Monday 22 December 2025 – 09:32 AM
Japan took the final step to allow the world’s largest nuclear power plant to resume operations, after a regional vote took place on Monday, in a pivotal plant that reflects the country’s return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster.
The largest nuclear station in the world
According to Reuters, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is located about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, and was among 54 reactors that were closed following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to the failure of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Japan has since restarted 14 of the 33 reactors that are still operational, as it seeks to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first plant to be operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, which ran the ill-fated Fukushima plant.
The Niigata Prefectural Council voted of confidence in Prefectural Governor Hideo Hanazumi, who supported the restart last month, effectively paving the way for the plant to begin operating again.
Hanazumi told reporters after the vote that this is a defining moment, but it is not the end, stressing that there is no end to the issue of ensuring the safety of Niigata residents.
Despite lawmakers voting in favor of the governor, the council session, the last this year, revealed divisions within the community over restarting, despite promises of new job opportunities and the possibility of lower electricity bills.
One of the council members opposed to the restart said before the start of voting that what is happening is nothing but a political settlement that does not take into account the will of Niigata residents.
Outside the building, about 300 demonstrators gathered holding signs reading No Nuclear Energy, No Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Restart, and Support Fukushima.
The Japanese Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Tokyo Electric Power Company is considering restarting the first of seven reactors at the station as of next January 20.
The total capacity of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is about 8.2 gigawatts, enough to supply electricity to several million homes.
The report pointed out that the expected restart would bring a unit with a capacity of 1.36 gigawatts into service next year, with another unit with the same capacity starting to operate around 2030.
Company spokesman Masakatsu Takata said the company is firmly committed to not repeating such an incident, and to ensuring that Niigata residents do not face a similar experience.
