Japan Clears Historic Restart of World’s Largest Nuclear Plant

In a landmark decision on Monday, December 22, 2025, the Niigata Prefectural Assembly passed a vote of confidence in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, effectively granting the final local approval required to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. As the world’s largest nuclear facility by capacity, its reactivation marks a watershed moment in Japan’s energy pivot, occurring nearly 15 years after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster led to a nationwide freeze on nuclear power.

The plant is operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the same utility that managed the Fukushima site, making this restart both strategically vital and deeply symbolic. TEPCO plans to bring the first of seven reactors, Unit 6, back online as early as January 20, 2026, a move estimated to boost the Tokyo metropolitan area’s electricity supply by roughly 2%.

The push for reactivation has been spearheaded by Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, who assumed office in October with a mandate to prioritize energy security and economic stability. Facing staggering costs for imported fossil fuels, which totaled approximately 10.7 trillion yen ($68 billion) last year, the Takaichi administration views nuclear energy as essential for curbing inflation and powering the country’s growing fleet of AI data centers.

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However, the decision remains highly contentious; on the day of the vote, hundreds of protesters gathered in Niigata, including former Fukushima evacuees who warned that the trauma of 2011 remains unresolved. While TEPCO has pledged 100 billion yen ($641 million) in local investments to bolster safety and community relations, recent polls indicate that nearly 70% of residents still harbor significant anxiety regarding the utility’s management of the facility

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