The government is seeking to conduct an initial survey on Minamitorishima island— Japan’s easternmost island — as a possible nuclear waste disposal site and is asking the local government for cooperation, industry minister Ryosei Akazawa said Tuesday.
Minamitorishima is administered by Ogasawara village, which is part of Tokyo. The village consists of many other islands and its office is located on Chichijima Island, which is about 1,300 kilometers west-northwest of Minamitorishima.
Industry ministry officials met with Masaaki Shibuya, the mayor of Ogasawara village, on Tuesday and submitted a formal request to do the first-stage survey, which involves examining geological suitability through existing records and data.