Fukushima Update

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In The Media

Fukushima Update

Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is likely stable unless there is another large earthquake or tsunami.

By James M. Acton

Published on Feb 28, 2012

Source: BBC World News America

Appearing on BBC World News America, Carnegie’s James Acton said that Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is stable unless there is another large earthquake or tsunami. A new report on the March 11, 2011 nuclear accident shows that the Japanese government withheld vital information at the time, but the impact of that report remains to be seen, Acton said. He reiterated that the key risk now for the plant is another freak earthquake or tsunami.

About the Author

James M. Acton

Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program

Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Recent Work

Paper
Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American Power
- James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
Commentary
The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past
- James M. Acton

Nuclear Policy Nuclear Energy East Asia Japan

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary

China Financial Markets

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The Plaza Accord was not an externally imposed punishment of Japan but part of a broader restructuring that Japanese economists and policymakers themselves recognized was necessary. Its effects were undermined, however, when Tokyo responded to the resulting slowdown with policies that exacerbated investment, credit expansion, and the very imbalances the adjustment was intended to resolve.

Michael Pettis

The nuclear missile formation passes through Tian'anmen Square during a military parade on September 3, 2025 in Beijing, China.

Paper

Untangling the Nuclear Knot: A Constructive Agenda for Managing China’s Nuclear Relations with the United States and Its Allies

The nuclear relationship between China and the United States is increasingly shaped by widening perception gaps rather than deliberate strategic design.

Tong Zhao

Research

In Pursuit of Nuclear-Powered Submarines: Australia, South Korea, And Japan

A look at why states without nuclear weapons are seeking naval nuclear propulsion, whether they can legally and technically deliver it, what it will cost them, and what responsible stewardship of the capability would look like.

Jamie Kwong

Aerial view of shipping containers at a port

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U.S. trading partners in Asia are closely watching the dispute for signs of how it may affect their own interests.

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Congress should ask tough questions about the agreement’s more unique features and whether they advance U.S. interests or compromise them.

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