Japan nuclear plant restart begins as Kashiwazaki-Kariwa resumes operations despite strong public safety fears and protests

Japan’s electricity operator Tokyo Electric Power Company, led by President Tomoaki Kobayakawa, has restarted the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest by capacity, for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, despite persistent safety concerns from local residents.

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A TEPCO spokesman, Tatsuya Matoba, said the reactor was restarted at 7:02 p.m. local time on Wednesday following approval from Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who authorised the resumption last month after years of regulatory review.

The restart has reignited public anxiety in the coastal region, where opposition to nuclear power remains strong nearly 15 years after a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, also operated by TEPCO.

Public opinion remains divided. A survey conducted in September showed that about 60 per cent of residents oppose the Japan nuclear plant restart, while 37 per cent support it.

On Tuesday, dozens of protesters, many of them elderly, gathered in freezing conditions near the plant’s entrance, which overlooks the Sea of Japan.

The demonstrators voiced fears about evacuation plans and the long-term safety record of Japan’s nuclear industry.

“It is Tokyo’s electricity that is produced here, yet the risks are borne by us,” said Yumiko Abe, a 73-year-old Kashiwazaki resident. “That makes no sense.”

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has seven reactors, although only one has been brought back online.

The facility was shut down in 2011 when Japan suspended nuclear power nationwide following the Fukushima catastrophe, which killed about 18,000 people.

Japan’s government is now reversing course as it seeks to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, meet carbon neutrality targets by 2050, and support rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has publicly endorsed nuclear energy as part of that strategy.

Since the Fukushima shutdown, 14 reactors across Japan have resumed operations under stricter safety standards, with 13 currently running. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the first TEPCO-operated plant to restart since the disaster.

The complex has undergone extensive upgrades, including a 15-metre tsunami wall, reinforced emergency power systems, and additional seismic protections.

TEPCO said it would carry out careful and transparent inspections during the restart process.

Despite the assurances, residents remain sceptical. Keisuke Abe, an 81-year-old protester, said Fukushima’s decommissioning remains unresolved.

“The situation there is still not under control,” he said. “Restarting another plant is unacceptable.”

Opposition groups have raised concerns about the plant’s location on an active seismic fault and pointed to a powerful earthquake that struck the area in 2007.

Earlier this month, seven anti-nuclear groups submitted a petition signed by nearly 40,000 people to TEPCO and Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Japan’s nuclear sector has also faced renewed scrutiny after recent incidents, including data falsification by Chubu Electric Power and an alarm system failure reported at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa during a test last weekend.

Japan remains the world’s fifth-largest carbon dioxide emitter and relies heavily on imported coal, gas and oil, which accounted for nearly 70 per cent of electricity generation in 2023.

Under a government-approved plan, nuclear power is expected to supply about 20 per cent of the country’s energy by 2040.

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Meanwhile, the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant continues, a complex process expected to take several decades.