Overview of Japan Atomic Energy Agency and studies on nuclear nonproliferation

Senzaki, Masao

The Japan Atomic Eneryg Agency(JAEA) was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute(JAERI) and Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC). JAEA is the only governmental nuclear research and development institute in Japan, including more than 4,000 staff members and 209 billion JPY(about 1,900 million) annual budgets. The new organization will engage in research activities ranging from basic research to practical application in the nuclear field. As such an institute, "Nuclear Non-proliferation" should be one of the important missions, not only to ensure and demonstrate that Japan respects the international nuclear non-proliferation framework and domestic law, but also to promote strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. It will be important for this new organization to contribute to the research and development of nuclear non-proliferation concepts and technologies, especially in the Asian region. To fulfill these roles, Nuclear Nonproliferation Science & Technology Center, NPSTC was established in JAEA at the same time. This paper will summarize the overview of JAEA and NPSTC, and the organization, missions and research plans of NPSTC.