March 11, 2011 saw northeastern Japan hit with a record magnitude 9 earthquake and an enormous tsunami. Several nuclear reactors in Fukushima were inundated and went into meltdown. The subsequent and continuing crisis has exposed the fragility of Japan's electrical power system, and delivered a severe shock to the heart of the Japanese economy. The earthquake hit not only Japan but also its energy policy.

This international conference will examine, from comparative perspectives, the current context of Japan's energy policy. We seek to understand the political and economic forces that brought the energy policy into being, its impact, how it is being rethought, and its international effects. We also want to examine the likely direction of the future. This conference is therefore composed of three panels, focusing sequentially on the recent past, the present and the future. The conference brings together international expertise to examine the political economy of Japan's energy problem, in a collaborative effort to learn from this crisis both for the benefit of Japan as well as the larger global community.