Japanese Media and the Intelligentsia after Fukushima: Disaster Culture

The book investigates how the Fukushima nuclear disaster has changed public discourse and social narratives in Japan, leading to a shift in public opinion against nuclear power and a renewed focus on alternative energy and climate change. It also examines the hidden power structural dynamics that affect Japan's politics, bureaucracy, industry, academia, and media.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 18 February 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The impact of a catastrophic disaster on public discourse and social narratives is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that requires careful examination. This book is a groundbreaking exploration into how Japanese newspapers, television, documentary films, independent journalists, scientists, and intellectuals from the humanities and social sciences have critically responded to the Fukushima nuclear disaster over the past decade.

In Japan, nuclear power had consistently enjoyed more than 70% support in opinion polls, reflecting the nation's reliance on this energy source for its electricity needs. However, the Fukushima disaster of 2011 marked a significant shift in public opinion, with the majority of the population now advocating for an end to nuclear power in Japan. This shift has led to the emergence of alternative energy and countermeasures against climate change as hot-button issues in public discourse.

Furthermore, topics that were previously left undiscussed have become common talking points among journalists and intellectuals. These include concealed power structural dynamics that operate within Japan's politics, bureaucracy, industry, academia, and media; Japan's peculiar and strong support for nuclear power, despite being a nation subjected to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and its latent ability to develop nuclear weapons by utilizing the plutonium generated by its power plants; and Japan's dependence on the US nuclear umbrella. These discussions have often evolved into macro-level controversies over "Japan and its 'modernity.'"

In this book, Hidaka undertakes a critical evaluation of how the Fukushima disaster has shaken hegemonic public discourse and compares it to the impact of previous moments of "disaster culture" in modern Japanese history, such as The Great Kanto Earthquake and the Pacific War. By doing so, the author offers vital insights into contemporary Japanese culture and social discourse for students and scholars alike.

The Fukushima disaster has had a profound impact on Japanese society, challenging the country's long-held beliefs about the safety and reliability of nuclear power. It has also raised broader questions about the role of government, industry, and the media in shaping public opinion and responding to crises. This book provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of these complex issues and their implications for the future.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032101675