Japan Atomic Energy Agency

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (日本原子力研究開発機構, Nihon genshiryoku kenkyū kaihatsu kikō, JAEA) was formed October 1, 2005 by a merger of two previous semi-governmental organizations. While it inherited the activities of both PNC and JAERI, it also inherited the nickname of JAERI, "Genken" 原研, an abbreviated word for "nuclear research".

On April 10, 2007, JAEA officially joined the GNEP alliance. The other members in the alliance are Areva, Washington Group International and BWX. It is expected that the experience gained from the Rokkasho centrifuge enrichment plant will be a key contribution from JAEA.

Facts Overview

• Founding Law: The Japan Atomic energy Agency Law (日本原子力研究開発機構法)
• Headquarters: Tokai-mura
• Permanent Staff: 30009967 people as of October 2005
• Board Chairman: 岡﨑俊雄 Inaugurated January 2007

Locations and Facilities

The following is an incomplete list of its activities, sorted by location.

Tokai-mura Facilities

JAEA has several facilities located in Tōkai, Ibaraki, which was the first center in Japan for nuclear research. Currently, JAEA has expanded to several other sites in the Ibaraki Prefecture as well as all of Japan.

• Tokai R&D Center (東海研究開発センター)
  • Nuclear Chemistry Research Center
  • Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories
• The Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (大強度陽子加速器計画 or J-PARC for short) houses many particle research facilities.

Tsuruga Facilities

JAEA has another head base in Tsuruga, Fukui.It has fast breeder reactor center and R&D center.

Oarai R&D Center (大洗研究開発センター)

This center is located in Ōarai, Ibaraki, close to, but not at the same site as Tokai-mura. It houses the Jōyō reactor, the Japan Materials Testing Reactor, the new HTTR reactor, an environmental reactivity monitoring center, and a children's museum.

Naka Fusion Institute (那珂核融合研究所)

The NFI is located in Naka, Ibaraki and does work complimenting the ITER project. Of notable significance is the JT-60 large tokomak device.

Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center (人形峠環境技術センター)

This is a small uranium refining and conversion plant, as well as a small centrifuge enrichment demonstration plant located in Kamisaibara, Okayama. The center deals with front-end issues of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Aomori R&D Center (青森研究開発センター)

The Aomori Research and Development Center is spread out over Rokkasho, Aomori and Mutsu, Aomori. English Site The Rokkasho site does work with fusion research, notably a fusion reactor design research institute, a particle accelerator, and a materials irradiation test facility. This site works a great deal with the Naka Fusion Institute and it is hoped that it will someday be the location for the DEMO reactor. The facilities in Mutsu include a museum, an ocean monitoring facility, and radioactive waste management.

JAEA also co-operates and provides support for the activities of Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited with their reprocessing facility and Uranium enrichment facility plans.

Kansai Photon Science Institute (関西光化学研究所)

Abbreviated, KPSI, this is a collection of two separate locations. Official English Site

Kansai Science City

JAEA runs the part of the Kansai Science Center in Umemidai Kizu-cho Kizugawa, Kyoto (京都府木津地区).It has Advanced Photon Research Center, Neutron Biology Research Center.

Hyōgo Prefecture

This location houses the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. This facility used to work with RIKEN, but now operates by itself.

Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute (高崎量子応用研究所)

This is located in Takasaki, Gunma. Its Department of Advanced Radiation Technology offers an ion irradiation facility with numerous particle accelerators, electron beam accelerators, an ion implanter and several Cobalt-60 sources. In addition to this, a number of research groups operate here. The facilities are open to a number of universities and research institutes.

Horonobe Underground Research Center (幌延深地層研究センター)

The Horonobe URL carries out research and development on geoscientific study and on geological disposal for high-level radioactive waste. It is expected that this site will become Japan's national Deep geological repository for nuclear waste.

Official English Site

• Fugen

Tono Geoscience Center (東濃地科学センター)

This is located in Tōnō, in the Gifu Prefecture.

See also

• Nuclear power in Japan
• Tokaimura nuclear accident
• Independent Administrative Institution (IAI), 2001
• List of Independent Administrative Institutions (Japan)
• United States Department of Energy National Laboratories

External links

• English JAEA Homepage