How Has Anti-Nuclear Sentiment Catalyzed by the Fukushima Accident Shaped Youth Perception towards Japan’s Current Nuclear Energy Policy?

Since August 23rd, 2023, when the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants discharged nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, anti-nuclear sentiment has re-emerged across East Asia. This study builds on Akihiro Ogawa’s anti-nuclear citizen framework to assess its relevance in the current context. Using a survey method, this study evaluates the relationship between anti-nuclear citizenship (independent variable) and anti-nuclear policy perception (dependent variable) among youths with international experience. Findings reveal that while both anti-nuclear citizenship and anti-nuclear policy perception exist among the selected focus group of youth, they remain a minority. Moreover, no strong correlation is found between one’s anti-nuclear citizenship and anti-nuclear policy perception, suggesting that being an anti-nuclear citizen does not guarantee an anti-nuclear policy perception, vice versa. The proposed mediator, a sense of precarity appears weak across participants, challenging the framework’s applicability post-wastewater release. Despite this, the survey data provide optimism for future studies to refine suitable indicators within the framework, enhancing our understanding of the relationship between anti-nuclear identity and attitudes towards nuclear policies in Japan.