Infrastructure for a Post-Nuclear Society: From the Survey on Japanese Civil Society Organizations in Nuclear Energy Policy Domain

Despite the unclearness of the Japanese government’s attitude toward the future of Japanese energy policy, I will argue in this presentation based on the empirical research results that the condition for the post nuclear society is emerging in the Japanese civil society.

Keiji Takeuchi, a journalist at Asahi newspaper, states in his book that in order to precede post nuclear society supports from both institution and public opinion are needed, and he continues, that of importance is the existence of the civil organizations which continually appeal to the publics and connect citizens with political parties. I will call those civil organizations here as infrastructures for a post-nuclear society. They were, however, rather isolated before the Fukushima Daiichi accident. Whether was the situation changed or not?

To analyze it, Study Group on Infrastructure and Society conducted a survey during February and March in the year 2013 on 904 civil organizations, and got 326 answers from them (the collection rate was 32.6%).  

We find that firstly organizations which worked in the nuclear energy policy domain increased more than two and half times than before the Fukushima accident. Secondly, those new comer organizations handle new issues such as recovery from the disaster and measuring radiation level. Consequently, they widened the context of the nuclear related issue and broadened the connection between civic life and policy. Thirdly, those organizations discuss the policy based on data and information and sometimes collaborate with public sectors, which are crucial criteria for the post nuclear society. Fourthly, however, a coalition between the organizations only formed when they succeeded to set a clear enemy such as the government and TEPCO, but they do not share the concrete image of post new clear society.