Review of engagement activities to promote awareness of radiation and its associated risk amongst the Japanese public before and after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Sakoda, Akihiro; Nomura, Naoki*; Kuroda, Yujiro*; Kono, Takahiko; Naito, Wataru*; Yoshida, Hiroko*

Journal of Radiological Protection, 41(4), p.1258 - 1287, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/ac2678

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, many radiation experts directly experienced a vast gap between ideal and real public understanding (PU) of radiation in risk communication. Therefore, this study collated and reviewed information about PU activities for radiation and its risk that six Japanese academic societies - which seemed to be socially neutral expert communities - related to radiation and radiation risk conducted before and after the accident. Activities these radiation-related societies provided to general public were discussed from the following perspectives: (1) difficulties in two-way communication due to resources, motivation, public interest and concerns; (2) balance between academic research and PU activities; (3) academic societies' building trust with the public whilst ensuring member experts' neutrality and independence; (4) discussions among academic societies to prepare for public engagement. We hope that this paper encourages experts and academic societies in radiation protection to hold more national and international discussions about their roles in public communication and outreach.

The IRPA Young Generation Network; Activity report from the middle of 2018 to the beginning of 2021

Andresz, S.*; Sakoda, Akihiro; Ha, W.-H.*; Kabrt, F.*; Kono, Takahiko; Sez Muoz, M.*; Nusrat, O.*; Papp, C.*; Qiu, R.*; Bryant, P.*

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 46(3), p.143 - 150, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00080

The Young Generation Network (YGN) was officially established as part of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) in the spring of 2018. Since then, it has been dedicated to a variety of activities to promote communication, collaboration and professional development of students and young professionals in the area of radiation protection and its allied fields. This article reports our recent activities from the middle of 2018 to the beginning of 2021, with highlights on some important events: (1) Joint JHPS-SRP-KARP Workshop of Young Generation Network (December 2019 in Japan); (2) Contribution to Nuclear Energy Agency Workshop on Optimization - Rethinking the Art of Reasonable (January 2020 in Portugal); (3) Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on radiation protection among IRPA YGN members (March 2020); (4) Contribution to IRPA15 (January-February 2021; online). The discussion and insight obtained from each activity are also summarized. The IRPA YGN will aim to achieve its on-going activities and continue to follow the ways paved in the Strategic Agenda and despite the challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, running an international survey (for example, on the usage of social media in radiation protection, and on the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic), engaging national YGNs, extending the network, finding new relationships with networks with an interest in the young generation and participation in (remote) events will be aspired for.

Analysis of the activities of the website "Question and Answer about radiation in Daily Life" after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and some lessons learned from it; To pass on this experience to the future

Kono, Takahiko; Shimo, Michikuni*; Hayakawa, Hironobu*; Taniguchi, Kazufumi*; Tanaka, Masato*; Tanaka, Hitomi*; Onoue, Yosuke*; Nagaya, Hiroshi*; Torii, Hiroyuki*; Uno, Kazuko*

Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 55(4), p.226 - 238, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.55.226

After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, artificial radionuclides such as radioactive cesium and iodine were released into the environment. It caused great anxiety not only in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station but also in other regions of Japan. Some members of the Japan Health Physics Society (JHPS) which is a leading academic society in Japan in the field of radiation protection volunteered to establish the website called "Question and Answer about radiation in Daily Life" just after the accident to reduce the anxiety of the residents about the health effects of radiation. After that, Committee of "Question and Answer about radiation in Daily Life" was established in August 2011 in JHPS, and this activity had been carried out under the responsibility of the society that answered with sincerity against questions from the public as specialists until February 2013. The number of questions on the website had gradually decreased as time passed; therefore, the Committee members decided to end these activities in February 2013. In this paper, following contents were shown; the activities of the Q&A website for about two years, the issues of the stance on our activities, the information related to the website activities and the analysis of Twitter data. Based on the experience and the knowledge obtained from these activities, the issues and experiences that can be utilized in the initial response to emergencies for radiation protection experts as well as other fields are presented.

Examples of practical activities related to public understanding of radiation risk following the Fukushima nuclear accident

Naito, Wataru*; Uesaka, Motoki*; Kuroda, Yujiro*; Kono, Takahiko; Sakoda, Akihiro; Yoshida, Hiroko*

Radioprotection, 55(4), p.297 - 307, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.1051/radiopro/2020086

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, a number of practical activities related to public understanding (PU) of radiation risks were implemented inside and outside Fukushima Prefecture. The various noteworthy approaches and strategies behind those practical activities have not been organized and made explicit thus far. In this study, we have organized the noteworthy practical activities related to PU of radiation risks following the Fukushima nuclear accident, and discussed them mainly from the standpoints of communication strategies and approaches. As several examples demonstrate, efforts to contextualize and localize radiation risk in various forms were observed during post-accident recovery in Fukushima, and these efforts were confirmed, through actual experiences, to be an important component of effective PU activities of radiation risks. Community-based or citizen science approaches, such as having affected residents or citizens to measure radioactivity, have contributed to the PU of radiological situations, but some challenges, such as ethical aspects and the handling of uncertainty, have also been revealed. In the era of information and communications technology, a number of citizens, experts, and agencies have made social media a popular platform for disseminating radiation risk messages to the public and have demonstrated that social media can play an important role in providing radiological risk information. The knowledge and lessons learned from the practical activities discussed in this study can be useful in enhancing PU of risks not only radiation but also other stressors such as toxic chemicals, preparing future disasters and supporting risk communication plans during recovery periods after disasters.

Establishment and activities of Young Generation Network (IRPA YGN) in International Radiation Protection Association

Sakoda, Akihiro; Kono, Takahiko; Kataoka, Noriaki*; Andresz, S.*

Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 54(3), p.181 - 187, 2019/10

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.54.181

no abstracts in English

Lessons learned from the risk communication with the public after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Kono, Takahiko; Tanaka, Masato*; Sakoda, Akihiro; Tanaka, Hitomi*; Takeuchi, Masato*; Kataoka, Noriaki*

Proceedings of World Engineers Convention Australia 2019 (WEC 2019) (Internet), p.486 - 496, 2019/00

https://search.informit.com.au/browsePublication;isbn=9781925627251;res=IELENG

Discussion of effective insider threat mitigation method at reprocessing plant

Nakamura, Hironobu; Kitao, Takahiko; Yamada, Hiroyuki; Kono, Soma; Kimura, Takashi; Tasaki, Takashi

Proceedings of INMM 59th Annual Meeting (Internet), 9 Pages, 2018/07

17th European ALARA Network workshop on ALARA in emergency exposure situations scene

Kono, Takahiko; Takahara, Shogo

Hoken Butsuri, 52(3), p.236 - 239, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.52.236

no abstracts in English

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2015

Nakano, Masanao; Fujita, Hiroki; Kono, Takahiko; Nagaoka, Mika; Inoue, Kazumi; Yoshii, Hideki*; Otani, Kazunori*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Kikuchi, Masaaki*; Sakauchi, Nobuyuki*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2017-001, 115 Pages, 2017/03

JAEA-Review-2017-001.pdf:3.57MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai reprocessing plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and bylaw of Ibaraki prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2015. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2014

Watanabe, Hitoshi; Nakano, Masanao; Fujita, Hiroki; Kono, Takahiko; Inoue, Kazumi; Yoshii, Hideki*; Otani, Kazunori*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Kikuchi, Masaaki*; Sakauchi, Nobuyuki*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2015-030, 115 Pages, 2015/12

JAEA-Review-2015-030.pdf:25.28MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai reprocessing plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and bylaw of Ibaraki prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2014. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.