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July 05, 2025
 

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UTILITIES

JAPAN
Sep 30, 2014
Volcanic eruption fires concern about Kagoshima reactor restarts
Saturday's eruption of Mount Ontake is likely to set back plans to restart nuclear reactors in Kagoshima Prefecture and possibly elsewhere, as local officials and residents start debating how safe the plants would be in the event of a nearby volcanic eruption.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2014
Volcanoes may be next obstacle for Japan's atomic power industry
The deadly volcanic eruption of Mount Ontake over the weekend may strengthen the argument of activists campaigning to keep the country's 48 reactors shut.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2014
New METI chief Obuchi rules out new nuclear power plants
Newly appointed trade and industry minister Yuko Obuchi on Thursday ruled out the construction of new nuclear power plants anytime soon.
EDITORIALS
Jul 18, 2014
More needed than NRA safety nod
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has effectively given the green light for restarting an idled Kyushu Electric nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture under safety standards updated a year ago. After a period of public comment and local government approvals, two reactors of the plant, in the city of Satsumasendai, could restart by yearend.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jul 17, 2014
Responsibility for reactor restarts a hot potato
Regulators, politicians and bureaucrats bob and weave as the public asks one question: Who will take responsibility for the decision to authorize reactor restarts?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2014
Disaster plans outstanding issue in Sendai plant restart, critics say
Anti-nuclear groups warn that the Sendai plant's reactors are far from ready to go online, despite Kyushu Electric Power Co. clearing a major hurdle toward their restart.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2014
Sendai nuclear plant to clear safety hurdle
The Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture is to clear an initial safety hurdle Wednesday, a key step in what is likely to be the gradual restart of an industry idled by the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
BUSINESS
Jul 10, 2014
Approaching reactor restarts encourage utilities to sell bonds
The Nuclear Regulation Authority is moving toward the first reactor restart under its new safety requirements since the Fukushima disaster started, giving impetus to bond sales by utilities as borrowing costs plunge.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2014
Evacuation plans stir fresh doubts over Japan nuclear restarts
Keen to restart nuclear power plants three years after the Fukushima disaster, authorities may face an additional hurdle in securing approval — coming up with a cogent evacuation plan in the event of new accidents.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 4, 2014
Atop Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' debate flares over volcanic risk to Japan's nuclear plants
In the three years since the Fukushima disaster, Japan's utilities have pledged $15 billion to harden their nuclear plants against earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and terrorist attacks.
WORLD
Jun 1, 2014
China, India may hinder U.S. steps on warming
U.S. President Barack Obama is set to take his boldest step to halt the rise of the oceans and stop the warming of the planet. But it won't be enough unless the rest of the world follows.
EDITORIALS
May 23, 2014
Reflect on Fukui nuclear ruling
The Fukui District Court's ruling that prohibits the restart of two nuclear power reactors run by Kansai Electric Power Co. challenges the Abe administration's energy policy of relying on nuclear power as a key source of the nation's electricity supply.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2014
In test of post-Fukushima policy, town rallies for restart of reactors
For residents of Satsumasendai, their old nuclear plant jobs take priority over a quake they never felt and an atomic disaster they never had to deal with.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 3, 2014
Power companies offsetting reactor closures by hiking electricity rates
Power utilities, including Tokyo Electric Power Co., leaned on customer rate hikes to boost their financial performances in the first nine months of the business year as idled nuclear plants kept fuel costs high.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 17, 2013
Cracks in Tepco's 3/11 narrative
Tepco will never accept the theory that the earthquake, not the tsunami, caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster because it would make it difficult to restart its other nuclear power plants.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 2, 2013
Slow reactor restart process rattles energy markets as uranium piles up
Uranium prices are showing little sign of recovery after sinking to their lowest levels in more than seven years amid a glut of the radioactive metal and speculation Japan will delay restarting its reactors.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 16, 2013
Oi reactors can remain online, court says
In a key decision likely to affect efforts to restart the nation's nuclear power plants, the Osaka District Court ruled Tuesday that two reactors in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, are operating under rational safety standards and that it is not clear there is a concrete danger posed by their location near active...
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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