Japan has moved a step closer to restarting the world’s largest nuclear power station, as Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi announced his approval for reviving the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. This is the first time since the 2011 Fukushima catastrophe that local authorities have agreed to restart a major nuclear facility operated by Tepco, the same company behind the Fukushima plant. Final approval must now come from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, but the governor’s decision marks a significant political shift.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex, sprawling across 400 hectares on the Sea of Japan coast, was shut down after the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 triggered meltdowns at three Fukushima reactors and forced a nationwide halt to nuclear power. In the years since, Japan has worked to strengthen regulatory oversight, raise safety standards and rebuild public trust in atomic energy. Fourteen reactors have already been brought back online under the stricter rules, though most of them are located in western and southern Japan.
Japan’s renewed nuclear push is driven by multiple pressures. The nation remains heavily dependent on imported coal, oil and gas — nearly 70 percent of its electricity in 2023 came from fossil fuels, costing the country close to $500 million every day. Tokyo wants to cut that figure to between 30 and 40 percent by 2040 as part of its broader plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and support surging energy demands brought on by artificial intelligence and industrial growth. Nuclear power, which now provides just 5.6 percent of Japan’s electricity, is slated to rise to around 20 percent by 2040.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has undergone extensive upgrades, including a 15-metre tsunami wall and elevated backup power systems designed to prevent the kind of cascading failures seen in 2011. Kansai Electric has also begun early steps toward constructing Japan’s first new reactor since the Fukushima disaster — a sign that the country’s nuclear renaissance is broadening.
Japan, now the world’s fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, has also updated its legal framework to allow nuclear reactors to operate for more than 60 years, compensating for the prolonged shutdowns triggered by natural disasters and safety reviews. Alongside renewed investment in solar, wind and other renewable sources, Tokyo sees nuclear energy as critical to stabilising supplies, reducing energy costs and boosting long-term economic competitiveness.
