Japan Press Weekly

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2012 September 12 - 18 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Japan’s business circles and US gov’t strongly object to a Japan without nuclear energy

Backlash from Japanese business circles and the United States against the Democratic Party of Japan’s proposal to stop operations of all nuclear power plants by the 2030s indicates that putting an end to pro-business and pro-U.S. politics is essential to achieve a Japan without nuclear power plants.

Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) President Yonekura Hiromasa at a press conference on September 10 criticized the proposal by saying, “A goal to decrease dependence on nuclear power to zero is unrealistic and difficult to achieve.” At another press conference three days later, Yonekura said that he phoned Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko to inform of his disapproval of the proposal the DPJ released on September 7.

Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Energy Department Daniel B. Poneman brought pressure to bear on DPJ policy chief Maehara Seiji in a meeting on September 11 in Washington.

While Poneman said that Japan should make its own decision on energy issues, he requested measures be taken to minimize the negative effects which may be caused when Japan sets a target of completely eliminating its reliance on nuclear energy.

He also called for flexibility in carrying out the proposal and mentioned the necessity to exchange views between the two governments.

The Nikkei Shimbun on September 13 ran an article entitled “Nuclear power is burden Japan must bear” by John Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

CSIS in the so-called “Armitage Report” released in August emphasized the importance of maintaining the promotion of Japan-U.S. cooperation in regard to commercial nuclear reactors.

Hamre in the Nikkei article stated, “Japan also needs to maintain nuclear power for its national security,” calling on Japan to continue its reliance on nuclear energy.