EFFORTS IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION FOR JAPANESE GEOLOGICALDISPORSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Kumiko Ezaki, Kenichi Kaku, Shunsuke Suzuki
Communication and Public Acceptance Department,
Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan(NUMO)

Key words; Education, Dialogue, Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan

Abstract
Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) was established in October 2000 based on the“Specified Radioactive Waste Final disposal Act” as the authorized implementing entity approved by theMinister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Since its establishment, NUMO has been engaging in public
communication to increase an understanding of the importance of the geological disposal project.
The geological disposal is the 100-years project from the start of investigation for exploring a repository
construction site till the closure of the repository. Therefore, multiple generations will be involved in this project.
For raising awareness of the geological disposal project as one of social issues among next generations,especially elementary school and junior/senior high school students, NUMO has been supporting school teachersand college students who are willing to work on developing teaching plans and materials. NUMO encourages
them to actually teach geological disposal to their students in their school classes. In 2016 NUMO produced
basic teaching materials for elementary school students/junior high school students/and instructional materials
for teachers and distributed them to education committee and schools across Japan.
NUMO also has been supporting college debate classes on the topic of geological disposal of high-level
radioactive waste since 2012. NUMO provides its supports by sending experts on radiation and geologicaldisposal for special lectures, by organizing tours to local nuclear power plant and a research facility of geologicaldisposal and by answering to various questions from the students. In addition, NUMO has been carrying out
communication activities using a communication vehicle “Geo Mirai”, where exhibits and a 3D-animation
theater are installed, throughout Japan. Thorough these activities various questions and opinions have beenobtained from a wide range of generations which will be utilized to improve NUMO’s communication.
1.

Introduction

NUMO was established as the implementing bodyof the Japanese geological disposal project ofhigh-level radioactive waste in October 2000 inaccordance with the “Specified Radioactive Waste
Final disposal Act”.
Since the establishment, NUMO has put its
efforts on continued technical development and has
expanded public relations and communication
activities for raising awareness about anddisseminating an understanding of the importanceand safety of the project to date.
This paper introduces outlines and outcomes of
NUMO’s efforts in the field of education and current
communication activities targeting the next
generation.
2.

Efforts in the field of education

To enhance an understanding of the geologicaldisposal project over long time periods, it isimportant to have the next generation who will play acore part of shaping future national opinion know ofand raise their awareness about geological disposal ofhigh-level radioactive waste as one of social issues.
To tackle this, NUMO has been supporting school
teachers who are willing to work on developing
teaching plans and materials and college students
aiming to be teachers for disseminating an
understanding of geological disposal of high-level
radioactive waste among the next generation(elementary, junior/senior high school students).
In 2013, when NUMO launched this approach, it
held workshops in 10 different locations throughout
Japan. With prior information provision about thegeological disposal project, it had discussions withteachers to seek solution to this issue. From 2014,
NUMO started to support teachers’ groups in about
10 different locations, which study this issue aiming
to actual practices in classrooms (e.g. development ofteaching plans and materials).
Outcomes such as teaching plans and class reports
including videos of teaching scenes are shared on
NUMO’s specially set-up website, and they can be

6th East Asia Forum on Radwaste Management Conference
November 27-29, 2017, Osaka, Japandownloaded for free for further utilization (theoutcomes posted on the website: 45 teaching plans(23 for elementary schools, 16 for junior highschools and 6 for senior high schools), 11 classreports, etc, as of October 2017).
Additionally, every March, NUMO holds anational workshop, inviting school teachers
throughout the country to report outcomes from theirworkshops and share their information interactively.
By posting the contents of the national workshop in
newspapers specializing in education, those educators
who could not participate in the workshop were also
adequately informed.
In 2016, with support from teachers, NUMO
produced teaching materials for elementary andjunior high school students and an instructional
material for teachers, and distributed them to theBoards of Education and schools of high interest inenergy education nationwide. The material forelementary school students focuses on “Waste fromelectricity generation”, and the one for junior highschool students focuses on “Energy problems”, andthe teachers’ instructional material includes teachingplans, worksheets and the procedure of a bentonite
experiment, which teachers who deal with this issue
in their classes for the first time can easily utilize.

because contents can be explained in turn from thetop”. Thus, it led to the increase in distribution of thematerials to local schools and utilization inclassrooms.
As results of continued efforts, after a thoroughstudy of this issue, teachers who did not have enoughknowledge before came to be able to teach it in theirclasses. According to reports from teachers, over 208
classes were conducted nationwide and about 7,000
students took them.
Furthermore, the publication of the “Nationwide
Map of Scientific Features for Geological Disposal”
by the Government this July increases teachers’interest in this issue. In response, through the Boardsof Education nationwide, NUMO is currently
providing information to teachers outside theseactivities.
NUMO will continue these efforts in the field ofeducation and develop an environment where bothteachers and students can learn the geologicaldisposal project as their own important issue.
FY

Number ofWorkshop
participants

Number of thenational workshop
participants

Number ofpractices inclassrooms

2013

28892

─

2014

239

91322015

212160

79

2016

324

218

97

Total

1,063

561

208

Table 2.1: The result of workshop participants andpractices in classrooms
3.

For elementary school students

For junior high school students

Delivery lectures on geological disposal

Since 2015, NUMO has been providing
information by visiting school classes and educators’
meetings. By the end of March 2016, NUMO
lectured to about 3,000 people in 54 schools within
two years. Most of requests were from universities. Inaddition to the lecture on geological disposal NUMO
performs an experiment to show characteristics of thebentonite. Lectures including discussions in which
participants can think about geological disposal as
their own issue (e.g. “What kind of places are
suitable for geological disposal?” “The possible risks
and measures of geological disposal”, etc.)
Times (Number of students)
FY

Teachers’ instruction material

Figure 2.1: Teaching materials
Comments received from teachers included
positive feedback. For example, “Figures andexplanations are easy to understand” or “It’s usefulElementar
y school

Junior highschool

Junior college,Universitymeeting2015

2（142）

1（141）

12（912）7 （202）

2016

2（244）

3（169）

20（910）7 （216）

Total

4（386）

4（310）

32（1,822）

14 （418）

Educators

Table 3.1: The result of delivery lectures

6th East Asia Forum on Radwaste Management Conference
November 27-29, 2017, Osaka, Japan

Table 3.2: The ratio of delivery lectures
In the case of the lecture at universities, NUMO
carries out surveys by a questionnaire to see if there
is any change in thoughts of participants: "Was there
the change of your feeling to take a lecture?" 70-80
percent of students said “yes” to the question. To thequestion, "What was the change of your feelings?" A
lot of students marked the choice "I want to tell myfamily or a friend about what I learned” “I aminterested in this topic and wanted to check it in detailin web page".

Once NUMO has an opportunity to give alecture on geological disposal, we are often asked
to deliver lecture once again. It seems that theteachers and student realize the importance of thisissue once they have an opportunity to learn aboutit.
4.

Support on college debate classes on the topicof geological disposal of high-level radioactive
waste

NUMO has been supporting college debate classes
which deal with the topic of geological disposal ofhigh-level radioactive waste since 2012. About 380
college students took these classes. The theme ofdebate is “Should Japan abolish the geologicaldisposal program of high-level radioactive waste andmandate its permanent active control?”. NUMO
supports these classes by sending experts on radiationand geological disposal for special lectures, byorganizing one-day tours to a local nuclear power
plant and a research facility of geological disposal
and by providing answers to their various questions.
In dealing with issues on “controversial facility”
such as a repository, it is more likely that opinions of
the public and local stakeholders are polarized, andproponents and opponents tend to end up with justadvocating their own views to each other. Thus, it isanticipated that local stakeholders will make theirown judgments after learning both sides of opinions.
In these circumstances, NUMO considers that anapproach of developing one’s opinion based onlearning simultaneously both sides of views can bevery effective.

Additionally, since current debate classes arecarried out in the Department of Education, it isthought that a majority of students who take theseclasses will engage in education-related occupations.
Thus, it is expected that such future candidates ofeducators will provide information of geologicaldisposal to the next generation through classes basedon their knowledge gained in debate classes duringcollege years.
It is also expected that NUMO can obtain
valuable information on what these students in debateclasses concern about geological disposal afterobtaining a sufficient amount of knowledge on thegeological disposal project through classroom
debates.

Figure 4.1: A debate class in University
5.

Dialogues using a communication vehicle,“Geo Mirai”

Since 2013, NUMO has been carrying out
face-to-face dialogues to visit local cities with its
communicationvehicle,“GeoMirai”
fordisseminating an understanding of geologicaldisposal throughout the country (see figure 5.1).
The dialogues were carried out in various places,such as science museums, commercial facilities andparks where participation of the next generation canbe expected. By the end of March 2017, NUMO
visited 89 locations and communicated with about
58,000 visitors.

Figure 5.1: Exterior view of communication vehicle,“Gio Mirai”

6th East Asia Forum on Radwaste Management Conference
November 27-29, 2017, Osaka, JapanIn the communication vehicle, NUMO explains
about geological disposal, especially for the next
generation, in a comprehensible manner, by showing
a 3D animated movie that explains the importanceand safety of geological disposal; by displaying
mockups of the multiple barrier system; and byperforming hands-on experiments with bentonite clay
to show its characteristics.
Comments received from visitors included positivefeedback. For example, “It increased myunderstanding of NUMO’s efforts for geologicaldisposal” or “Wide-ranging discussions on geologicaldisposal are needed as it is a national agenda”.
Thus, NUMO learned that the dialogues using sucha communication car were quite effective for raisinginterest in and awareness of geological disposal.



7.

Figure 5.2: Inside communication vehicle “Gio Mirai
NUMO carry out the following actions.
Hosting events for families in nationwide
science museums among other places:
Hold seminars on geological disposal innational museums and other available locations
country of the whole and explanation in thedisplay booth
Organizing tours for families to visit domestic
underground research facilities:
For targeting elementary and junior highschool students and their parents, opportunities
for visiting domestic underground researchfacilities are provided.
6.

Lessons learned from communication
activities for the next generation to enhancetheir understanding of geological disposal

To have teachers deal with the topic ofgeological disposal in their classes, support isneeded to reduce their time for class preparation
through provision of teaching plans andmaterials. In addition, since many teachers use a
PC and beamer in their classes these days,

provision of other materials such as PowerPoint
slides is helpful.
For junior high school students or older, generalmaterials in communication activities can beused with explanation in plain words, however,for elementary school students, more attractive
measures such as using video materials isneeded.
Today, since “Active learning” is recommended
in the field of education and difficult social
issues, such as geological disposal, is used forgroup work.
When exchanging opinions with university
students of high understanding, they will
understand the safety measures of geologicaldisposal, however, they still feel uncomfortable
about accepting a repository near their houses. It
suggests that understanding safety of geologicaldisposal does not always lead to peace of mind
and such a negative feeling would not changeeven with additional information provision.
Therefore, further consideration is needed in thisproblem.
Conclusions

For pursuing the geological disposal project ofhigh-level radioactive waste in a steady manner, it isimportant that public understands why the project isneeded and how to ensure the safe. Especially,
NUMO considers that it is important to raise interest
and awareness of the next generation since the projectrequires almost one hundred years from the start ofinvestigation for site selection till the closure of therepository.
NUMO will continue making effort that the next
generation and educators will have an opportunities
to learn geological disposal.

6th East Asia Forum on Radwaste Management Conference
November 27-29, 2017, Osaka, Japan