Japan shut down all 54 of its nuclear reactors after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Only a dozen reactors have been restarted since then, and the national government wants to more than double that figure by 2030, saying it’s essential to meeting energy and climate goals. However, hurdles abound: chief among them, there is widespread citizen pushback to restarting reactors, with community groups near shuttered reactors fighting their reopening in the courts at every step along the way. The World’s Carolyn Beeler visits Kashiwazaki, the location of Japan’s largest nuclear power plant, and spoke with residents who are divided about the plant’s reopening.
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