Japan Struggles to Find a Site for Its High-Level Radioactive Waste

Potential Hokkaidō Sites

The Tomari Nuclear Power Station (right foreground), with Kamoenai just visible some 16 kilometers further up the Shikotan Peninsula. (© Matsumoto Sōichi)

Selection Process for Nuclear-Waste Disposal Sites

Suttsu Mayor Kataoka Haruo. (© Matsumoto Sōichi)

Nishimura Nagisa of Suttsu’s tourism and local products association shows online comments critical of the town. (© Matsumoto Sōichi)

Tanaka Noriyuki. (© Matsumoto Sōichi)

Echizen’ya Yoshiki stands in a shed where he makes signs opposing the survey ahead of a local referendum on the issue. (© Matsumoto Sōichi)

Kamoenai Mayor Takahashi Masayuki. (© Matsumoto Sōichi)

Nuclear Waste Disposal Process

Nuclear Waste Disposal Globally

A facility in Rokkasho, Aomori, provides a temporary storage site for high-level radioactive waste produced during reprocessing of spent fuel from Japanese reactors. (© Jiji)