Telecom company Softbank Corp.’s president Masayoshi Son will shoulder most of the 80 billion yen ($975 million) cost of building 10 large-scale solar power plants. The governors of 19 of Japan’s 47 prefectures have signed on to take part in the project.
Shizuoka governor Heita Kawakatsu said: “The (recently shut down) Hamaoka nuclear power plant had covered more than 80 percent of the electricity needs of our prefecture. We cannot help but switch to solar power to compensate for it. This is a big turning point.”
The Japanese government had actively promoted nuclear energy until the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami March 11. In the wake of the disaster the Japanese finally realized they should more actively pursue renewable energy.
Unfortunately it usually takes a disaster before Japan realizes it has to change a self-destructive course (see World War II). On a similar note, I have a feeling Japan won’t change its failed economic policy until Tokyo defaults on its debts, which is not a question of if, but when.
