Niigata Governor Hanazumi Hideyo approved the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant on November 21.

The plant is the largest nuclear generating station in the world by net electrical power, according to Niigata Prefecture.

Reactors at the plant were shut down in March 2012 following the March 11, 2011 nuclear disaster that was triggered by a Magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami.

It passed the national safety review in 2017 after strengthening earthquake and tsunami countermeasures.

Its operator Tokyo Electric Power Company announced on October 28, 2025 that technical preparations for restarting Unit 6 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant were completed.

It will be the first nuclear power plant operated by TEPCO that will restart following the March 11 nuclear disaster.

According to sources, if TEPCO obtains local consent, it will immediately apply for the final national inspection required for restart.

The process could then lead to the removal of control rods from the reactors as early as January next year.

Japan’s central government has reiterated that maximizing the use of nuclear power is essential for stable electricity supply and decarbonization.

However, concerns remain whether TEPCO, which is responsible for the unprecedented nuclear accident and subsequent scandals, can earn the public's trust.