Fifteen years after the Fukushima disaster, Japan is preparing to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. When all seven of its reactors are operational, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant will generate 8.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power millions of homes. The plant occupies 4.2 square kilometers in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of ​​Japan coast and is the world’s largest nuclear power plant, according to the British newspaper The Guardian. Against public opinionThe Guardian reported that weeks before the 15th anniversary of the accident and the wider tsunami disaster that killed an estimated 20,000 people along Japan’s northeastern coast, TEPCO is preparing to defy public opinion and restart one of the seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. But for many of the 420,000 people living within a 30-kilometer radius of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, who would have to be evacuated in the event of a Fukushima-like accident, TEPCO’s imminent return to nuclear power generation is a risky move.

Source: Egypt Independent January 20, 2026 14:51 UTC