It is always overwhelming to prepare for a trip overseas and you are never fully primed for the sights awaiting you, no matter how much research you do. I realized this immediately after I arrived at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan.
“Japan without nuclear power generation is to commit suicide” Nobuo Tanaka, the former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, emphasized his argument about Japan’s energy future during the meeting with us who study energy policy at the New York University.
The first time I went to Japan I was solely focused on self-entertainment. My objective was to visit Japan’s Disneyland in Urayasu, Tokyo. At such a young age I was not acutely aware of the cultural values, norms, and lifestyle, let alone Japan’s energy security.
As I wait for the signal light at the streets of Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, I realized how much energy is needed to power every single advertisement screen, restaurant and hotel sign across the prefecture. From seeing the Gundam Statue in Diver City to hearing the loud cheers of fans in Tokyo Dome Stadium during a Yomiuri Giants game, Japan is a country that consumes a lot of energy.
On May 23, 2016, New York University’s Center for Global Affairs’ Global Field Intensive group to Japan met with Fumie Tokunaga from the Public Relations Office for the government’s Reconstruction Agency.
The energy landscape in Japan is one in which directly impacts its future. The country is struck between making economically sound decisions and adhering to many of Japan’s climate change targets.
“So What Are You Supposed to Be?” It was a question posed by the official at Japan’s Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, who was more or less our age, that elicited a sincere laughter in our group. He was asking about our career paths after we graduate and frankly none of us knew what exactly we are going to work.
Japan’s refusal to utilize its nuclear fleet will have serious economic and environmental ramifications that former EIA Director, Nobuo Tanaka, claims will be, “suicidal for the country.” After the countless meetings that I personally attended while in Japan, I cannot help but agree with Mr. Tanaka’s statement.