{
  "id": 4621768,
  "title": "Japan eyes city near Tokyo as possible nuclear waste disposal site",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/japan-eyes-city-near-tokyo-as-possible-nuclear-waste-disposal-site-4621768",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T08:58:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/31/japan-eyes-city-near-tokyo-as-possible-nuclear-waste-disposal-site"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japan's industry ministry is considering Hitachiomiya, a city near Tokyo, as a potential location for nuclear waste disposal. If accepted, Hitachiomiya would be the fifth city to undergo a preliminary survey for this purpose. The selection process consists of three stages over approximately 20 years. The first stage, a preliminary survey, takes about two years and participating municipalities can receive subsidies up to 2 billion yen (US$13 million). Hitachiomiya's mayor, Sadayuki Suzuki, expressed a positive view of the proposal but stated he would consult city assembly members before making a final decision. The disposal process involves converting liquid waste from spent nuclear fuel into glass and burying it more than 300 meters underground due to its extremely strong radiation. The waste must remain isolated for tens of thousands of years. Other cities being considered include Ogasawara, Suttsu, Kamoenai, and Genkai.",
  "summary": "The selection process takes about 20 years across three stages, with the preliminary survey lasting two years and offering subsidies of up to US$13 million.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Japan eyes city near Tokyo as possible nuclear waste disposal site",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/japan-eyes-city-near-tokyo-as-possible-nuclear-waste-disposal-site",
        "published": "2026-08-31T08:58:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}