Overview
- Fifteen of Japan’s remaining reactors have regulatory approval and now generate nearly 9% of the nation’s electricity after the latest restart.
- Kashiwazaki-Kariwa resumed operations last month following a three-year wait for local consent, capped by a Niigata prefectural assembly vote in December 2025.
- Tokyo’s 2040 energy plan targets roughly 20% nuclear, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi promoting modernization and new reactor plans to support energy security and decarbonization.
- TEPCO remains effectively state-owned after a 2012 bailout, and the utility cites about $119 billion in total Fukushima-related costs while emphasizing its ongoing reparations obligations.
- Fukushima decommissioning advances include miniature inspection drones and a Robot Test Field in Namie, yet final closure is slated for 2041 and 2051 as critics warn of weak waste rules and question nuclear’s necessity.