From Hiroshima to Fukushima: The strange career of Japanese nuclear thinking

摘要

Japan remains the only country to experience an atomic bomb attack. American occupation of Japan lasting from 1945-1952 brought about significant cultural reforms. These reforms, however, continued the cultural tendency for adherence to government authority. Japanese public support of nuclear power gradually increased over time due to atomic information campaigns. Limited domestic natural resources influenced the prioritization of nuclear power as way of achieving more energy independence. Goals of energy independence were strengthened after the Middle East Oil Crisis of the early 1970s. Ineffective safety and regulatory standards and revelations of nuclear scandals lead to declining public support of nuclear power after 1990. Close association between the government and nuclear operators also drews public criticism. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami caused a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant. All nuclear power plants have been shut down since September, 2013. The future of Japanese nuclear power is currently unknown.