Japan is moving to revive nuclear power nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, with a regional assembly clearing the way for the restart of one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants.
Lawmakers in Niigata voted on Monday, 22 December, to back Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who last month endorsed the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station, about 220km north-west of Tokyo.
The vote was widely seen as the final political hurdle before operations can resume.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), was among 54 reactors shut down nationwide after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
Japan has since restarted 14 of the 33 reactors that remain technically operable, as it seeks to cut its reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that TEPCO is considering reactivating the first of the plant’s seven reactors on 20 January.
A single reactor could increase electricity supply to the Tokyo metropolitan area by about 2%, according to Japan’s trade ministry.
The government has strongly backed nuclear restarts to bolster energy security and curb the cost of imported fuels.
Despite a shrinking population, electricity demand is expected to rise over the next decade, driven by the rapid expansion of energy-intensive artificial intelligence data centres. The government aims to double the share of nuclear power in Japan’s electricity mix to 20% by 2040 to meet demand and achieve its decarbonisation targets.
Joshua Ngu, vice chairman for Asia Pacific at consultancy Wood Mackenzie, said public acceptance of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart would mark “a critical milestone” towards achieving those targets.
However, Governor Hanazumi has voiced longer-term reservations, saying he hopes Japan can eventually reduce its reliance on energy sources "that cause anxiety".
Public's reaction
The decision has exposed deep divisions in Niigata, where opposition to the restart remains strong.
During the assembly session, an opposition lawmaker described the vote as "a political settlement that does not take into account the will of Niigata residents".
Outside the assembly building, about 300 protesters gathered in freezing conditions, holding banners reading "No Nukes", "We oppose the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa" and "Support Fukushima".
"Is TEPCO qualified to run Kashiwazaki-Kariwa?" one protester asked through a loudspeaker, prompting chants of "No!" from the crowd.
Public unease has also been reflected in surveys. A prefectural poll published in October found that 60% of residents did not believe conditions for a restart had been met, while nearly 70% said they were concerned about TEPCO operating the plant.
Earlier this year, TEPCO pledged to invest $641m (100bn yen) in Niigata over the next decade in an effort to secure local support.
Among the protesters was Ayako Oga, a 52-year-old farmer and anti-nuclear activist who fled the Fukushima exclusion zone in 2011.
"We know first-hand the risks of a nuclear accident and cannot dismiss them," she said, adding that she still struggles with trauma from the disaster.
“As a victim of the Fukushima nuclear accident, I wish that no one, whether in Japan or anywhere in the world, ever again suffers the damage of a nuclear accident.”
TEPCO said it remained committed to safety. "We are firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and to ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar," spokesperson Masakatsu Takata said, declining to comment on the restart timeline.
TEPCO shares rose 1.7% in afternoon trade, broadly in line with gains in the Nikkei index.
For many residents in Niigata, the revival of nuclear power remains a painful reminder of Fukushima’s legacy, highlighting the enduring tension between energy security and public trust in Japan’s post-disaster nuclear policy.
Elon Musk was not on the ballot in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, but he emerged as one of the biggest losers after Democrats swept to vic...
Uzbekistan has launched 145 investment projects worth $7.8 billion in its Bukhara region, aiming to create more than 14,000 jobs, boost industrial ...
Kazakhstan plans to manufacture 494 types of medicines through eight major investment projects worth a combined $862 million, Health Minister Akmar...
Democrat wins surged on Tuesday across the United States with stunning victories in the South Carolina, Texas and Ohio senate races -- traditionally Republican strongholds -- in the 3 November midterm elections.
From international reporting and investigative documentaries to global forums and digital innovation, AnewZ marks two years of connecting Azerbaijan and the wider world.
Democrats captured majorities in both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, scoring sweeping victories that reached into Republican strongholds, with millions of voters delivering a strong rebuke to President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he claims to have reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the U.S. must act to prevent war after Tehran sent a “strong and rational response” to Washington. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have reportedly carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets, including Qeshm Island,
Elon Musk was not on the ballot in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, but he emerged as one of the biggest losers after Democrats swept to victory, threatening his political influence and exposing his business empire to greater scrutiny.
Montenegro has moved a step closer to becoming the European Union's next member, with Brussels signalling that the Balkan country could join by 2028, ending more than a decade without EU enlargement.
Thousands of protesters, including students and artists, marched through Prague and other Czech cities on Tuesday as public television and radio workers staged a one-day strike over government plans to cut funding and bring the broadcasters under state budget control.
As oil prices surge amid conflict in the Gulf, energy leaders at ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi are confronting two major challenges: securing global supplies and meeting soaring electricity demand from artificial intelligence.
North Korea fired multiple missiles into the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, in Pyongyang's fourth weapons launch in a month.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment