“Atoms for Peace” was a U.S. government policy in the 1950s promoting nuclear power around the globe as a safe source of energy. The U.S.A. sponsored an “Atoms for Peace” museum exhibit for Hiroshima in 1956 as part of this immensely successful effort to convince the Japanese public of the benefits of nuclear power. The effectiveness of this initiative is remarkable, considering the three previous nuclear disasters and the antinuclear movement they sparked. The exhibit was able to accomplish the transformation of public opinion by stressing the differences between nuclear power and nuclear bombs. Zwigenberg condemns the “Atoms for Peace” project for making the world lose sight of the dangers of nuclear power. He contends that the exhibit's festive and fashionable atmosphere misrepresented nuclear power, since it ignored the problems of nuclear waste and potential malfunctions.

McCormack, an Australia-based expert in East Asian studies, neatly sums up his position in the title to his article: Japan's belief that nuclear power was a sustainable, safe source of energy was nothing but “hubris,” arrogance and pride. He extends his criticism to include other countries that rely on nuclear power.

Following Zwigenberg's historical take and McCormack's scholarly “snapshot” of the situation nearly simultaneous to the Fukushima disaster, the rest of the articles in this reader illustrate some of the changes in Japanese public opinion on nuclear power since March 2011.

Aileen Mioko Smith is the executive director of Green Action, a Japanese citizens’ organization (NGO) working to end nuclear power in Japan. Following the Fukushima disaster, governments and international organizations became more receptive to the message of Green Action and other anti-nuclear groups (like Stop Tomari and Beyond Nuclear). This article explains the mission of these groups, which is typical of anti-nuclear activists in Japan. It profiles several individuals who traveled to the U.S.A. to spread their message, arguing that nuclear power must be phased out around the world.

This article focuses on two groups of people most affected by the Fukushima disaster, the local residents of nearby cities and the nuclear power plant workers. The interviews discussed here show citizens who are still skeptical of nuclear power plants and wary of returning to their homes; others have decided to return but are concerned about their safety.

This article focuses on the politicization of women following the Fukushima disaster. Slater argues that women are the most “effective anti-nuke spokespersons” because their role as mothers gives them moral authority on issues relating to the safety and health of children. Women from the Tohoku region (which contains Fukushima prefecture) have influenced political conversations all around Japan by organizing protests and issuing statements criticizing the Japanese government. Their actions have inspired more protests in other regions of Japan. One woman, SATO Sachiko, who was mentioned in Smith's article above, travelled to the U.S.A. to extend her message beyond Japan's borders.

Hirose is the author of several books, including Nuclear Reactor Time Bomb (2010), which predicted a Fukushima-style disaster. Hirose, like several others included in this reader, represents the voice of the knowledgeable layman; he is not an expert/scholar on nuclear power, but the meticulous research he has done and his own common sense have earned him wide respect. This article is an excerpt from Hirose's new book, Fukushima Meltdown.

Aukema explains that renowned author and atomic-bomb survivor HAYASHI Kyoko is expanding her long-time criticism of nuclear weapons to include nuclear power. Survivors of the atomic bombs, such as Hayashi, are known as hibakusha. They often had to struggle to obtain assistance, or even recognition, from the government for their radiation-induced suffering. The voices of the hibakusha are an important addition to the discussion of nuclear power; their experience in 1945 give their statements a large impact in the twenty-first century.

This article provides an unusual corporate perspective on nuclear power from SON Masayoshi, the CEO of SoftBank, a Japanese telecommunications company. The Fukushima disaster led him to oppose nuclear power and take up the cause of renewable energy. Son's stance is especially significant because he has broken with the rest of big business in Japan, leaving the “nuclear village” behind.

Son discusses some of the inadequacies of government and corporations revealed by the Fukushima disaster, such as the inadequacy of cellphone networks, a technological failure that made it difficult to provide immediate relief. Even more troubling, he says, TEPCO and the Japanese government deliberately spread misinformation, a moral failure that certainly endangered many citizens. After criticizing his own firm, TEPCO, and the government, Son explains that he launched a website to help coordinate recovery efforts following the 3/11 earthquake, and he established the Renewable Energy Foundation, which pushes the government to adopt policies favorable to renewable energy. He argues that nuclear power is not a sustainable option on financial grounds either; the Fukushima disaster, costing both lives and money, proved that nuclear power is too expensive and should be phased out. Even without the added costs of recovery from disasters, nuclear power is actually three times more expensive than commonly believed. Son had heard repeatedly that the unit cost of nuclear power is 5-6 yen for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy produced, but he recently examined the official figures and was surprised to see a pre-accident unit cost of 15-20 yen/kWh. Son therefore urges the Japanese government to adopt a pro-renewable energy policy, particularly focusing on solar power.

Paul Scalise, a supporter of nuclear power, addresses the challenges facing Japanese energy policy following the Fukushima disaster. He begins by acknowledging the massive change in public opinion on nuclear power, even pointing out Son's solar belt as one of the most popular new proposals. However, he questions whether a shift away from nuclear power will put Japan on a sustainable path: “Can Japan achieve a nuclear-free society without risk of rolling blackouts? Are energy security and environmental sustainability fundamentally compatible or mutually exclusive? Is economic efficiency still possible in an energy market that also promotes and subsidizes renewable energy sources?” Scalise reminds us that public opinion should not always dictate policy. Instead, he urges, majority rule should be set aside for what is best for Japan, even if this option may be unpopular.