Because Japan lacks sufficient natural resources, it has decided to recycle spent nuclear fuel itself in order to establish nuclear power as a domestic energy source. Plans are underway to reprocess and re-use recoverable resources from spent fuel in the near future. Japan's nuclear industry is committed to creating a domestic "closed" nuclear fuel cycle.

The benefits of a closed nuclear fuel cycle for Japan are clear: increased energy security along with reductions in nuclear wastes. There are many reasons for the rationale behind Japan's nuclear fuel cycle.

To achieve these nuclear fuel cycle aims, Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) was established in 1980 with the member companies of FEPC as its major partners.  In Rokkasho Village in the northern prefecture of Aomori, JNFL already operates a uranium enrichment plant, low-level radioactive waste disposal center, and a vitrified high-level waste storage center.  In addition, the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) is nearing its "active test" phase, where it will be recycling spent fuel in order to produce plutonium for the MOX (mixed-oxide) fuel program.  When it is built, JNFL's MOX fabrication plant will mix the plutonium with uranium and produce further fuel for Japan's power plants.  More information is available on JNFL in the Fuel Cycle Facilities section.  The plan for use of plutonium to be recovered at RRP is available in the MOX Program section.