Scandal forces Chūbu Electric to pull Hamaoka reactor restart bid, shaking Japan's nuclear agenda
Chūbu Electric Power withdrew its request to restart reactors 3 and 4 at Hamaoka after admitting to falsifying earthquake-resistance data, leading to the resignation of its president and chairman and reviving public scepticism toward nuclear power.
In September 2026 Chūbu Electric Power disclosed that it had falsified earthquake-resistance data for its Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, prompting the company to withdraw its application to restart units 3 and 4 and to accept the resignations of President Hayashi Kingo and Chairman Katsuno Satoru. The scandal revives public anxiety over nuclear safety and undermines the Japanese government's February 2025 basic energy plan, which aims to make maximum use of existing nuclear plants amid rising electricity demand from AI data centres.
Earlier in the year, TEPCO successfully restarted unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture, marking the first TEPCO reactor restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Hokkaidō Electric Power expects to bring its Tomari plant back online in 2027, while the Nuclear Regulation Authority has been scrutinising Chūbu Electric's seismic assessments. These developments highlight the tension between Japan's energy security goals and lingering safety concerns.
Why it matters
The scandal stalls Japan's push to rely more on nuclear power, affecting energy policy and public confidence.
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