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Establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission
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Earnest activities for nuclear research, development, and utilization in Japan began when the Atomic Energy Basic Law was established on December 19, 1955. The Law specifies that these activities shall be promoted, limiting them to peaceful purposes and making it a principle to assure their safety, making transparent the results, and promoting international cooperation, with a view to securing energy resources for the future, promoting science and industries, and thereby contributing to the improvement of both welfare of human society and the living standard of the people. The Atomic Energy Commission was set up based on the Law on January 1, 1956 to implement national policies for deliberately pursuing these goals or nuclear energy policies in a democratic manner.
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The Role of the Atomic Energy Commission
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The Atomic Energy Commission is composed of five Commissioners appointed by the Prime Minister with the Diet’s consent for three-year terms. One of them is appointed as Chairman. Its mission is to plan, deliberate, and decide concerning basic policies or strategies for the promotion of research, development, and utilization of nuclear energy, to adjust the activities of administrative organizations concerned, to compile the budget for these organizations to pursue the policies, and to give opinions to the competent Ministers on the adequacy of applying the criteria of the Law on the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors.
The Commission discusses with outside parties concerned, deliberates a written draft policy statement prepared by the Secretariat, and makes policy decision based on it at Commission meetings, which are open to the general public. Unofficial transcripts are produced for each meeting and are available on the Web for viewing approximately one week after the meeting. The meetings are held every Tuesday.
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The Administration of Atomic Energy in Japan
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The Atomic Energy Commission is set up in the Cabinet Office together with the Nuclear Safety Commission, which is responsible for assuring safety of nuclear research, development and utilization activities. MOFA, MEXT, MHLW, MAFF, METI, MLIT, and MOE promote administration for nuclear energy research, development, and utilization in consistent with the basic policies specified by the Atomic Energy Commission. Actual activities for promoting research, development and utilization of nuclear energy are promoted by research organizations, universities and private companies including electric utilities.
Administrative Organizations for Nuclear Energy Policy [PDF:49KB]
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