President's New Year's Message for 2010

• This year marks the fifth year since the formation of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The remaining three months of FY2009 which is a milestone year as the final year of our first medium-term plan, are a critical period where we must smoothly wrap up the current medium-term plan, and make use of the results attained thus far in the upcoming second medium-term plan.
• In recent years, future energy security and prevention of global warming have been increasingly recognized as key issues for the sustainable development of mankind. Efforts are needed to resolve these important issues confronting the countries of the world.
• To do that, JAEA must continue R&D in a broad range of area including fast-breeder cycle technology and nuclear fusion technology, as well as efforts in basic research. The ultimate aim is to use atomic energy as a long-term energy source.
• The most important issue for JAEA this year will be resumption of operation at Monju. There are high expectations for this resumption, both inside and outside Japan, and we would like to meet these expectations with a new resolve that Japan will continue to exhibit leadership in this field. Therefore, we have put together a "Comprehensive Safety Inspection Report" covering topics such as inspection/repair of equipment which has been shut down for a long time since the sodium leakage accident, and measures to prevent recurrence of the troubles in recent years. Going forward, we hope to finish preparations by JAEA for resumption of operation ahead of schedule, have safety confirmed by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, obtain the understanding of the local community, and definitely achieve resumption of operation within this fiscal year as JAEA's top priority issue.
• We have been jointly constructing J-PARC with the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization since 2001, and significant progress has been made. The Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) was completed two years ago, and the Nuclear and Particle Physics Facility and the Neutrino Experimental Facility were completed last year. Use of these facilities for full-scale research is already underway. With these advances, we have established a particle beam platform combining various facilities such as the Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Kansai Photon Science Institute and Tokai Research and Development Center. Going forward, we expect to produce revolutionary research results contributing to the progress of mankind. This will be achieved by maximally exploiting these research facilities while enlisting the participation of industry, and meeting the challenges of developing world-class, state-of-the-art science and technology.
• In terms of nuclear fusion research, we will steadily advance the construction plan for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the Broader Approach (BA) being implemented jointly by Japan and Europe. In March of this year, three research facilities will be completed at the International Fusion Energy Research Center (IFERC) in Rokkasho-mura, Aomori Prefecture, and we will finally enter the stage of starting full-scale research. We will also proceed with superconductivity upgrading of the JT-60 critical plasma testing system at the Naka Fusion Institute, and make committed efforts relating to the Broader Approach and ITER plan for realizing a practical fusion reactor in the future.
• We will continue underground research at Horonobe-cho, Hokkaido and Mizunami-shi, Gifu to realize underground disposal of high-level radioactive waste. As the organization responsible for disposal of wastes from research facilities etc., we have strengthened our system by establishing a Low-level Radioactive Wastes Disposal Project Center in February of last year, and in November of last year we received approval from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry regarding our "Plan for Implementation of Low-level Radioactive Wastes Disposalof Low-level Radioactive Wastes Disposal" (implementation plan). Going forward, we will proceed steadfastly with this Low-level Radioactive Wastes Disposal Project, while ensuring transparency, putting safety first, gaining the understanding and trust of the Japanese people, and collaborating and cooperating with the national government and relevant organizations.
• Also, we will continue efforts in areas such as safety research and basic research which support the foundation for developing nuclear power. With regard to nuclear nonproliferation in particular, President Obama indicated his vision of striving for a world without nuclear weapons in a speech at Prague after his inauguration last year, and there is a growing trend toward international nuclear arms reduction. We at JAEA will take the initiative and work to contribute international society, with the aim of achieving both peaceful utilization of nuclear power and nuclear nonproliferation.
• The Act on the Japan Atomic Energy Agency stipulates that the duty of JAEA is "to contribute to the welfare of human society, and improve the standard of living of the Japanese people." All of us at JAEA are constantly working toward these goals.
• Our work shall be based on the agency's management philosophy, and we shall always strive for solid teamwork by executives and regular employees, a broad field of view, and faithful adherence to our three slogans: "high aspirations," "rich in ideas" and "strong will."

Toshio Okazaki
President, Japan Atomic Energy Agency