U.S.-Japan Joint Statement Cites Kyoto Fusioneering–ORNL Fusion Partnership
The statement names UNITY-3 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and U.S. researcher access to UNITY-1 in Kyoto
TOKYO, October 8, 2026 — The governments of the United States and Japan cited the partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) on fusion fuel-cycle and blanket development in the Joint Statement on the U.S.-Japan Technology Prosperity Deal, released on October 4, 2026. The statement refers to UNITY-3, the test facility being established at ORNL, and to U.S. researcher access to KF’s UNITY-1 facility in Kyoto.
The statement followed a meeting in Kyoto on the occasion of the Science and Technology in Society forum between Toshiharu Furukawa, Japan’s Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, and Michael Kratsios, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It reviews progress under the Memorandum of Cooperation Regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal, signed by the two governments on October 28, 2025.
From the Joint Statement
“U.S.-Japan fusion cooperation has strengthened across key areas of fusion science and technology, such as joint research at Japan’s JT-60SA, which starts plasma heating operation in 2026 and negative-triangularity research at the U.S. DIII-D National Fusion Facility. U.S.-Japan public-private partnerships are also accelerating progress toward commercial fusion, including a partnership between DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Japan’s Kyoto Fusioneering, focused on fusion fuel-cycle and blanket development, which is establishing a new test facility, the UNITY-3, at ORNL and providing U.S. researchers access to the UNITY-1 in Japan.”
Read the full statement: https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/kokusaiteki/nichibei/joint_statement_tpd.pdf
Why blanket and fuel-cycle testing matters
A deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion power plant must breed most of its own tritium fuel in the blanket surrounding the plasma, then recover and recycle it. DOE’s Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap identifies the breeding and handling of fusion fuels as a critical gap. Blanket Science and Technology and Fuel Cycle and Tritium Processing are two of its six Challenge Areas. UNITY-1 and UNITY-3 test different parts of that problem.
UNITY-1 (Kumiyama, Kyoto)
UNITY-1 is KF’s integrated test facility for fusion non-nuclear blanket and thermal cycle systems. It tests the behavior of a liquid-metal breeding blanket, including thermal-hydraulics, magnetohydrodynamic effects, hydrogen isotope extraction, materials compatibility, high-temperature heat extraction and power generation. Access to UNITY-1 lets U.S. researchers close technology gaps in these areas.
UNITY-3 (Oak Ridge, Tennessee)
UNITY-3 will use an accelerator-driven volumetric D-T neutron source to test tritium breeding blanket mockups under fusion neutrons. It will measure the neutron spectrum and tritium production in neutronically prototypic blankets. UNITY-3 was planned under the strategic partnership KF launched with DOE and ORNL in January 2026. In August 2026, KF announced that DOE funding had been committed to the facility and that it would be delivered through a public-private partnership.
Satoshi Konishi, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO, Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd.
“We are grateful that our work can contribute to the long-standing partnership between Japan and the United States, which cooperation under the Technology Prosperity Deal has further strengthened. By connecting UNITY-1 in Kyoto and UNITY-3 at Oak Ridge, and bringing researchers from both countries together across these facilities, we will advance solutions to the engineering challenges on the path to practical fusion energy. We will continue our development steadily alongside DOE, ORNL and our other partners in Japan and the United States.”
About Kyoto Fusioneering
Kyoto Fusioneering is the world’s premier fusion technology and integrated systems developer. It delivers plasma heating, tritium fuel cycle, and tritium breeding blanket and thermal cycle systems that advanced fusion programs worldwide depend on, regardless of confinement approach. KF operates globally across Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada. Visit us at kyotofusioneering.com.
