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Nakayama, Masashi; Ishii, Eiichi; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Hayano, Akira; Ono, Hirokazu; Ozaki, Yusuke; Mochizuki, Akihito; Takeda, Masaki; Kimura, Shun
JAEA-Research 2025-016, 141 Pages, 2026/03
JAEA-Research-2025-016.pdf:13.37MB
The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The main aim of the project is to enhance the reliability of relevant technologies for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste by investigating the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rocks at Horonobe in Hokkaido, northern Japan. These investigations have been conducted in three phases: "Phase 1: Surface-based investigation", "Phase 2: Construction" (investigation during tunnel excavation) and "Phase 3: Operation" (investigation in subsurface facilities). Since the fiscal year 2020, we have been conducting R&D based on the Horonobe Underground Research Plan for the Fiscal Year 2020 Onwards, which was approved by Hokkaido Prefecture and Horonobe Town. In particular, we are working on the following key tasks with the aim of completing JAEA's 3rd and 4th Mid- and Long-Term Plans: "Study on near-field system performance in geological environments", "Demonstration of repository design options" and "Understanding of buffering behaviour of sedimentary rocks to natural perturbations". This report summarizes the R&D activities on the three above-mentioned key tasks, the goals of which were achieved between fiscal years 2020 and 2024. The results obtained from these tasks will be systematically organized as part of the "Systematic integration of technologies towards EBS emplacement" which has been in progress since fiscal year 2024. This task includes concepts related to the layout of galleries and pits, installation methods for engineered barrier materials, and methods for evaluating their containment performance.
Nakayama, Masashi; Ishii, Eiichi; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Hayano, Akira; Murakami, Hiroaki; Ono, Hirokazu; Takeda, Masaki; Fukatsu, Yuta; Mochizuki, Akihito; Ozaki, Yusuke; et al.
JAEA-Review 2025-042, 136 Pages, 2025/12
JAEA-Review-2025-042.pdf:12.95MB
The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant technologies for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste through investigating the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rocks at Horonobe-cho in Hokkaido, north Japan. In the fiscal year 2024, we continued R&D on "Study on near-field system performance in geological environment", "Demonstration of repository design options", and "Understanding of buffering behaviour of sedimentary rock to natural perturbations". These are identified as key R&D on challenges to be tackled in the Horonobe underground research plan for the fiscal year 2020 onwards. Specifically, "full-scale engineered barrier system (EBS) performance experiment" and "solute transport experiment with model testing" were carried out as part of "Study on near-field system performance in geological environment". "Demonstration of engineering feasibility of repository technology" and "evaluation of EBS behaviour over 100
C" were addressed for "Demonstration of repository design options". The validation of a method for assessing permeability using the Ductility Index and a method for estimating the state of in-situ ground pressure from hydraulic perturbation tests were investigated as part of the study "Understanding of buffering behaviour of sedimentary rock to natural perturbations". In FY2024, we continued construction of the East Access Shaft and the Ventilation Shaft, and construction of these shafts were completed to a depth of 500 m. After the completion of the East Access Shaft, excavation of the West Access Shaft and 500 m gallery has began. As of the end of FY2024, excavation progress is as follows, the East Access Shaft and the Ventilation Shaft were 500 m depth, the West Access Shaft was 472 m depth, 500 m gallery was 112.9 m, respectively. In the Horonobe International Project (HIP), Management Board and Joint Task Meeting was held at the Horonobe URL in June 2024 to review the progress of construction of galleries and preparations of experiments. Task Meetings to review the implementation plan for in-situ testing and analysis were also held. HIP will be implemented in two phases: Phase 1 (from FY2022 to FY2024) and Phase 2 (from FY2025 to FY2028), the research results of Phase 1 were compiled in FY2024.
Tachi, Yukio; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ozaki, Yusuke; Hayano, Akira; Ono, Hirokazu; Takeda, Masaki; Mochizuki, Akihito; Dei, Shuntaro; Minaka, Jumpei; Murakami, Hiroaki; et al.
NEA/NE(2025)20 (Internet), 118 Pages, 2025/11
Shimada, Asako; Tsukahara, Takehiko*; Nomura, Masao*; Shimada, Taro; Takeda, Seiji; Takahashi, Hiroaki*
Scientific Reports (Internet), 15(1), p.39024_1 - 39024_10, 2025/11
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Multidisciplinary Sciences)Due to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), radiocesium such as 
Cs, 
Cs, and 
Cs was dispersed over a wide area of eastern Japan and mixed with radiocesium from global fallout. The depth profiles of Cs for samples taken in 2003 before the FDNPS accident and in 2017 after the FDNPS accident in Tokai-mura (about 115 km NE of Tokyo) were both described by exponential equations from the surface up to a depth of 15 cm. Systematic grid sampling of surface soil at a depth of 5 cm was conducted at 3 sites in Tokai-mura in 2019, and distributions of the Cs concentration, Cs/Cs radioactivity ratio, and Cs/Cs isotope ratio were measured. It was found that the Cs concentration varied among sites and within individual sites, while the Cs/Cs radioactivity ratio was constant for all samples collected at 3 sites, 1.01
0.04 (2
). The Cs/Cs isotope ratio for the two sites was constant and comparable to that obtained for soil sampled near FDNPS. On the other hand, the Cs/Cs isotope ratio. For the other site varied and showed higher values (0.355-0.446), suggesting the influence of global fallout. Based on the results, the mixture percentages of radiocesium originating from global fallout and the FDNPS accident were estimated.
Nakayama, Masashi; Ishii, Eiichi; Hayano, Akira; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Murakami, Hiroaki; Ono, Hirokazu; Takeda, Masaki; Mochizuki, Akihito; Ozaki, Yusuke; Kimura, Shun; et al.
JAEA-Review 2025-027, 80 Pages, 2025/09
JAEA-Review-2025-027.pdf:6.22MB
The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to enhance the reliability of relevant technologies for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste through investigating the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rocks at Horonobe Town in Hokkaido, north Japan. In the fiscal year 2025, we continue R&D on "Study on near-field system performance in geological environment" and "Demonstration of repository design options". These are identified as key R&D challenges to be tackled in the Horonobe underground research plan for the fiscal year 2020 onwards. In the "Study on near-field system performance in geological environment", we continue to obtain data from the full-scale engineered barrier system performance experiment, and work on the specifics of the full-scale engineered barrier system dismantling experiment. As for "Demonstration of repository design options", the investigation, design, and evaluation techniques are to be systemized at various scales, from the tunnel to the pit, by means of an organized set of evaluation methodologies for confinement performance at these respective scales. Preliminary borehole investigations will be conducted within a 500 m gallery, with the objectives of obtaining rock strength and rock permeability data, as well as surveying the extent of the excavation damaged zone surrounding the test tunnel via tomographic analysis. A planning study for the in-situ construction test will be conducted to investigate the construction of backfill material and watertight plugs. The volume of water inflow associated with the excavation of the 500 m gallery will be observed, and its magnitude will be compared with the range of water inflow predicted in the analysis. The test plan to determine the extent of the excavation damaged zone around the pit, which is planned to be constructed in the 500 m gallery, will be studied to determine the in-situ excavation damaged zone. In addition, the investigation and evaluation methods for the amount of water inflow from fractures and the extent of the excavation damaged zone around the pit will be organized. Concerning the construction and maintenance of the subsurface facilities, excavation of the West Access Shaft and the 500 m gallery will continue. It is anticipated that the construction of the facilities will be completed by the end of the fiscal year 2025. In addition, we continue R&D on the following three tasks in the Horonobe International Project; Task A: Solute transport experiment with model testing, Task B: Systematic integration of repository technology options, and Task C: Full-scale engineered barrier system dismantling experiment.
Ono, Hirokazu; Ishii, Eiichi; Takeda, Masaki
Geoenergy (Internet), 2(1), p.geoenergy2023-047_1 - geoenergy2023-047_10, 2024/12
Arai, Yoichi; Watanabe, So; Watanabe, Masayuki; Arai, Tsuyoshi*; Katsuki, Kenta*; Agou, Tomohiro*; Fujikawa, Hisaharu*; Takeda, Keisuke*; Fukumoto, Hiroki*; Hoshina, Hiroyuki*; et al.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 554, p.165448_1 - 165448_10, 2024/09
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Instruments & Instrumentation)Arai, Yoichi; Watanabe, So; Hasegawa, Kenta; Okamura, Nobuo; Watanabe, Masayuki; Takeda, Keisuke*; Fukumoto, Hiroki*; Ago, Tomohiro*; Hagura, Naoto*; Tsukahara, Takehiko*
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 542, p.206 - 213, 2023/09
Times Cited Count：1 Percentile：17.23(Instruments & Instrumentation)Shimada, Taro; Nemoto, Hiromi*; Takeda, Seiji
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 57(1), p.5 - 29, 2022/03
Of the asbestos-containing wastes arising from the dismantling activities of nuclear facilities, those with radioactive concentrations that do not need to be treated as radioactive substances will be cleared from the nuclear regulatory control. Those will be disposed of or recycled as specially controlled industrial waste based on the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act. The authors constructed evaluation scenarios according to the treatment manual for asbestos-containing waste and evaluated public exposure doses per year for 33 radionuclides. Based on the evaluated doses, the radioactive concentration corresponding to the dose criteria of 10 
Sv/y for clearance was calculated for each radionuclide and scenario. As a result, the evaluated concentration was equal to or higher than the current clearance level. It was confirmed that the application of the current clearance level for asbestos-containing wastes did not affect safety.
Takeda, Tetsuaki*; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Aihara, Jun; Aoki, Takeshi; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; Ho, H. Q.; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Imai, Yoshiyuki; et al.
High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.5, 464 Pages, 2021/02
As a general overview of the research and development of a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) in JAEA, this book describes the achievements by the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) on the designs, key component technologies such as fuel, reactor internals, high temperature components, etc., and operational experience such as rise-to-power tests, high temperature operation at 950C, safety demonstration tests, etc. In addition, based on the knowledge of the HTTR, the development of designs and component technologies such as high performance fuel, helium gas turbine and hydrogen production by IS process for commercial HTGRs are described. These results are very useful for the future development of HTGRs. This book is published as one of a series of technical books on fossil fuel and nuclear energy systems by the Power Energy Systems Division of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Ono, Hirokazu; Takeda, Masaki; Ishii, Eiichi
Extended abstract of International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media; Observation, Modeling, and Application (CouFrac 2020) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2020/11
Shimada, Asako; Nemoto, Hiromi*; Sawaguchi, Takuma; Takeda, Seiji
Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 7(3), p.19-00569_1 - 19-00569_17, 2020/06
After treatments such as sieve classification and washing of decontamination soil taken in Fukushima prefecture, recycling of the treated soil in which radioactivity concentration level is relatively low to public engineering works is invented to reduce the amount of the decontamination soil that must be disposed of. In the present study, dose estimation for workers and the public was conducted from the viewpoint of application of recycling material of decontamination soil for land reclamation by considering exposure pathways from the construction to the servicing of the land as a greenery-covered area. In the case of revegetation with trees, uptake of Cs into trees was considered and the exposure from trees, trimmed or thinned trees, and organic deposit made from litter fall were evaluated. From the results, the concentration levels of radiocesium, Cs and Cs, for which the annual effective exposure dose does not exceed 1 mSv/y was calculated. In addition, the thickness of the cover soil required to maintain the exposure dose lower than 10 Sv/y for the public during servicing was ascertained. Furthermore, disasters were considered; for instance, by considering that tsunamis, fires, and concentrated heavy rain can increase exposure doses based on changes in the conditions of the reclamation land, we confirmed that the additional exposure dose during disaster and rehabilitation is lower than 1 mSv/y. Based on these evaluation results, we determined the concentration levels amenable to recycling.
Nakayama, Masashi; Saiga, Atsushi; Kimura, Shun; Mochizuki, Akihito; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ono, Hirokazu; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Takeda, Masaki; Hayano, Akira; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; et al.
JAEA-Research 2019-013, 276 Pages, 2020/03
JAEA-Research-2019-013.pdf:18.72MB
The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies for geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rock at Horonobe Town in Hokkaido, north Japan. The investigations will be conducted in three phases, namely "Phase 1: Surface based investigations", "Phase 2: Construction phase" (investigations during construction of the underground facilities) and "Phase 3: Operation phase" (research in the underground facilities). According to the research plan described in the 3rd Mid- and Long- term Plan of JAEA, "Near-field performance study", "Demonstration of repository design option", and "Verification of crustal-movement buffering capacity of sedimentary rocks" are important issues of the Horonobe URL Project, and schedule of future research and backfill plans of the project will be decided by the end of 2019 Fiscal Year. The present report summarizes the research and development activities of these 3 important issues carried out during 3rd Medium to Long-term Research Phase.
Shimada, Asako; Nemoto, Hiromi*; Sawaguchi, Takuma; Takeda, Seiji
Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2019/05
no abstracts in English
Sato, Tetsuya; Asai, Masato; Borschevsky, A.*; Beerwerth, R.*; Kaneya, Yusuke*; Makii, Hiroyuki; Mitsukai, Akina*; Nagame, Yuichiro; Osa, Akihiko; Toyoshima, Atsushi; et al.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140(44), p.14609 - 14613, 2018/11
Times Cited Count：37 Percentile：71.05(Chemistry, Multidisciplinary)The first ionization potential (IP
) yields information on valence electronic structure of an atom. IP values of heavy actinides beyond einsteinium (Es, Z = 99), however, have not been determined experimentally so far due to the difficulty in obtaining these elements on scales of more than one atom at a time. Recently, we successfully measured IP of lawrencium (Lr, Z = 103) using a surface ionization method. The result suggests that Lr has a loosely-bound electron in the outermost orbital. In contrast to Lr, nobelium (No, Z = 102) is expected to have the highest IP among the actinide elements owing to its full-filled 5f and the 7s orbitals. In the present study, we have successfully determined IP values of No as well as fermium (Fm, Z = 100) and mendelevium (Md, Z = 101) using the surface ionization method. The obtained results indicate that the IP value of heavy actinoids would increase monotonically with filling electrons up in the 5f orbital like heavy lanthanoids.
Tsushima, Masahito*; Takeda, Masaki; Ono, Hirokazu
JAEA-Data/Code 2018-008, 78 Pages, 2018/10
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-008.pdf:6.73MBJAEA-Data-Code-2018-008(errata).pdf:0.11MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-008-appendix(DVD-ROM).zip:263.67MB
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "geoscientific study" and "research and development on geological disposal" in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL). In-situ tracer migration test for fracture and matrix in the argillaceous rock, called for Wakkanai formation, has been conducted in the Horonobe URL project. This report summarizes data of borehole investigations and tracer migration test for fracture zone.
Takeda, Masaki; Ishii, Eiichi; Ono, Hirokazu; Kawate, Satoshi*
Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu (CD-ROM), 25(1), p.3 - 14, 2018/06
Fault zones and excavation damaged zones have the potential to act as flow paths, and the characterization of solute transport in such zones in mudstones is important for the safe geological disposal of radioactive waste. However, few in situ tracer migration tests have been conducted on fractures in mudstones. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has conducted in situ tracer migration experiments using uranine, for fractures in siliceous mudstone of the Wakkanai Formation. 18 experiments were conducted under various conditions An injection flow rate that is slightly higher than the pumping flow rate is ideal for tracer migration experiments involving injection and pumping, as conducted in this study. In situ tracer migration experiments involving injection and pumping conducted in a groundwater environment with dissolved gases allow empirical evaluation of the relationship of the tracer recovery ratio and the groundwater degassing with the injection and pumping flow rate ratio. This evaluation is effective for the design of experimental conditions that account for degassing and ensure high levels of tracer recovery.
Maruyama, Ryuji; Yamazaki, Dai; Akutsu, Kazuhiro*; Hanashima, Takayasu*; Miyata, Noboru*; Aoki, Hiroyuki; Takeda, Masayasu; Soyama, Kazuhiko
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 888, p.70 - 78, 2018/04
Times Cited Count：6 Percentile：42.52(Instruments & Instrumentation)The multilayer structure of Fe/Si and Fe/Ge systems fabricated by ion beam sputtering (IBS) was investigated using X-ray and polarized neutron reflectivity measurements and scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The obtained result revealed that the incorporation of sputtering gas particles (Ar) in the Ge layer gives rise to a marked reduction in the neutron scattering length density (SLD) and contributes to the SLD contrast between the Fe and Ge layers almost vanishing for spin-down neutrons. This leads to a possibility of fine-tuning of the SLD for the IBS, which is required to realize a high polarization efficiency of a neutron polarizing supermirror. Fe/Ge polarizing supermirror with 
fabricated showed a spin-up reflectivity of 0.70 at the critical momentum transfer. The polarization was higher than 0.985 for the 
range where the correction for the polarization inefficiencies of the beamline works properly.
Sato, Toshinori; Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Ishii, Eiichi; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hayano, Akira; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Fujita, Tomoo*; Tanai, Kenji; Nakayama, Masashi; Takeda, Masaki; et al.
JAEA-Research 2016-025, 313 Pages, 2017/03
JAEA-Research-2016-025.pdf:45.1MB
The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formations at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. This report summarizes the results of the Phase II investigations carried out from April 2005 to June 2014 to a depth of 350m. Integration of work from different disciplines into a "geosynthesis" ensures that the Phase II goals have been successfully achieved and identifies key issues that need to made to be addressed in the Phase II investigations Efforts are made to summarize as many lessons learnt from the Phase II investigations and other technical achievements as possible to form a "knowledge base" that will reinforce the technical basis for both implementation and the formulation of safety regulations.
He and 
C dating in a granite, Tono area, central JapanHasegawa, Takuma*; Nakata, Kotaro*; Tomioka, Yuichi*; Goto, Kazuyuki*; Kashiwaya, Koki*; Hama, Katsuhiro; Iwatsuki, Teruki; Kunimaru, Takanori*; Takeda, Masaki
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 192, p.166 - 185, 2016/11
Times Cited Count：10 Percentile：32.43(Geochemistry & Geophysics)Groundwater dating was performed simultaneously by the He and C methods in granite of the Tono area in central Japan. Groundwater was sampled at 30 packed-off sections of six 1000-m boreholes. He concentrations increased and C concentrations decreased along a groundwater flow path on a topographic gradient. He ages were calculated by using the in situ He production rate derived from the porosity, density, and U and Th content of the rock, neglecting external flux. The linear relation between the He ages and the noncorrected C ages, except in the discharge area. Simultaneous measurements make it feasible to estimate the accumulation rate of He and initial dilution of C, which cannot be done with a single method. Cross-checking groundwater dating has the potential to provide more reliable groundwater ages.
