15 Years After Fukushima, Japan Plans to Restart the World’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant

Some days feel heavier than others. This is one of them.Fifteen years after Fukushima Daiichi — the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl — Japan is preparing to restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s largest nuclear power plant.

The site has been offline since 2012. Not a single watt generated. Now TEPCO is moving toward restarting Reactor No. 6 — a decision framed as “energy security,” and experienced locally as a gamble with familiar consequences.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s largest nuclear power plant, is preparing for a restart after being offline since 2012.

“Energy Security”… for Two Percent

According to The Guardian, restarting Reactor No. 6 could boost electricity supply to the Tokyo area by about 2%.

For residents living inside the evacuation zone, that number doesn’t read like “energy security.” It reads like risk management with a familiar aftertaste.

The Real Problem Isn’t Technology — It’s Trust

Nuclear debates often turn into “pro” vs “anti” arguments. But the hardest part is usually neither ideology nor physics — it’s credibility.

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people who would have to evacuate first in a worst-case scenario, safety isn’t abstract. It’s logistics, roads, timing, medical needs, and the question nobody likes to ask out loud: What happens if the plan fails at the exact moment it’s needed?

After Fukushima, “we’ve learned lessons” is a sentence that has to be earned — repeatedly — not declared.

Today’s Strange Sounds Digest

Today’s edition is a mix of disaster reality, geopolitical absurdity, and the planet doing that thing where it reminds us we’re never really in control.

In today’s newsletter

• Nun spies in Sweden: investigators expose a network tied to Russian military intelligence.
• Russia buried under snow: reports of snowfall exceeding 5 meters in some areas during a historic blizzard.
• Florida gets snow (again): the Sunshine State continues its “Confused Climate State” arc.
• Piton de la Fournaise erupts: fissures opened on the north flank in an uninhabited area.
• FDA deletes “cellphones are harmless” claims: a quiet shift as a new health study launches.
• Greenland’s new hat: “Make America Go Away” becomes the cleanest geopolitical slogan of the year.
• Deadly high-speed train collision in Spain: tragedy shaped by centimeters and seconds.
• Bokty Mountain: a stunning geological layer cake shaped by time and erosion.
• AI eats all the RAM: data centers consuming massive chip supply through hoarding and competition.
• Epstein files still missing: deadlines pass, trust erodes, and the surreal gets louder.
• Cake batter sold as protein powder: technically false advertising, emotionally hilarious.
• Freeze-drying a beloved dog: grief has no user manual — love shows up in strange forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kashiwazaki-Kariwa?

It’s a large multi-reactor nuclear power plant in Japan that has been offline since 2012 and is now preparing for a restart of one reactor.

Why does the Fukushima anniversary matter here?

Because public trust in nuclear safety was reshaped by Fukushima — and restarts reopen that psychological and political wound.

Why do locals oppose a restart?

Many residents near the site fear evacuation risks and question whether safety systems, oversight, and emergency planning are sufficient — especially after past failures.

Is this restart about climate goals or energy security?

In official language, it’s framed as energy security and stability. Public reaction depends on trust, risk tolerance, and local experience.

Read the Full Edition on Substack

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Some days feel heavier than others…