Japan's ability to rebound from its triple disaster in March will require more than just rebuilding; it will demand restructuring in areas from energy and farm policy to decentralization of power, write Brian P. Klein and CFR's David S. Abraham.

This issue guide provides a range of background and analysis on Japan's earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis.

Nuclear expert John Ahearne says critics should be careful about drawing conclusions when so much remains unknown, but regulators will need to proceed with safety reviews to bolster public confidence.

As Japan struggles to control problems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, it also must grapple with questions about nuclear power in the face of immediate and long-term energy needs.

Before a historic earthquake-tsunami combination killed thousands and triggered a partial meltdown at one of its nuclear power plants, Japan won a reputation around the world for being extraordinarily prepared for disaster. In the aftermath of Fukushima Daiichi, Washington must now evaluate if the United States could do any better than – or even as well as – Japan in similar circumstance.

David S. Abraham says that while the disaster in Japan has brought the nation closer together, it has divided the community of foreigners living there.

Sheila A. Smith discusses the challenges facing Japan as it begins to rebuild after the earthquake and tsunami.

CFR's Michael A. Levi discusses the pros and cons of nuclear energy in light of Japan's nuclear crisis.

The U.S. Navy's maritime strategy, in which humanitarian missions play a prominent role, is based on a debatable assumption that credible enemies have largely disappeared and that competition of the seas is something of the past, says defense expert Seth Cropsey.

In light of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Michael A. Levi asks, "What would backpedaling on nuclear power mean for the United States?"

Sebastian Mallaby says Japan's tragedy underlines the advantages of central banking.

In the aftermath of Japan's earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow for Global Health Laurie Garrett discusses the health concerns the country faces.

Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow for Global Health Laurie Garrett criticizes NRC chair for sowing panic when he said Japan is understating health risks.

Laurie Garrett says the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has "launched a tsunami of panic that has spread further worldwide than the real tsunami that devastated much of Japan on March 11."

Japan bears only some resemblance to the Asian countries ravaged by the 2004 tsunami, but their recovery experiences could provide valuable insights to leaders in Tokyo, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

David S. Abraham discusses his decision to leave Japan, based in part on the lack of reliable information available since the earthquake.

Christian Parenti of The Nation believes that the message out of Fukushima is clear: our own fleet of leaky old nuclear plants should be decommissioned now.

With the nuclear incident at the Fukushima power plant unabated, Japanese officials have come under fire for failing to control the crisis as concern about radiation grows.

A week after Japan's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, Japanese officials struggle to contain a widening crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. CFR's Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, Michael A. Levi, discusses the global responses to Japan's nuclear crisis, and what it means for the future of nuclear energy.