ABSTRACT With growing concern about global warming and the increasing demand for energy, the use of nuclear power is expected to increase in both developed and developing countries. However, the safe disposal of radioactive waste, especially high-level radioactive waste (HLW), generated by nuclear power plants, remains an urgent and challenging issue that may affect sustainable development and utilization of nuclear energy in the future. Many countries, including the USA, Germany, France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, Sweden, and Finland, have had radioactive waste management programs for many years, but the plans and schedules in many countries have changed or even been suspended. Only Finland and Sweden have recently decided on sites for final disposal of HLW. Here, we first present a brief overview of nuclear energy around the world, and introduce the situations related to energy, nuclear power, and management of HLW in Japan. Then, we discuss the processes and progress made related to waste management programs in several countries. Difficulties associated with geological disposal of HLW in Japan have been analyzed from a variety of aspects, including geological and hydrogeological conditions, historical, social, and cultural backgrounds. Discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the two site selection approaches, i.e., the so-called "volunteer approach" and "invitation approach," are presented from a social psychological viewpoint. Some considerations for reaching agreements and public acceptance are provided
