Japan PM Designates Fusion Energy as Strategic Sector

On November 4th, Japan’s recently elected Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, designated fusion energy as one of 17 strategic fields for the country. This designation will “advance a growth strategy” for the sector, and is aimed to enhance supply capacity. 

A cabinet minister will be appointed to oversee each field, and the Cabinet will instruct ministers to consider multi-year budgetary measures. They will also be directed to develop a public-private investment roadmap outlining the specific investments, target amounts, and timelines. In addition, the government will identify investment promotion and deregulation measures for each sector and assess their respective contributions to economic growth.

Takaichi has advocated for accelerating fusion energy development to strengthen Japan’s energy self-sufficiency, as well as helped formulate Japan’s Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy. In a press conference last month, she said that “in the 2030s, we will enter an era of fusion energy, an energy source that does not require uranium nor plutonium and produces no high-level radioactive waste.”

Prime Minister Takaichi’s political commitment to advancing fusion has been evident and this move toward concrete implementation marks another positive step forward. The FIA is committed to working with our members across the fusion industry and supply chain in Japan to realize the benefits of the new categorization.