International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi will visit Japan from Tuesday next week for a four-day trip in connection with the release of treated water from the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan into the sea.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced the schedule on Tuesday.
The chief of the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog will visit the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture, the site of the March 2011 triple meltdown, to conduct additional monitoring of the discharge into the ocean of treated water containing small amounts of radioactive tritium. Analytical institutions from China, South Korea and Switzerland will also participate in the monitoring.
In a news conference on Tuesday, Motegi indicated his intention to hold talks with Grossi, saying, “I would also like to exchange views on the situation in Iran.”
The Fukushima plant started releasing the treated water in August 2023 due to the need to clear water storage tanks to secure enough space for decommissioning work at the plant’s premises.
Monitoring data from Tepco and the central government show that tritium concentrations in seawater and fisheries products near the plant have remained far below national safety limits.
Japan and the IAEA agreed in September 2024 to conduct additional monitoring under IAEA framework, with the upcoming round marking the ninth such implementation, according to the Foreign Ministry.
AloJapan.com