Japan's nuclear shift fuels concern

From the continued discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea to the controversy over restarting reactors, nuclear-related issues in Japan have once again raised concerns among experts. Despite the unresolved consequences of the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan has steadily expanded the role of nuclear power in its energy policy.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, began the latest round of radioactive water discharge on July 6 from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, marking the 21st such release since the controversial operation began in 2023.

According to TEPCO, this round is scheduled to continue through July 24 and will discharge about 7,800 metric tons of wastewater into the ocean, containing approximately 1.3 trillion becquerels of the radioactive isotope tritium.

Chen Xiang, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told China Daily that as the discharge has become routine, international attention has declined, but that does not mean the risks have disappeared.

He said it is important to guard against public concern over potential ecological risks diminishing over time, adding that Japan's discharge of radioactive water has gradually evolved from an emergency incident into a long-term and ongoing international issue.

Under TEPCO's plan, the discharge is expected to continue for about 30 years. As of now, only around one-tenth of the overall discharge plan has been completed, with 20 discharge rounds releasing a cumulative total of about 157,000 metric tons of radioactive water.

Chen pointed out that the impact of the discharge is long-term, latent and cumulative, and its risks will not become fully apparent in the short term. Although Japan has emphasized that monitoring results meet relevant standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency's comprehensive report released in 2023 noted that the Advanced Liquid Processing System is not capable of removing all radioactive nuclides and that treated water may still be radioactive.

Chen argued that Japan's unilateral discharge may constitute a violation of international law. He stressed that Japan proceeded with the discharge plan without fully consulting all stakeholders or securing broad international consensus, thereby potentially violating its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to protect and preserve the marine environment.

In recent years, despite unresolved issues stemming from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident — which occurred after a massive earthquake and tsunami — the Japanese government has stepped up efforts to restart nuclear reactors and develop next-generation nuclear technologies amid pressure to strengthen energy security, lower energy costs and meet decarbonization goals.

Post-Fukushima caution

Political economist Kazuhide Uekusa told China Daily that Japan's nuclear policy has gradually shifted from the post-Fukushima policy of phasing out nuclear power to once again actively promoting its development. In his view, the safety risks exposed by the Fukushima accident have not been fundamentally resolved, and the possibility of another serious accident still exists.

Uekusa said the cause of the 2011 accident has yet to be fully determined, and it remains unclear whether the loss of power at the plant was primarily caused by the earthquake or the tsunami.

He said the seismic resistance of Japan's existing nuclear power plants has not been fundamentally improved, adding that current design standards are insufficient to cope with the strong earthquakes that have frequently struck the country in recent years.

On the political and social issues surrounding restarting reactors, Uekusa said the Japanese government requires consent only from the host municipality, even though a serious nuclear accident could affect a much wider area. If local consent is truly required, he said, approval should be sought from all potentially affected areas, but no such process exists.

He added that a severe nuclear accident would cause enormous economic losses, making nuclear power, in his view, the least economically efficient source of electricity.

houjunjie@chinadaily.com