Japan Considers Minamitorishima for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Local Village Agrees to Initial Survey
Japan's central government plans to designate Minamitorishima (Marcus Island), part of Ogasawara Village, as a potential candidate site for final nuclear waste disposal. Ogasawara Village Mayor Masaaki Shibuya has indicated agreement to accept the first stage of geological surveys, a "literature survey" expected to last two years, focusing on volcanic and fault activity. This marks the first time the central government has initiated such a survey for a final disposal site. Minamitorishima is a remote, uninhabited island (except for about 30 government personnel) located approximately 2000 km from Tokyo. Local governments accepting the literature survey receive up to 1 billion JPY annually.
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- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 17:20
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 17:31 (11 min after Published)
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The Japanese central government is proposing Minamitorishima, an island belonging to Ogasawara Village, as a candidate location for the final disposal of nuclear waste. Ogasawara Village Mayor Masaaki Shibuya stated that the decision to conduct the survey should be made by the national government, effectively consenting to the initial "literature survey." Minamitorishima is a coral reef island, approximately 1.5 square kilometers in size, located about 2000 kilometers from central Tokyo and 1200 kilometers from Chichijima, the administrative center of Ogasawara Village. It is state-owned land with no permanent residents, only about 30 personnel from the Japan Meteorological Agency and Self-Defense Forces. The Ogasawara Village office received the central government's application for the first stage of investigation into selecting a final nuclear waste disposal site on Minamitorishima. This first stage, a "literature survey," will take approximately two years to investigate volcanic and fault activity using existing documents. To date, only three other areas in Japan have agreed to a "literature survey": Suttsu Town and Kaminokuni Village in Hokkaido, and Genkai Town in Saga Prefecture. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, this is the first instance of a central government-led application for a nuclear waste final disposal site survey in Japan. The Ogasawara Village office held a briefing for residents today. Mayor Shibuya's remarks regarding the survey implied consent to the "literature survey." The three-stage investigation process includes the two-year "literature survey," followed by a four-year "outline survey" to explore geology and groundwater conditions, and finally, a 14-year "detailed survey" to assess rock and groundwater characteristics for suitability. The entire process is expected to take approximately 20 years. Local governments that agree to the "literature survey" are eligible to receive an annual subsidy of up to 1 billion Japanese Yen.