Half a century ago, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the creation of an international organization to promote the peaceful use of atomic information and materials. That "atoms for peace" address, delivered to the U.N. General Assembly on Dec. 8, 1953, bore fruit in 1957 when the International Atomic Energy Agency was established.
Japan's nuclear power industry has expanded rapidly since 1966, when the first commercial reactor went into operation. Today, with 52 reactors in service, nuclear energy produces more than a third of the nation's electric power.
However, a series of accidents in recent years have undermined public confidence in nuclear safety. Major trouble occurred in 1995, when coolant leaks in the fast-breeder reactor "Monju" -- the first of its kind developed by Japan -- caused a fire. In 2002, irregularities at Tokyo Electric Power Co., including the fabrication of test data, came to light.