Imai Ryūkichi. Japan’s Nuclear Diplomat

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Abstract

The onset of the nuclear age led to a revolution in international politics and diplomacy. It also gave rise to the need for a new kind of diplomat, one who could operate effectively across the diverse fields of international organisations, national politics, and the scientific communities associated with nuclear physics. One such nuclear diplomat who emerged in this new system, and who did much to create and define the role, was Imai Ryūkichi, a Japanese and US-trained nuclear engineer and an executive at the Japanese Atomic Power Company. Over the course of a long career, Imai acted as an intermediary between the Japanese government and the country’s nuclear power industry and also between Japan and its international nuclear partners. He made a major contribution to Japan’s stance on nuclear weapons, to its adherence to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and to the international safeguards regime under which the nuclear energy industry operated. A further dimension of his work involved a role in public diplomacy, writing books and articles advancing and explaining his way of thinking on nuclear matters to a wider audience. Imai’s career and how he positioned himself within the nuclear nexus, nationally and internationally, illustrates the changing nature of international diplomacy in the nuclear age. It also shows the importance of figures who could operate across — and form links between — diverse spheres of activity, countries, and international agencies.