Japan's Nuclear Restart Reveals the Hard Truth About Energy

At exactly 2 p.m. on Monday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) flipped the switch on reactor No. 7 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant—the world's largest by potential capacity. After 13 years of silence following the Fukushima disaster, the facility hummed back to life.

But this wasn't TEPCO's first attempt. Just three weeks earlier, on January 21st, the company had tried to restart the same reactor, only to shut it down the next day when a monitoring alarm sounded. The culprit? A slight electrical current change in a cable—well within safety limits, but enough to trigger the system's hypersensitive warnings.

TEPCO adjusted the alarm settings and tried again. This time, it worked.

The Pragmatic Turn

Japan's nuclear restart isn't just about one power plant—it's about a fundamental shift in how the world's third-largest economy views energy security. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, fresh from her election victory, has made nuclear power central to Japan's economic revival strategy.

The numbers tell the story. Japan aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, but renewable energy alone can't meet the country's growing electricity demands—especially with AI and data centers consuming unprecedented amounts of power. Currently, 14 reactors across Japan have resumed operations under strict post-Fukushima safety protocols, with 13 running as of mid-January.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa represents something more significant: it's the first TEPCO-operated reactor to restart since 2011. The same company that operated the ill-fated Fukushima Daiichi plant—now being decommissioned—is back in the nuclear business.

Trust, But Verify

The facility has undergone massive safety upgrades: a 15-meter-high tsunami wall, elevated emergency power systems, and comprehensive safety protocols. Yet public opinion remains deeply divided. A September survey by Niigata Prefecture found 60% of local residents oppose the restart, while only 37% support it.

Their concerns aren't unfounded. TEPCO has a history of cover-ups and safety scandals that extends well beyond Fukushima. On January 8th, seven opposition groups submitted a petition signed by nearly 40,000 people demanding the restart be halted.

"We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to safety as our priority," TEPCO stated Monday. But for many residents, words aren't enough—they want to see consistent actions over years, not months.

The Global Context

Japan's nuclear restart reflects a broader global reality: the gap between climate ambitions and energy realities. While countries worldwide pledge net-zero emissions, few have found viable alternatives to nuclear power for baseload electricity generation at scale.

France never abandoned nuclear power and generates about 70% of its electricity from atomic energy. South Korea is extending the lifespan of existing reactors while building new ones. Even Germany, which phased out nuclear power in 2023, is now grappling with higher energy costs and increased reliance on natural gas.

The AI revolution has only intensified these pressures. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are consuming enormous amounts of electricity for their data centers and AI training. Japan's semiconductor industry and tech companies face similar demands.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Japan's nuclear restart exposes an uncomfortable truth about the energy transition: it's messier and more complex than politicians and activists often admit. Pure renewable energy scenarios assume perfect weather, unlimited storage capacity, and public acceptance of massive infrastructure projects.

The reality is different. Wind doesn't always blow, the sun doesn't always shine, and battery technology isn't yet capable of storing weeks or months of electricity for entire nations. Nuclear power, despite its risks, provides carbon-free baseload power that renewable sources currently cannot match.

This doesn't mean nuclear is risk-free or that safety concerns should be dismissed. The Fukushima disaster killed one person directly from radiation exposure, but the evacuation and stress-related deaths numbered in the thousands. The psychological and economic impacts on local communities persist more than a decade later.