Before the storm
Prior to the disaster, the Fukushima prefecture was a peaceful rural area specialised in agriculture. With approximately 70,000 farmers, it was considered as the granary of Japan, providing food to millions of people all over the country.
The prefecture was also famous for its numerous landmarks and monuments. For example, the childhood home of Hideyo Noguchi (a bacteriologist known for his tremendous contribution to modern medicine, who has been printed on the 1000¥ banknotes since 2004) and the Tsuruga castle are both important cultural heritages. That is why the prefecture was one of the favourite destinations for domestic tourism.
Background
Japan was hit by the biggest natural disaster in its history on Friday 11 Match 2011. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power …show more content…
As protestations grew every day, the Japanese government was forced to change its pro-nuclear policy in haste.
Nevertheless, Japan was the world’s third largest nuclear energy producer, it was very difficult for its economy to adapt to such a change. Prior the disaster, nuclear energy was accounting for approximately 30% of the energy production of the country and the government was planning to increase the share of nuclear energy in the coming years, willing to reach 50% by 2030.
Why such interest in nuclear energy?
For decades, the worst nightmare of the Japanese people was to become dependent on other countries. Nuclear energy was by far the best way to maintain its independence, providing a tremendous amount of energy to sustain the needs of energy of national companies.
Unfortunately, it’s because of this same source of energy that Japan became fully dependent on foreign countries. Indeed, the country has to massively import oil and natural gas from Middle-east countries and have to deal with daily variations in the
Prior to the disaster, the Fukushima prefecture was a peaceful rural area specialised in agriculture. With approximately 70,000 farmers, it was considered as the granary of Japan, providing food to millions of people all over the country.
The prefecture was also famous for its numerous landmarks and monuments. For example, the childhood home of Hideyo Noguchi (a bacteriologist known for his tremendous contribution to modern medicine, who has been printed on the 1000¥ banknotes since 2004) and the Tsuruga castle are both important cultural heritages. That is why the prefecture was one of the favourite destinations for domestic tourism.
Background
Japan was hit by the biggest natural disaster in its history on Friday 11 Match 2011. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power …show more content…
As protestations grew every day, the Japanese government was forced to change its pro-nuclear policy in haste.
Nevertheless, Japan was the world’s third largest nuclear energy producer, it was very difficult for its economy to adapt to such a change. Prior the disaster, nuclear energy was accounting for approximately 30% of the energy production of the country and the government was planning to increase the share of nuclear energy in the coming years, willing to reach 50% by 2030.
Why such interest in nuclear energy?
For decades, the worst nightmare of the Japanese people was to become dependent on other countries. Nuclear energy was by far the best way to maintain its independence, providing a tremendous amount of energy to sustain the needs of energy of national companies.
Unfortunately, it’s because of this same source of energy that Japan became fully dependent on foreign countries. Indeed, the country has to massively import oil and natural gas from Middle-east countries and have to deal with daily variations in the