FUKUSHIMA, Japan -- The massive earthquake and tsunami that struck eastern Japan on March 11, 2011, wrecking the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, has significantly altered the nation's long-term energy strategy in ways that may ripple across the rest of the world. The Japanese government promptly formulated a basic plan for recovery and founded one of the world's top renewable energy research sites in Fukushima Prefecture, with plans to build up related industries.
The Basic Energy Plan issued in 2014 includes a shift in policy toward reducing dependence on nuclear energy to the greatest extent possible, through such measures as increasing energy efficiency, conserving energy and promoting renewable sources.