The governor conditioned his consent on the national government’s firm commitment to the following seven items.

Seven Requests to the National Government

1) Thorough explanations to prefectural residents

Citing survey results indicating that residents still feel insufficiently informed about the necessity and safety of nuclear power, the governor requested that the national government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) provide clearer and more comprehensive explanations.

2) Reconfirmation of safety based on new technical findings

If new scientific or technical knowledge emerges, the governor urged swift reassessment of plant safety.

3) Stronger national involvement in emergency response

Given scenarios in which private-sector entities may be unable to manage evacuation or shelter-in-place operations, the governor requested enhanced coordination among relevant national agencies to ensure that national emergency-response units can act effectively.

4) Accelerated development of evacuation routes, shelters, and snow-resilient infrastructure

Referring to infrastructure measures outlined by the Ministerial Council on Nuclear Power, the governor urged early and concentrated implementation that also accounts for Niigata’s heavy-snow conditions.

5) National responsibility for spent-fuel disposal, protection against military attacks, and compensation frameworks

As these issues are major sources of public concern, the governor called on the national government to take full responsibility for addressing them.

6) Restoration of TEPCO’s credibility

Noting that public trust in TEPCO remains insufficient, the governor requested that the national government strengthen the effectiveness of its “enhanced monitoring team” and ensure that findings are properly fed back to the utility.

7) Review of UPZ expansion and the grant system

Although the UPZ (Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone) has been expanded to a 30-km radius, the central government’s power-source siting grant system has not been updated accordingly. The governor urged early reform to ensure fair administration of the system.

Governor Hanazumi explained that his decision was based on several factors:

  • Units 6 and 7 have passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s safety examinations.

  • Nuclear power offers strong supply stability and a high degree of domestic procurement, and the national government has declared its policy of maximizing the use of nuclear power.

  • The restart is expected to help address vulnerabilities in eastern Japan’s power-supply structure, narrow the electricity-price gap between eastern and western Japan, and contribute to economic growth through the use of decarbonized power.

He stated, “The national government’s judgment that the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plants must play a certain role in maintaining and strengthening the competitiveness of Japanese industry and protecting the daily lives of citizens is understandable at this point.”

Regarding the timing of the approval, the governor said that he had engaged in extensive discussions with various stakeholders since receiving a request for understanding from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in March last year. He commented, “Risks can never be reduced to zero. But we cannot halt the restart based merely on vague anxieties or reasons lacking rational basis.”

A recent public-opinion survey in the prefecture showed that the more residents understand safety and emergency-response measures, the more likely they are to support the restart. Support was also notably high among residents in their 20s and 30s. At the same time, many residents still expressed anxiety about nuclear power.

Governor Hanazumi also noted that he personally visited the Fukushima Daiichi site in mid-November to see firsthand the impact of the accident and ongoing recovery work. He stressed that “the lessons learned from Fukushima and the knowledge incorporated into the new regulatory requirements are also applied to the Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs.”

At his regular press conference on the 19th, he highlighted improvements in technology and equipment at the plant, stating that enhanced mobile equipment enabling flexible disaster response “reflects lessons learned from a defense-in-depth perspective.” He also praised TEPCO’s on-site workforce: “About 5,000 employees and partner-company staff were working with a strong team mindset and prioritizing communication. The phrase ‘one team’ was repeated often, and I sensed a high level of awareness.”

The governor added that his decision should rest on public trust in the prefectural administration. He therefore expressed his intention to seek the assembly’s confidence in his continuation as governor.