As Fukushima memories fade, Japan embraces a nuclear-powered future Takuma Hashimoto, now 18, recalls the day a massive earthquake and tsunami struck his hometown in 2011, triggering nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. At three years old, he and his family were trapped, unable to flee due to a lack of gas for their car. Today, Hashimoto, an engineering student in Iwaki, wants to become part of Japan’s next generation of nuclear talent. “I don’t think nuclear power should be treated as something that’s automatically dangerous,” he said, reflecting on the shift in public perception. His school, which organizes visits to nuclear plants, receives government funding to train workers in nuclear power, regulation, and decommissioning. Japan, once a global leader in nuclear energy, had nearly abandoned the technology after the 2011 disaster. The Fukushima crisis led to a dramatic shift in public opinion, with all reactors ordered to shut down for safety inspections. In 2012, the government decided to phase out nuclear energy, a policy reversed two years later. However, reactor restarts have been slow, with only 15 of 33 operable reactors back online as of 2026. The country’s reliance on costly imported fossil fuels, coupled with energy shortages and rising demand from AI data centers, has accelerated the push to revive nuclear power. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a staunch pro-nuclear leader, is pushing to accelerate reactor restarts and advance new technologies. The recent restart of one of the seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world’s largest nuclear facility, marked a milestone. Public support for nuclear restarts has grown steadily, with 51% of people now in favor, up from 28% in 2013. Young people aged 18 to 29 show the highest support, at 66%.#prime_minister_sanae_takaichi #fukushima_daiichi #takuma_hashimoto #iwaki #kashiwazaki_kariwa
