Search

Japan has historically been a major player within the Indo-Pacific region due to its rapid post-war economic expansion, technological advancement, massive overseas development aid as well as its cultural outreach. As the Indo-Pacific today is marred with various challenges in the form of maritime and energy security, border conflicts, booming population, developing economies, and rising carbon emissions, among others. The region requires a multipolar balance of power wherein nations can lead by example and concerted action towards creating a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for an extensively dynamic Indo-Pacific. This paper focuses on one of the critical variables of the region, i.e., the energy sector, and attempts to place Japan's role and contribution to the region's ongoing energy transitions. The extent and means through which Japan can propel itself and the region towards a just transition with the help of regional and international cooperation have been analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With Japan's thrust towards a more balanced energy mix, it has been undergoing what can be termed as an energy transition. While the Fukushima Disaster has played a crucial role in this transition, the Paris Agreement has further acted as an impetus for the same. However, since 2012 Japan was under the political leadership of Shinzo Abe, who today is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan until Yoshihide Suga took over the prime ministership recently. Under Abe's guidance, Japan's energy policy has been a mixed bag with a few hits and some major misses. Now, as Japan welcomes its new Prime Minister Suga, it falls upon him to lead Japan on a path of just transition. One which balances its energy and economic goals and pays heed to the necessity of building a climate-friendly sustainable model. This paper maps and evaluates the Abe administration's broad energy policy measures and attempts to foresee the changes Suga administration can introduce to the ongoing energy transition of Japan. It also highlights the areas within the energy sector, which might require the focus of PM Suga to enable Japan to take advantage of the opportunity of making Japan a part of global green leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the energy consumption of elderly and non-elderly households, recognizing the ever-increasing importance of the aging population for energy policy. Decisions of the domestic (in-home) and transport (out-of-home) sectors at the household level are jointly incorporated by building a multivariate Hierarchical Archimedean Copula model with intra-sector and inter-sector dependencies. Data from a life-oriented behavioral survey in Japan are used, which includes 532 elderly households and 340 non-elderly households. A variety of life-related factors, together with built environment factors, are introduced into the above model. Modeling analysis results show that inter- and intra-sector dependencies are heterogeneous across households in terms of these factors. It is found that almost equal numbers of influential factors are sensitive and insensitive to age-based sample segmentation. Various similarities and dissimilarities across energy types between elderly and non-elderly households are revealed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese energy policy has persistently promoted nuclear energy, even since the Fukushima disasters and despite failures in meeting its objectives. However, since Fukushima local actors (prefectures, towns, courts, and local activists) have grown more powerful with respect to policy and implementation. This paper analyzes the role of local civic actors in energy policy. A wide variety of literature is drawn on. The main finding is that, after successfully resisting nuclear restarts, local actors now understand that the future lies in renewables. Thus, the potential for local civic engagement to influence sustainable energy policy needs to be explored. The input and support of local communities are needed to strengthen the country's energy security requirements and its pursuit of climate goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the post-Great East Japan Earthquake narratives and discourses related to various types of energies currently in use in East Asia. Methodologically, interpretive study and textual analysis of collected secondary literatures, media reports as well as some policy resources was conducted. It examines the factional interests, narratives, discourses and schools of thought influencing the outcome of energy issues or decisions as they are reported in the media or trade publications. It argues that decision-makers and policy implementers are not a hegemonic singular entity but encompass many factional interests and contesting agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the changing role of domestic political institutions, including local governments and courts, in Japan's energy policy over the 8 years since the Fukushima disaster, focusing on the nuclear and renewable power industries. We explain how a variety of hidden subsidies created financial dependency in communities hosting nuclear power plants and led to local officials hoping to restart nuclear power plants after the meltdowns despite wide‐scale opposition. Later, the introduction of a feed‐in tariff (FiT) brought a wider range of towns into the field of renewable energy, but vulnerable towns with weaker social networks continue to bear a large share of Japan's energy infrastructure. Courts, prefectures, and local firms have become intervening agents in the renewable energy market, but utilities have pushed back, encouraging the state to overturn the FiT and create auctions for renewable power contracts instead. With subnational governments and courts more powerful in energy policy since the meltdowns, and a variety of new actors involved in renewable energy, post‐Fukushima energy policy has become more democratized. This article is categorized under:The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Decarbonizing Energy and/or Reducing Demand [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract How can leaders successfully craft energy or climate policy to support an initiative that citizens oppose? This paper considers this challenge from a change management perspective applied to public governance. It first draws on change management theory to develop a framework for altering mass public perspectives. The framework consists of four phases: i) problematizing the issue, ii) laying a foundation for change, iii) reshaping perspectives, and iv) entrenching support. Drawing from the insights gleaned from the establishment of Japan's nuclear power program, the paper further argues that in order to succeed in mass perceptual change, policymakers must first clearly understand the contextual environment in which the policy is being formulated. In doing so, policymakers will be better able to customize policy design to appeal to stakeholder perceptions and sentiments. Although the context of this paper is the perceptual modification of public opinion to support nuclear power, the authors suggest that the same framework can be applied to perceptual modification of any policy that the general public might be opposed to. In the energy sector, this could apply to fostering a transition to renewable energy as easily as it applies to nurturing nuclear power development. However, the Japanese case puts forth a caveat in this regard, there is evidence that the mindsets of the Japanese policymakers were predisposed to advocacy of nuclear power and once policymakers commit to a technological trajectory, it is hard to engender a change of course. Therefore, the article concludes by speculating on how the perceptions of policymakers might be similarly altered through efforts from the alternative energy sector to foster policy change. Highlights • 4 elements frame pace, scale and scope of technological change. • The elements are change incentives, alternatives, stakeholder perceptions & contextual influence. • Altering public perception requires 4 strategic steps. • 4 Steps: i) problematize, ii) lay a foundation for change, iii) reshape perceptions, and iv) entrench. • The paper applies this to explain rise of Japan's nuclear power industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale woody biomass energy systems have an inherent ability to aid in emissions reduction while stimulating local economies and, as collective energy systems, are strongly connected to supply chain design based on local conditions and stakeholder integration. Despite an abundance of forest area alongside the promotion of biomass in energy policies, however, woody biomass utilization still remains low in Japan. The woody biomass supply chain, considered as a socio-technical system, involves a complex, cross-sectoral stakeholder network in which inter-organizational dynamics necessitates well-organized management based on an understanding of formal factors such as technology, as well as informal factors such as social relations and culture. In this paper, success factor perceptions from across the woody biomass supply chain are investigated based on semi-structured interviews with four stakeholders in the Kyushu region of Japan. Identified success factors here are: 1) respect of values & traditions, 2) transportation infrastructure, 3) business model integration, 4) relationship & trust, 5) local vitalization and 6) biomass quality control. A convergence as well as divergence of perceptions are observed, involving both formal and informal dimensions. Aiming to balance perceptions and to enable long-term success of woody biomass in Japan, a series of policy implications are drawn, including cross-ministerial integration, knowledge building on wood logistics, forest certification, local coordinators, biomass quality control standards and a feed-in-tariff for heat. This paper suggests a new arena of policy-making based on the importance of considering both informal and formal dimensions in energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that differences between German and Japanese environmental politics during the 1990s are due to differences in the composition and working of the environmental policy-making networks in both countries. The main assumption is that the relatively proactive role of German environmental politics can be explained by a highly integrated pluralistic network, which includes all major actors in the environmental field. The paper explores this argument by focusing on the role NGOs play in the national environmental policymaking in Germany and Japan. It presents empirical data concerning the position of NGOs in the policymaking networks in both countries with regard to NGOs' resources and opportunities to shape environmental policies. The analysis of the data demonstrates that NGOs are still weak in the network in Japan while, in Germany, the big national NGOs are well integrated and are considered to play a significant role in the policy-making process. This comparison suggests that what accounts for their greatest difference is the availability of means of compensating for weak resources, which is considered to be much more favorable in Germany than in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, methane hydrate R&D in Japan was examined in the context of Japan's evolving energy policies. Methane hydrates have been studied extensively in Japanese national R&D programs since 1993, with the goal of utilizing them as an energy resource. Currently, the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH 21) is in the third phase of a project that began in early 2002. Based on publicly available reports and other publications, and presentations made at the ten International Workshops for Methane Hydrate Research and Development, we have attempted to provide a timeline and a succinct summary of the major technical accomplishments of MH 21 during project Phases 1, 2, and 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial for the Japanese government to establish a new energy mix plan since the previous plan was subject to review after the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011. The Japanese government proposed a new energy mix option in June 2015. However, the high degree of uncertainty will impair the robustness of energy mix options decided based on predictions. This paper uses robust decision making (RDM) to take uncertainty into account and determine robust energy mix options. An hourly electricity dispatch and power plant renewal simulation covering 2016–2035 in Japan is conducted to analyze the economic and environmental impacts of several energy mix options. The results show that the options with greater use of coal-fired and wind power plants have robustness against future uncertainties and that the current government plan is inefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed energy systems such as solar power photovoltaics (PV) and cogeneration systems (CGS) are expected to play a main role in future energy systems. However, consumers employ these distributed energy systems based on individual decisions rather than topdown installation planning, so even if the expansion of PVand other renewable energy sources is a national energy policy, it remains uncertain how and when PV installation targets will be realized. Furthermore, when consumers extensively deploy distributed energy systems, the power-expansion planning of utilities will be affected by changes in daily load patterns. In this paper, the authors develop a two-stage model focusing on interactions between the energy system adoption behavior of customers and power-expansion planning of a utility. In the first stage, the authors disaggregate Japan’s Kanto region into 38 areas and then develop an optimum energy system model including PVand CGS for consumers. In the second stage, the demand for electric power from the utility is transferred to the power-expansion planning model of the Tokyo Electric Power Company. The authors observe how well the results for PV penetration agree with the cost and the market projection scenarios given by governmental plans. The effects of subsidy scenarios for PVare also evaluated. The authors find that PV penetration will not meet installation targets unless additional PV promotion policies are implemented. The power-expansion model in Stage 2 shows how consumer behavior affects long-term expansion. These findings suggest the need for an integrated energy policy promoting a low-carbon society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the development of the pro-nuclear growth coalition in Japan. It also describes how, after the Fukushima disaster, the coalition was challenged by an increasing number of anti-nuclear movements and scientific discussions of nuclear energy policies. By analyzing the risk politics associated with nuclear power, the study helps explain the development of pro-nuclear narratives and the pro-nuclear coalition. Based on archival analysis of accounts from the media, governments, and experts, it argues that governmental and nongovernmental actors in Japan and the United States formed a pro-nuclear growth coalition to pursue economic growth and then cooperated to promote pro-nuclear energy policies. The research also illustrates that post-Fukushima risk narratives challenged pro-nuclear energy policies and the dominance of the pro-nuclear growth coalition with fear. Although anti-nuclear sentiment has increased after Fukushima, it has not coalesced enough to be considered a consensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is one of the important elements in the production of goods and satisfies the required services. The economy of Japan is basically dependent on imported energy resources for 97% of its total domestic energy consumption per year, the highest percentage of any major industrialized nations. Thus, reducing dependency and import expenditures are always main issues in the energy policy of Japan. In this study, four indices are constructed to measure Energy Supply Security: Dependency Index, Intensity Index, Local Production Index, and Composite Index. This paper investigates the causal relationship between aggregated and disaggregated levels of energy supply security indices and the input parameters that are: petroleum prices, total primary energy supply, energy consumption per capita, share of renewable energy sources, carbon dioxide emissions, human development index, and the mean of democracy indices of energy supplier countries of Japan for the period of 1975–2007. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Given the known hazards of nuclear energy in seismically active Japan after the Fukushima meltdowns as well as the presence of viable conservation and renewable energy options, the question of Japan's stalled energy transition warrants critical interrogation. To better understand why, after Fukushima, Japan's energy policy trajectory maintained the nuclear status quo and an increased reliance on fossil fuels, this article employs network and historical analyses to examine the confluence of post-Fukushima political forces connected to Japan's nuclear energy sector. Our novel network dataset combines with historical analysis to identify a dense network of overlapping executives and officials in Japan that forge long-term ties between the nuclear energy industry, the state, and the leading business federation in Japan. Following the 3.11 disaster and the meltdowns at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility, a long-standing nuclear safety myth and a tightly networked nuclear energy industrial complex provided an ideological and structural context to re-legitimize nuclear energy in spite of widespread public concern. Instead of a bold, ecologically rational policy to quickly phase out nuclear power and phase in renewable energy, well-worn class and state networks aligned to recommit Japan to a nuclear-reliant energy path. These findings support a theoretical synthesis around our concept of an energy industrial complex with applications in environmental and political sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a social survey, this paper examines citizen attitudes towards local energy governance in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent nuclear power plant accident. The survey found that public comment and random sampling citizen deliberation led to a greater willingness to participate in discussions of municipal heating and power (energy) policy for a resilient community than did conventional citizen committee membership. The former mechanisms provided opportunities for individuals with considered viewpoints to participate in a public dialogue on energy and environment issues in post-disaster Japan. Respondents who did not have clear ideas about a roadmap for nuclear power generation showed a lower willingness to participate in local energy policy formulation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, "smart city" has become a buzzword in discussions about urbanisation. While in Europe and North America the initial utopian optimism has now receded, due to booming implementation costs and surveillance concerns, the smart city model has taken root in rapidly urbanising Asia in particular, thanks to the activism of China and Japan. For the latter, smart city technologies and technical know-how represent the new frontier of export goods. In April 2018, the Government of Japan and that of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam announced the construction of a new smart city on the outskirts of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi that is set to become Japan's largest ODA project to date. Despite changes in the global hegemonic narratives on smart cities, the new project bears the features of an urban settlement that revolves around technological data collection for the sake of perfect efficiency, rather than for its prospective inhabitants. Against this backdrop, how did the Government of Japan succeed in constructing a convincing narrative for made-in-Japan smart cities? Since 2011, thanks to specific initiatives by Japan's government and investments by Japanese tech companies in the sector, a Japanese discourse on smart cities has emerged. Through an examination of earlier critiques of the smart city model and a close analysis of official policies and books by energy policy intellectuals, this paper will identify the main features of the Japanese discourse on smart cities and place it in the context of an evolving broader global narrative. The study demonstrates how the Japanese discourse on smart cities largely reflects a corporate managerial vision of the city and, at the same time, a "technonationalist" approach that informs the country's foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing concern about risks related to energy security around the world, the development of hydrogen cooperation between India and Japan has become very important to ensure the economic security of the two countries and to deepen economic cooperation. This study visualizes the costs and economic issues involved in transporting Ammonia from India to Japan and discusses the policy support needed to establish a hydrogen supply chain between the two countries. If Hydrogen production is conducted in Gujarat and Ammonia production is conducted using Haber–Bosch at a large-scale Ammonia plant, the price of Ammonia at the port of Tokyo can be reduced to 572 USD/mt-NH3 if highly competitive renewable energy is utilized. For evaluating the characteristics of Ammonia produced in India, high contribution to greenhouse gas reduction, low transportation risk along transportation routes, and contribution to the diversification of energy procurement in Japan should be evaluated economically, and the following five initiatives will accelerate the composition of a Hydrogen value chain between India and Japan: (1) increasing the Indian governmental support for subsidies for Hydrogen production, (2) increasing financial support to lower capital costs, (3) ensuring a business environment to lower uncertainty about future costs, (4) promoting efforts to visualize the value of carbon credits such as JCM, and (5) visualizing the value of diversification of energy procurement sources for Japan. A graphical abstract is to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Japan started implementing a national Feed-In Tariff (FiT) mechanism on the 1st July 2012, which included specific payment tariffs for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. This marks a new era in the renewable energy landscape in Japan. This paper aims at analysing the solar PV prospect in Japan, particularly in both residential and non-residential sectors. The paper presents, first, an overview of energy trends in Japan prior to the Fukushima event. This is followed by a short review of solar PV progress in the country, highlighting the major policies and programmes that have been implemented as well as the installations that have been carried out over the past two decades. Next, the financial impact of the new FiT scheme on consumers is evaluated. The financial analysis investigates the total profit, the average annual return on investment and the payback period. For a comparison purposes, a similar financial analysis is also conducted with selected countries around the world – namely Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The results from this analysis indicate that the new Japanese FiT rate generates a good profit, a moderate annual return on investment and an acceptable payback period, suggesting an increasing trend of solar PV uptake over the next years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Great East Japan Earthquake and the successive accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station are stark reminders of the importance of energy, which is the basis of economic activity and national governance. Urgent responses have been conducted since March 11, 2011, including controlling the consequences of the nuclear accident, dealing with the short-term power shortages, and a comprehensive review of Japan's long-term national energy policy. Nationwide discussions and reviews of these issues are still continuing. Even today, more than 2 years after March 11, many problems remain unsolved and Japanese society has to face uncertainty and challenges about its energy future. In the current difficult situation, Japan needs to achieve '3 Es ( energy security, environmental protection, and economic efficiency)' plus ' S' ( safety) and ' M' ( macro economy protection) simultaneously, taking account of the new realities following the Fukushima accident. This paper tries to identify the energy-related challenges that Japan has to face and tries to recommend the concept of the 'energy best mix policy' for Japan, by describing the present status of energy issues in Japan and the national debate on energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Only three days after the beginning of the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, on 11 March 2011, the German government ordered 8 of the country''s 17 existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) to stop operating within a few days. In summer 2011 the government put forward a law – passed in parliament by a large majority – that calls for a complete nuclear phase-out by the end of 2022. These government actions were in contrast to its initial plans, laid out in fall 2010, to expand the lifetimes of the country''s NPPs. The immediate closure of 8 NPPs and the plans for a complete nuclear phase-out within little more than a decade, raised concerns about Germany''s ability to secure a stable supply of electricity. Some observers feared power supply shortages, increasing CO2-emissions and a need for Germany to become a net importer of electricity. Now – a little more than a year after the phase-out law entered into force – this paper examines these concerns using (a) recent statistical data on electricity production and demand in the first 15 months after the German government''s immediate reaction to the Fukushima accident and (b) reviews the most recent projections and scenarios by different stakeholders on how the German electricity system may develop until 2025, when NPPs will no longer be in operation. The paper finds that Germany has a realistic chance of fully replacing nuclear power with additional renewable electricity generation on an annual basis by 2025 or earlier, provided that several related challenges, e.g. expansion of the grids and provision of balancing power, can be solved successfully. Already in 2012 additional electricity generation from renewable energy sources in combination with a reduced domestic demand for electricity will likely fully compensate for the reduced power generation from the NPPs shut down in March 2011. If current political targets will be realised, Germany neither has to become a net electricity importer, nor will be unable to gradually reduce fossil fuel generated electricity. Whether the reduction in fossil fuel use will be sufficient to adequately contribute to national greenhouse gas mitigation targets significantly depends on an active policy to promote electricity savings, continuous efforts to increase the use of renewables and a higher share of natural gas (preferably used in combined heat and power plants) in fossil fuel power generation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Japanese government and business sector have long seen opportunities in making environmental protection a core feature of industrial policy. The ‘green’ economic diplomacy-effort, which materialized in the late 1980s and largely builds on targeted domestic innovation policies, is now entering new ground. Assessing recent developments in the railway, nuclear power generation, water, and next-generation automobile industries, this paper analyses how and why the Japanese government uses ‘green’ environmental and energy technology in relations with emerging and developed countries. Public-private partnerships are strengthened, and semi-governmental institutions and individual politicians take up new roles. Adhering to comprehensive security traditions, Japan's policies aim to contribute to the national interest both in terms of economic prosperity and political stability. Primary objectives are the quest for new markets abroad, resources security, and securing cooperative relations with other countries. Adjustment to shifting global power balances, domestic politics, and climate change challenges also play a role, while ‘hard’ security issues are barely considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wind power generation in Japan is underdeveloped. Despite relatively good geographical and meteorological conditions, wind supplies less than 0.2% of the national electricity demand. Germany, in contrast, is able to provide over 6% of its electricity from wind power. This article will outline the main reasons for the marginal position of wind power in Japan by comparing and contrasting it with the political market for wind power in Germany. Using the concept of ‘Technological Innovation Systems’ (TIS), this paper will show how wind power has been impeded in Japan, but has been fostered in Germany, where policy designs and market mechanisms have produced positive feedback loops. Both technical problems and political inertia account for the modest growth of wind power in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the critical actors (herein called Driving Actors) and their activities to promote sustainable energy policies and businesses in cases where renewable energy facilities are gradually installed in a local area by changes in lifestyle from one based on fossil fuels to a sustainable one. This paper aims to 1) evaluate activity to promote renewable energy in local community using analytical approaches as an iterative approach and stakeholder analysis, and 2) to propose an analytical framework for the RE implementation process and to describe the important roles of the Driving Actors. We investigated the case of Bizen city in Japan by participant observations. Consequently, Driving Actors are responsible for encouraging RE implementation in the local area. They coordinate and run the RE (Renewable Energy) program to gain experience and know-how as well as create a business scheme, which has business risk due to the absence of effective policies by the national government during the middle phase to promote local success of RE. If the national government implements effective policies to disseminate RE facilities during the middle phase, then the Takeoff phase is ascertained and existing big companies and financial organizations would begin to participate RE businesses. On the other hand, if the national government does not change its policy, Driving Actors must initiate a creative RE project using their expertise in the middle phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the diffusion of wind power in Japan by focusing on the value chain and the interaction between technology and markets and to contribute towards recommendations on technology policy and management. This paper proposes a framework for analyzing the early stage diffusion of wind power systems by combining the use of several approaches considering wind power system as a complex technological system. Firstly, the business system approach is used as an analytical framework by focusing on efficiency, effectiveness and development criteria. As a second approach, the technological trajectory was analyzed based on the concept of technological disequilibrium and the evolutionary patterns of innovation of wind power generation systems were analyzed and the relationship between innovations at the sub-system, modular, and system level was identified. We apply the framework to investigate why wind power diffusion has not picked up momentum in Japan. The results include the following: (1) Technological imbalances within the product system were solved by technological innovation (2) The wind power business in Japan is insufficiently effective due to organizational disequilibrium (3) The technology system has begun to evolve in the direction of micro grid systems. (4) It is important to consider the demand-pull measures for wind power generation so that Japanese institution can have a “time slot” for ”learning by doing” to catch up and accelerate diffusion of wind power generation, including institutional reform of RPS law. Also further technological development related to stabilizing unstable wind energy is required. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper uses a survey at six universities in China to analyze university students' views on China's energy problems. It finds that gender, the nature and location of a student's original community, and their level of education affects students' views about China's energy problems, as well as the types of solutions that are deemed to be most appropriate to manage this looming crisis. University students are quite concerned about China's energy situation. For them, it is already a crisis. They fear China will be controlled due to resource dependency, see the US as China's primary energy competitor, all the while advocating a more hawkish attitude towards Japan in the East China Sea. But, they look foremost to domestic solutions to this crisis, such as enhanced conservation, more efficient use of energy, new technologies, enhancing China's strategic reserve, and increased government taxation, particularly of large enterprises. When they look abroad, they support diversifying energy sources, increasing energy cooperation, particularly with Russia and Central Asia (but not with Japan), and some increase of the navy's role in enhancing sea lane and energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a spatial structural decomposition analysis to measure the effects of the changes in intra- and inter-country linkages on the embodied energy demand in the concerned country. For the empirical analysis, we have used the China- Japan inter-country input-output tables for 1985 and 1990, expressed in constant prices of 1990. The empirical results reveal that (1) at least for the period between 1985 and 1990, the effects of the non-competitive input structural changes in China on the primary energy requirements of Japan were negligible, and (2) the contribution of the Japanese final demand shifts on the total change in Chinese primary energy demand was 40 times larger than that of the Chinese final demand shifts on the primary energy requirements of Japan. The Japanese policy makers should concentrate on the energy impacts of the changes in the domestic production structure rather than the changes in the Chinese production structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is important for sustainable development, yet multidimensional challenges exist for policy makers in transformations to sustainable energy systems. Sustainable development is generally recognised as having a three-lens approach: development must balance impacts in the economic, environmental and cultural dimensions. While cultural themes such as governance, motivation, and social values are widely acknowledged in the literature as critical for transformations to sustainability, however, research on these themes has been scant. Culture influences many aspects of society; hence it is important to consider culture when developing policies for sustainable development. Understanding national cultures can lead to greater understanding of what shapes national policy and strategies for transformations to sustainable energy systems. Understanding cultural influences on policy can help other countries to overcome similar challenges in policy making, planning or local resource management. Comparisons between countries serve to further advance the understanding of approaches to such challenges. This paper examines transformations towards sustainable energy through the lens of culture, through a case study of geothermal development in Iceland and Japan. Using Hoftsede's cultural theory framework, we highlight cultural variables relevant to sustainability transformations, with particular emphasis on the challenges of the management of geothermal energy resources, and the management of related conflicts and public participation. We present our findings garnered from interviews with key players in the energy industry in both countries reinforced by an extensive literature review. We find that culture clearly influences the approach to geothermal energy development in both countries and we identify benefits and disadvantages to approaches on overlapping issues and challenges in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing concern about risks related to energy security around the world, the development of hydrogen cooperation between India and Japan has become very important to ensure the economic security of the two countries and to deepen economic cooperation. This report covers both public and private initiatives in the hydrogen area in both countries and visualizes the high potential and potential areas where both countries could cooperate in the hydrogen area, as well as the challenges that are necessary for cooperation. The following four factors are strong incentives for India and Japan to deepen cooperation in the hydrogen field: (1) India has a high potential hydrogen supply capacity, (2) India is very active in implementing hydrogen in society, (3) Japan is already conducting R&D in areas of high interest to India and (4) Japan will need to import hydrogen from other countries in the future. The issues of (1) cost visualization, including transportation costs, (2) harmonization of regulations, (3) harmonization of promotion measures between the two countries, (4) definition of "green hydrogen," and (5) protection of intellectual property are main challenges to be overcome. Thus, disclosures of necessary data for cost visualization of hydrogen transportation, further inter-governmental cooperations between India and Japan, and facilitation of the discussions on hydrogen among various stakes are key actions for materializing various joint hydrogen projects between both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building sector accounts for a large percentage of the total national energy consumption in most of the countries, thus it is critical to formulate and implement appropriate energy saving policies in the building sector. This paper focuses on energy saving policies in the building sector by conducting a comparative study between Japan and China. The exiting Building Energy Saving (BES) policies, actual effectiveness of policy implementation and obstacles to the effective policy implementation are compared in sequence. Related policies are categorized into four groups: control and regulatory instruments; economic/market-based instruments; fiscal instruments and information and voluntary actions. Policy effect analysis identifies that BES policies have promoted building energy saving in both Japan and China. Obstacles comparison reveals that Japan and China shared many obstacles including high transaction costs and lack of applicable methodology. Compared with Japan, China is suffering more obstacles such as inefficient enforcement, insufficient levels of information and awareness and immature financial regulation system. Based on the previous findings, common suggestions for overcoming these obstacles of BES policies in Japan and China are presented, such as the accurate methods of baseline identification and emission accountings, innovative incentives, and more capacity building activities. Distinct suggestions for Japan and China are also added by considering their own situations so that both countries can further improve their BES policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan may be the least likely country to start a revolution, but its new energy policy, if implemented successfully, will revolutionize Japan’s economy, society, and energy infrastructure. The new energy policy calls for the creation of a “hydrogen society” in which citizens will use hydrogen as their primary energy source. Hydrogen fuel would be produced from renewable sources and used to generate electricity at home and to power vehicles via fuel cells. The policy came into force in April 2015 and will guide Japan’s energy development for the next 25 years and perhaps beyond. The new policy is a determined response to the twin disasters faced on March 11, 2011, when Japan was struck by a Magnitude 9 earthquake and then a catastrophic tsunami, which devastated Japan’s economy, energy security, and environmental well-being. The new energy policy would substantially reduce Japan’s dependence on nuclear power as well as oil and gas-fired thermal power plants and would greatly strengthen the development of fuel cell systems that use hydrogen. Implemented in three broad phases over several decades, the policy would promote the development of fuel cells that are less costly, more efficient, and more durable, and it would develop hydrogen production, storage, and transport as well as fueling systems to support the widespread use of fuel cells. Over the long term, the hydrogen society could be integrated into Japan’s concept of a “smart community” that uses digital technologies and information and communication technologies to more efficiently generate and regulate the use of power. This paper examines how Japan laid the policy and legal framework in the 1990s to promote fuel cell and hydrogen development, compares Japan’s investment and policy strategies to those in the United States and the European Union, identifies the challenges Japan will face in broadly establishing a hydrogen society, assesses the potential economic benefits it might enjoy if the hydrogen society policy succeeds, and recommends that the new energy policy be more fully integrated with other initiatives to promote economic growth, more efficient communities, and a cleaner environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-capacity photovoltaic ( PV) systems will be installed in future power systems. According to Japan's energy outlook, the target capacity of PV systems for 2030 is about 50 GW. When large-volume PV systems are installed in a power system, the reverse power flow from PV systems may cause a surplus of electric power. To utilize the surplus electric power without reduction of PV power generation, the operation of customer equipment such as heat pump water heaters ( HPWH) according to PV power generation is expected to be one of the solutions. In this paper, a method of cooperative control of customer equipment with PV power generation is proposed, and the effectiveness of the proposed control is evaluated by simulation analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Chernobyl accident had limited influence on basic research in nuclear energy. [•] Budget allocation to R&D and number of published papers have recently decreased. [•] Citation network analysis revealed reactor safety and fusion as current research trend. [•] Nuclear energy research policy will change after Fukushima disaster. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the mainland of China, the constraints of environments, resources, especially energy resources, has increasingly become the bottleneck of economic development after reform policy for more than thirty years. In this paper, we illustrate the basic structure of energy conservation and emission reduction from historic, institutional and comparative analysis based on Japan''s case as an example of energy conservation. Our investigation shows the evolution of Japan''s energy conservation policies from a view of energy security to the view of environment protection and low carbon economy. We also analyze the tools that Japan adopted to remove energy conservation barriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study analyzes gas prices, costs, and expenditures in Japan from a spatial perspective. The main findings are as follows: (1) Gas prices, costs, and expenditures exhibit spatially dependent patterns throughout Japan and are related to the service area locations of the gas distributors. (2) Regional conditions, including weather, production shipment, and availability and method of procuring domestic natural gas are the main determinants influencing gas prices and cost levels in Japan. These findings indicate that the Japanese government pays special attention to geographical perspectives in dealing with gas policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A model is developed that simulates nationwide energy consumption of the residential sector by considering the diversity of household and building types. Since this model can simulate the energy consumption for each household and building category by dynamic energy use based on the schedule of the occupants’ activities and a heating and cooling load calculation model, various kinds of energy-saving policies can be evaluated with considerable accuracy. In addition, the average energy efficiency of major electric appliances used in the residential sector and the percentages of housing insulation levels of existing houses is predicted by the “stock transition model.” In this paper, energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the Japanese residential sector until 2025 are predicted. For example, as a business – as-usual (BAU) case, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 7% from the 1990 level. Also evaluated are mitigation measures such as the energy efficiency standard for home electric appliances, thermal insulation code, reduction of standby power, high-efficiency water heaters, energy-efficient behavior of occupants, and dissemination of photovoltaic panels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we present the near-term analysis of capacity expansion under various uncertainties from the viewpoints of the decision-making process on the optimal allocation of investment and the value of information. An optimization model based on two-stage stochastic programming was developed using real data to describe the Japanese energy system as a case study. Different uncertainty parameters were taken into consideration by a disaggregate analysis of a bottom-up energy modeling approach, including end-use energy demands, plant operating availability and carbon tax rate. Four policy regimes represented as energy planning or policy options were also studied, covering business as usual, renewable energy target, carbon taxation and nuclear phase-out regimes. In addition, we investigated the role of various energy technologies and the behavior of the value of information with respect to the probability function of the worst-case scenario. This value of information provides decision makers with a quantitative analysis for the cost to obtain perfect information about the future. The developed model could be regarded as an applicable tool for decision support to provide a better understanding in energy planning and policy analyses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

State and local climate action has played a prominent role in the global response to climate change. Rather than waiting for national action, states like California have surged ahead. This is not simply a U.S. phenomenon. Still, not all jurisdictions are engaged in emissions reductions, and some are actively recalcitrant. What prompts some state and local governments to take action while prompting others to resist? This Article makes several contributions to understanding state and local climate policies. First, prior efforts have generally had a U.S. focus. We broaden the scope of the inquiry to include the two leading Asian economies. Second, we make use of a jifty-state survey of recent state climate and energy initiatives in the United States rather than focusing on a few prominent jurisdictions like California. Third, rather than concentrating on activist jurisdictions, we discuss the full range of stances on energy policy, from the leadership of states like California in the United States and cities like Shenzhen in China to the resistance of some rural areas of the United States, China, and Japan to climate action. We identify important economic, demographic, and geographic drivers of climate and energy policies in these diverse jurisdictions. Finally, we propose a new way Of conceptualizing subnational climate action based on the peer production model used to create important digital resources. Like some open-source software and projects such as Wikipedia. important parts Of global climate policy have been constructed by sub-nationals through a self-organized, bottom-up effort. This kind of "peer production" has previously been described in the private sector, but it may play an underappreciated role in the sphere of public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we examine the socioeconomic impact of carbon pricing (CP) mechanism-related energy policies under the technical constraints of Japan. For this, we have created the Inter-Regional Input–Output Table for a Next Generation Energy System (IONGES) in 2030, considering these technical constraints. Namely, we created three Inter-Regional IONGESs with different assumptions for the wide-area operation of the power grid. The results show that the technical constraints of the power grid influence the interregional distribution of renewable energy. Top ten regional renewable energy sectors (TOP10), which has a large production scale, account for approximately 54% of renewable energy generation, which was found to be biased. From the viewpoint of consumers in each region, we analyzed the share of the electricity cost required to support their consumption. If the CP mechanism is implemented under the technical constraints of the current power grid, consumers in each region will be impacted unequally. However, it was found that such inequality will be solved under the wide-area operation of the power grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a set of general prescriptions for the behavior of middle-level powers with modest natural resources. The authors use the case of Japanese energy policy to develop with modest natural resources. The authors use the case of Japanese energy policy to develop prescriptions and demonstrate their feasibility. They do not imply that Japan is an inherently typical middle power, nor do they contend that the policy guidelines they put forward provide a complete explanation of why the Japanese economy has outperformed many others. But they do believe that the Japanese energy case exemplifies what it means for middle powers to come to terms with the post-World War II world, to adapt to the difficulties and opportunities provided by the world market, and to try to shape them in a nationally beneficial manner. Atypically extreme cases can serve to make policy possibilities especially clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June, 2019, Japan submitted its mid-century strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and pledged 80% emissions cuts by 2050. The strategy has not gone through a systematic analysis, however. The present study, Stanford Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) 35 Japan Model Intercomparison project (JMIP), employs five energy-economic and integrated assessment models to evaluate the nationally determined contribution and mid-century strategy of Japan. EMF 35 JMIP conducts a suite of sensitivity analyses on dimensions including emissions constraints, technology availability, and demand projections. The results confirm that Japan needs to deploy all of its mitigation strategies at a substantial scale, including energy efficiency, electricity decarbonization, and end-use electrification. Moreover, they suggest that with the absence of structural changes in the economy, heavy industries will be one of the hardest to decarbonize. Partitioning of the sum of squares based on a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) reconfirms that mitigation strategies, such as energy efficiency and electrification, are fairly robust across models and scenarios, but that the cost metrics are uncertain. There is a wide gap of policy strength and breadth between the current policy instruments and those suggested by the models. Japan should strengthen its climate action in all aspects of society and economy to achieve its long-term target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan's mid-century strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050 requires rapid energy system changes, which may lead to stranded assets in fossil fuel-related infrastructure. Existing studies have shown that massive stranding of assets in the energy supply side is possible; few studies have involved economy-wide stranded asset analysis. In this study, we estimated stranded investments in both the energy supply and demand sectors in Japan in the context of near-term goals for 2030 and the mid-century strategy. To this end, multiple emission scenarios for Japan were assessed based on various emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050. The results show that stranded investments in the energy supply sectors occur mainly in coal power plants without carbon capture and storage (CCS), especially in scenarios without enhanced near-term mitigation targets. Increases of stranded investment in demand sectors were observed primarily under stringent mitigation scenarios, which exceed the 80% reduction target. In particular, investment for oil and gas heating systems in the buildings sector may be stranded at levels up to $20 billion US between 2021 and 2050. We further simulated a scenario incorporating a subsidy for devices that do not use fossil fuels as a sector-specific policy; this reduced the amount of stranded investment in the buildings sector. We confirmed the benefit of enhancing near-term mitigation targets to avoid generating stranded investments. These findings support the importance of inclusive energy and climate policy design involving not only pricing of carbon emissions but also complementary cross-sector economy-wide policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politics & Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced that Japan should meet its energy needs without nuclear power plants. But his statement may have little relevance in the next administration. There is a complex power struggle underway over the future of nuclear energy in Japan involving political, governmental, industry, and union groups. Despite the seriousness of the Fukushima crisis, Japan’s historical commitment to nuclear power—and a fuel cycle that includes reprocessing and breeder reactors—still has powerful supporters. Even with a scale-down of nuclear power, there is a possibility that the policy of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel will continue as a matter of political inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Japan has developed a variety of national strategies and plans related to biofuels which address four main policy objectives, including reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy security, rural development, and realisation of a recycle-based society. This paper reviews these national strategies and plans as well as associated implementing policies, and discusses the extent to which these objectives may be achieved. This paper found that the long-term potential of biofuels to contribute to GHG reduction goals will depend not only on the rates of technological development of the second generation biofuels but also on the development of other advanced vehicles. In the medium term, the potential contribution of biofuels to rural development and realising a recycle-based society could become significant depending on the progress of technology for both second generation biofuel production and the collection and transportation of their feedstocks. The potential contribution of biofuels to Japan’s energy security is constrained by the availability of imports and the potential of domestic production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]