On February 9, 2026, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) confirmed the restart of the 1,356-megawatt Unit 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Niigata Prefecture, with full commercial operations expected by mid-March. The reactor — offline since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident for safety enhancements and regulatory review — will be the first TEPCO unit to resume service in nearly 14 years and is projected to generate about 9.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually once fully ramped up.

Japan now has 15 operating nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of about 33 gigawatts (GW), out of an operable fleet of 32. In 2024, this fleet produced roughly 83 TWh — about 9 per cent of total electricity generation — as nuclear capacity gradually returned after extensive safety reviews and public debate over nuclear energy’s role.

Impact on fossil fuel use and LNG imports

Analysts and government estimates suggest the added nuclear output from Unit 6 could displace about 1.3 million tonnes of LNG — equivalent to roughly 62 billion cubic feet of natural gas imports annually — if generation from nuclear substitutes for gas-fired power. That displacement figure reflects Japan’s ongoing effort to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels for electricity, a legacy effect of all reactors shutting down following the 2011 tsunami and nuclear accident.

Natural gas previously accounted for about 33 per cent of Japan’s electricity mix in 2024, with LNG imports serving as a critical feedstock for gas-fired plants. Japan remains the second-largest LNG importer globally after China, though annual LNG demand has declined in recent years as nuclear and renewables have grown. Japanese companies imported roughly 9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG in 2025, down from about 11 Bcf/d in 2018, according to market data. Australia, Malaysia, Russia and the United States have been among Japan’s top LNG suppliers, with Australian volumes rising in recent years while U.S. shipments declined.

The increase in nuclear output also fits within Japan’s long-term energy strategy, which aims to raise nuclear’s share of electricity generation to around 20 per cent by 2040. Meeting that goal would require up to 30 reactors in operation, meaning some of the 17 currently non-operating reactors would need to clear regulatory and local hurdles before restarting. Three units have initial Nuclear Regulation Authority approval and six more are under review.

Renewables and policy context

Alongside nuclear, Japan’s power mix has seen renewable generation grow steadily. Solar capacity, in particular, expanded rapidly in the past decade, and preliminary statistics indicate that renewables accounted for more than 26 per cent of electricity generation in 2024, with solar alone contributing more than 11 per cent and hydro nearly 8 per cent. Fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, still made up the majority of generation but have trended downward from levels exceeding 70 per cent earlier in the decade.

Japan’s evolving energy policies — including its 6th Strategic Energy Plan and the broader Green Transformation (GX) agenda — reinforce these shifts. The plans aim to nearly double renewable generation’s share and boost nuclear’s role by 2030 while reducing fossil fuel dependence significantly. Officials see nuclear as an essential part of ensuring energy security and reducing electricity price volatility, particularly in a country that imports roughly 90 per cent of its energy needs.

Historical and public sentiment backdrop

Japan’s reliance on nuclear power draws directly from its pre-2011 energy configuration, when reactors provided around 30 per cent of electricity. Following the Fukushima disaster, all reactors were taken offline for safety upgrades under new regulatory standards, and public opinion tilted sharply away from nuclear generation. That shift significantly increased fossil fuel use and raised energy import costs.

Efforts to restart large reactors like Kashiwazaki-Kariwa have often been met with local debate and scrutiny over safety and disaster preparedness. Approval from regional authorities has been essential for restarts, reflecting lingering public sensitivity to nuclear risks. Still, government policy revisions now emphasize maximizing both renewable and nuclear “carbon-free” power sources, signalling a broader acceptance of nuclear as part of Japan’s decarbonization trajectory.

Market and geopolitical implications

Bloomberg and Reuters reporting over recent years has underscored that Japan’s nuclear comeback is closely tied to broader energy security concerns, including volatile LNG markets and price spikes following global supply disruptions. Analysts have noted that a robust nuclear fleet could insulate Japan from some of these risks, particularly as competition for LNG supplies intensifies in Asia.

NPR highlighted the challenge Japan faces balancing safety, public sentiment and decarbonization goals, noting that nuclear restarts require meticulous regulatory oversight and clear communication to gain social license.

The post Japan Restarts Major Nuclear Reactor, Easing Natural Gas Imports and Supporting Energy Policy appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

By Victoria Zaretskaya, Jonathan Russo, Slade Johnson

Over the last several years, the Japanese government has announced energy policies aimed to achieve carbon neutrality, or net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, by 2050 by lowering emissions in the electric power, industrial, and transportation sectors.

In the electric power sector, government policies set 2030 targets, which include accelerated investment in renewable capacity, increased use of nuclear generation, and reduced use of fossil fuels for electricity generation. Japan’s government called the package of energy policies and their targets “ambitious.” Energy security considerations may affect the progress and pace of decarbonization in the electric power sector.

Below, we examine policies affecting generation from non-fossil fuel sources, namely renewable sources and nuclear generation in the first part of a two-part series on Japan’s energy policies in the electric power sector. A second part will discuss policies affecting generation from fossil fuels, including liquefied natural gas, coal, and petroleum.

Electric power sector policies

Japan’s 6th Strategic Energy Plan (released in 2021) and the GX (Green Transformation) Decarbonization Power Supply Bill (released in 2023) target increasing the share of non-fossil fuel generation sources to 59 per cent of the generation mix by 2030 compared with 31 per cent in 2022. Policies target an increase in the share of renewable generation sources including solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass from 26 per cent in 2022 to 36 per cent–38 per cent by 2030 and an increase in the share of nuclear generation from 5 per cent in 2022 to 20 per cent–22 per cent by 2030.

Generation by fossil fuels (natural gas, coal, and petroleum) is set to decline from 69 per cent in 2022 to 41 per cent by 2030. The policies also could expand hydrogen and ammonia use in natural gas and coal co-fired power generation, in difficult-to-electrify end-use sectors, and in advanced carbon capture and storage technology development.

Renewable energy resources

From 2018 to 2022, the share of renewable generation in Japan grew from 21 per cent to 26 per cent. Policies to increase its share are to be supported by:

• Establishing renewable energy promotion zones (zones that meet specific criteria for developing renewable energy projects and that provide investment and licensing benefits)
• Increasing investments in research and development focused on technology advancements, particularly in solar and wind
• Accelerating development of offshore wind projects
• Stimulating growth in the renewable capacity buildout through other initiatives

The targeted increase in renewable generation is paired with broad encouragement of battery storage. According to Japan’s 6th Strategic Energy Plan, battery storage will be increased as a distributed source of electricity closer to end users and within microgrids.

This new policy calls for an increase in installed solar capacity from 79 gigawatts (GW) in 2022 to 108 GW by 2030. Initiatives include installing solar capacity on 50 per cent of government buildings (6 GW), on corporate buildings and parking garages (10 GW), and on public land and promotion areas (4 GW). The targeted increase in Japan’s wind capacity focuses on increasing offshore capacity from 0.14 GW in 2022 to 10 GW by 2030. In March 2024, the Japanese government approved a draft amendment to allow offshore wind turbines to be installed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Nuclear power

From 2018 to 2022, the share of nuclear generation remained at about 5 per cent of total generation in Japan. Lawmakers approved the GX Decarbonization Power Supply Bill, which effectively maintains existing legal provisions that allow nuclear reactors to operate beyond the 40-year license to 60 years of operation. The bill also designated nuclear power as a main component of the country’s baseload electricity generation. Japan also intends to maximize the use of existing reactors by restarting as many units as possible.

Japan’s government has encouraged a collaborative effort between manufacturers and electric utilities to develop next-generation reactors, signalling a sustained role for nuclear power in Japan’s electricity mix.

Before 2011, nuclear power accounted for about 30 per cent of Japan’s electricity mix, and the government had planned to increase that share to over 40 per cent by 2017. After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Japanese government suspended operation of all nuclear reactors for mandatory inspections and safety upgrades. The reactors were systematically taken offline during planned refueling and maintenance outages; the last two units were suspended in 2013.

Nuclear restarts have proceeded slowly since the first two units were restarted in 2015. This hesitancy reflects, among other factors, continued public safety concerns, local court injunctions, comprehensive safety inspections, and lengthy authorization processes within changing regulatory requirements.

Japan has restarted 12 reactors and expects to restart two more units in 2024. Chugoku Electric Power Company announced that it will restart Shimane Unit 2 at its facility in the Matsue Prefecture in August. Tohoku Electric Power has announced plans to restart Onagawa Unit 2 in the Miyagi Prefecture of northeastern Japan in September.

We estimate that 24 GW of operating nuclear capacity will be required for nuclear generation to meet the policy target of 20 per cent to 22 per cent of total generation by 2030. By the end of 2024, a total of 12.6 GW of nuclear generating capacity is expected to be operating. An additional 11.4 GW of nuclear capacity will need to be restarted between 2025 and 2030 to meet the policy target.

The post Japan’s energy policies aim for increased zero-carbon electricity generation appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

Principal contributors: Slade Johnson, Jonathan Russo, Victoria Zaretskaya
Data visualization: Jonathan Russo

After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident, Japan suspended operations at all of its remaining 48 nuclear power reactors by 2013 and relied almost exclusively on imported natural gas to replace the lost electricity generation. In 2015, Japan allowed its first nuclear power reactor to resume operations. As of December 2022, 11 gigawatts (GW) of Japan’s nuclear capacity have returned to service, which reduced liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports for electricity generation.

Since 2015, increasing nuclear generation has been replacing generation from fossil fuel sources in Japan, mainly natural gas. In 2022, Japan’s LNG imports declined by 15 per cent, or 1.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), compared with 2015, and we expect LNG imports into Japan to continue declining. In 2023, Japan restarted Takahama Units 1 and 2, adding about 1.6 GW. Japan also passed the GX Decarbonization Power Supply Bill last year to establish a decarbonized electricity system, designating nuclear power as the main component of the country’s baseload electricity.

Nuclear restarts have been slow since 2015. Japan has restarted 12 units, bringing currently operating nuclear capacity to 11 GW. Japan has 10 more units under review and 5 more that have passed review but have yet to restart.

Japan focused on restarting pressurized boiling water reactors as opposed to boiling water reactors out of public safety concerns. The six-unit Fukushima Daiichi plant, a boiling water reactor facility, is being decommissioned along with its sister plant, Fukushima Daini.

Energy resources are scarce in Japan, and it imports most of the fossil fuel it uses for electricity generation. In 2022, fossil fuels accounted for 71 per cent of generation, with natural gas accounting for 35 per cent of that share. Japan’s LNG imports have declined as more nuclear reactors have restarted. After Japan restarted five nuclear reactors in 2018, Japan’s LNG imports declined by 7 per cent (0.7 Bcf/d) in 2019 and by another 7 per cent (0.7 Bcf/d) between 2019 and 2022.

Japan has a large portfolio of long-term LNG contracts, which supply up to 90 per cent of Japan’s LNG imports each year. The remaining share of imports is supplied under short-term and spot contracts from as many as 20 countries (including re-exporters).

Australia has been Japan’s largest LNG supplier for 11 years; its share of Japan’s total LNG imports more than doubled from 18 per cent in 2012 to 42 per cent in 2023. Qatar—which was ranked second in 2012—is now the seventh-largest LNG supplier to Japan. Qatar provided 4 per cent of Japan’s LNG imports last year, down from 18 per cent in 2012, in part because some of Japan’s long-term contracts with Qatar expired. In 2023, Malaysia was Japan’s second-largest LNG supplier, accounting for 16 per cent (1.4 Bcf/d) of LNG imports. However, in 2012, before Australia took its long-standing top spot, Malaysia supplied 19 per cent of Japan’s LNG imports and was the largest supplier. Other significant LNG suppliers in 2023 included Russia at 9 per cent (0.8 Bcf/d), the United States at 8 per cent (0.7 Bcf/d), and Papua New Guinea at 6 per cent (0.5 Bcf/d).

You can find more information about Japan on EIA’s International web page.

The post Nuclear reactor restarts in Japan have reduced LNG imports for electricity generation appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

By Jeff Barron

In our Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast the lowest annual petroleum consumption in Japan in 2024 since at least 1980, in part due to its aging and declining population. Japan’s reduced consumption is already affecting its refining industry.

Japanese refiner ENEOS permanently closed a 120,000-barrel-per-day (b/d) refinery in western Japan in mid-October 2023, and another company, Idemitsu Kosan, plans to close a 120,000-b/d refinery in March 2024. These closures represent 7 per cent of the country’s refinery capacity.

We forecast consumption of petroleum products in Japan will decline by 3 per cent between 2023 and 2024 to 3.3 million b/d. Japan’s petroleum consumption declined by an average 2 per cent per year through 2022 from its peak of 5.7 million b/d in 1996, largely because of demographic and economic changes. The oil intensity of Japan’s economy, measured as barrels of oil consumed per $1,000 of gross domestic product, has been declining.

Japan’s population peaked in 2009, and the country has seen some of the slowest economic growth among OECD countries since then. In addition, the share of Japan’s population aged 65 and older was 30 per cent as of 2022, compared with 21 per cent in the EU, 17 per cent in the United States, and 14 per cent in China, according to the World Bank.

Japan’s refineries were built mainly to serve its domestic fuel needs, and they have trouble competing in international markets. These refineries are smaller and less complex than newer refineries in Asia, including China, South Korea, and India. Complexity refers to a refinery’s secondary processing capacity, such as hydrocracking and coking, which upgrades low-value heavy fuel oil into valuable transportation fuels. More complex refineries can produce more high-value products from the crude oil they process.

Less complex refiners like those in Japan also process lighter and sweeter grades of crude oil, which are more expensive than heavier and more sour grades. Higher yields of lower-value products combined with using more expensive crude oils makes refiners in Japan less profitable and less competitive in world markets. Complex refinery margins in Asia can be 30 per cent –50 per cent higher than simple refinery margins.

In our recent International Energy Outlook, we project Japan’s petroleum consumption will continue to decline beyond 2024, suggesting that refiners in Japan will face additional competitive pressures.

The post Japanese refineries close as the country’s petroleum consumption falls appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

Japan’s LNG imports could fall as much as 10 per cent in 2019

By Slade Johnson, Victoria Zaretskaya

This article was published by the US Energy Information Administration on March 4, 2019.

In 2018, Japan restarted five nuclear reactors that were shut down after the 2011 Fukushima accident. As those reactors return to full operation, the resulting increase in nuclear generation is likely to displace generation from fossil sources, in particular natural gas.

Because Japan imports all of its natural gas in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), increased nuclear power production is likely to reduce Japanese imports of LNG in the electric power sector by as much as 10 per cent in 2019.

Japan now has nine operating nuclear units with a total electricity generation capacity of 8.7 gigawatts. Electricity generation produced by natural gas-fired plants in Japan has been declining annually from its peak in 2014 and is likely to decline further in 2019, while generation from nuclear units will likely increase.

In response to the 2011 Fukushima accident, Japan suspended operations at all nuclear reactors for mandatory safety inspections and upgrades, leaving the country with no nuclear generation from September 2013 to August 2015. Existing coal-fired power plants were already operating near full load; therefore, utilities had to import large volumes of LNG to meet electricity demand.

As the five nuclear reactors were gradually restarted in 2018, they began to offset natural gas-fired generation, and as a result, LNG imports decreased as the reactors reached full operation.

In 2019, their first full year of operation, EIA estimates that the restarted nuclear reactors will further displace Japan’s LNG imports by about 5 million metric tons per year (MMmt/y), or 0.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG. This amount is equivalent to 10 per cent of Japan’s power sector natural gas consumption and 6 per cent of Japan’s LNG imports in 2018.

Consumption of crude oil and petroleum products by power plants also increased between 2011 and 2013, with utilities spending about $30 billion each year for additional fossil fuel imports in the three years following the Fukushima accident. Generation from crude oil and petroleum products returned to pre-Fukushima levels by 2014 mainly as a result of relatively high crude oil prices, and it has since declined further.

Japan relies on imported LNG to meet all of its natural gas demand and imports more LNG than any country, averaging 11 Bcf/d in 2016 through 2018. Japan imports LNG from several countries worldwide.

LNG imports from Australia have grown in the past two years to account for more than one-third of the total imports, and they have displaced imports primarily from Malaysia and Qatar. In 2016 through 2018, these three suppliers accounted for 60 per cent of Japan’s LNG imports.

LNG imports from the United States account for a small percentage of total imports, but they increased from 0.16 Bcf/d in 2017 to 0.3 Bcf/d in 2018, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance.

Japan’s LNG importers have signed long-term contracts with U.S. LNG export projects such as Freeport, Cameron, and Cove Point. Most of Japan’s LNG imports are under long-term contract with existing foreign suppliers, and these contracts are set to expire during the next decade.

The outlook for further LNG import displacement is largely dependent on the number of nuclear restarts, assuming trends in other factors, such as electricity demand and energy efficiency, remain constant. The pace of nuclear restarts has been slow, with the average reactor requiring nearly four years to come back online.

Japan’s long-term energy policy calls for the nuclear share of total electricity generation to reach 20 per cent to 22 per cent by 2030, which would require up to 30 reactors to be in operation. Out of the remaining fleet of 35 operable reactors, 9 are currently operating, 6 have received initial approval from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, 12 are under review, and 8 have yet to file a restart application.

The post Nuclear reactor restarts in Japan displace LNG imports in 2019 appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.

By 2050, IRENA projects that there will be around 40 million jobs directly related to renewable energy and energy efficiency worldwide, a more than four-fold increase from today. Women comprise roughly half the world’s population, and their full inclusion is vital to ensuring that the new energy economy is based on the largest pool of talent, knowledge and skills.

Moreover, energy poverty has a disproportionate effect on women, and one of the most effective ways to ensure that renewable energy policies and practices consider the gendered impacts of energy is to empower women to shape them.

In 2016, IRENA conducted a survey of renewable energy companies worldwide and found that women represented an average of 35% of the workforce, a share greater than in the traditional energy sector, but lower than in the broader economy. In general, women are severely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and across the clean energy sector.

The disparity is even greater at the management level.  An index by Ernst & Young shows that in 2016, women comprised only 16% of the boards of the world’s largest power and utility companies

The reasons for this are numerous, interwoven and context-specific. One factor is that women spend a disproportionate amount of time in unpaid care work and this constrains their ability to engage in education and income-generating activities. Workplace conditions, such as flexibility of work hours, equal pay, and support for childcare, and a lack of gender-sensitive policies are also important. Energy poverty also reduces the ability of women the participate in the workforce by creating health risks (for example related to indoor air pollution from burning fuels) and lower educational outcomes (for example due to lack of lighting to study by).

In the access context, however, women should not be seen as only beneficiaries but also as agents of change.  For example, in Indonesia, women, who are generally the decision makers on energy issues at the household level, have been empowered as “Wonder Women” through the sale of solar technologies.  Another, in Mali, is activating women as social entrepreneurs by giving them access to renewable-energy-based income-generating activities.

To better understand the challenges and potential solutions to full and equal participation of women in the renewable energy sector, IRENA sat down with Yumiko Murakami, Chief of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD Japan Centre.

Ms. Murakami has been the head of the OECD in Tokyo since 2013. Prior to taking the leadership position, she worked for 18 years as an investment banker in London, New York and Tokyo. Ms. Murakami also has experience within the United Nations, as part of a peacekeeping operation in Cambodia.

IRENA: How do you see the energy sector changing in Japan, and in Asia in general, and what are the implications for women, both as consumers of energy or as those working in the industry?

Ms. Murakami: Japan has just updated its long-term energy policy for 2050, so it is a timely question. One can tell from the energy plan for 2050 that the momentum for the renewable energy sector is stronger than ever now in Japan because the plan specifically calls for the achievements of the goals set by the Paris Agreement as well as the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Japan is not unique in this regard. Many other countries in Asia have started to shift gears toward renewable energy as well.

In this context, implications for women are quite interesting. Japan lags behind many countries when it comes to gender equality. Particularly the energy sector is more male-dominated than the rest of the economy. However, the landscape is changing for women today as there is a stronger need for the economy to have more women at work place due to shrinking work force on back of aging demography. In fact, the female labour market participation rate of Japan has been steadily increasing in the recent years and it is now higher than that of the United States. As more and more women join the workforce, we have a very good chance that many of them will find fruitful careers in the renewable energy sector.

Being a new growth business, it is a very attractive industry for forward-looking individuals, as well as women who may prefer to work in an environment without cultural biases. From the consumer perspective, women also play a critical role to promote clean energy choices. The retail market for electricity has been recently deregulated in Japan, giving consumers more choices for energy source alternatives. Often times, the ultimate decision for various energy options is in the hands of women. It is critical to inform and educate women on long term implications of the choices they make.

IRENA: Last year, three of the four biggest renewable energy lenders in the world were Japanese. What are some of the ways that Japan can use this influence to drive greater gender equality in renewable energy?

Ms. Murakami: There is increasing awareness among investors for the role of finance in many of the areas specified by the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The fact environmental, social and governance (ESG) theme investment is becoming one of the most powerful forces in the global capital markets is very encouraging. Companies in Japan, including financial institutions as well as operational firms, realize they have the fiduciary responsibility to ensure their investments meet all expectations to promote the SDGs. Gender equality is clearly one of the most important areas for them to watch. It is highly desirable for the Japanese lenders to set clear standards and guidelines for gender equality for the projects they finance. It is also important to note that a diverse work place tends to encourage innovations, which can in turn improve productivity, ultimately giving lenders higher return on their investment in a long run.

IRENA: The energy economy of the future will be renewables-based, connected, and digital, and this requires a STEM-advanced workforce.  Despite efforts, these fields remain male-dominated. What, in your view, are some of the ways that governments can support the engagement of women in STEM fields?

Ms. Murakami: This is a big challenge in Japan. Less than 15% of engineering students in Japan are female. While there is almost no difference between men and women in their educational attainment today, male students are 10 times more likely to choose technology-related fields compared to female students. Governments need to start gender mainstreaming at a much earlier stage than university or work place. It includes early career education, encouraging both girls and boys to consider STEM fields as well as efforts to eradicate unconscious gender biases, such as introducing female role models in STEM occupations at school and at home. The role of government continues to be important beyond education, too.

In Japan, a new bill was introduced last year to promote female leadership in business. It requires enterprises with more than 300 employees to set goals and action plans to improve gender balance in the work force.  The newly revised Corporate Governance Code also demands listed companies to have at least one female board member. This type of initiative is helping gender equality.

IRENA: You have worked, and excelled, in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as finance and international diplomacy.  What were some of the barriers that you faced and how did you overcome them?

Ms. Murakami: I spent most of my career on Wall Street. Although the investment banking industry is perhaps one of the most male-dominated businesses, I was fortunate to have colleagues and bosses who mentored and sponsored me. When you are minority, you need to step out of your comfort zone and identify people who can support you on your professional growth. They may not find you unless you find them: it is up to you. Another important element is to understand your competitive advantage and make sure you are adding value by differentiating yourself from the rest. Because you are a minority, often the only woman in your team or division, you may bring something unique to the table. This is not the same as using the gender card. This is all about making diversity work.

IRENA: What advice, from your own experience, can you give to other women looking to advance their careers in the energy sector?

Ms. Murakami: As mentioned earlier, women need to realize that they have so much to offer because they are (at least at this point) minority and different from men. The only way for the energy sector to improve productivity is through innovation. Innovation requires diversity. Sometimes women may feel as if they need to behave like men to be accepted by their male colleagues. I think this is a mistake. Women should feel free to be themselves. Their thought process, ideas and feelings maybe different from those of men. That is exactly what work place needs: a wide range of views.

The post Active participation of women essential to the global energy transformation – IRENA appeared first on Thoughtful Journalism About Energy's Future.