In a pivotal moment for the nation's return to nuclear energy some 15 years after the Fukushima accident, the Niigata area will vote on the resumption of operations on Monday, marking the final step toward restarting the largest nuclear power plant in the world.
About 220 kilometers (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was one of 54 reactors that were shut down following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi facility in the biggest nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
In an effort to wean itself off of imported fossil fuels, Japan has since restarted 14 of the 33 that are still operational. Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the company that managed the tragic Fukushima plant, will operate Kashiwazaki-Kariwa initially.
On a cold, gray Monday, about 300 demonstrators, the majority of whom were elderly, gathered in front of the Niigata prefecture assembly with banners that read "No Nukes," "We oppose the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa," and "Support Fukushima" as local legislators got ready to make a decision later in the day.
People were singing "Furusato," a national hymn about a link to one's birthplace that means "homeland" in Japanese, as the rally began in temperatures of 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 degrees Fahrenheit) ahead of the vote. A demonstrator asked via the microphone, "Is TEPCO qualified to run Kashiwazaki-Kariwa?" The audience yelled, "No!"
According to national broadcaster NHK, TEPCO is thinking of reactivating the plant's first of seven reactors on January 20 if authorized. TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata stated, "We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar."
Regarding timing, Takata declined to comment. In an effort to gain the support of Niigata locals, it earlier this year promised to invest 100 billion yen ($641 million) in the prefecture over the next ten years.
However, many residents are still cautious. According to a study released by the prefecture in October, 60% of locals believed that the requirements for the restart had not been fulfilled.
About 70% expressed concern about TEPCO running the plant. Along with 160,000 other refugees, Ayako Oga, 52, fled the area surrounding the Fukushima plant in 2011 and relocated in Niigata.
The 20-kilometer radioactive exclusion zone contained her former residence. Now, the farmer and anti-nuclear campaigner has joined demonstrations against what she perceives to be a fresh danger in her neighborhood.
Oga stated, "We know firsthand the risk of a nuclear accident and cannot dismiss it," adding that she continues to have symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of what transpired at Fukushima.
Even Hideyo Hanazumi, the governor of Niigata, who supported the restart last month, believes that Japan will eventually be able to lessen its reliance on nuclear electricity. "I want to see an era where we don't have to rely on energy sources that cause anxiety," he stated.
The legislature of the prefecture will vote on Hanazumi's support for the restart on Monday in a de facto vote of confidence.
According to Japan's commerce ministry, the vote is considered the last obstacle before TEPCO restarts the first reactor, which alone could increase the amount of electricity supplied to the Tokyo area by 2%.
Since taking office two months ago, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has supported nuclear restarts as a way to improve energy security and reduce the cost of imported fossil fuels, which provide 60% to 70% of Japan's electricity.
Coal and liquefied natural gas imports accounted for 10.7 trillion ¥yen ($68 billion) of Japan's overall import expenditures last year. Japan anticipates an increase in energy demand over the next ten years due to a boom in power-hungry AI data centers, despite its declining population.
It has set a goal to double the proportion of nuclear power in its electricity mix to 20% by 2040 in order to meet those needs and fulfill its decarbonization objectives.
Public approval of the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa would be "a critical milestone" in achieving those objectives, according to Joshua Ngu, vice chairman for Asia Pacific at consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
The leading nuclear power company in Japan, Kansai Electric Power, said in July that it will start surveying a reactor in western Japan the first new facility since the Fukushima accident.
However, Oga sees the nuclear renaissance as a terrible reminder of the possible dangers, and he joined the protests outside the assembly on Monday with others, yelling, "Never forget Fukushima's lessons."
"As a victim of the Fukushima nuclear accident, I wish that no one, whether in Japan or anywhere in the world, ever again suffers the damage of a nuclear accident," she stated.
