Reactor reboot at world's largest nuclear plant highlights flaws in Japan's radioactive waste plans
Japan’s spent fuel pools are nearing capacity as officials seek more storage and long-term disposal options.
- Weeks after the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station resumed operations, Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa approached Ogasawara village to request a feasibility study for a high-level radioactive waste site on Minamitorishima, an island administered by Ogasawara.
- As of December 2025, cooling pools at 17 Japanese nuclear power plants held more than 17,000 tons of spent fuel, utilizing nearly 80% of total storage capacity, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
- Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings restarted the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station for the first time in 14 years, though cooling pools at this facility—currently 88% filled—are among three plants expected to reach full capacity within five years.
- Ogasawara assembly member Yusuke Hirano called nuclear waste incompatible with a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, while activist Mie Kuwabara argued it avoids public complaints because "nobody is around to complain if there is a problem."
- Senshu University professor Lila Okamura warned that building a facility requires 100 years of monitoring, noting that Britain, Germany, and the United States have abandoned reprocessing due to high costs and technical challenges.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Japan reactor restart sparks fresh fears over nuclear waste storage
KASHIWAZAKI, Japan — Japan has resumed operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant to help the country meet huge electricity demands during a global oil crisis, but the reboot highlights a big problem: Japan is running out of space for spent nuclear fuel and has no viable plans for permanent disposal of the radioactive waste.The restart of No. 6 reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station earlier this year was meant to spur a m…
Associated Press News
Reactor reboot at world's largest nuclear plant highlights flaws in Japan's radioactive waste plans
A reactor at the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Japan has resumed operations. The country is pushing to maximize nuclear power generation to cope with growing electricity needs and a global oil crisis.
Japan has resumed operations at the world's largest nuclear power plant to help the country meet the huge demand for electricity during the global oil crisis, but the relaunch highlights a major problem.
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