Abstract

Japan’s recent reaffirmation of nuclear energy represents a significant policy shift, particularly following the Fukushima Daiichi Accident in 2011, when the Japanese government announced a gradual reduction in its dependence on nuclear energy due to a loss of public trust. I employ the neoclassical realist framework and use rich data sources such as expert interviews, elite speeches, policy statements, government reports, and economic indicators, and explain Japan’s policy capacity for renewed commitment to nuclear energy. Deeply embedded institutional support, comprising formal guidelines, regulatory practices, and elite leadership, shapes nuclear policy continuity. Meanwhile, geopolitical developments such as energy supply chain risks from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, emerging multilateral financing mechanisms, and global climate consensus on accelerating nuclear deployment set the timing for pursuing nuclear energy policy agendas in Japan. This paper is a timely, theoretically driven empirical contribution to public policy and international political economy, offering valuable insights for policy audiences on how geopolitical developments and the institutionalization of nuclear energy have revitalized policy capacity in Japan.