Nuclear Monitor #941

Wen Bo

On August 31, 2026, ten local Hitachiomiya residents gathered in front of city hall to protest the selection of Hitachiomiya of Ibaraki Prefecture as a potential nuclear waste storage site. Most of the protesters were senior citizens who demanded that Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki reject the Japanese government’s request for a literature survey.

In Japan, a literature survey for a potential high-level radioactive waste repository includes analyzing geological data and studying the area’s volcanic and seismic history. This is the first step in a multi-stage, two-decade-long selection process. Currently, Japan does not have a permanent repository of this kind.

Hitachiomiya was identified as the fifth potential site for an initial literature survey. Following the protests from local residents and concerned assembly members, Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki postponed the decision.

Since the first Japanese nuclear reactor began operating in 1966, the country has accumulated thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Currently, over 2,500 canisters of vitrified waste are being stored temporarily at Rokkasho in Aomori Prefecture and Tokai in Ibaraki Prefecture. As more radioactive waste is generated from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, the current storage capacity will soon be reached.

In 2002, Japan’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NUMO) began searching for permanent storage sites, encouraging local municipalities to volunteer. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NUMO have held over 100 information sessions throughout Japan and offer financial incentives to willing municipalities. However, only three municipalities have volunteered: Suttsu and Kamoenai in Hokkaido and Genkai in Saga Prefecture.

Both Suttsu and Kamoenai are facing a demographic crisis due to their aging and shrinking populations. The Japanese government provides a two-billion-yen subsidy to participating municipalities for literature surveys. Suttsu used the subsidy to build housing for nurses and other town facilities. With populations of around 2,600 at Suttsu and 800 at Kamoenai, their governments may already be overburdened by budget crises and declining populations.

However, establishing a permanent nuclear waste repository in Hokkaido would damage the island’s reputation, as it is renowned for its natural landscapes, agricultural products, and fisheries. Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki and most Hokkaido residents remain firmly opposed to the idea of establishing a permanent repository on the island.

Suttsu and Kamoenai in Hokkaido and Genkai in Saga Prefecture have one thing in common: they are all close to existing nuclear power plants. Suttsu and Kamoenai are near the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant, and Genkai is adjacent to the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant.

After a literature survey, the second phase will be a preliminary investigation including geological exploration and drilling surveys. The final step in the site selection process is a detailed investigation of the underground geology using test tunnels and other techniques. The subsidy for the second phase is seven billion Japanese yen, while the subsidy for the third phase has yet to be decided.

Although this voluntary system may seem democratic, it is actually both unscientific and inefficient. Local governments can participate in the process in order to receive a substantial subsidy. They could then hope to fail at later stages and still use the subsidy to solve their current financial problems.

Despite the financial incentives, only three places put themselves forward. As a result, the Japanese government identified suitable locations based on various factors, such as earthquake fault lines and the absence of mineral resources, and began inviting local municipalities to participate in the site selection process.

Against this backdrop, the Japanese government asked Minamitorishima, also known as Marcus Island, to conduct a literature survey in March 2026. Though it is administered by Ogasawara Village under Tokyo Metropolis, Minamitorishima is Japan’s easternmost island. The tiny coral atoll is located in the Pacific Ocean and is actually 1,950 kilometers away from Tokyo.

In April 2026, Ogasawara Mayor Masaki Shibuya approved the start of a literature survey. However, local residents of Ogasawara archipelago, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, expressed intense concerns about the potential destruction of the marine ecosystem. Additionally, the seabed surrounding Minamitorishima contains vast deposits of rare earth minerals, complicating the island’s potential use as a nuclear waste repository.

Minamitorishima is isolated from Japan’s main islands, but it is actually closer to the Northern Mariana Islands. Neighboring Pacific nations have expressed concerns about having hazardous nuclear waste on the island.

In fact, two other candidates had also previously considered participating in literature surveys. In 2007, Toyo Mayor Yasuoki Tashima of Kochi Prefecture applied for a preliminary literature survey in order to receive a subsidy. However, local residents voted him out in April of that year. The new anti-nuclear mayor of Toyo, Yasutaro Sawayama, withdrew the application.  In 2023, local assembly groups in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, considered a petition to accept a literature survey. However, in September 2023, Tsushima Mayor Naoki Hitakatsu decided not to accept the survey.

Despite the pervasive and deep-seated NIMBYism among the Japanese populace, the Japanese government appears to be impervious. Instead of decommissioning reactors that had reached the end of their operating lives, in July 2026 the Japanese government revised its nuclear energy policy guidelines and presented specific numerical targets for replacing reactors. The government set a goal to replace up to five nuclear reactors by the 2040s and up to 14 by the 2050s.

On September 14, 2026, an independent investigation committee revealed that Chubu Electric Power, based in Nagoya, had manipulated at least 208 of the 225 earthquake assessments at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Shizuoka Prefecture and had fabricated seismic data since around 2012.

As the nuclear industry scandal continues, the issue of Fukushima’s nuclear wastewater remains unresolved, and efforts to find a permanent repository sit stalled, Japan’s nuclear power expansion policy may continue unabated for a while, but not for long.

Wen Bo founded Greenpeace Beijing office in 2001; and served as China Coordinator for Global Greengrants Fund to support environmental groups in China, Korea and Japan.