In a landmark move for Japan’s energy future, today, Monday December 22, 2025, Niigata’s prefectural assembly will vote on restarting the world’s largest nuclear power plant at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, a project that was shelved after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Located about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was one of 54 reactors shut down in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the Fukushima Daiichi plant, triggering the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of its 33 operable reactors in a bid to cut reliance on imported fossil fuels.
If approved, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) plans to bring one of the plant’s seven reactors back online as early as January 20. TEPCO has pledged to invest 100 billion yen in Niigata over the next decade to win local support, though many residents remain cautious about safety and environmental risks.
The prefectural vote is widely seen as a confidence check for Governor Hideyo Hanazumi and represents the final regulatory hurdle before TEPCO can move forward. Japan’s trade ministry estimates that reactivating just one reactor could add roughly 2 percent to Tokyo’s power supply.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in office since October, has championed nuclear restarts to bolster energy security and ease the burden of soaring fuel import costs. Last year, Japan spent 10.7 trillion yen on liquefied natural gas and coal, accounting for about 10 percent of its total import bill.
Despite a population decline, energy demand is forecast to rise over the next decade, driven in part by a boom in power-hungry AI data centers. To meet future needs, the government aims to double nuclear’s share of the electricity mix to 20 percent by 2040.
Meanwhile, Kansai Electric Power signaled broader momentum for nuclear revival earlier this year, announcing surveys for a new reactor in western Japan—the first since Fukushima.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
