Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima under close scrutiny

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on Wednesday restarted its first nuclear reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, with the utility’s safety measures set to be closely watched as it seeks to turn around its business amid ongoing clean-up efforts from the accident.

Tepco brought back online the No 6 reactor at the seven-unit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo – the world’s largest nuclear power plant by output when fully operational – making it the 15th reactor in the country to have restarted under the stringent post-Fukushima crisis safety standards.

The latest development marks a key milestone for the government pushing for the use of nuclear power in resource-poor Japan, while safety concerns remain among the public following the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.