Japan approves partial restart of world’s largest nuclear plant

Japan is set to resume operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest, following a vote by the Niigata local government on Monday, December 22, 2025. The decision reverses a 15-year policy that saw 54 reactors shut after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, amid public opposition and safety concerns. The partial restart was backed by Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, enabling the plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), to begin operations again.