ABSTRACT
As concerns on natural and artificial disasters, epidemics, food safety, energy and resources supply, information security, or financial crisis, etc. are rising, people in Japan have been gradually getting conscious about the concept of risk and its management. Japanese government set “A nation securing safety and quality of life” as one of nation’s imperatives in the 2nd (Bureau of Science and Technology Policy, 2001) and 3rd (Bureau of Science and Technology Policy, 2006) Science and Technology Basic Plan. This owes to the loss of belief in safety in Japanese society caused by frequently happened natural disasters and engineering accidents since mid-90 s. Furthermore, Great East-Japan Earthquake, in 2011, has destroyed “myth of safety” about which most Japanese had no doubt. From global phenomena to individual daily life the role of risk management has been increasing its significance. The rapid development in science and technology has brought complexity in social system and made it difficult to understand the system comprehensively and take appropriate countermeasures.
