Niigata, Japan ;Japan has taken the final step to allow the world’s largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, to resume operations, nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster. Located about 220 km northwest of Tokyo, the plant was among 54 reactors shut down following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi facility.
On Monday, Niigata Prefecture’s assembly approved a vote of confidence in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who had supported the restart, effectively clearing the way for operations to begin. TEPCO, the operator of the doomed Fukushima plant, will manage the restart, with the first of seven reactors expected to go online on January 20.
“This is a milestone, but this is not the end,” Governor Hanazumi told reporters. “There is no end in terms of ensuring the safety of Niigata residents.”
However, the restart remains controversial. Around 300 protesters gathered outside the assembly, holding banners reading ‘No Nukes’ and ‘Support Fukushima’. Many residents remain wary, citing concerns about safety and TEPCO’s history. A recent prefectural survey found 60 percent of residents felt conditions for the restart had not been met, and nearly 70 percent expressed unease about TEPCO’s operations.
TEPCO has pledged 100 billion yen ($641 million) over the next decade to support the prefecture. The first 1.36 GW reactor will be brought online next year, with a second unit of the same capacity planned around 2030. The total capacity of the plant is 8.2 GW, enough to power several million homes.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who recently took office, supports nuclear restarts as part of Japan’s strategy to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, which make up 60–70 percent of the country’s electricity generation.
Despite energy needs and government support, critics like anti-nuclear activist Ayako Oga, who fled Fukushima in 2011, warn that the risks remain significant. “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,” she said.
TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata emphasized the company’s commitment to safety: “We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar.”
