2014 Volume 87 Issue 2 Pages 108-127
This paper examines changing economic benefits that might be derived from the establishment of nuclear power stations (NPS) and the subsequent reconfiguration of the local society and economy. The cohort analysis viewpoint was used because NPS have exerted different effects on each generation which led in turn to changes in the nature of the local society. A case study of the town of Tomioka was performed because the Fukushima No. 2 NPS (F2) was constructed there during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The construction of F2 attracted many workers and engineers from leading nationwide construction, plant and equipment, and electronic corporations (e.g., Tokyo Electric Power Company [TEPCO]). However, it also contributed to the establishment and growth of local construction companies. This reversed the migration trend from selective out-migration that occurred in the 1960s to in-migration. The largest population cohort shifted away from individuals born between 1926 and 1935 (the cohort known as showa hitoketa sedai). This cohort maintained the largest population share in most Japanese peripheral areas in comparison with the cohort comprised of individuals born between 1951 and 1955 and adjacent cohorts comprised of individuals in their 20s and 30s when F2 construction began.
After the construction of F2 was completed, many mobilized construction workers and engineers left Tomioka. However, local construction companies continued to operate because F2 required maintenance and repair work and increased public investments were encouraged by NPS subsidies and fixed-asset tax revenues. Additionally, the number of employees of TEPCO and its affiliated companies increased. This created additional jobs in the retail and service sectors. Therefore, the population of Tomioka increased steadily.
The drastic industrial reformation described above reconfigured the local society into the following three groups: 1) indigenous inhabitants; 2) newcomers who originally moved to Tomioka after F2 construction began and decided to settle there; and 3) highly fluid, short-term inhabitants similar to urban inhabitants. In contrast to most peripheral areas in Japan, as of 2000, the second and third groups gained large population shares and the first group no longer predominated in Tomioka. Therefore, NPS dependence problems reflected this social reconfiguration. For example, a significant decrease in F2-related employment during the 2000s caused severe problems for the second group, which recorded the highest increase in the total unemployment rate.
Because of the Fukushima No. 1 NPS disaster that forced the evacuation of all Tomioka inhabitants, it was not feasible to perform a more intensive survey. Nevertheless, the findings of this study suggest that researchers should focus not only on natives but also on newcomers to deepen the understanding of the impact of NPS on the local economy and society from the mid- and long-term viewpoints.
Geographical Review of Japa,. Ser. A, Chirigaku Hyoron
