Japan to restart the world’s biggest nuclear plant

The Niigata Prefecture, located in central Japan, voted on Monday for the world’s biggest nuclear power plant to resume operations. 

The controversial decision comes almost 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, which happened on March 11, 2011.

The severely critical accident resulted in the release of radioactive contaminants into the environment, and it is still considered to be the worst nuclear catastrophe since the Chernobyl emergency in 1986.

Following the Fukushima disaster, 54 reactors shut down across Japan, and since then, 14 out of the 33 operable plants have been reopened. 

The Niigata plant, known as Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, will be operated by the same company that once managed the Fukushima facility, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO). 

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Locals oppose the decision

Japanese citizens in the Niigata Prefecture were recently questioned in a survey about whether they supported the decision.

A whopping 60 percent of people showed worries in relation to the reopening of the plant, with most of them doubting that TEPCO could be considered trustworthy in their operations.

On Monday, ahead of the final vote of confidence, around 300 protesters gathered outside the Niigata Prefecture assembly to oppose the ruling. 

TEPCO tried to limit the damage by releasing a statement: “We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar [to the Fukushima catastrophe]”, a spokesperson said. 

Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi also commented on the decision, showing satisfaction after the restart was finally approved. 

“This is a milestone, but this is not the end,” Hanazumi told reporters. 

“There is no end in terms of ensuring the safety of Niigata residents.”

However, Hanazumi also expressed a desire to see Japan progressively shying away from nuclear energy: “I want to see an era where we don’t have to rely on energy sources that cause anxiety,” he explained earlier this year. 

The first reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is planned to be restarted as early as January 20, 2026, according to NHK. 

That single reactor alone could help boost electricity supply to the Tokyo area by 2 percent, according to estimates.

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