Policy Recommendations

Urgent Proposal on the Discharge of ALPS Treated Water: An Analysis Based on Scenario Planning

December 11, 2023

The Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) and Security Studies Program of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) have published a set of policy recommendations entitled "Urgent Proposal on the Discharge of ALPS Treated Water: An Analysis Based on Scenario Planning.”

In August 2023, Japan began the discharge of treated water into the ocean, which has raised concerns both domestically and abroad. Japanese fishers worried that the discharge of treated water would damage the reputation of the seafood they catch, and China characterized it as marine pollution. In response to this situation, OPRI, which specializes in maritime issues, and the Security Studies Program, which is engaged in research on nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation, held joint discussions to share their knowledge and experience to come up with proposals regarding the ALPS treated water issue.

With the above in mind, researchers from OPRI and the Security Studies Program employed the “scenario planning” method to consider how Japan should handle the discharge of treated water. This type of analysis involves making predictions on various scenarios that may occur in the future, including by examining the validity of the direction, methodology, and policies currently adopted, in order to introduce new methodology and policies.

As a result of this analysis, we recommend that the Japanese government to take the following measures:
- Implement measures to link scientific "safety" to psychological "relief"
- Share information that can be trusted by the international community
- Establish a system for the government to work together regarding discharges into the ocean, which are expected to continue for more than 30 years

Click here to download the recommendations.

Description

Date of Publication

December 2023

Content

It is clear that whichever of the four scenarios actually comes to pass, the impact of the discharge of ALPS treated water will not be limited to Fukushima and the nearby prefectures or the fisheries industry. It goes without saying that the safety of the discharge technology must be ensured and all conceivable troubles, including minor ones, must be identified and preparations should be made to enable appropriate information disclosure and explanation of response measures in a timely manner. The lessons learned from the communication botch after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident, where the government took time to grasp the situation and mistakes or expressions that gave rise to misunderstanding of the provided information compromised Japan’s credibility, must be borne in mind.

With this understanding, OPRI and the Security Studies Program would like to make the following proposal.

Proposal: “The government should make concerted efforts to build a system capable of dealing with domestic and international issues relating to the discharge of ALPS treated water into the ocean.”

- From scientific “safety” to psychological “peace of mind”
- Reconfirmation of the importance of risk communication
- Set up an “Office on ALPS Treated Water Discharge” in the NSA under the Cabinet Secretariat

Recent Publications

Urgent Proposals toward Sustaining Non-Use of Nuclear Arms and Maintenance of Nuclear Order—Ahead of the 2024 Japan-U.S. Summit—

The Study Group on New Nuclear Arms Control and Disarmament Initiatives (chaired by Professor Tatsujiro Suzuki, Nagasaki University), established by the Security Studies Program of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, has published a set of policy recommendations entitled "Urgent Proposals Toward Sustaining Non-Use of Nuclear Arms and Maintenance of Nuclear Order: Ahead of the 2024 Japan-U.S. Summit.”

By Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Security Studies Program

May 23, 2024

SPF Policy Proposal: Shaping Pragmatic and Effective Strategy Toward China

Sasakawa Peace Foundation's project " Shaping the Pragmatic and Effective Strategy toward China" (2020-) aims to deter Chinese military adventurism, maintain a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, continue the current economic prosperity of the United States and Japan, and guide China toward becoming a rules-oriented player in the region. The members of the project have discussed topics such as China's domestic politics and economy and future prospects, export control of sensitive technologies, the security environment in the East Asian region, and challenges to U.S.-Japan alliance cooperation. As a result of this research, we are now issuing policy proposal, "Shaping Pragmatic and Effective Strategy Toward China”.

By Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Security Studies Program

February 15, 2024

Explore Our Reports and Publications

pagetop