Japan pivots back to nuclear power
But it risks turning away from renewables
From the grounds of Onagawa Nuclear Power Station, a plant in northern Japan, waves can be heard lapping at the nearby shore. They serve as a reminder of the tragedy that struck on March 11th 2011, when a giant earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that flooded Japan’s eastern coast. While the Onagawa reactors managed to shut down safely, the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, 180km down the coast, suffered a meltdown. After the disaster Japan shuttered all of its nuclear reactors. Since then only a handful have been turned back on. Onagawa is among the nuclear plants that remain idle.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Land of the riven atom”
More from Asia
AUKUS enters its fifth year. How is the pact faring?
It has weathered two big political changes. What about Donald Trump’s return?
Joe Biden’s mixed legacy on Japan
Security co-operation flourished, but a scuppered steel deal leaves a sour taste
Indonesia nearly has a monopoly on nickel. What next?
Prabowo Subianto, the new president, wants to create an electric car supply chain
What a 472-year-old corpse reveals about India
St Francis Xavier is both venerated and despised
Pakistan’s army puts a former intelligence chief on trial
General Faiz Hameed is an ally of Imran Khan, who is currently behind bars
By resisting arrest, South Korea’s president challenges democracy
His attempt to impose martial law failed. But Yoon Suk Yeol is still causing trouble