Why Japan is still interested in Nuclear energy after the Fukushima accident

Before the Japanese Fukushima nuclear accident of March 11, 2011, nuclear energy accounted for a third of Japan's electricity sources. And after Fukushima, most of Japan's nuclear plants were shut down for strict safety checks.

The accident which was caused by a magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake (the most powerful earthquake seen yet in Japan) and tsunami destroyed at least three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, north of Tokyo.

This led to the accidental fallout of 880 tons of highly radioactive nuclear fuel, which still renders many neighbouring places uninhabitable today because of an ongoing contamination.

Since then, antinuclear campaigns grew mightily in Japan which led to the government placing a ban on nuclear-related activities in the country.

In June this year when it became clear that the government was readying plans to restart its nuclear reactors and develop new ones, the public protested over safety concerns.

Again this past Wednesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed his government to reconsider developing safer, smaller nuclear reactors, a move which runs counter to its earlier statement or stance that it was not going to build new plants or replace aging reactors.

He even called on his government to speed up its examination of "every possible measure" and reach a decision by the end of this year 2022. With that one official statement, it is now crystal clear that the Japanese government means it, amidst criticisms from the wary masses.

But why would Japan want to go back to nuclear; given the safety concerns associated with it?

Victor Bassey, a senior analyst at Bavijas Consulting, lists some of the possible reasons for the planned nuclear restart. Read below.

Firstly, Japan has a 2050 carbon target to meet. It is constrained by a global push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by the year 2050. Japan, like any other modern economy, believes nuclear could help it in its planned green transformation.

Secondly, there's a looming power shortage in Japan just as it is anywhere else. This is a pointer to how the war in Ukraine is affecting many economies around the world - energy-wise.

Before Fukushima, nuclear accounted for a third of Japan's electricity sources, but that has since changed. The government is worried about this and sees nuclear as an extremely important means to secure a stable energy supply.

However, going back to nuclear comes with a heavy cost. The cost of maintaining regular safety measures is high.

Lastly, why would you not want to put to use a valuable infrastructure which has the potential to save you from a looming crisis? If you know the cost Japan spent to put up a nuclear power plant, then you won't hesitate to allow Tokyo to restart its nuclear plants.

Also, there are thorny issues like how to dispose of radioactive waste and how to decommission old plants.