorial Postscript

Participants List
● High School Students

Yui Ito,Sota Ito,

Shota Ebina,

Narumi Kayama,

Riku Nakayama,Motoha Oi,

Kohei Oya,

Rokkasho High School, Aomori Prefecture

Project Researcher,
Center for Integrated Disaster Information Research (CIDIR),
University of Tokyo

Natsuki Okawa,

Reika Noda,

Manami Waragai,

Rokkasho High School, Aomori Prefecture

Able Co., Ltd.

Rui Okada,

Haruka Kawata,

Shuta Ito,

Ryo Ota,

Ako Shimozono,

Soma High School, Fukushima Prefecture

Haramachi High School, Fukushima Prefecture

Haramachi High School, Fukushima Prefecture

Iwaki High School, Fukushima Prefecture

Iwaki Sakuragaoka High School, Fukushima Prefecture

waki Sakuragaoka High School, Fukushima Prefecture“For our hometown, 30 years from now”

● Facilitators
Suttsu High School, Hokkaido

Suttsu High School, Hokkaido

Mito Daini High School, Ibaraki Prefecture

Fukuiminami High School, Fukui Prefecture

Honoka Maegawa,Fukuiminami High School, Fukui Prefecture

Third year elementary education teacher
training course, Miyagi University of Education

Shinya Yasumoto,Suttsu High School, Hokkaido

Investigating the Future of Nuclear Waste Disposal
in Sweden, Aomori and Fukushima!
Visit to Sweden

Visits to Aomori and Fukushima prefectures■ Wednesday, August 2■ Thursday, August 3■ Friday, August 4■ Sunday, August 6■ Monday, August 7

Arrive at Rokkasho Village in Aomori Prefecture

Tour of JNFL’S Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility

Site visit to TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Station

Stockholm

Travel to Oskarshamn

Participants assemble from Fukushima,
Hokkaido, Aomori, Ibaraki and Fukui

Site visit begins

Site visit to TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Station

Walk around hotel area in Stockholm

Travel from Stockholm to Oskarshamn by bus for site visit to Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory

Visit to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Station, with tour of Unit 5’s spent fuel pool,dry cask storage area, etc. ↓Visit to JNFL’s
PR Center →Site tour at← Mutsu-Ogawara

National Oil Storage
Base and Mega Solar
Plant

Lecture by Naohiro← Masuda, President of
JNFL and former
superintendent of
TEPCO’s Fukushima
Daini Nuclear Power
StationTraining Program
Opening Ceremony at →JNFL’s Technology
Center in Aomori

Review of Japan site visits,
presentation preparations ↓Tour of low-level radioactive waste storage
center, high-level radioactive waste storageand management center, and spent fuelreceiving & storage facility

Tour of tunnel ↓Lecture by Akira Ono, Chief Decommissioning
Officer (CDO) at TEPCO ↓Depart from
Rokkasho village →in Aomori

Arrive at Hirono town in Fukushima

Travel from Fukushima to Haneda Airport by bus

Visit to Sweden■ Tuesday, August 8■ Wednesday, August 9■ Thursday, August 10■ Friday, August 11

Visit to Canister Laboratory

Visit to Final Repository at Forsmark in Östhammar

Visit to Vattenfall High School

Visit to Vattenfall energy company

Site tour of Canister Laboratory

Tour of Forsmark Final Repository facility ↓Meeting at Vattenfall High School

Visit to Vattenfall

Dialogue with staff ofÖsthammar municipality↓

Dialogue with Mayor of
Oskarshamn ↓Presentation in English↓← Dialogue with
Lunch Meeting ↓Bus to Uppsala
Review of the day,presentation preparations↓Ambassador to Sweden
Review at hotel, final
presentation preparations↓

Cultural exchange with students
on traditional Japanese culture:
Origami, Calligraphy, Kendama(cup-and-ball), and Koma
(spinning top) ↓Short-notice second presentation
in English← Memorable time at restaurant

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“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 1: Group Activities

Part 1

Group 1 Activities

A priceless educational
experience● Featured high school students
Reika Noda, Rokkasho High School
Ryo Ota, Iwaki Sakuragaoka
High School● Facilitator

Shuta Ito, Suttsu High School◇ Learning about the current

situation in JapanT hrough this training program, we went toSweden and visited sites in Japan. The purposeof the program was to learn about the current
state of technology and policy regarding
the disposal of high-level radioactive waste
in Japan. On the first day, we went to the
Rokkasho Visitors Center of Japan Nuclear
Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) in Aomori Prefecture to learn
about the set-up and role of nuclear fuel cycle
facilities and the process of vitrification. On
the second day, we visited the JNFL offices,and toured the High-level Radioactive Waste
Storage and Management Center and the fuelstorage pool. At the High-level Radioactive
Waste Storage and Management Center, we
stood just in front of an area where vitrified
materials are stored, and experienced firsthand the fact that radiation was being properly
shielded by concrete walls.

3

On the third day, we visited Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. We toured
the site via bus, and saw a large number oftanks containing contaminated water and
ALPS Treated Water. From the observation
deck near Unit 1, we saw Units 1 to 4 a
few hundred meters away. Even after morethan a decade, there were still traces of theaccident, and we were struck by the difficultyof decommissioning the reactors. At Unit 5,
we actually went inside the reactor building
and visited the spent fuel storage pool. During
the tour, we also found that the radiation level
was low. We’d like people to understand thecurrent situation regarding decommissioning
work, and that they can safely visit the site
wearing only light clothing.

◇ Learning about Sweden's efforts
Next, we’d like to talk about our training in
Sweden. The purpose of this visit was twofold.
The first was to learn about Sweden's efforts
in advanced geological disposal technology,
think about Japan's final disposal situation andspread knowledge of this throughout Japan.
The second was to inform people in Sweden
about the current status of nuclear power andenergy in Japan.
During the training, we visited Äspö Hard
Rock Laboratory in Oskarshamn, the Canister
Laboratory, the planned Forsmark Final
Repository site, and Vattenfall High School. It
was a long trip from Stockholm to Oskarshamn(three-and-a-half hours by bus), and fromOskarshamn to Forsmark (about four hours).
At the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory we went
300 meters underground to see actual machines
used in research. Next, we visited the Canister
Laboratory. A canister is a container with a lid,
in which spent nuclear fuel is stored. Here, we
observed copper canisters and non-destructive
testing. We felt that information was being given
to us in an open manner, as we were allowed totake pictures. At the Forsmark Final Repository
site, Hannah, an employee of SKB (Swedish
Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company),
the company that manages the nuclear fuelwaste, taught us how to convey information toresidents and the importance of communication.

power has been growing since the 1980s, andin recent years it has become as importanta power source as hydroelectric power. As
nuclear power is such an important sourceof electricity, we should think about how tohandle final disposal.

◇ Notable impressions from thetraining program

During the final part of our visit, we had aparticularly memorable interaction with highschool students in Vattenfall. We started bygiving a presentation in English about where
we live, the current energy situation in Japan,
and the differences between Japan and Sweden
in terms of final disposal. It was an importantpresentation that was one of the main purposesof the Swedish part of the training program,so we were very nervous. Afterwards, we
had a question and answer session with thetheme “Let's think together”. The first question
we asked was “What do Swedish people
think about energy?”. We were impressed bytheir answer that people in Sweden are very
interested because it is very cold in winterand energy is essential. The second question
was “How do you get accurate knowledge
about nuclear power and final disposal?”. The
students explained that they had learned about
nuclear power from childhood, and that they
didn't just look up what they didn't understandon the internet, but also went to the companies
involved and asked them directly.

Ota: What impressed me most during thetraining program was the energy situation in
Sweden. I found it amazing that the country isalmost self-sufficient in energy. In addition, thepercentage of environmentally-friendly energy
such as solar and wind power was high, and I
felt that it was close to being carbon neutral.
Noda: I was struck by the fact that Japan
Nuclear Fuel's spent fuel pool is almost full. If
this situation continues, nuclear power stationsin Japan will not be able to operate into the
future. The program was a priceless two
weeks, seeing so many places with my own
eyes. I certainly don't want to stop at this, but
continue learning so that I can inform people
with more accurate information.

Later, the students from Vattenfall gavea presentation on the energy situation in
Sweden. Initially, hydroelectric power was
the main source of electricity, but nuclear

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“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 1: Group Activities

Part 1450 meters underground as souvenirs. The
staff said it was okay, and I had the precious
opportunity to taste the underground water. It
was a very memorable experience to use mysense of taste in this way.

Group 2 Activities

Learning from the Äspö Hard
Rock Laboratory on how togain public understanding● Featured high school students
Natsuki Okawa, Iwaki High School

Motoha Oi, Haramachi High School
Ako Shimozono, Fukui Minami
High School● Facilitator

Manami Waragai, Able Co., Ltd.

◇ Differences between Japan and

SwedenWe’d like to present our impressions on how
to gain public understanding from our visit tothe Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden.
First, we would like to make a comparison
between Japanese and Swedish bedrock
research organizations. The Japanese research
institute that we will compare with Äspö Hard
Rock Laboratory is the Horonobe UndergroundResearch Center in Hokkaido, which conducts
research on the geological disposal of highlevel radioactive waste.

first difference is the size of the tunnels. As
you can see in the picture, Swedish tunnels
are bigger than those in Japan. The second
difference is the ease of access to the researchfacilities. In Japan, tours of the abovegroundand underground facilities are not held at thesame time. In addition, children under theage of third grade are not allowed to visit thetunnels. However, in Sweden, even children
under school age can enter as long as theywear safety equipment, and anyone can visit
at any time. The third difference is the efforts
to increase the public’s interest in the center.
Every year, the Swedish Laboratory holds a
marathon event through the tunnels in which
the public can participate.
What I felt upon entering the Äspö Hard RockLaboratory was its large scale. We were alsoable to see holes with copper canisters, holes
with canisters not yet in them, and the large
heavy equipment used to put canisters in theholes, which gave us a better understanding of
the process of disposal.

There are three main differences between
Japan and Sweden that we noticed. The

Next, our thoughts on the Horonobe
Underground Research Center in Japan. Since
we had never been there, we interviewed
someone who had. The Underground ResearchCenter was not as large as the Äspö Hard
Rock Laboratory, although there were models
of canisters and other equipment. The tour
appeared to be something of an afterthoughtin the course of their research, and the
explanations were full of jargon and seemed
to be conveyed in a way that was difficult tounderstand.
This led us to two things that are lacking inJapan. First, the idea of publicizing researchfacilities. The Swedish approach was surprisingand humorous. We could feel their strong
desire to communicate to us, and for us
to learn from them. On the positive side,
Japanese research institutes allow visitors totour their facilities using VR (virtual reality)from their official websites, enabling them tosee places they would not be able to enterin person, whenever they want. However, I
believe that actually experiencing something
using all five senses is more important because
it is easier to understand and remember. In
Japan too, I believe we need engaging, easyto-understand materials and installations,and that we should hold things like events topromote interest. The second point is the easeof access to the facilities. In Sweden, the staff
told us that we could come anytime, and I feltthat there was a strong desire for people toknow about the facility and to visit it. In Japan,
the desire for people to learn can be felt fromthe official website, but we heard from others
that the visits are held in between the staff’s

research work and that there wasn’t really an
atmosphere of encouraging people to visit. Thisis just what we have heard, so we should visit
and make our own judgment. However, we
would say that the hurdles are high because
the range and number of people who can enter
the facility are limited. Can't they make it alittle easier?

◇ Deepening understanding of final

disposal

In summary, we thought that the method ofpresenting information was a key factor in
how memorable it would be for people, andin triggering their desire to learn further. The
more people investigate a subject in detail,the more knowledgeable they become andthe higher the level of understanding we canreach. The training in Sweden made me realize
once again that Japan still faces many issues
regarding final disposal. If more people deepen
their understanding of final disposal andconsider the issue as their own, I believe that
this will help greatly in solving the problem. If
the problem is not solved, the effects will be
felt in our generation of high school students.
It is, of course, important for high school
students to gain knowledge and interest,
but adults - who can change society today should not be ignorant of Japan's problems.
The efforts of those actually involved with thework are fundamental in giving people theopportunity to gain knowledge.

◇ Humor and Ingenuity
What impressed me most at the Laboratory in
Sweden was the humorous explanations andinitiatives. I felt that they were trying to makeus as interested as possible and ensure we
remembered the experience. We were evenable to take home some groundwater from5

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“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 1: Group Activities

Part 1

Group 3 Activities

Importance ofcommunication

Good shoes are needed to visit and talk tomany residents. Communication is important
as dialogue should be conducted whilst taking
on board the other party’s opinions.

◇ The link between communicatorand listener◇ Solving problems by devising

ways to communicate● Featured high school students
Narumi Kayama, Haramachi
High School
Shota Ebina, Suttsu High School● Facilitato

Yui Ito, Third year elementary educationteacher training course,
Miyagi University of Education◇ Three key terms that are importantfor dialogue

We were most impressed by Hannah, the lady
at SKB who is in charge of communication
with local residents on matters of final
disposal. There are four things that stood out
for us. The first is the importance of dialogue.
In Sweden, when explaining the issue of highlevel radioactive waste to residents, they talkabout it step by step, rather than immediately
employing technical terms which would
be difficult to understand at the start. For
example, they begin with a short talk of about
10 minutes, and then they extend the time to
15 minutes, 30 minutes and 1 hour. Hannah
mentioned that you can increase the residents’level of knowledge by holding repeateddialogue.
She also told us three key terms that areimportant for dialogue: patience, good shoes
and communication. Patience is important as it
takes a long time to raise the residents’ level ofknowledge and to talk to opponents and gain
their trust without people becoming emotional.

7

The second of the four things that stood out
for us is information transparency. We’ve
stressed many times that this is important, but
we still don't really know what informationtransparency is. That's why we’d like to
ask you. What do you think informationtransparency is? Third, in order to build
trust with residents, the communicator
should clarify their position: tell people what
they do, how they do it and why they do it,
and state the facts to those who disagree,
from a neutral standpoint. Number four is
Hannah's personality. On the one hand, she
had a friendly disposition with no language
barriers, but on the other hand, she also had apassionate side in that she took responsibility
and made sincere efforts to address the issueof nuclear waste disposal, and she was alsoable to deal with opponents calmly.

The data we have seen on the level of support
for the construction of a final repository forhigh-level radioactive waste in Östhammar,
Sweden over the past decade shows that
support for the project has remained at around80%. We believe this can be attributed to
Hannah's style of communication.

We believe that communication means sharing
opinions and feelings with the other person,
including eye contact and gestures as well
as words. To communicate, it is essential to“play catch” with the listener. We want tobuild relationships where we can communicate
as equals, not just be taught by others. To
do this we need to find ways of creating asuitable atmosphere. I heard a lot of difficultto-understand technical terms in Japan, andhad the impression that people were only
talking about what they wanted to say onesidedly. I wondered if they really wanted to beunderstood. Also, when we asked questions,many of the answers we received were blandand seemingly according to the manual, and I
felt a barrier between us and the PR staff. The
atmosphere was harsh, in contrast to Hannah,
who was like everyone's mom.
However, Japan does also have its good points,
which I felt when I went abroad. That is,
many Japanese have a sense of responsibility
and complete their work. They also have theability to explain details carefully without
being sketchy. I think that taking advantage ofJapanese people’s attention to detail will lead
to better communication.

Finally, take a look at these materials fromJapan and Sweden. Which one is easierto understand? I think many people willf i n d t h e S w e d i s h m a t e r i a l s e a s i e r. T h e
Japanese materials convey enthusiasm forc o m m u n i c a t i o n , b u t t h er e a r e so m a ny
sentences and pictures that it's hard to know
where to look. The Swedish materials, on theother hand, have only two photos, so we canquickly understand what they are trying to tellus. I have the impression that people in Japan
explain what they want to explain one-sidedly,
without being conscious of the need to enable
the listener to understand. In Sweden, they
are more conscious of communicating to thelistener, and they use materials that are easy tounderstand visually, so the information comes
across easily. Japan should communicate morecreatively. If such problems are not solved,
the issue of final disposal will not proceedsmoothly.

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“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 2: Panel Discussion

Part 2 Panel Discussion

Where in Japan will the ﬁnal disposal site
for high-level radioactive waste go?

Ito: In the future, I
would like to workin a job related toc om mu n it y deve l opment. Sweden
is well adva nced
in the area of final Sota Ito, Soma High School
disposal sites, and I
participated in this program because I wanted to learn how to engage in dialogue withlocal residents and how to form trusting relationships with them.
Okada: I was interested in issues that are being
discussed on a global scale and the areas ofcooperation between
countries in response
to t hem. T he pro g ra m att racted me
as it would give me
the chance to visit
Sweden and actually
see and experience Rui Okada,
the situation on the Iwaki Sakuragaoka High School
ground for myself.

● High School Panelists● Coordinator

Shinya Yasumoto, Project Researcher,
Center for Integrated Disaster Information Research (CIDIR),The University of Tokyo

Training program motivations
and impressions
Yasumoto: First, please tell us about yourmotivations for participating in Fukushima
High School Academy.
Oya: Or iginally, I
was i nterested i n
why Japan’s f inald i s p o s a l s i te f o r
high-level radioactive waste had not
yet been decided. I

9Kohei Oya, Rokkasho High School

Kohei Oya, Rokkasho High School
Haruka Kawata, Mito Daini High School
Sota Ito, Soma High School
Rui Okada, Iwaki Sakuragaoka High School
Riku Nakayama, Suttsu High Schoolparticipated in this training program because I
thought that if I went to Sweden, I would gain
understanding of this process, so I could applythat knowledge to Japan’s case and understandbetter what should be done.
Kawata: There’s a nuclear power station in Tokaire I live. I was interested in nuclear
village, where
power because of
its prox i m it y to
my home, but I
did not have muchk n ow le d g e ab o ut
it, so I joined thetraining program to
Haruka Kawata,
learn about this.
Mito Daini High School

Nakayama: I participated last year as well, andstudents from the Hamadori area in Fukushima
and Suttsu town had a chance to interact witheach other in their respective hometowns.
From there, myinterest was piqueda nd I decided toparticipate again thistime. My hometownis involved in a
literature survey, so
I wa nted to le a r n Riku Nakayama, Suttsu High School
more about this andits related issues.
Yasumoto: Suttsu town is currently in theprocess of conducting a literature survey
to select a final disposal site for high-level
radioactive waste. The issue has not yet been
finalized, and the town is still struggling todecide whether to proceed with the survey
process. So, for the discussion that follows,
I would like you to consider how to proceedwith the selection of such a final disposalsite for high-level radioactive waste in Japan,
and what is needed to achieve this, based onyour experience in Sweden.

First of all, what were some of the things
that impressed you during your training
program in Japan and Sweden?
Oya: What impressed me the most in Sweden
was that, compared to Japan, they explained
a great deal of things using simple words anddocuments, and were very understanding topeople who had no knowledge of the subject.
Kawata: What impressed me the most was theimportance of dialogue. Almost everyone at
SKB commented on the importance they place
on dialogue, and this made me realize just how
vital it is.
Ito: I’m interested in the areas of dialogue andtrust-building. In Sweden, people were activein their efforts, not passive. If they wanted a
dialogue with someone, they would even go totheir house for the purpose. It was interesting
because this kind of active mindset is a little
different from Japanese people’s behavior.
Okada: W hat impressed me the most was
the energy of the employees at SKB: they
repeatedly discussed the issue of high-level
radioactive waste. If participants were busy,
SKB’s explainer visited their workplaces to holda dialogue. I was impressed by their active
stance and their kind support with respect todialogue.
Nakayama: I visited many places in Sweden
and was impressed by the fact that people who
explained things to me there said almost thesame thing. For example, many people said
that you could take pictures, or that they use
SNS to openly share information.

What is needed in Japan to makeprogress on final disposal?
Yasumoto: So, reflecting on your experiencefrom the training program, what do you
think is necessary to make progress on
the final disposal of high-level radioactive
waste in Japan? Please give us some quick
thoughts on this.

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“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 2: Panel Discussion

people needed to have an understanding of thesituation, so I thought that understanding by
the residents was the most important thing.
Ito: I believe there’s a branch office of NUMO
(Nuclear Waste Management Organization) in
Suttsu town. Are there any opportunities for
dialogue held by NUMO?

Oya: I think the understanding of local people
is the most important thing for me.
Kawata: I think it’s important to deepen our
understanding through dialogue with thelocals.
Ito: I think knowledge is the most important
thing.
Okada: I think the most important element is
dialogue.
Nakayama: I thought the understanding of theresidents was the most important thing.
Yasumoto: So, what made you think that way?
Oya: I’m currently attending Rokkasho HighSchool, and when I talk about nuclear fuelwith other students, there are quite a few who
think that JNFL (Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.) isa power station. There are many people in
Rokkasho who have a good impression of
JNFL, and they don't think badly of it eventhough they don't have any knowledge about
it. In addition to that, one of the things I
learned in Sweden is that the residents trust
the company so much that they feel it is safe
to entrust these operations to it, and I saw that
local understanding in terms of trust in thecompany is important.
Nakayama: In Suttsu town, where the literature
survey is now being conducted, there are somepeople who are for the project and some whoare against it. I believe that there are many
residents who say they’re against the project
because there are a lot of people around them
who are against it, even though they do notunderstand what it means. I felt that such

11

Nakayama: I honestly don’t think that NUMO
is well known in Suttsu town. The reason I say
this is that I know NUMO has an office in thetown, but I don't know what they do there, andI suppose other residents don’t know either.
I found out that NUMO holds dialogues once
every month or two with Suttsu’s mayor or the
tow n c o u n c i l ,but I would liketo ask N U MO
to inv ite t he
tow n residents
too so that the
t wo s ide s c a n
i nteract morewith each other.
Oya: I learned that dialogue with residents isimportant. I was wondering if it might be agood idea to hold some classes at high schools
for students, or other young people who will
be responsible for leading society in the future.
What do you think?
Nakayama: I too believe that such classes are
essential. However, before that, I would suggestthat those who take part in training programs
like this give presentations at their respective
high schools first.
Oya: The classes I had in mind were something
like NUMO people going to junior high schoolsor high schools, giving a simple explanation
first, and then the next week teaching a little
more difficult content. Were you all thinking
along the same lines?
Nakayama: I’d like to have such classes atschools, but this is not actually being done. I
think it’s important for the people at NUMO
to make time for things like this, and create
as many opportunities for engagement as
possible.

Yasumoto: So, why do you think knowledge
is important?
Ito: First of all, as a premise, I believe thatlack of knowledge is not in itself a bad thing.
However, I think it is completely wrong to put
out incorrect information on SNS and expose
millions of people to it. So, I think that what
people need to do is to get correct informationa nd k nowledge f rom reliable sou rces bythemselves. I hope that the government and thecompanies that are engaged in related businessalso create opportunities to disseminate theirknowledge all over the country.
Okada: With no knowledge, one can't decide
whether information is incorrect. What should
we do about this?
Ito: I would like to ask the government andcompanies like TEPCO, JNFL, and others to
put well-founded facts on SNS and websites sothat people will feel reassured when they see
the facts.
Kawata: You mention that you’d ask companies
and others to teach the correct informationand you’d like people to acquire knowledge ona national scale, but since the national scale isso large, it would take a lot of time to teach theinformation correctly, and we would also haveto consider costs and methods. Do you have
any thoughts on that?
Ito: Even in Fukushima prefecture, where I live,
there are more than a few people who havethe wrong information. I think this number
would increase if it were on a national scale.
Therefore, I think it’s important to provide
proper information and knowledge, even if theamount is small. It’s also important to startwith something small-scale and build on it, likethey do in Sweden, and take a long-term view.
I would ask adults to make their best efforts inthis regard, and would hope that they can do so.

O ya: I ’ve se en
the opinionsof opponents
on SNS andwebsites, a ndwhat they say ist hat t hey haveno tr ust in thegovernment or TEPCO in the first place. I
think that even if you give out information tosuch people, they won’t believe what you’resaying. How do you think you can get them tobelieve you?
Ito: To be honest, I’m still not sure about that.
My question to you all is, what do you thinkpeople would need to believe in order to gain
the correct knowledge?
Yasumoto: I’d like to ask the audience tocomment on that later. Before that, what do
you think is needed to foster trust?
Ito: I still believe that dialogue is important. In
Sweden, they’ve been engaged in dialogue for40 years, and I believe that currently 80% of
the population is in favor of the proposal as aresult of this years-long dialogue. It took a long
period of time to finally gain the support of the
public, and I think Japan should put this into
practice as well.
Okada: I believe dialogue is necessary because
I think it’s ver y good for people to meetothers who have different opinions from theirown and have the chance for their opinions
to change for the better. I think that people
should speak out with their opinions and sharethem with others, as in Sweden. So, I felt thatcreating opportunities for dialogue is the mostimportant thing we need to do.
Kawata: I also think it’s important to havedialogue with people who do not have muchknowledge. I believe that by communicatingwith such people, we can increase the level ofknowledge and gain their trust, which will lead
to better understanding by the local people.
Nakayama: I feel that dialogue used to take placein Suttsu town before, but now it seems to be
decreasing, so I wanted to ask NUMO and the mayor
to provide opportunities for all of us to be involved.
12

“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 2: Panel Discussion

Ito: In terms of fostering dialogue, in Sweden
the image of nuclear power is not inherently
negative, but in Japan, I think most people
have a negative view because of the atomic
bombings, nuclear accidents, and radiation
exposure incidents like the Tokaimura nuclear
accident. And the storage tanks at JNFL arealready almost full. We only have about 20
years left to tackle this, so how do you think
we should have a dialogue like they do in
Sweden in such a short period of time?
Okada: I n Sweden, t he gover n ment a nd
SKB have done a lot of hard work and maderepeated efforts by continuing to engage insmall-scale dialogue in order to get to where
they are today, but even if Japan is doing asimilar thing, we’re not seeing the effects. So,
it is important for NUMO to engage with the
public and explain their work. This would help
to build trust. I do wonder exactly what it is
they’re aiming to do.
Yasumoto: I will ask NUMO to comment on
this later as well.
Kawat a: I a lso t h i n k t r a n spa rency i nt he c onver s at ion i s i mp or t a nt . W it houttransparency there’s little hope of fostering
understanding, so I hope NUMO will make aconcerted effort in this regard.

What if your town were to becomea final disposal site?
Yasumoto: Now, I would like to move on toanother topic, and that is to discuss how you
would react if your hometown were selected
as a final disposal site.
N akayam a: I f my hometow n were to b e
selected, I’d be in favor of the project. One
reason is t hat a literature sur vey is now
underway in Suttsu town, but nuclear power
generation happens in many places throughout
Japan. There was an accident at the nuclear
power station in Fukushima, and there werea lot of harmful rumors, but I don’t think thisis an issue only for the people in Fukushima.
Electricity generated by nuclear power is used

13

in various places, and we have to think ofJapan as a whole, so I’d be in favor of this.
Ito: You mentioned that this is a nationwide
problem, but there are no nuclear facilities
in Suttsu town right now. Some say that thesite should be located in an area where there
are currently nuclear facilities. What are yourthoughts on that?
Nakayama: If we locate the site at existing
facilities, we would only do so until a final
disposal site is available. Once the disposalsite is decided, I think it would be better totransport the materials there.
Oya: When I went to Suttsu town in the summer,
I heard that the town was famous for oysters
and basil. I am wondering what you think
about the reputational damage that mightoccur if it became a final disposal site.
Nakayama: Suttsu town has received somemoney for conducting the sur vey, and wehope that this will be used to promote thecommunity. I think it would be good to have
not only money but also other support forindustries in the town that suffer the most from
reputational damage.
Oya: For example, I fear that fisherman could
lose their livelihoods. What kind of support doyou think is necessary for those who lose theirlivelihoods?
Nakayama: In terms of support, I know thatmoney alone won't cover it, but other than that
I can't think of anything else we should doright now.

Ito: Honestly speaking, if my hometown were
to become a final disposal site, I would hardly
be overjoyed. Fukushima has been suffering for
more than ten years since the nuclear accident.
If a final disposal site were to be built there
amid this situation, I am sure there would be
reputational damage again. I don’t want to see
the area suffer any more, so I really wouldn’t
want it to be built. I’d rather not put it thisway, but Hamadori is an area that has alreadybeen contaminated once and, since that isthe case, the logical rationale would be to put
something contaminated in a contaminatedarea. I wouldn’t really want the disposal site tobe placed there, but if it’s for the good of thecountry and society, I’d be willing to allow it.
Oya: In the immediate aftermath of the accident,
some areas of Hamadori were uninhabitable. But
now the restrictions are gradually disappearing
and people are returning. If the area becomes a
final disposal site, I think it would further harmthese people. They’re relatively few in number,so may not have much of a voice. What do you
think about that?
Ito: I think that wherever the final disposal site
is located will inevitably suffer damage. I believethat the lack of knowledge among the public is
the reason for the reputational damage that is
occurring. I’d like to see the government andcorporations provide the public with thoroughinformation on the situation so that the damage
caused by rumors can be minimized.
Oya: There are about 100 million people inJapan, and I think a lot of people will sufferfrom rumors if knowledge is insufficient. What
exactly do you think we should do to enable
such a large number of people to acquire theknowledge they need?

opposition than in other areas, and becauseof this, it would be even more important thanin other areas to provide explanations andsupport. What kind of support do you thinkwould be needed?
I t o: I know the government and businesspeople are eager to explain the situation, evenat its current status, but I would like them tomake that known to us as well.
Okada: I tend to think I’d rather avoid having
the site in my area if at all possible, even if I
had to sign a petition. However, this is not a
problem that can be postponed – it is an issue
that must be addressed somewhere along theline – so I think that one way is to accept
this and take pride in the fact that we haveplaced it in our area. Of course, there would
be concerns about harmful rumors afterwards,
but I think we need to change our mindset toone of gratitude for the siting of these nuclear
waste disposal facilities in our area. I’d like to
ask this of people in other prefectures too.

Ito: I believe that this issue will continue to bea problem for 40, 50, or 60 years – not only
for our generation, but for our children andgrandchildren as well. Therefore, I hope thatthe government will make sure that this issue
can continue to be taken up by our children
and grandchildren.
Kawa t a: I f t he d i sp o s a l site were to b elocated in a town that has previously been
contaminated, I think there would be more
14

“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Part 2: Panel Discussion

Oya: I think it’s a wonderful idea to makepeople feel gratitude, but I heard that even in
Sweden it took about 40 years to get to thatpoint. Japan has a bad impression of nuclear
power because of the atomic bombings andthe Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
Accident, and I think that reputational damage
is unique to Japan. I think it would be difficult
to dispel such rumors and make people feel
thankful for the facilities, especially with
only about 20 years left to go. What are yourthoughts on this?
Okada: I agree with you in that unlike Sweden,
where efforts have been made over a long
period of time, Japan does not have muchtime. However, I believe that harmful rumors
should not exist, and I would like to see morediscussion on this point among adults.
Kawata: To be honest, I’d be against the final
disposal site with the current state of dialogue
in Japan. Comparing SKB and NUMO, in SKB,
they emphasize communicating with people,
talking directly to them, and having smallscale conversations, and that’s why they are
understood by everyone and people remember
their faces. However, NUMO is not well known,and even in Suttsu town, where the literature
survey is now underway, there are people
who do not know about the organization. This
training program was the first time I learned
about NUMO myself. Since awareness is that
low, we don't know how to react when toldthat we’re undergoing the selection process. I
am against it because I don't like the idea ofproceeding without a clear understanding ofwhat is going on.

Okada: In terms of not being able to remember
faces, I think that people's first impressions arevery important. The person who spoke to me
in Sweden was cheerful, with lots of gesturesand facial expressions, and I got the impressionthat they spoke with confidence. However,the person who explained things to me inJapan seemed angry and stiff. In Sweden,
people were very welcoming of questions, but
in Japan, it was difficult to ask questions. I
wonder why they act that way, and I think it isan area for improvement.

knowledge a little, that’d be great. I would wish
people the best of luck in this.
Okada: I was reminded through this training
program that there are so many high school
students who have opinions and ideas about
nuclear power. That is why I realized that it
is very important to keep repeating smallscale dialogues like we had in Sweden. Even
though this is a step-by-step process and theeffects may not be seen immediately, it is very
important to take it seriously.

Nakayama: At first, I had no intention ofparticipating in this training program. But I feltthat I had to go in order to make a difference
i n my hometow n of Sut t su tow n. I n t heend, I actually went and learned many things
for the first time, and I was able to grow as aperson.
Yasumoto: Thank you very much. With that,
I would like to conclude our panel discussion.

Messages to adults
Yasumoto: I’m sorr y to have to leave it
here, but in closing, since we have theopportunity, could you please say a few
words on what you felt about the training
program to the adults?
Oya: I think Japan is doing a pretty good job
in the area of transparency. For example, they
have built nuclear power station PR facilities,
and live-streamed an experiment on raising
flatfish in tritium water on YouTube, which I
think makes it easy to understand the safetyof nuclear power. But there are too manytechnical terms, and when you actually listen
to what they say, it's difficult to understand.
So, when explaining things, even if the person
you’re talking to is an adult, I’d like you tothink about using simple words, so that evenelementary and junior high school students
can understand what you’re saying.
Kawata: We are facing this issue head on,
and if a question comes up that is difficult toanswer I want the adults to face it head ontoo, rather than trying to evade it. I think thatwould make things better.
Ito: I think we have gained some knowledge
about final disposal through this excellent
training program. But I think the majorityof people still don't have such knowledge.
I think it’d be difficult to hold this kind of
training program many times, but if we could
scale it down with an eye to making it more
widely available to people and increasing their

15

16

“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Comments

Comments● Mr. Yuki Baba,
Member of the House of Representatives,
Electoral district: Fukushima Ward 2

Ladies and gentlemen, I think this two-and-a-half hours of discussion and presentations was a very
enjoyable and worthwhile time for everyone. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all thehigh school students who have been our eyes, our ears, and our five senses in the various training
sessions. I think that the responsibilities you have taken on are in some ways heavier than forothers, because this was not something that everyone could experience. There are a lot of kids thathaven't been able to experience something like this. And there are a lot of adults that didn't know
the information you gave us. With this in mind, I would like you all to continue to convey yourinformation diligently to each and every person.
Your talk today has made me think: just what is “right”? Is what you all think right? Is what we
feel really right? I think there are two sides to being right. There's a zealous desire to know andlearn, and there's a safe space to tolerate failure. When these two sides overlap, I think it leads
to one becoming right. These aren't actually my words. Last time we were here, Kotono-san gave
us an appropriate Japanese word “Tsumugiai”, which means “twining of thread”. I believe thatthrough dialogue, by allowing our thoughts to intersect and enabling us to move forward together,as if twining a thread, we will all be able to achieve our goals. That's why this gathering today is so
important. Even though there may have been a few difficult truths for adults to hear, we’re creatinga space where failure can be tolerated and people can feel safe. And there are high school students
who really want to take on this challenge. I think today has been a very useful exercise because it
has enabled a valuable clash of souls.
As the youngest member of the National Assembly, I would like to throw my own soul into harddebate with the government. I expect the government to come right back to us on the discussion,
the private sector to take care of its own role, and the students to continue their tenacious efforts
in the same spirit. I'd like to thank the students for holding this event, and for all your hard work.
Thank you very much.

“FUKUSHIMA HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY 2023” Comments

Comments● Mr. Yasuhito Nii,
Director-General,
Fukushima Reconstruction Promotion

I’d like to thank all of the high school students who presented today. I’ve heard many home truths concerning thegovernment, and I’d like to say a few words from among the senior participants.
I think it’s wonderful that the high school students went to Sweden and Rokkasho village themselves, and havepresented what they saw with their own eyes and felt for themselves, all the while continuing to learn. From thestandpoint of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, where I am based, as well as national government civil
servants, I believe that the revitalization of Fukushima must be rooted in the local people’s wishes.
I believe that “dialogue” and “communication” were the key words in today's presentations. Some people pointed outthat Japan is more formal than Sweden and that the government materials are difficult to understand. I very muchregret the government’s shortcomings. That said, “understanding” is difficult. The government says that “building
understanding” is important, but I think that the local people who actually live in the area may feel resentment at being
told what to do from above.
I think that as we move on it will become more and more important to have real “dialogue” and to communicate on an
equal footing. On the issue of the final disposal site, it’s hard to figure out how best to get the word out, not just to a few
engaged people, but to the whole nation as well.
I have been working on a local-based approach for the revitalization of Fukushima, and what I have in mind is“Compassion and Reason”. “Reason” means being logical and knowing what is right. “Compassion” is feeling.
For something to lead to action, it is not enough for one to understand the issue simply with the human mind. It mustresonate in the heart in order to convince people. It is the empathy part of the process. You can communicate yourfeelings to the person in front of you. But the person in front of you isn’t enough: you have to communicate them to the
120 million people of Japan, and to the world. You can't spend your whole life trying to talk to hundreds of millions ofpeople. So, what should you do?
That's where “Reason” comes in. As I say, how do we get the truth out there and make sure this process continues
into the future? We need to convey our message among the people of the current generation, their children, and their
grandchildren. We need to connect the generations of our country, especially since Japan is a resource-poor country.
We are going to do this now, without putting it off. Even though the ALPS treated water issue too has caused great
concern, we cannot postpone it so we are dealing with it.
We will complete the decommissioning and realize the reconstruction of Fukushima. We won’t hide from the difficult
problems, and that includes the issue of the final disposal site.
We will tackle them via our “local-based approach” whilst
adhering to the principle of “Compassion and Reason”. The
government will keep this at the forefront of its actions. And
to the high school students, as you spoke about in today'spresentations, whatever may happen in the future I hope you
will continue to tackle these issues. And I’m certain that you
will.
Once again, I’d like to thank the great efforts of Ms. Nishimotoand everyone else involved. Endeavors such as this are
only possible with the support of many people. And for me
personally, it has also been a great learning experience.
Thanks so much to all of you.

17

18

Special Feature 1● Special Feature 1“Communicat
ing and conveying
information as a stakeholder”
Communication and getting the message across as a stakeholder

Ryo Ota,

Iwaki Sakuragaoka High School

Communication in Sweden
I felt it was especially important to convey
information about the disposal of high-level
radioactive waste through the Fukushima HighSchool Academy 2023. The Swedish Nuclear
Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) is
responsible for geological disposal research andsite selection, and we visited several facilities
managed by them.
One of them, the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory inthe municipality of Oskarshamn, which conducts
geological disposal research, is equipped with anelevator that can descend 360 meters undergroundin about 90 seconds. From there you can visit
underground passages down to about 450 meters
below the surface. If a site accepts visitors, people
can visit at any time. Even children of elementary
school age and younger can visit the site if they use
the correct safety equipment. A full-scale canister for
spent nuclear fuel was displayed along the tour route,and visitors were able to touch a buffer material called
bentonite that is used around the canister.
19

We s a w w o r k i n gvehicles with actual
canisters, and the
sh a f t s w he r e t hecanisters are placed,
wh ich I t houg ht
made for an interest ing facilit y forvisitors. Visitors canalso take home thegushing groundwater as a souvenir, or
taste it at 450 meters
underground.
In this way, the facility was designed to appeal
to the senses. The impression of the facility wasthat it was intended to be memorable. I was also
told that a marathon was held for local residents
through the tunnels, 450 meters underground.

I felt that SKB has put a system in place toaccommodate anyone at any time, and that itwas conducting public relations activities whilevaluing the participation of local residents. In
my opinion, it is essential for Japan to have thesame kind of information dissemination that
SKB has in Sweden.

Communication and Confidencebuilding

What we have learned from Sweden is that
it is important for the national governmentand relevant organizations to get accurate
information out to the public without delay orconcealment. We heard about the importance ofcommunication from Hannah, an SKB employee,at the office of the proposed repository near the
medium- and low-level radioactive waste disposalsite in Forsmark, Östhammar municipality.
We heard that in the past, when SKB started
surveys to decide the disposal site without
explaining the process to the residents, they
were strongly opposed by the residents andtheir relationship was poor. However, SKB's
communication strategy is now well established,
and the relationship with the residents isapparently good. In addition to PR brochures,the company also uses SNS as a means ofcom mu n icat ion to reach a w ide ra nge ofgenerations. In addition, it conducts various
initiatives, such as dialogue meetings for local
residents, facility tours, and classes in schools.
In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry (METI) and Nuclear Waste Management
Organization of Japan (NUMO) are the main
par ties t hat not only prov ide infor mationt h roug h t he med ia, but a lso v isit place s

where people live and work, such as schools,
companies, and organizations. We believe it
is necessary to conduct activities continuously
ove r t i m e , s u c h a s h old i n g i n for m at io nsessions and giving lectures. Hannah, the SKB
employee, told us that the most important thingin communication is the creation of an initial
trigger. Specifically, she explains to residents
that the first visit to their home or workplace
will only take 5-10 minutes, then the second
visit will take 15 minutes, the third visit willtake 30 minutes, and the fourth will take 60
minutes. The company seems dedicated toraising the residents’ level of knowledge whilst
gradually gaining their trust. I was particularly
impressed by the phrase “patiently making therounds, engaging in dialogue” and the fact thatthey are sincere when dealing with opponents
and take the time that is necessary to get theirwork done. There is a tendency in Japan to givea lot of information all at once. But it may benecessary to take this opportunity to change
that.
In the next talk by several SKB staff members
in Sweden, I experienced first-hand that theirmanner of speaking and their use of slides werequite different from the lectures we’d had in Japan,
and our ability to comprehend the information
was greatly enhanced. First of all, the initialintroduction to the talk was different. I don't
know if it was because we were foreigners or
not, but there were drinks and sweets, andwe were able to listen in a relaxed way while
we were drinking and eating. I felt that it was
really important to create an atmosphere in aplace like this. The SKB staff emphasized that
our talks were “dialogues”, but in Japanese

20Special Feature 1

lectures and briefings, there is an atmosphere
where not even a sound should be made, andpeople are often reluctant to ask questions.
Maybe the speaker is speaking so perfectly thatthey portray an aura whereby no questions
are asked, but there seems to be a lot of room
for improvement in this area. And SKB’s slides
were very simple, with a headline statement
and two pictures. In Japan, it is no secret thatpeople use many words on their slides. In thiscase, the listener may not be sure where tofocus their attention and this may inhibit theirunderstanding. So, in Japan too, instead ofusing the same slides for all lectures, people
should choose what they want to teach, andnarrow this down to create slides that are easy
to understand and appropriate for the audience.
In my opinion, a lot of people would then be
more interested in the information and have abetter understanding of it. Thus, all the students
who were to present became aware of the needfor “easy to understand slide presentations” atthe debriefing session after the Swedish training
program.
Hannah was friendly. She was easy to talk to.
She is a public relations professional and has
lived in the district for more than 10 years. In
fact, she has received many questions fromlocal residents, and I was drawn to Hannah's
humanity (professionalism), such as the fact that
she has created an environment where people
can have casual conversations with her evenwhen they see her at the supermarket aroundtow n. It made me realize t hat t he humanelement is an important aspect of the person
conveying the information. So I asked NUMO
later how the situation was in Japan, and theysaid that they were also working on developing
human resources for public relations, and that
there were NUMO employees like Hannah. In
the future, I would like to attend one of theirtalks. In terms of their interaction with theresidents of Suttsu village and Kamoenai village,
the places that are involved in the literature
research, they said that they have visited all thehouses in the Kamoenai, but not yet in Suttsu.
It seems to me that we need to think about why
this gap exists.

21

Fostering understanding among theyounger generation
In my opinion, we as the younger generationmust also actively think about the issue of highlevel radioactive waste. If we suppose that it willtake 20 years just to study the site and 10 years
to build the repository, we can guess that it willtake 30 to 40 years from discussions to the startof the actual waste disposal, so we can't put off
this issue any longer. From this point of view,
it is an event that our generation will certainly
have to face. Perhaps the senior people whohave been handling this will be gone by thattime, and suddenly our generation will assume
this responsibility. So, on the basis of myexperience in Sweden, I will also do my best
to disseminate information. Previously, I had
thought that “what I conveyed” would be “whatwas understood” by the other person, but I
have now learned that the information I convey
will only be understood if the person hearing it
understands the content correctly. First, I will
share information with people around me, likefriends and relatives, paying careful attention
to make sure that I convey my information
correctly and in a way that is appropriate forthe other person. Through my club activities, I
also come into contact not only with high school
students in my prefecture, but also with students
and contemporaries in other prefectures. I plan
to share information about managing highlevel radioactive waste and decommissioning,
including the disaster in Fukushima Prefecture
and the path to revitalization. I hope that I will
be able to pass on knowledge not only to mycontemporaries, but also to people from a wide
range of generations, and that many people willconsider the issue to be one of their own.

Special Feature 2● Special Feature 2

A new way of thinking and“taking ownership”
Preparing for an uncertain future by confronting the present

Motoha Oi,

Haramachi High School

My thoughts on Japan following thetraining program
Informing Swedish high school students about

the current energy situation in Japan and
Sweden was one of the goals of this training
program. As I prepared for the program, I
began to feel a great sense of crisis over thefact that Japan's energy self-sufficiency rate isextremely low.
Electricity is essential to life. In Japan, morethan 70% of thermal power is generated via
fossil fuels, which are imported from othercountries. However, fossil fuels are a finite
resource, and as such resources become scarcer

in the future, exports will undoubtedly decline.
W hat happens t hen? Fossi l f uels w i l l no
longer reach resource-poor Japan, and power
generation will become impossible. Perhaps thisnightmare scenario may actually come true inthe near future.
I came to think that nuclear power is needed
for Japan's future. Even though the topic of the
training program was “Nuclear Waste Disposal”,
I was also reminded of the merits of nuclear
power, which can produce a large amountof electricity with little fuel. Another way toincrease self-sufficiency is, of course, to use
renewable energy. However, in Japan, which
has a narrow land mass, there is a limit to howmuch electricity can be supplied by renewableenergy alone. It requires a suitable naturalenvironment, appropriate weather, and sufficientspace. As a result, I am of the opinion thatJapan must have an energy mix that includes atleast a certain amount of nuclear power.
If we take nuclear power to be necessar y,then of course we have to have a “disposalsite”. In Japan, however, this site has not been
decided, and some municipalities have refused
to conduct a literature survey, which is the first22Special Feature 2

step in selecting a site. Is that really all we can
do? Whether Japan increases its nuclear power
or not, the country will continue to accumulate
nuclear waste from its nuclear power generation
thus far, and the current waste storage facilities
have reached their capacity limit. This limit isexpected to be exceeded within a few years,
so the selection of a disposal site must move
forward quickly and cannot be postponed.

Differences between Japan and
SwedenOne of the most memorable responses in myinteractions with Swedish high school students
was that they said: “I'm interested in nuclear
power because I need electricity in my life andI can't live without it”. In my opinion, this is
an idea that few Japanese people have. They
tend to think it’s just natural to have electricity.
But can this really be said for Japan, where
electricity self-sufficiency is low? Through ourpresentation, we felt that this concept differed
greatly in Japan and Sweden.
In Sweden, several municipalities volunteered to
become the final disposal site. The decision was
eventually narrowed down to two: Forsmark andÖsthammars. In Forsmark, which was chosen
as the site for the repository, municipal officials
said in unison: “take responsibility” and “takepride” in the fact that they are the custodiansof Sweden's nuclear waste and the country's
future. In Östhammars, which was not selected,
local super markets held “com m iserat ionssales” due to their disappointment at not being
selected. I think this shows how much these
local gover nments wanted t he repositor y.
Unfortunately, such a thing is unthinkable intoday's Japan. Sweden has few earthquakes
and has had no nuclear accidents, whereas
Japan has had atomic bomb attacks and the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
Accident. It also suffers many natural disasters,such as earthquakes. Many people are worried
about what's going to happen in the future.
But i sn' t it po s sible for Japa n to have a
Swedish mentality, no matter how different thesituation? Japan is becoming more electrified
and automated, and electricity is essential inthis regard. The use of nuclear power is alsoessential to continue to produce electricity as
we have up to now. Therefore, a permanent
disposal site is absolutely necessary. We musthave a sense of “responsibility” and “pride” inhosting a nuclear waste repository in one's own
area and in securing Japan's energy future.

I'd also like to ask you to consider how you
feel about people who don't know much about
nuclear power and who are expressing opinions
based on speculation: whether their thinking isa firm opinion founded on correct information,
or a product of their imagination created bytheir own impressions. The more people know
about the current situation, the less likely they
are simply to think “nuclear power generationis dangerous because of radiation”. I hope thatpeople actually come to terms with the issues
before expressing their opinions for or against.

What I can do now and in the future

Nuclear energy in Japan and taking
ownership of the issues
I have mentioned Japan's need for nuclear
power, but there is more to it than that. Firstof all, because everyone has different values,
it's normal for people to agree or disagree with
nuclear power. I'm not a diehard advocate ofnuclear power, so I don't think about how toconvert the naysayers into being pro-nuclear
power. So what exactly do we need?
I think people should consider the situation
along the lines of “There is no guarantee that
there will be electricity in the future, so how
do I take ownership of this issue?” Japan's
development has been founded on the basis ofelectricity. If Japanese people want to continue
living as they do now, and want to lead more
comfortable lives in the future, they will need23

more electricity. However, Japan will be ata disadvantage going forward. Therefore, itis necessary for each citizen to look at thissituation as “his or her own” and feel the needto act as much as possible. Since electricity
is used by everyone, it is safe to say that all
citizens are involved in this. In other words,
people seeing the future of electricity as theirown issue should be a foregone conclusion.
But that's not the case. It can be said thatpeople who don't have an opinion and justtake electricity for granted are included in the
problem.

are childish and realistic at the same time.
Those of us who are able to express opinions
along this exquisitely fine line have the potential
to become a new source of encouragement forothers to take ownership.
In Japan, the decision on the disposal site is
at a standstill, and this issue will undoubtedly
fall to our generation as we grow up. The
most important thing is to have that sense ofownership and continue to engage in issues
affecting our uncertain future. To do this, wemust stay alert and engaged and keep learning.
It is necessar y to listen not on ly to you r
own ideas, but also to a variety of opinions,
including those for and against, from yourfriends and the people around you. I want toform my own opinions and not stop thinking
about the present situation and the future, eventhough I am neutral in this.
My dreams for the future are not clear yet. I
have a strong desire to work closely with people
in my community and help them live better
lives. I would like to become an adult who canmake the most of the experiences and opinions
t hat I have ga i ned t h roug h t h is t ra i n i ng
program for the future of others and for myown.

What I can do now to help other people “takeownership” of the problems that Japan faces is
to hold on to my opinions, armed with the truthof what I have actually seen and heard on thistraining program, and to spread the information
to as many people as I can.
Both in Japan and in Sweden, the informationthat was given by the actual employees wasconvincing: it really got through to me. I thinkthat was because I listened to them based on thefact that they actually worked in the industry.
In other words, the information that our eyes,mouths, and hearts transmit through what
we experience is surely of considerable value.
However, no matter how much information wetransmit, it is not easy to reach a large numberof people. There must be a lot of influencers out
there if that's the case. It is important for thelistener to be able to “personalize” opinions inorder for them to be truly heard. We are at atime in our lives between high school student
and adult, so I think we can have opinions that24

Facing Reality: Seeing for oneself

Facing Reality: Seeing for oneself“Learning from Sweden’s
advancements” and“Status report on Aomori
and Fukushima Prefectures”
We wanted to see for ourselves. In
the summer of 2023, 12 high school
students from Fukushima, Hokkaido,
Aomori, Ibaraki and Fukui prefectures,
where nuclear power facilities arelocated, visited sites related tohigh-level radioactive waste in theNordic country of Sweden, and in
Rokkasho village in Aomori
Prefecture. Many people began tothink about nuclear power plants
again after the Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Station Accident, andthe disposal of nuclear waste is a
global issue. How do you feel about
this from your own perspective?
During the summer when we were
16 or 17 years old, we explored JNFL's
nuclear fuel cycle facilities in Aomori,and a nuclear waste repository in
Sweden, where we witnessed thecountry’s efforts in the area of
geological disposal and in building a
final disposal site. It is our desire toshare our knowledge with people
across generations who have not
had the opportunity to visit suchplaces. With this in mind, we present
an overview of laboratories in
Sweden and Japan. We hope it willencourage you to think about thisissue.

25“Learning from Sweden’s advancements”
SKB's Final RepositoryÄspö Hard Rock Laboratory

The company responsible for building and operating the repository is theSwedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). Hannah, theirspokeswoman, gave us an explanation. Forsmark nuclear power plant isnearby.

There is a tunnel deep underground, about 450 meters at its deepest point. The
steepest point has a 40 degree inclination. Bacteria and fungi from tens of thousandsof years ago have been found in the rock formations and they are used in scientificresearch. A marathon is held there every year and the facility has a close connection
with the city nearby. You can take home underground water as a souvenir at the exit.
You can taste it and it tastes like...

Vattenfall High School
A boarding high school run by an energy company, Vattenfall. Many of thestudents' families work for nuclear companies. The visiting Japanese highschool students divided into three groups and presented in English on thecurrent situation in, and differences between, Japan and Sweden regarding
nuclear waste disposal. Presentations were also made by Vattenfall students.
We deepened our exchange by introducing them to elements of Japaneseculture: Origami, Calligraphy, Kendama (cup-and-ball) and Koma (spinningtop). We also visited the dormitories where the students live. We played
ping-pong there and strengthened bonds between students across borders.

Forsmark●
Vattenfall High School◎

Stockholm●Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory

Canister Laboratory
Here, researchers are studying canisters. These are covered containers that holdspent nuclear fuel for its final disposal. The canisters are made of corrosion-resistantcopper. Researchers use X-rays and ultrasound to check for problems in the weldingof the lids. A real canister is on display in front of the research center, and you cantake photographs standing on it.

Vattenfall
Europe's largest power company. The
company briefed us on its renewableenergy initiatives, and we gave apresentation in English.

26

Facing Reality: Seeing for oneself

Hannah-san

Ambassador to Sweden

Hannah is an SKB spokesperson. She told us that in order
to select the site for the final repository, SKB spent a longtime explaining to local residents the lessons it had learned
from past mistakes. She highlighted “patience” and“transparency” as the most important points, and said “youneed to have good shoes” to build trust through repeatedvisits. She also stressed the importance of communicating
in a language that is easy to understand. Hannah’seasy-to-understand explanations completely captivated us.

The Japanese Ambassador
to Sweden, Masaki Noka,gave us an overview of
Sweden’s energy situationand culture. He also talked
about his experience in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the work done by diplomats and others, including therelationship between nuclear energy and diplomacy interms of fuel and technology. The ambassador has
worked to lift import restrictions on Japanese foodproducts. He also touched on Swedish national identity,
which is similar to that of the Japanese. We sat in a circle
with him and he answered questions casually. He also
introduced us to “fika”, a Swedish custom of conversation
over sweets.

Facing Reality: Seeing for oneself

Walking around Sweden
Episode I

Episode Ⅱ

Episode Ⅲ

Summer travels

Snack time

Tips on choosing souvenirs

In Sweden, the crayfish fishing season
begins in August, making it a summer
tradition, as with eels in Japan.
Supermarkets have special sections
and party supplies. There are often
pictures of crayfish in the restaurants
along the street. Look out for them!

“Fika” is a Swedish term for a break fromwork or housework to drink coffee or tea
while eating something sweet. The word
“fika” is like a backwards version of theJapanese word for “coffee”. It might be acoincidence, but it’s a funny thing to us.
This custom is not just a coffee break, but
is said to have an important meaning. It issaid to improveconcentration atwork, along with
communication
with superiors
and colleagues.

It’s convenient to buy souvenirs in the
tourist area of Gamla Stan. Horsefigurines are very popular, but they canbe expensive. We recommend cutekeychains, mugs and handbags. Notethat “PRC” stands for “People's
Republic of China”, so watch out if you
want something made in Sweden!

Welcome to a Storybook World“Status report on Aomori and Fukushima Prefectures”■Climate

JNFL: Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.
Rokkasho village●

The facilities include a low-level radioactive waste
burial center, a high-level radioactive waste storageand management center, and a spent fuel receipt
and storage facility. Test operations for a
reprocessing facility and construction of a MOX fuelfabrication facility are underway to recycle spent fuelused in nuclear power stations. The facility is amanagement center that stores vitrified materials
obtained from the reprocessing of high-level
radioactive waste and you can actually stand on
vitrified materials. The reprocessing process is
explained in an exhibit at the PR Center.

TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station●

Futaba town
Okuma town

27

A large amount of contaminated water is generated here due tothe pouring of water onto nuclear fuel (debris) that melted in the
nuclear accident, groundwater flowing into the buildings, andrainwater. Although the water is purified by a multi-nuclide
removal system (ALPS), tritium, which is a radioactive
substance, cannot be removed and this “treated water” isstored in tanks at the site. TEPCO estimates that the tanks will
become full between February and June 2024. Therefore, thegovernment decided to dilute the treated water with seawaterand began discharging it into the sea on August 24, 2023.
Flatfish and abalone are being raised at the site in the treatedwater to study the effects of radioactive materials. In the future,research will be conducted on how to remove the debris.

Scandinavian Culture
and Climate in Data

「Spectacular scenery」「Location from Kiki’s
Delivery Service」

Gamla Stan is a tourist area.
No matter where you takepictures, you’ll always get agreat shot. The photo in the
big square is sure to be amemorable one.

August is about 15 degrees,
which is about half that of
Fukushima Prefecture,
where it reaches nearly 40
degrees. Visitors should beaware of this difference intemperature. It can get cold
when it rains, so be sure to
bring a jacket.

■Distance andtime differenceThis is the city where the Ghibli
anime is set. It is on top of a hill,facing the sea. As we weretourists, we set off to find theMårten Trotzigs Gränd, which issaid to be the narrowest street.

■Food「Spectacular library」「Nobel Museum」

This is located on a large square in the center ofGamla Stan, where the Stockholm massacre took
place. The building was originally the stock
exchange, which was built in 1776. The museum
sells goods that you can only buy there, likechocolates with a portrait of Nobel.

A cylindrical-shaped room, where
you’re surrounded on all sides bybooks, is the c e n t e r p i e c e o f t h e
Stockholm Library. Some tourists
come from Japan just to visit thisplace. Entry is free.

「Photo with a statue」

There are a lot of bronze statues allover the city. Why not create somememories by taking a photograph withthem? You can feel Sweden's history
up close.

Distance from Japan: 8000
kilometers. It's a long 16
hour trip including layovers,
so you need to be creative
about how you spend yourtime on the plane. The
time difference is minus 7hours including daylightsaving time.

Sweden’s rye bread isfamous. Breakfast isserved in the same
buffet style as in Japan,
with bacon, prosciutto
ham and scrambled
eggs. Restaurants are
expensive. In terms ofsupermarkets, “Coop” isa good choice for ordinary people, as in Japan. It’s
convenient for buying sweets and drinking water,and you can get a lot of souvenirs there.

■Prices and currency

Prices are much higher
than in Japan. Sweden issaid to be the country
where electronic payments
are the most popular, andits cashless society is welladvanced. The currency is
the Swedish krona (SEK). As of August 2023, 1 SEK
was 13.42 yen. On the banknotes there is a picture of“Pippi Långstrump”, or “Pippi Longstocking” (known inJapan as “Naga-kutsushita no Pippi”).

28Unavoidable challenges of high-level radioactive waste

What should we learn from Sweden?

Unavoidable challenges ofhigh-level radioactive waste

What should we learn from Sweden?
“Dialogue-oriented attitude and youth education”

Regardless of the pros and cons of nuclear power, the final disposal ofhigh-level radioactive waste (nuclear waste) is an unavoidable issue!

Sweden has been working towards final disposal for about 40 years.
Japan has a lot to learn!

Due to the operation of nuclear power stations
thus far, Japan has already accumulated spent
nuclear fuel. However, a decision has not yet
been made on the main disposal site.

■ Sweden: a leading country

Operation expected in the late 2030s

Japan plans to reprocess the spent nuclear fuelto extract usable uranium and plutonium, then mix
the remaining waste liquid into glass (solidification)and dispose of it as high-level radioactive waste
in stainless steel containers, at a depth of morethan 300 meters underground. The Nuclear Waste
Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) willtake the lead in implementing the project.
Sweden is one country where the final repositorysite has been selected. Forsmark is located in themunicipality of Östhammars, about 120 kilometers
north of the capital, Stockholm. Spent fuel from
Swedish nuclear power plants will be disposed ofin rock about 500 meters below Forsmark. Unlike
Japan, Sweden does not reprocess spent fuel, andburies it in copper containers.
In 2022, the Swedish government approved
a proposal for the Swedish Nuclear Fuel andWaste Management Company (SKB), a company

established jointly by four utilities, to implement the
final disposal plan. Actual disposal is expected to
begin in the late 2030s.

■ Japan's uncertain future

No time to waste

In Japan, literature surveys have been ongoing in
Suttsu and Kamoenai villages in Hokkaido since2020. This is the first step in selecting a disposal
site, but the future is uncertain. In September 2023,
the city of Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture, which
had been considering undertaking a literature
survey, announced that it would not move forwardwith this due to “insufficient consensus among
citizens.”
As of 2023, Japan had about 190,000 tons of spent
nuclear fuel, according to the Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry. The fuel is managed by eachnuclear power plant, and the total capacity of all
facilities is about 240,000 tons. This means thatthe storage volume has reached about 80%. The
issue of final disposal is approaching the point
where it cannot be postponed, but this is not being
discussed nationally.
High-level radioactive waste is created because weuse electricity. Anyone who has used electricity has
a responsibility for this disposal.

■ Local support 86%

Focus on dialogue

According to an annual survey conducted by the Swedish
Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB),
which is responsible for the implementation of disposal
in Sweden, 86% of the people living in the area wherea repository is planned to be built in 2023 support theplan. Local residents and employees cited “dialogue withresidents”, “transparency through disclosure of information”
and “education of young people” as ways to gain trust in
disposal.
SKB officials were proud of the 86% figure and said that it“shows that we have gained the trust of the residents”, but
added that “the process takes time”. They explained that
“Sweden has never had a nuclear accident, and we haveconfidence in nuclear power, but when it comes to waste,
it's a different story. The waste will not simply disappear”.
This gave us an insight into their years of hard work.

The public relations style at nuclear facilities in Japan thatthe high school students visited during the training program
was in stark contrast to that in Sweden. The materials werefilled with difficult words, and the high school students
seemed to feel that the lecture-style explanations were very
one-sided.

■ Past failures■ “Education from an early age is

The emphasis on dialogue comes from bitter experiencesin the past. At the beginning of the process to select thedisposal site, two local governments started surveys
without providing explanations to residents. As a result, thereferendum was rejected and SKB withdrew. This failure led
to an emphasis on dialogue with residents.

The Swedish high school students with whom weexchanged views expressed positive opinions about nuclear
power generation, indicating a strong interest in energy.
We heard opinions such as “Young people in Sweden trust
nuclear power because they learn about it”, “We cannot live
without energy”, and “Fossil fuels have a negative impact on
the environment”.

What you need is “a good pair of shoes”

Since then, SKB’s employees have worked to explain
things to people who cannot attend information sessions,and they have gone to people’s homes and workplaces
to hear opinions from people who are not satisfied. SKB’s
spokesperson said, “You need a good pair of shoes togain trust”. The mayor of Östhammars, where Forsmark
is located, said, “People are afraid of things they don't
understand. We should explain clearly how it is done andwho is responsible for it, and they will understand it better”.
SKB's emphasis on dialogue and public relations wasevident in its manner of discussion with the Japanese highschool students. The three employees who spoke withthe students at each facility they visited all had more than
10 years of experience in public relations. The materials
were brief and used as a way to communicate with thoselistening. When giving explanations, they said they made a
conscious effort not to talk about difficult topics at first andto let people gain knowledge gradually.

29

important”“Education from an early age is important. There are no
shortcuts”, said the mayor of Oskarshamn, where therepository research facility is located. Children in thecity will, without doubt, be educated about final disposal,
including visits to the research facilities. “Young people will
also be responsible for final disposal in the future. So wehave to pass on the information”, said an SKB employee.
What about Japan? Is the energy education good? In fact,many of us said, “I learned about Japan's energy situation
for the first time through this training program”.
The final disposal of nuclear waste, as well as the issue of
how to provide energy for Japan, must be faced by every
citizen. To advance the discussion, it is essential to acquire
knowledge. To this end, creating equal opportunities foreveryone to be educated about energy is the best andquickest way for Japan to solve these problems.
30

Keywords for us to envision the future

K

1
2
3
4
5
6

Editor’s postscript

M

Disposal of high-level radioactive
waste is a looming challenge
E

Take ownership of issues

In my opinion, adults are gravely responsible for not having been able to prevent the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident. But the road to decommissioning is long and uncertain, andit has become a cross-generational issue involving us, the younger generations. Everybody needs tolearn about problems concerning decommissioning and raise their voice in their own way. That will
drive us toward the creation of a better future.

Think how best to be understoodCommunicating sounds easy, but is difficult in reality. We can say that information has beencommunicated only when the people receiving that information have understood it correctly. SNS has
become prevalent among us, and it has become easy to deliver our opinions to the world
instantaneously. I would like to disseminate information standing in the shoes of the target audience,taking into account age and other factors.

Do not let memories fade away

S

A

G

E

Yumiko Nishimoto,

Repeated dialog
Every person has their own views and values. When discussing revitalization issues, some will agreewith suggested solutions and others will disagree. I would like both sides to explain their reasons,discuss the issues, and understand each other to slowly but steadily put together tangible revitalizationplans. Denying each other will not bring anything good to the table.

S

Managing Director,
NPO Happy Road Net

More than 12 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and TEPCOʼs Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident. While attention has been focused on decommissioning workand the release of treated water, the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste,
which continue to accumulate, is a pressing issue. In August, 13 Japanese high school students visited
various nuclear facilities in Japan and Sweden to think about the disposal of high-level radioactive
waste from their own perspective and to consider their own future. The students came from theHamadori area of Fukushima Prefecture, a region that suﬀered in the disaster; Suttsu town in Hokkaido,
where a literature survey on geological disposal is being conducted; and Rokkasho village in Aomori
Prefecture, together with Fukui and Ibaraki Prefectures, where nuclear power-related facilities are located.
Some of the students came to the training knowing nothing about ﬁnal disposal. However, as they
toured the facilities and discussed what they had experienced among themselves, they realized that they
had to deal with the issues of energy and disposal. I will never forget how they conﬁdently expressed
their opinions from the training program at the debrieﬁng in September.
I think it is the responsibility of adults to give children a chance to learn. The children of today will be
responsible for leading the society of tomorrow, and the disposal of high-level radioactive waste is a taskthat will fall to them. The high school students who participated in this training program were able tolearn about this issue, but what about other students? I feel apprehension that they may suddenly be
confronted by this in the future without having the opportunity to learn about the challenges. Shouldnʼtadults be responsible for providing children with education, and with the opportunity to learn abouthigh-level radioactive waste and Japanʼs energy challenges?

Memories of the earthquake disaster and lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Station Accident must be passed down from generation to generation, in the hope that they will savesomeone’s life when a similar disaster occurs sometime, somewhere in the future. We, the younger
generation, were very young when the earthquake disaster occurred, so I would like to learn more
about “that day”.

Of course, we must also take action in order to address these challenges. We must work together tomove forward in a positive way. However, it cannot be said that the discussion about ﬁnal disposal in
Japan is moving forward. To put it in stronger terms, there is even an element of turning a blind eye.
I want to be an adult that children will be proud of in the future, saying “The adults worked hard to solve
the problem back then, and they solved it”. Children want adults to take their responsibilities seriously.

Continue to take on challenges

We will continue to conduct our human resource development programs, because there are so manythings that students canʼt learn in school. And students will continue to make eﬀorts to gain theknowledge and experience they will need in the future.

The decommissioning of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is a venture into
uncharted territory. Precisely for that reason, there is a possibility that new world-class technology will
emerge in Fukushima. In the life we are to live, we surely will face failures. Still, I would like to rise up,
face things head on, and turn situations into a positive to create something new.

Letʼs set oﬀ on a journey of learning
Seeing is believing. It is important to check things by seeing them with one’s own eyes. Only byjourneying out of our hometown may we learn something new. We may also encounter things thatchallenge our previous convictions.
Let’s broaden our horizons.

Planning and Publishing

NPO Happy Road Net

Yumiko Nishimoto, Managing Director

25-1, Tsukiji, Shimoasamigawa, Hirono-machi, Futaba-gun, Fukushima 979-0403, Japan
Tel: (+81) 240-23-6172 Fax: (+81) 240-23-6171
E-mail : office@happyroad.net

Cooperation
Technology Office for Radioactive Waste Management, Electricity and Gas Industry Department,
Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Production Staff
Jun Watanabe

31

Takahiro Kunii

Kenji Hibi

Ryuichi Sakurai

Mark Christy
32