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The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan extends life of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A law enabling nuclear reactors in Japan to operate beyond 60 years took effect Friday, scrapping a limit imposed after the Fukushima crisis, with the government viewing the power source as vital to the country's energy mix. Under the new system, the life of a reactor will, in principle, be extended beyond 60 years by no longer including offline periods for safety reviews or suspensions ordered by courts that are not due to the inappropriate actions of an operator. The law replaces rules allowing the operation of reactors for up to 40 years, with extensions up to 60 years possible if approved by regulators. The rules were introduced in 2013 following the Fukushima nuclear disaster that was triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The legislation was enacted in 2023 after the government led by then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shifted from the previous policy of reducing reliance on nuclear power, saying in 2022 that the country will fully utilize nuclear plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions and realize a stable energy supply amid Russia's war in Ukraine. The No. 1 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear plant, the country's oldest unit that began operating in November 1974, could be granted permission to continue for 72 years as it was offline for about 12 years due to a safety assessment by the Nuclear Regulation Authority and other reasons. The offline periods to be exempted from total service life do not include suspensions due to inappropriate actions by operators, such as when Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. was slapped with an effective ban on operating the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture for insufficient antiterrorism measures. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will assess the extension periods of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years. The law also stipulates that operators of nuclear plants that have been running for 30 years or more must compile long-term plans for facility management at least every 10 years and obtain approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority. The regulator will assess the soundness of nuclear reactors and the concrete used in such facilities as well as the feasibility of operators' plans to address parts shortages.
6 days ago
- General
Reuse of Fukushima Soil to Begin at PM Office This Summer
News from Japan Politics Jun 4, 2025 20:53 (JST) Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)--The reuse of soil removed during radiation decontamination efforts following the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture will begin at the grounds of the prime minister's office in Tokyo this summer, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday. "Unless we properly demonstrate that the soil can be used, we couldn't gain the people's understanding," Ishiba said during a meeting with Jun Yoshida, mayor of the Fukushima town of Okuma. "We'll start with the prime minister's office," he added. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Yoshida emphasized, "It's important to first gain understanding of the safety (of the soil) from many people." Yoshida, also head of the group of mayors in the Futaba region, submitted a written request to the government for securing funds for reconstruction following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which triggered the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
30-05-2025
- Business
Japan Agrees with China on Fishery Exports Resumption
News from Japan Politics May 30, 2025 09:22 (JST) Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)--Japan has reached an agreement with China on procedures to resume Japanese exports of fishery products to the neighboring country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday. The exports will be resumed once the reregistration of export-related facilities in Japan is completed, Hayashi told a ministerial meeting on measures to expand Japanese exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products. China in August 2023 introduced a blanket import ban on Japanese fishery products in response to the release of treated radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Tokyo has since been calling for the abolition of the ban. "We'll continue asking China to accept beef exported from Japan and lift its import restrictions on agricultural and fishery products from 10 Japanese prefectures," Hayashi also said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
27-05-2025
- Politics
Fukushima Soil to Be Reused at Central Govt Facilities
News from Japan Politics May 27, 2025 12:29 (JST) Tokyo, May 27 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Tuesday that it will promote the reuse of soil removed during radiation decontamination work after the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture. The government said that it will reuse the soil for flower beds within the grounds of central government agencies and in the grounds of the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Through the plan, the government hopes to promote the public reuse of the soil throughout the country. 'The central government will take the initiative in creating precedent cases,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a ministerial meeting on the disposal of soil removed during the decontamination process following the triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The plan is part of broader efforts to achieve the final disposal of the soil outside the northeastern prefecture by March 2045. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
Govt Eyes Reuse of Fukushima Soil at PM's Office
News from Japan May 23, 2025 16:03 (JST) Tokyo, May 23 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is considering reusing soil removed from the ground during radiation decontamination work after the 2011 nuclear reactor meltdowns in Fukushima Prefecture in the grounds of the prime minister's office in Tokyo, informed sources have said. The government hopes to promote public understanding over the reuse of the soil from the decontamination work in the northeastern Japan prefecture, home to the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The move came after planned pilot projects for using the soil in Tokyo and its northern neighbor, Saitama Prefecture, have stalled due to opposition from local residents. The government plans to compile a basic policy on the recycling and final disposal of the soil shortly, including its use at the prime minister's office. It also plans to draw up a specific road map by around this summer. Some 14 million cubic meters of the soil from the decontamination work is currently stored at interim facilities in the Fukushima towns of Okuma and Futaba, where the TEPCO plant is located. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
