Energy Policy in Japan

Abstract

Japan embraced nuclear energy as early as the mid-1950s, and developed its nuclear industry to achieve the world’s third largest nuclear energy capacity (behind the United States and France) prior to the Fukushima accident. Japan spent many years pursuing nuclear fuel reprocessing in hope of establishing a closed nuclear cycle. Japan’s post-war energy policy is intrinsically linked to its nuclear policy. This chapter thus provides a broad overview of Japan’s energy policy, and consequently of the country’s nuclear energy policy since 1955.