ABSTRACT
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, multiple puzzles and contradictions in Japan’s postwar history as they relate to energy market development are considered. Specifically, we test the conventional (journalistic) wisdom with its assumptions surrounding allegedly pro-producer regulation versus the opposite extreme: regulations enacted in the supposed public interest. Neither theory is found to hold up to close scrutiny. Rather, we suggest that carefully crafted narratives and issue frames are used in times of perceived national policy crises in order to capture the public imagination and redirect policy priorities.
