Construction is underway on the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power station in Ibaraki Prefecture, built nearly 44 years ago, with an eye toward restarting it. The plan faces opposition from some locals, however. © Kyodo

Can Japan's new nuclear policy revive its creaking industry?

11 years of no plant construction has eroded supply chains and human resources

SAYUMI TAKE, Nikkei staff writer

August 26, 2022 06:00 JST

TOKYO -- On Wednesday, exactly six months since Russia invaded Ukraine and sent the global energy scene into turmoil, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the groundbreaking announcement that the country would resume building nuclear power plants.

The abrupt change in the government's nuclear policy is welcome news for an industry that has been sounding the alarm over a creaking supply chain, dwindling pipeline of workers and fading global competitiveness. But will it be enough to reverse a decade of decline?