Tag - nra

 
 

NRA

Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2017
Japan nuclear watchdog says restart approval pace unlikely to speed up
The pace of approvals for nuclear reactor restarts in Japan, where most plants remain shut following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, is unlikely to pick up in the coming years, the new head of Japan's nuclear regulator said in an interview on Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 20, 2017
Tepco to make legal safety vow as it seeks restart of reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant
The head of Tepco said Wednesday that the company will make a legal safety pledge — in response to a request by the nation's nuclear watchdog — as it seeks approval to restart reactors at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2017
Cooling systems at five NRA-cleared nuke plants could fail if nearby volcanoes erupt
Five nuclear power plants that have passed safety clearances may be at risk of having their cooling systems crippled during huge eruptions of nearby volcanoes, the nuclear safety watchdog says.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2017
No abnormal radiation readings from North Korea nuclear test, NRA says
No abnormal radiation readings have been detected from North Korea's nuclear test on Sunday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2017
NRA urging background checks on students using Japan's research reactors
Japan's nuclear regulator has urged universities to conduct background checks on students and researchers working at research reactors, as a step to ensure the proper handling of nuclear materials and prevent terrorism, a source said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 29, 2017
Tepco visits Niigata residents to apologize for latest safety blunder
Representatives of Tokyo Electric on Monday began visiting about 41,000 households around its idled nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture to apologize for withholding vital safety information about a facility there.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 24, 2017
Two Oi reactors clear regulator safety review, paving way for restart
The Nuclear Regulation Authority formally confirmed Wednesday that two reactors on the Sea of Japan have met safety standards, paving the way for their restart.
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2017
Revised reactor law lets nuclear regulators conduct surprise inspections
The Diet passes a revision to the reactor law that gives nuclear regulators unlimited data access and the right to make surprise inspections.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 29, 2017
Plans to scrap reactors on hold as NRA raises concerns over nuclear waste
The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday postponed a decision on whether to approve decommissioning plans for five old reactors, raising questions about whether deadlines for scrapping the units can be met.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 22, 2017
NRA finds two Kansai Electric reactors at Oi plant meet safety standards
Japan's nuclear authority has effectively determined that two units at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi plant have met the country's safety standards, paving the way for the return of more reactors.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 2, 2017
Trump urges 'nuclear option' against filibuster as Democrats vow to block his Supreme Court pick
President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Senate Republicans to "go nuclear" and invoke a rule change to force a simple majority vote toward confirmation if Democrats block his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, as Democrats maneuvered for a tough fight.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Nov 27, 2016
Fukushima aftershock renews public concern about restarting Kansai's aging nuclear reactors
The magnitude-7.4 aftershock that rocked Fukushima Prefecture and its vicinity last week, more than five years after the mega-quake and tsunami of March 2011, triggered fresh nuclear concerns in the Kansai region, which hosts Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Mihama plant in Fukui Prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2016
NRA says weak steel components not used in Japan nuclear plants
The Nuclear Regulation Authority says potentially weak steel components manufactured by a Japanese company have not been used in domestic nuclear facilities, after its French counterpart ordered reactors that used the company's parts to be checked.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2016
NRA grants aging Mihama reactor 20-year extension
The Nuclear Regulation Authority greenlights extending the life of Kepco's 40-year-old reactor in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2016
Two Tepco Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors may pass geared-up safety checks by March
Nuclear regulators have decided to gear up the safety assessment of two reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. in central Japan, raising the possibility of finishing the process by next March, sources said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2016
NRA to issue nuclear plant info every day amid quake concerns
The Nuclear Regulation Authority will begin providing information every day on the safety of four nuclear plants located around the region recently rocked by earthquakes.
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2016
Japan's nuclear regulator stresses gravity of reactor incident to utility Kansai Electric
The head of the nuclear regulatory body Wednesday urged Kansai Electric Power Co. to understand the seriousness of a recent incident at one of its reactors, as the case had "a large impact on society" and diminished public trust in the safety of nuclear power operations.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2016
Nuclear regulator approves start of soil freezing at Fukushima nuclear plant
Nuclear regulators gave their approval Wednesday to start freezing soil around damaged reactor buildings at the disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 power plant to prevent groundwater from entering the highly contaminated facilities.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2016
Safety upgrade costs spur Shikoku Electric to ditch plan to restart aging Ehime reactor
The utility will instead scrap reactor 1 of its Ikata nuclear complex in Ehime Prefecture, company sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2016
NRA chairman urges caution in plant decommissioning amid residents' radiation fears
As five years have now passed since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant meltdowns began, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Friday stressed that regulators must firmly monitor the decommissioning of the crippled plant to ease concerns of residents affected by the event.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores