Fifteen years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan seems to be gradually turning the page and recommitting to nuclear energy. Faced with high energy import costs and energy security challenges, the Japanese government is now accelerating the revival of a sector it had almost abandoned after the 2011 disaster.
On March 11, 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami triggered the meltdown of several reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, resulting in the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. The event profoundly impacted Japanese society and led to the near-total shutdown of the country's nuclear power plants.
Takuma Hashimoto, who was only three years old at the time of the disaster, remembers the panic that gripped his family, unable to flee because their car had run out of fuel. Now 18 and an engineering student at a technical institute in Iwaki, he is part of a new generation eager to contribute to the revitalization of Japan's nuclear industry.
“I don’t think nuclear energy should be considered automatically dangerous,” he explains. In his town, located about an hour from Fukushima, monitoring stations continue to measure radiation levels even today.
The Japanese government, led by a pro-nuclear prime minister, wants to accelerate the restart of several reactors and invest in new energy technologies. This strategy aims to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuel imports, which have increased sharply since the shutdown of nuclear power plants.
Public opinion also seems to be evolving alongside this change. According to a recent poll, nearly two-thirds of young Japanese people are now in favor of resuming nuclear power, a sign of a gradual shift in perceptions as the memory of the disaster fades and energy issues become more pressing.
