The Japan Times67%
Japan proposes rebuilding aging nuclear plants to meet power demand 47%
By No Author44%
6/4/2026, 7:13:00 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 10 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Unattributed Quote, and Self-Serving Bias, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 27.7% saturation with 83 hits. Analysis detected 348 faulty-reasoning hits from 300 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 48.4% and a BS Rank of 47% (11,746 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 53.70% of the article peer group.
Japan needs to rebuild between two and five aging nuclear reactors by the 2040s and as many as 11 to 14 by the 2050s to secure stable power supply, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said in a policy proposal on Friday.
The proposal, outlined at a meeting on nuclear policy, reflects a shift toward greater reliance on atomic energy to help meet rising power demand and reduce costly fuel imports.
The 14 new nuclear power plants would have a capacity of about 16 gigawatts, METI said.
Japan shut its 54 operating nuclear reactors after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, due to public fear about the industry’s safety standards.
Of the 33 units that remain operable, 15 have been restarted.
Tokyo last year revised its basic energy policy to maximize the use of nuclear power.
However, many reactors are approaching or exceeding their 60-year operational lifespans, raising concerns about a future decline in nuclear capacity even if restarts of idled plants continue.
By setting concrete replacement targets, the government aims to improve predictability for utilities, the draft said.
The moves also come as demand for electricity is expected to rise sharply, driven by data centers for artificial intelligence.
Under the current energy plan, Japan aims to double the share of nuclear power in its electricity mix to around 20% by fiscal 2040.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a strong backer of nuclear power, seeking to ease the bill for imported coal, gas and oil, which fuel 60% to 70% of Japan’s power generation.
Public trust in nuclear energy has yet to fully recover following safety concerns and recent controversies, including Chubu Electric Power’s falsification of seismic risk assessments for its Hamaoka nuclear plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Analysis
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