Earlier this fall, it was revealed that 20 Kansai Electric Power Co. officials, including the chairman and president, received nearly ¥320 million in cash and presents between 2006 and 2018 from a powerful, and now deceased, former deputy mayor and political fixer in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture.
The gifts appeared to have been given in exchange for nuclear power-related contracts for a company the late politician was close to.
Long ago, this practice conducted between utility officials and local towns hosting nuclear power plants was considered common, and most likely would have created little fuss. Not this time. Kepco's chairman and other executives were forced to resign and once again, the dark and dirty side of the nuclear power industry was exposed. Kepco, in particular, is arguably the nation's most aggressively pro-nuclear power company. The first two nuclear power reactors to go back online after the triple Fukushima meltdown in March 2011 were Kepco reactors in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, which were fired up in the summer of 2012.