DOI: 10.33917/es-1.193.2024.18-25

Article explains current status of the Japanese nuclear industry as for mid 2023. It unveils political and economic factors and directions of its renaissance 12 year after the Fukushima Dai-Ichi NPP disaster in 2011. The contradiction of this process and the declared by the Japanese government Green Transformation (GX) initiative is underlined. Article lists limits of political, economic, technological and social nature which will define the actual success of the proposed nuclear program. Creation of the industrial and technological as well as political and social base of the fusion energy and fusion manufacturing industries is considered as the strategic reason for pushing the nuclear renaissance through these limits, as the way to the global leadership and domination of the Japanese ‘Society 5.0’. Special attention is paid to the strong will of the Japanese government to pragmatically sacrifices democratic values, concentrate all available resources, and set ambitious targets to win in this sumo fight and be first to build ‘thermonuclear Japan’. Also the specific side of the nuclear energy development — building up the Japanese nuclear weapon potential — is considered as the way to mitigate both geo- and technopolitical risks.

References:

1. G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué [Website]. 2023, May, 20, available at: https://www.g7hiroshima.go.jp/documents/pdf/Leaders_Communique_01_en.pdf

2. Japan takes the lead in collaboration on the global energy transition. (Paid for and created by Government of Japan). Reuters Plus, available at: https://www.reuters.com/plus/japan-takes-the-lead-in-collaboration-on-the-global-energy-transition

3. Сarbon neutrality. Global Issues. Government of Japan [Website], available at: https://www.japan.go.jp/global_issues/carbon_neutrality/index.html

4. Overview of the Japanese Green Transformation (GX). GR Japan [Website]. 2023, January, available at: https://grjapan.com/sites/default/files/content/

articles/files/gr_japan_overview_of_gx_plans_january_2023.pdf

5. Towards Green Transformation (GX). Main points. (Provisional translation). Keidanren [Website]. 2022, May, 17, available at: https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/policy/2022/043_point.pdf

6. Kishida eyes nuclear plant restart in green transformation push. The Japan Times, 2022, July, 28, available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/07/28/business/koichi-hagiuda-green-minister-post/

7. Innovatsionnaya strategiya termoyadernoy energetiki [Innovative strategy for fusion energy]. Kabinet ministrov Yaponii, 2023, 14 aprelya, available at:

https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/fusion/fusion_senryaku.pdf

8. Integrated Innovation Strategy. Cabinet of Japan, 2022. June, 3, available at: https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/strategy_2022.pdf

9. Outline of Strategic Energy Plan. Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan, 2021, October, available at: https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/en/category/others/basic_plan/pdf/6th_outline.pdf

DOI: 10.33917/es-5.191.2023.78-93

Analysis of the essence, content and forms of the scenario state of Japan in 2040, reflected in the 11th Scientific and Technical Forecast of NISTEP in 2019, revealed a number of conceptual dialectical contradictions. They narrow down to the question of admissibility and expediency of changing a man’s nature in order to ensure his prosperous, safe, meaningful and happy existence. The author proposes for discussion a conclusion on inevitability of the transhumanization of a mankind on the scale of a single country (Japan) and the whole world, given the nature of the great challenges facing it. The possibility of keeping the historical development in a conditionally humanistic direction is noted, given the emphasis of social reforms in Japan, reflected in the 6th Basic Plan for scientific, technical and innovative development of the country, on building a society for the fullest realization and use of human intellectual potential.

References:

1. The 10th Science and Technology Foresight Scenario Planning from the Viewpoint of Globalization. Summary Report. Science and Technology Foresight Center, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). September, 2015, available at: https://nistep.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/4491

2. Report on the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan. Council on Science, Technology and Innovation. Cabinet office, Government of Japan, 2015, December 18, available at: https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/kihonkeikaku/5basicplan_en.pdf

3. Toward Realization of the New Economy and Society — Reform of the Economy and Society by Deepening of the “Society 5.0” — Outline. Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), 2016, April 19, available at: https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/policy/2016/029_outline.pdf

4. Mamed’yarov Z.A. Doroga k “Obshchestvu 5.0” [The Road to Society 5.0]. Ekspert, 2018, no 44, available at: https://expert.ru/expert/2018/44/dorogak-

obschestvu-5_0/?ysclid=llm6l4drah852037971

5. Uemura N.M. “Obshchestvo 5.0” — vzglyad Mitsubishi Electric [Society 5.0: the View of Mitsubishi Electric]. Ekonomicheskie strategii, 2017, no 4, pp.

122–131, available at: https://www.inesnet.ru/wp-content/mag_archive/2017_04/es2017-04-122-131_Uemura_Noritsugu.pdf

6. Mitsubishi Electric predstavila platformu e-F@ctory rossiiskim kompaniyam [Mitsubishi Electric Presented the e-F@ctory Platform to Russian Companies]. OOO “Mitsubisi Elektrik (RUS)”, 2017, 20 iyulya, available at: https://ru.mitsubishielectric.com/ru/news/releases/local/2017/0720-a/pdf/170720-a_local_ru_ru.pdf

7. Overview of Japan’s Green Transformation (GX). GR Japan, 2023, January, available at: https://grjapan.com/sites/default/files/content/articles/files/

8. Green Transformation (GX). Main points. Tentative translation. Keidanren, 2022, May 17, available at: https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/policy/2022/043_point.pdf

9. Kostyukova K.S. “Zelenaya” transformatsiya Yaponii i nekotorye kontury novoi energeticheskoi politiki strany [Elektronnyi resurs]. π-Economy, 2022, vol. 15, no 6, pp. 54–70, DOI: https://doi.org/10.18721/JE.15604

DOI: 10.33917/es-1.175.2021.136-141

The article examines the problem of emergence in East Asia of a regional trading center (hub) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) with its own independent price index, which can become the basis for pricing in long-term contracts for supplying gas to the countries of this region. The author identifies the main factors stimulating Asian players in the gas market to pass to a new pricing system while signing gas purchase contracts. The countries — the main candidates for creating their own LNG hub — are considered. The article analyzes current situation and the prospects for developing regional LNG hubs in such countries as China, Japan and Singapore.

The paper also identifies the main obstacles to creating developed exchange trade of LNG in the Asia-Pacific countries and estimates the most likely places for the emergence of a gas hub.

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Financial and economic crisis that has engulfed the world to some extent entails a crisis of previously firm ideas on globalization. On the eve of the XXI century Russia was shocked by events that radically changed its appearance, size, living standards and even the people’s psychology. Serious changes in foreign policy also occurred. Among the variety of issues facing new Russia, a special place was occupied by relations with Japan. Complicated history of bilateral inter-state relations, system of geo-psychological relations East – West and myths abundance have led to the fact that now Japan in many ways is a symbol and image for Russia. Often this image has almost nothing to do with the original. Like a hundred years ago, the most popular in Russia now is Japan, which does not exist. It would not really matter if it didn’t influence so often the serious problems facing our countries. Who and how does form the image of Japan? How real is Japan conceived currently in Russia, does it exist at all? In the interview to Alexander Ageev Ivan S. Tselischev, professor of the Niigata University of Management (Japan), author of the bestseller «Asia’s Turning Point», RAS IMEMO representative in Japan told about peculiarities of Japanese development, originality of Japanese business ethics, his vision of modernization in Japan, organization of big business and the banking sector.

Opening address of editor-in-chief.