Tokyo: In a decisive break from its post-Fukushima caution, Japan is moving to bring the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant—the world’s biggest nuclear facility—back online, nearly a decade and a half after the 2011 disaster reshaped the nation’s energy policy.
The Niigata prefectural assembly on Monday approved a key measure enabling operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to restart one of the plant’s seven reactors. The complex, mothballed after the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, has a massive 8.2-GW capacity, enough to power millions of homes.
Japan vote to restart world’s biggest nuclear plant after Fukushima disaster in push to DOUBLE nuclear share
Footage of Fukushima reactor 3 exploding pic.twitter.com/SjBOcqicrC
— RT (@RT_com) December 22, 2025
Governor Hideyo Hanazumi described the approval as a “turning point,” while stressing that safety oversight would continue at every stage. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that operations could begin as early as January 20, subject to final clearances.
The move has reignited opposition in Niigata, with critics warning that any failure could echo the Fukushima catastrophe—rated the highest severity on the global nuclear incident scale. Demonstrators gathered outside the assembly, holding anti-nuclear placards and demanding the plant remain shut.
Japan is taking the final step to allow the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant as the country makes a return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster. 👉 https://t.co/xbrv7gXcfh pic.twitter.com/KAAlRInRIv
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) December 22, 2025
Tokyo’s push reflects mounting energy pressures. Before Fukushima, nuclear power supplied nearly a third of Japan’s electricity. Since then, reliance on imported coal and gas has surged, driving up costs and emissions. The government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is now accelerating reactor restarts to curb fossil fuel dependence and meet climate targets.
With 14 of 33 reactors currently running and power demand expected to climb due to AI-driven data centres, Japan aims to lift nuclear energy’s share to 20 percent by 2040. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart has thus become a defining test of Japan’s energy future—balancing security, sustainability and public confidence.
