Japan Announcements Accelerate Fusion Commercialization Efforts

One year after Japan launched its “Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy” to accelerate development and commercialization efforts, the government continues to meet the moment. On March 22, with the Fusion Industry Association and the Institute for Education, Ambassador Shigeo Yamada hosted “Fusion, Breaking Through: The Technologies, Policies, & Partnerships Accelerating the Next Energy Revolution” at the Ambassador’s Residence at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC. There, the Cabinet Office announced the launch of Japan’s Fusion Industry Council (J-Fusion) – a consortium of Japanese companies to accelerate fusion development in the country.

The Japanese government also announced a working group on fusion regulations, an important step following their participation in developing a proposed fusion regulatory framework in 2023.

Following the announcements, momentum continues to build. A call for project applications was opened within Japan’s fusion Moonshot Program – a program aimed at the “Realization of a dynamic society in harmony with the global environment and free from resource constraints, through diverse applications of fusion energy, by 2050.” Project applications are due June 4 – there is an information session on April 12. We’ll continue to update this page as the program progresses.

The FIA and our Japan-based members and affiliate members strongly support the expanding Japanese fusion industry and the government’s forward-thinking steps towards fusion commercialization. We look forward to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington, DC in April, where US-Japan fusion energy collaboration will be discussed.