With the Japanese public remaining skeptical of the safety of nuclear power plants, the government's latest white paper on nuclear safety focuses on an appropriate subject: risk assessment. The message, simply put, is that the safety of nuclear facilities and equipment can be assured more reliably through effective risk analysis.
Japan's nuclear industry has expanded rapidly since its first nuclear reactor went into operation 38 years ago. Today, 52 reactors in the country supply one-third of the total electric power output. Although techniques for risk analysis have been developed in the meantime to improve safety, results so far have not been encouraging.
Since the late 1990s a series of accidents and defects, including serious ones, have occurred at a number of nuclear plants. Last year alone, 15 cases were reported, although the number was the lowest in 10 years. These include the defect-coverup scandals at Tokyo Electric Power Co. that disrupted its production schedule, causing an extensive blackout in the greater Tokyo area.