Gov't leans toward zero nuclear stance, but caution remains

TOKYO — The Japanese government, wary of public opinion ahead of an election, is leaning toward setting a target to eliminate atomic power by 2030 - a major policy shift for an economy that had planned to boost the role of nuclear energy before the Fukushima crisis.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is expected to call a snap election within months and with his Democratic Party’s (DPJ) ratings sagging, pressure is mounting to respond to a growing grass-roots anti-nuclear movement and surveys showing that most voters want to abandon atomic energy eventually.

Such a decision would fly in the face of objections from big business lobbies, which say an aggressive program to exit nuclear power will boost electricity rates and force companies to move production - and jobs - overseas.