Japan is set to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, the world’s largest facility of its kind, for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced plans to activate one reactor after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, following final approval from the Niigata governor last month. Despite safety upgrades, including a 15-meter tsunami barrier and elevated emergency power systems, local residents remain concerned about potential risks.

Public opinion is sharply divided, with a September survey showing about 60 percent of residents opposing the restart and 37 percent supporting it. Protesters gathered outside the plant this week, citing safety fears and past issues such as information concealment and inadequate evacuation plans. Seven civic groups submitted a petition with 40,000 signatures opposing the restart, noting the site’s location in an active seismic zone.

Japan’s government supports renewed nuclear use to reduce energy imports, meet carbon neutrality goals by 2050, and address rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence. The restarted unit will be TEPCO’s first operational reactor since 2011, as the country aims to expand nuclear and renewable energy to supply up to 40 percent of its power by 2040.