The trauma of 2011
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, located approximately 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, was one of 54 reactors shut down following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which led to the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi, the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
According to Reuters, Japan has since restarted 14 of the 33 reactors that remain technically operational as it seeks to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first nuclear plant to resume operations under the management of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the same company that managed the ill-fated Fukushima.
The critical vote in Niigata
On Monday, the local assembly of the Niigata prefecture approved a vote of confidence in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who had supported the plant's restart last month, essentially clearing the way for its reopening.
"This is a milestone, but it is not the end," Hanazumi stated after the vote. "There is no end when we talk about ensuring the safety of Niigata's residents."
Despite the positive vote, the final session of the year revealed a deep rift in local society regarding the restart, notwithstanding promises of new jobs and cheaper electricity. "This is nothing more than a political compromise that ignores the will of Niigata's residents," said a lawmaker opposing the restart shortly before the vote began.
Protests and anger outside the assembly
Outside the building, about 300 protesters stood in the cold holding banners with slogans such as "No Nukes," "We are against the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa," and "Support Fukushima."
"I am truly outraged from the bottom of my heart," Kenichiro Ishiyama, 77, a resident of Niigata city, told Reuters. "If something happens at the plant, we will be the ones to pay the consequences."
TEPCO's plans and the energy bet
TEPCO is considering bringing the first of the plant's seven reactors back into operation on January 20, according to public broadcaster NHK. The total capacity of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa stands at 8.2 GW, enough to power several million households.
The upcoming restart plans for the activation of one 1.36 GW unit next year and a second similar unit around 2030. "We remain fully committed to ensuring such an accident never happens again and to making sure the residents of Niigata never experience anything similar," said TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata, declining to comment on the specific timeline.
TEPCO's stock closed up 2% in Tokyo, outperforming the Nikkei index, which gained 1.8%.
Hesitant residents and a deficit of trust
Earlier this year, TEPCO pledged to invest 100 billion yen ($641 million) in the Niigata prefecture over the next decade, attempting to win over resident support. However, a survey published in October showed that 60% of residents do not believe the conditions for a restart have been met, while nearly 70% state they are concerned about TEPCO's management of the plant.
Ayako Oga, 52, settled in Niigata after fleeing the area around Fukushima in 2011, along with 160,000 other displaced persons. Her old home was located within the 20-kilometer exclusion zone. The farmer and anti-nuclear activist participates in the protests. "We know firsthand the danger of a nuclear accident and we cannot ignore it," she said, adding that she still suffers from symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress.
Energy security and the "new era" of nuclear
Monday's vote is considered the final hurdle before the restart of the first reactor, which alone could increase power generation in the greater Tokyo area by 2%, according to estimates from Japan's Ministry of Trade.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office two months ago, has advocated for the restart of nuclear plants to bolster energy security and reduce the cost of imported fuels, which cover 60% to 70% of the country's electricity generation. Last year, Japan spent 10.7 trillion yen ($68 billion) on imports of liquefied natural gas and coal, an amount representing one-tenth of its total imports.
Despite its shrinking population, the country expects an increase in energy demand over the next decade due to the explosion of energy-intensive AI data centers. In this context, it has set a goal to double the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix to 20% by 2040.
Joshua Ngu, Vice President of Asia-Pacific at Wood Mackenzie, called the acceptance of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart a "critical milestone" for achieving these goals.
The shadow of Fukushima remains
In July, Kansai Electric Power announced it would begin investigations for a new reactor in western Japan, the first new nuclear plant since the 2011 disaster. But for Oga, who was shouting outside the assembly on Monday, "Never forget the lessons of Fukushima," the nuclear revival is a nightmare returning.
"Back then, in 2011, I never believed that TEPCO would operate a nuclear plant again," she said. "As a victim of the Fukushima nuclear accident, I wish that no one, neither in Japan nor anywhere in the world, ever experiences the consequences of a nuclear accident again."
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