Tokyo Electric Power Company restarted reactor No. 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant after about 14 years, but suspended operations just six hours after achieving a critical state due to an alarm. This event, the company's first restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, highlights ongoing safety concerns in Japan's nuclear revival.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) restarted reactor No. 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture on the night of January 22, 2026, marking the company's first reactor restart since the 2011 Fukushima No. 1 disaster. By withdrawing control rods, the reactor achieved a critical state, seen as a key step in Japan's efforts to reduce reliance on imported energy and rebuild public trust lost in the meltdown that released massive radioactive materials and forced 160,000 evacuations.
Just six hours later, on the morning of January 23, an alarm sounded, prompting Tepco to suspend operations. The plant, the world's largest, was slated for commercial operation on February 26 to supply electricity to the Tokyo area, but the incident has raised questions about the restart timeline. This marks the 15th reactor restart in Japan amid shifting policies; in 2022, the government reversed course from minimizing nuclear use to approving new builds, driven by energy security needs amid surging oil prices from Russia's Ukraine invasion and decarbonization goals.
Local residents near the plant harbor deep distrust of Tepco, with evacuation plans covering 420,000 people within a 30-kilometer radius posing challenges, especially during heavy winter snowfall. The central and prefectural governments should address concerns by improving evacuation routes. As the operator of the Fukushima site, Tepco bears heavy responsibility for decommissioning costs and ¥17 trillion in compensation, underscoring the need for utmost safety prioritization. (182 words)
