Japanese Industrial Policy and the Enhancement of Nuclear Power Plants Efficiency: Promotion of domestic production and the "Improvement & Standardization Plan"

In the 1960s, the Japanese government promoted not only swift import of nuclear technology, but also domestic production of nuclear power plants. Japanese power companies and electric machinery makers conducted a joint study of importation and original development of the nuclear technology from their independent standpoints. They formed two groups—PWR group and BWR group—and promoted nuclear power plant projects. In the process of the construction of nuclear power plants, they not only improved the imported technology but also developed the new technology. After the oil crises in 1970s, the government upgraded its energy policy and strongly promoted the construction of nuclear power plants as an alternative energy to oil. The Japanese government then planned the "Improvement & Standardization Plan" of nuclear power plants in the view of enhancing safety and efficiency. The Improvement Plan progressed, but the Standardization Plan performed poorly. Power companies and electric machinery makers took the initiative of the industrial policy over the government after mid-1970s, which resulted in a plurality of the types of nuclear reactors.