Nuclear denial in Japan: the network power of an energy industrial complex

Given the known hazards of nuclear energy in seismically active Japan after the Fukushima meltdowns as well as the presence of viable conservation and renewable energy options, the question of Japan's stalled energy transition warrants critical interrogation. To better understand why, after Fukushima, Japan's energy policy trajectory maintained the nuclear status quo and an increased reliance on fossil fuels, this article employs network and historical analyses to examine the confluence of post-Fukushima political forces connected to Japan's nuclear energy sector. Our novel network dataset combines with historical analysis to identify a dense network of overlapping executives and officials in Japan that forge long-term ties between the nuclear energy industry, the state, and the leading business federation in Japan. Following the 3.11 disaster and the meltdowns at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility, a long-standing nuclear safety myth and a tightly networked nuclear energy industrial complex provided an ideological and structural context to re-legitimize nuclear energy in spite of widespread public concern. Instead of a bold, ecologically rational policy to quickly phase out nuclear power and phase in renewable energy, well-worn class and state networks aligned to recommit Japan to a nuclear-reliant energy path. These findings support a theoretical synthesis around our concept of an energy industrial complex with applications in environmental and political sociology.

Automated summary

This article uses network and historical analysis to investigate why Japan's energy policy after the Fukushima meltdowns continued to rely on nuclear power and fossil fuels. The study reveals a dense network of relationships between the nuclear energy industry, the government, and the leading business federation in Japan, which allowed nuclear power to regain legitimacy. Instead of transitioning to renewable energy, Japan's well-established class and state networks reinforced a nuclear-reliant energy path. These findings contribute to the concept of an energy industrial complex in environmental and political sociology.