Hitachiomiya Accepts Survey for Nuclear Waste Disposal Site

A month after a request from the government of Japan, the mayor of Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki, Sadayuki Suzuki, announced that his city would accept literature survey to select the location for final disposal site of high-level nuclear waste. The city will be awarded 2 billion yen of subsidy from the national government. Since the government made the request, Suzuki did not hold a meeting with the residents to explain about the survey. 

Hitachiomiya became the fifth candidate for building the final disposal facility of nuclear waste which has been produced in nuclear power plants, following towns of Suttsu and Kamoenai in Hokkaido that accepted the survey in November 2020, Genkai in Saga in June 2024 and isolated Minamitorishima Island of Ogasawara village in Tokyo prefecture in June 2026. Hitachiomiya made itself the first city in Honshu Island of Japan to accept a literature survey, which is the first step in scientific researches for the final disposal.

 

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) requested Suzuki to accept literature survey, in late August. Suzuki consulted with city assembly on whether he should accept it. The assembly held three meetings in which METI and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NUMO) explained about literature survey to the members of the city assembly. However, the discussion was not disclosed to any observers.

 

In his press conference on his decision of accepting literature survey, Suzuki emphasized that the people had consumed electricity with relatively low price and he could not ignore the nuclear waste which had been produced in nuclear power plants. Acknowledging that there were a number of oppositions among the people in Hitachiomiya, Suzuki dismissed them as ideologically motivated, rather than based on scientific literacy. “More people die with traffic accident than those with nuclear accident,” Suzuki metaphorically said on safety of nuclear radiation.

 

METI’s first attempt to Hitachiomiya was made in 2025, in a series of explanations to local communities in Japan about the final disposal site. As the ministry held some meetings with the people in Hitachiomiya in later 2025, some residents submitted national government a request to make the survey in the city, which was focused on the future of their city which was suffering from depopulation and deteriorating financial balance.

 

Suzuki’ willingness is based on those voices that accept the survey. There is a rule that a municipality which accepts literature survey will receive 2 billion yen of subsidy. The 7 billion yen will be awarded to a city that accepts preliminary investigation, the next step of literature survey. Knowing fundamental concerns among the people on nuclear waste, the METI promotes the policy in a stick-and-carrot logic.

 

A common reasoning is shared by the candidates that raised hands for final disposal. As long as we use electricity which is partly dependent on nuclear power, someone needs to accept nuclear waste. We take that responsibility as citizens of Japan. And the subsidy is a good incentive for designing out future. But the leaders of those candidates leave basic concerns on nuclear waste behind, causing a sharp division among the people. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Takaichi’s Surge in Poll

The first poll on Sanae Takaichi administration marked high approval rate among past prime ministers. Although Takaichi failed in maintaining the leading between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, the respondents positively accepted the new cooperative framework by the LDP and Japan Innovation Party (JIP). However, people are still skeptical about Takaichi’s handlings of political reform over political funds or reduction of Diet seats. In the  poll  of  Yomiuri Shimbun  right after establishment of Takaichi Cabinet, the approval rate of the cabinet was 71 percent with 18 percent of disapproval.  Asahi Shimbun  reported its  poll  with 68 percent of approval for Takaichi Cabinet and disapproval at 19 percent a week after new administration started. The  poll  of  Mainichi Shimbun  showed mostly the same result with 65 percent of approval and 22 percent of disapproval.   Those polls indicated that Takaichi Cabin...
Read more

Sober Leaders of Japan and China Discuss Mutual Benefit

The Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, had her first meeting with the President of People’s Republic of China (PRC), Xi Jinping, in the backdrop of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit at Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 31 st . Both leaders agreed on maintaining a basic principle of their bilateral relations for years, called “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.” However, it became a meeting without smile, reflecting their complicated relations these years. At the beginning of the meeting, Xi  told  Takaichi that he was ready for development of China-Japan relations on the right track. Takaichi replied that she hoped to reduce various issues between their countries and increase understandings and cooperation to achieve certain result. Takaichi insisted on developing personal relationship with Xi through dialogues. They  concurred  on building “constructive and stable Japan-China relations.”   Two leaders raised a lot...
Read more

Takaichi Delivers Economic Order

At the starting point of her cabinet, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered her ministers to grapple with the issues that would be necessary for implementing her promises in the presidential election of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) or the coalition agreement with Japan Innovation Party (JIP). The first focus of Takaichi looked to be on economic policies.   On the first day of her cabinet, Takaichi sent out a letter to her ministers on October 22 nd . Takaichi demanded in the letter to strengthen Japanese economy by changing people’s concerns on their life or future into hope. It contained three issues to deal with: achieving a strong economy, defending people’s life in local communities and enhancement of diplomacy and defense.   To achieve strong economy, Takaichi proposed introduction of “investment of crisis management” and “responsible and active fiscal policy.” She  explained  investment of crisis management to be preemptive and strategic investment on various...
Read more