Japan’s nuclear regulatory body continues to review seven reactors that have been undergoing scrutiny for more than ten years, primarily due to difficulties surrounding seismic and tsunami safety evaluations. Recently, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6 restarted operations after a 14-year hiatus, becoming the fifteenth nuclear plant to resume following the Fukushima disaster’s new regulatory standards. However, the protracted review times of over a decade for several reactors highlight ongoing concerns about their preparedness for seismic activity.

Among these, the Tomari Unit 3 in Hokkaido underwent an extensive twelve-year review process before being deemed compliant with new safety regulations. In contrast, many reactors submitted around the same time were able to successfully restart operations within two to five years, thus underscoring the complex nature of safety evaluations that incorporate the lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima accident. The establishment of 'standard seismic motions' and 'standard tsunami heights' remains a contentious point in the review process, directly affecting the design and flood prevention strategies for the facilities.

The Shika Unit 2 reactor review has exceeded eleven years, and ongoing discussions regarding the surrounding fault lines indicate disputes among the review committee. The prolonged evaluation times present broader implications for Japan’s energy policy, reflecting the heightened scrutiny on safety measures while reassessing the role of nuclear energy in achieving energy independence, especially in light of previous disasters. Overall, the situation illustrates the continuing tensions between the need for energy generation and the imperatives of safety and accountability in regulatory processes.