Abstract
Japan is at a momentous turning point in world history and faces a wide range of social issues that call for proactive solutions, such as the control of environmental loads, countermeasures against rapid population aging and stagnant birthrates, and the construction of sustainable energy systems. These issues have resulted from its mature society, which means that all other countries may confront the same or similar issues in the future. Japan has an opportunity to become the first country to solve them and share its methods.
Realizing sustainable energy use has been an important target. Toward an ideal or favorable future for Japan’s energy, understanding the present status and future available energy options is an initial step, followed by a discussion of issues related to each option. The aim of this chapter is to concisely review the current state of Japan and its energy through a statistical investigation. Japan has a fixed estimate of decreasing population in the future. Most of the primary energy in the country has been imported from specific countries, with an associated cost increase for that energy.
With its cutting-edge technologies and cultural creativity, Japan is expected to create new demand and revitalize its socioeconomic affluence, and have a leading role in showcasing solutions to common problems in the world.
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Kikuchi, Y., Kimura, S., Koyama, M. (2016). Present Status of Japan’s Energy. In: Kato, Y., Koyama, M., Fukushima, Y., Nakagaki, T. (eds) Energy Technology Roadmaps of Japan. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55951-1_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55951-1_3
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