The world's largest nuclear power plant restarts.
December 22, 2025
7 reactors — combined 8.2 GW capacity
14 years — time since Fukushima meltdown
14 of 33 — operable Japanese plants now restarted
$68 billion — Japan's 2024 fossil fuel imports
On December 22, 2025, Niigata prefecture's assembly voted to allow Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. It's the first TEPCO plant to restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
The vote was a confidence motion in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who backed the restart. TEPCO is considering reactivating the first reactor on January 20, 2026.
About 300 protesters rallied outside, holding signs reading "No Nukes" and "Support Fukushima."
Oga evacuated from within the 20km irradiated exclusion zone with 160,000 others. She still experiences PTSD-like symptoms.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi backs nuclear restarts to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. Japan spent $68 billion on LNG and coal last year—one-tenth of total imports.
The first reactor alone would boost Tokyo's electricity supply by 2%.
Climate goals push toward nuclear. Fukushima's memory pushes back. Neither force is dishonest. Both are real.
This is what energy transition looks like: not a clean path, but competing traumas.
Source: Al Jazeera
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