Japan is moving closer to approving the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant, marking the first potential resumption of operations since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Hideyo Hanazumi, governor of Niigata Prefecture home to the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant has given his consent for a partial restart. The facility, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), still requires approval from the prefectural assembly and Japan’s nuclear regulator before it can begin operations.
If approved, Tepco would be allowed to restart a nuclear reactor in Japan for the first time since its Fukushima plant suffered a meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Opinions among Niigata residents remain divided on the issue.
Hanazumi announced on Friday that his decision will be debated in December’s prefectural assembly session, where he will seek official approval. The proposed restart would initially cover the plant’s No. 6 reactor, followed by No. 7.
The move aligns with Tepco’s business reconstruction strategy after the Fukushima disaster, which triggered radiation leaks and forced 150,000 residents to evacuate. In the aftermath, Japan shut down all nuclear reactors nationwide; since then, 14 have been brought back online.
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