OMNI Features｜Japan Restarts Reactor at World's Largest Nuclear Plant, but Operations Face Early Disruptions
OMNI Features｜Japan Restarts Reactor at World's Largest Nuclear Plant, but Operations Face Early Disruptions
Japan has restarted operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant on 21st, marking the first restart at the facility since the 2011 Fukushima disaster led to a nationwide shutdown of nuclear reactors. Reactor No. 6, located in Niigata prefecture north-west of Tokyo, was brought back online despite persistent safety concerns raised by local residents.
The move was expected to be a major step in Japan's long and cautious nuclear reboot, but it immediately faced setbacks. A day after the restart process began, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) reported the operation had been suspended due to a malfunction linked to neutron-absorbing control rods, which play a key role in regulating nuclear fission. While TEPCO said the reactor remained stable and posed no external radioactive risk, the company announced it would return the reactor to shutdown conditions for a fuller examination.
Japan's nuclear sector has been under heightened public scrutiny since March 2011, when a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing radioactive leakage and long-term community displacement. Critics have accused TEPCO of inadequate preparedness and flawed crisis management, with an independent government report previously describing the Fukushima incident as a "man-made disaster," although a court later cleared three executives of negligence.
Despite lingering distrust, Japan has steadily revived its nuclear programme in the past decade, seeking to strengthen energy security and meet its net-zero emissions target by 2050. Since 2015, 15 of Japan's 33 operable reactors have restarted, though the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart is the first for a TEPCO-owned reactor since Fukushima. Before the disaster, nuclear power supplied nearly 30% of Japan's electricity, but as of 2023 it accounted for just 8.5%.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October, has reinforced nuclear energy as a pillar of Japan's energy self-sufficiency—particularly as demand is projected to rise due to data centres and semiconductor production. Supporters argue nuclear power is more stable than renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, while critics warn that prioritising nuclear energy has slowed investment in cleaner alternatives and exposed Japan to mounting financial and safety risks.
Regulators have strengthened oversight since Fukushima, with the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) now responsible for restart approvals and safety compliance. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has installed 15-metre-high seawalls and watertight protections for critical equipment. Yet experts caution that even upgraded safeguards may not account sufficiently for climate-driven sea-level rise or extreme, once-in-a-century seismic events—risks that could reshape Japan’s energy and safety calculations in the years ahead.
