Message from the President

President Toshio KODAMAToshio KODAMA
   President Toshio KODAMA

 

We sincerely thank you for your understanding and continued support of our research and development (R&D) activities.

 

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is the sole comprehensive R&D institute dedicated to nuclear energy in Japan, and our mission is to contribute to the welfare and prosperity of society through nuclear science and technology. JAEA aims to contribute to this field through active cooperation with industries and universities, maximizing our R&D achievements with a focus on certain priorities. JAEA is concentrating on issues such as the response to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., research on safety improvement in the field of nuclear energy, R&D toward the establishment of nuclear fuel recycling technology such as fast reactors and reprocessing, and the development of technology for the treatment and disposal of radioactive waste. Furthermore, to support these R&D activities and create new technologies, we have implemented nuclear science and engineering research and human resources development.

 

Regarding the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, we are using our scientific and technical expertise and are working on the R&D necessary for the restoration of the environment and the decommissioning of the plant’s reactor facilities. On the other hand, based on the Japanese Government’s final decision and policy, we will implement tasks toward the decommissioning of the fast breeder reactor Monju safely and steadily and will contribute to fast reactor R&D using our knowledge. In addition, we will decommission the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant’s safely and steadily and contribute to further R&D activities by acquiring useful data.

 

We are undertaking these activities, with safety being the topmost priority. However, a contamination accident occurred at the Plutonium Fuel Research Facility of JAEA’s Oarai Research and Development Center on June 6, 2017. We take this incident with the utmost seriousness and will take steps to prevent recurrence and determine the cause.

 

This publication has been issued annually since the foundation of JAEA with the intention of keeping you updated with the agency’s day-to-day accomplishments. For your reference, we are also publishing the annual report Japan Atomic Energy Agency 2017, which describes the activity status of the whole agency.

 

We are pleased that you will gain further understanding of JAEA’s accomplishments through this publication, and we expect your continued encouragement and guidance in our R&D activities.