Fukushima Prefecture is pursuing a hydrogen society. Toyota Times went on site to see how things are progressing.
Fukushima suffered massively in the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and the nuclear disaster that followed. The prefecture is now pursuing futuristic urban planning using hydrogen as a new energy source to help eliminate nuclear power.
Fukushima’s tie-up with Toyota began in 2021. In the town of Namie, vehicles like a school bus and a mobile store that run on hydrogen fuel cells are part of the initiative to socially implement hydrogen and create a Hydrogen Town concept.
CJPT* (Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation), a company jointly operated by Toyota with Isuzu, Hino, Suzuki, and Daihatsu, has also been promoting fuel cell or FC trucks in Fukushima, contributing to carbon neutrality in logistics.
*CJPT was established with the goal of contributing to achieving a carbon neutral society by solving logistics issues. Daihatsu left the group in 2024 due to its safety test issues but it was reinstated in January 2025.
This week’s Toyota Times News covers the progress made on initiatives to recover from the disaster and popularize hydrogen as a clean energy source, as well as the sentiments of stakeholders. This episode features the Denso Fukushima plant’s local production and consumption of hydrogen, the Crown hydrogen police car, and other exciting news.
The circle of like-minded partners popularizing hydrogen isn’t limited to Fukushima but continues to grow across the Tohoku region and the rest of Japan.
However, challenges have also come into focus. Difficulties in securing profits and establishing hydrogen stations have stakeholders saying that as things stand, it will be difficult to achieve a hydrogen society.
In response, Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori emphasizes the willingness to cooperate and support companies that team up with the government. He reiterates, “Because Fukushima was so affected by the nuclear reactor accident during the disaster, we will pioneer the energy of the future and act as a forerunner for creating a hydrogen society.”
Like-minded partners are coming together across boundaries of government and private business to create a new future. Determined passion and sustained action are what is needed to achieve a hydrogen society, and we will continue to follow this story.
Toyota Times News has various past episodes that focus on initiatives in Fukushima Prefecture. We hope you will take a look at them along with this week’s release and look forward to future reports.