| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In the two and a half years since the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster followed by the nuclear accident at Fukushima power plant, the Japanese government has been investigating the cause as well as assessing the responses taken as disaster management. This article analyzes the measures taken and makes recommendations for clarifying responsibility to improve efficiency and effectiveness in mitigating damage after a large-scale disaster.
It is highly regrettable that, although the result of a massive earthquake and tsunami of an unprecedented scale, the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant developed into a core meltdown, releasing nuclear material and forcing many residents to evacuate their homes. The crisis has undermined public faith in the safety of nuclear power generation. The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) must conduct a thorough investigation into the cause, and review and assess the validity of the existing emergency response procedures as well as the relevancy of the measures actually taken for resident evacuation and radiation damage control in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international and government agencies. Sharing the results internationally will help improve nuclear safety around the world.
The biggest problem surrounding the accident was the intricate chain of command and control for disaster management. Since the authority and responsibility of the agencies concerned were extremely ambiguous, the government was unable to make good use of the systems and institutions designed to cope with nuclear disasters. To make matters worse, newly created posts and entities complicated the problem.
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