Nuclear Energy and the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste in Japan

Abstract

The safe disposal of radioactive nuclear waste is currently an urgent and challenging issue. Many countries, including the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Canada, Belgium, France, and Japan, have initiated radioactive waste management programs, which now have reached various stages. Experiences and research results obtained in one country may offer valuable references for another, especially for some developing countries where nuclear power is being used and/or is under development. In this paper, we comprehensively overview the history of nuclear energy, the generation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), and the policies and recent progress made in relation to the management of HLW in Japan.