The Science Council of Japan Has Failed — Now Shut It Down

Founded in 1949 to ensure science serves peace rather than war, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) has drifted far from its mission. Today, it operates more like a closed guild of ideologues than a national body representing the interests of science or the Japanese people.

The Lower House Cabinet Committee approved the latest reform bill targeting the SCJ on May 9. Proposing turning the SCJ into a government-supported independent corporation, it received support from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Komeito, and Nippon Ishin no Kai. However, rather than resolve the Council's chronic problems, the bill merely rebrands a broken institution.

No Accountability

Despite receiving nearly ¥1 billion JPY ($46.4 million USD) in annual public funding, the SCJ has failed to contribute meaningfully to national priorities or public needs. When Japan needed scientific clarity on matters such as the Fukushima ALPS treated water release or Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Council offered no meaningful guidance.

Takaaki Kajita, former SCJ president and Nobel laureate, admitted during Diet testimony on May 7 that the Council failed to issue a clear position.

"There were no special requests from the government for deliberation before the policy was decided," Kajita said. He further acknowledged that while most members agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency's assessment of safety, the Council did not make that position public.

Political Activism Masquerading as Science

In 2020, then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga refused to appoint six of the SCJ's recommended nominees, citing concerns over its ideological uniformity and the lack of transparency in the selection process. This triggered backlash from academics and opposition parties, but it also exposed how insular and partisan the SCJ had become.

The concern deepened in April 2024, when, during an SCJ general meeting, an unnamed member voiced anxiety about the 2025 reform bill. While staying anonymous, the member warned that "people on the right will start joining the Council." LDP Diet member Hitoshi Kikawada reported this quote during a Diet session on May 7, 2025.

*Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission Manabu Sakai answers questions at the House of Representatives Cabinet Committee. May 9.*

Responding, SCJ's former president Kajita tried to defend the Council's diversity, stating: "We considered diversity in the selection process. The presence of members with a range of views is a strength." However, as Kikawada pointed out, the very fact that such comments were made shows that "certain individuals have been excluding those with differing views."

Nippon Ishin no Kai member Keie Miki also condemned the internal SCJ remark. "Whether someone leans left or right shouldn't matter. Science progresses precisely because it includes a variety of perspectives," she stated on May 9 during the Cabinet Committee hearing.

Emotional Appeals, Dubious Expertise

Critics of the bill claim it endangers academic independence. One of the loudest voices has been Sayaka Oki, a University of Tokyo professor specializing not in science, but in the history of science.

On social media, Oki accused the government of trying to "dismantle" the SCJ. She also warned that Japan might follow Russia's path, where President Vladimir Putin allegedly muzzled scientists and rewrote history education ahead of his invasion of Ukraine.

Oki's claims were swiftly criticized in the media and online. Scholar and commentator Yosuke Naito likened Oki and the SCJ to the palm tree in Russian writer Vsevolod Garshin's short story Attalea Princeps. As it grows proudly in a greenhouse, the tree mocks the lowly shrubs, only to wither when it breaks through the glass ceiling and is confronted with the real world.

Reform Is Not Enough

Cabinet Minister Manabu Sakai, who oversees the SCJ legislation, has repeatedly stated that the bill aims to "fundamentally strengthen the SCJ's independence and self-governance." Yet the bill retains ¥1 billion in annual public funding and creates new government-appointed roles: auditors and evaluators.

Meanwhile, six former SCJ presidents — led by Kiyoshi Hirose — issued a joint statement in February 2024 demanding the bill's withdrawal.

Yet Hirose's own political neutrality came into question when MP Keie Miki revealed that Hirose had previously appeared on Japanese Communist Party platforms and endorsed unified opposition candidates. "Including his name on such a statement shows the Council's lack of self-discipline," Miki remarked.

A Platform Without Purpose

In its early days, the SCJ was guided by a postwar vision of using science for peace. But in recent years, it has been more notable for what it won't do: no clear statements on security threats, no serious contributions to dual-use technology debates, and an outdated refusal to engage in any military-related research, even if it is for peace in an age of Chinese expansionism and North Korean missile threats.

*Science Council of Japan. Minato Ward, Tokyo (©Sankei by Ikue Mio)*

The SCJ has become a publicly funded platform for ideological activism. It offers little scientific contribution to national policy and no accountability to the public. Unfortunately, the proposed reforms are merely cosmetic. What Japan needs isn't a rebranded council — it needs a clean break.

If scientists want to express opinions or form associations, they are free to do so in the private sector, without demanding public money. But taxpayers should not be made to fund an insular, partisan group that sees itself as above scrutiny.

Let the Science Council be dissolved, and allow real science to flourish without political baggage.

Author: Daniel Manning