Japan Mobilizing Behind Major Nuclear Export Drive

The top members of Japanese industry and government have gone on a major mobilization to promote their nuclear export program, a reading of the Japanese press reveals. Simultaneously, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation has for the first time spelled out a policy in favor of "steadily promoting" construction of nuclear power plants.

According to Yomiuri Shimbun, a major Japanese daily, a delegation consisting of Japanese Trade Minister Masayuki Naoshima and the Chairman of the Board or President of the following companies; Tokyo Electric Chairman, Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy, Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric, and Japan Atomic Power Co. will be going to Vietnam Aug. 24 to push for a Japanese role in the Vietnamese nuclear program. Tokyo Electric and Toshiba together with other companies set up an office last month ahead of forming a joint nuclear export venture this autumn, tentatively to be named the International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan.

The even more influential Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reflects the same drive, by publishing four articles on Japan's nuclear export prospects in its Aug. 21 edition. Not long ago, the same paper had taken a "green" outlook on virtually every issue.