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Investigation to Be Conducted into Emergency Diesel Generator Failure at Unit 6 of Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant

Tokyo Electric Power Company announced that it will investigate the failure of the emergency diesel generator at Unit 6 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The unit was restarted after 14 years of shutdown and resumed commercial operation in April this year. According to Tokyo Electric Power Company, in July this year, workers discovered that water had mixed into the lubricating oil of the emergency diesel generator at Unit 6. Subsequent inspections confirmed that there was a water leak in the cylinder head, a component of the generator engine. The company therefore determined that the unit currently does not meet the operational safety specification requirements. Tokyo Electric Power Company stated that it plans to complete the relevant repair work by September 19. If the repair cannot be completed by then, the cause of the failure will be further investigated, and measures may include shutting down the reactor for inspection.

2026-09-11

Safety review items for Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 confirmed, operation planned for 2030

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan conducted a safety review of Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 on September 10. This review is a necessary procedure before the unit can be put into operation. Chugoku Electric Power Company of Japan has been constructing Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 since 2005 and has been undergoing NRA review since 2018. At the review meeting that day, Chugoku Electric Power Company gave explanations regarding earthquake, tsunami, and severe accident response measures for Unit 3. According to the meeting, all review items were confirmed on September 10. Next, Chugoku Electric Power Company will submit a revised document incorporating the relevant content discussed at previous review meetings. The NRA is expected to prepare a draft review report based on this...

2026-09-11

Japan's Monju Fast Breeder Reactor Sodium Coolant Overseas Transport Planned to Start in Fiscal 2028

Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology plans to include 23.7 billion yen in its fiscal 2027 budget request to advance decommissioning work for the Monju fast breeder reactor in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, including preparation costs for overseas transport of sodium coolant. The amount represents an increase of 4.9 billion yen over the previous fiscal year's budget, including supplementary budgets. Under the plan, overseas transport of sodium coolant from the Monju reactor will begin in fiscal 2028. Unlike conventional light water reactors, Monju uses metallic sodium rather than water as a coolant to remove heat from the reactor. Sodium has a boiling point of approximately 880 degrees Celsius and does not easily pressurize at high temperatures, but it can burn upon contact with water or air, making handling and management highly difficult...

2026-09-11

Decommissioning of Unit 1 at Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Proposed to Move to Phase 2

On the 11th, Ichiro Ogi, Mayor of Yawatahama City in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, reported to the prefectural government that he has agreed to the decommissioning work of Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant of Shikoku Electric Power Company entering Phase 2. Ichiro Ogi requested that Shikoku Electric Power thoroughly implement relevant measures during the subsequent decommissioning process to prevent the spread of radioactive materials, control the radiation exposure dose of workers, and protect the surrounding environment of the nuclear power plant. Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant ceased operation in 2016, and since 2017, decommissioning work has been carried out in four phases, with a planned duration of more than 40 years. Currently, the decommissioning work of this unit is still in Phase 1. According to the safety agreement arrangements, Shikoku Electric Power has submitted a prior consultation application to the Ehime Prefectural Government...

2026-09-11

Chubu Electric Power considers withdrawing Hamaoka nuclear plant restart review application

Chubu Electric Power Company (CEPCO) is considering withdrawing its restart review application for Units 3 and 4 of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and it was previously revealed that seismic design data related to the restart review was suspected of falsifying "design basis ground motion" data, making the ground motion amplitude in the submitted materials lower than originally expected. On the morning of the 11th, Chubu Electric Power announced that it had received a report submitted by an investigation committee composed of external lawyers. The committee was commissioned by Chubu Electric Power to investigate the causes and process of the seismic design data issue at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant. Chubu Electric Power President Shingo Hayashi and others plan to hold a press...

2026-09-11

Japan's GX investment expands nuclear power supply chain demand, 17 Korean nuclear power-related material and equipment suppliers visit Tokyo for business talks

On September 10, 2026, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced that, together with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Korea Nuclear Industry Association, it had dispatched the 2026 Smart Energy Week Climate Technology Market Exploration Delegation to Tokyo, Japan. The delegation consisted of 17 Korean suppliers of materials, parts, and equipment in the new energy and nuclear power sectors. KOTRA stated that the move aims to align with Japan's energy transition and growing electricity demand, and to support Korean suppliers in entering the local Japanese supply chain. The Korean delegation, together with the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association (JEMA) and RX Japan, jointly held a Japanese power equipment industry...

2026-09-10

Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan to Reconsider Literature Survey for Final Disposal Site of High-Level Radioactive Waste

The Hitachiota City Council in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door meeting on September 9 to hear council members' opinions on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's request for the city to conduct a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. After the meeting, sources said that two council members expressed support and two expressed opposition, and the city council failed to reach a consensus, deciding to hold another meeting on September 16 for discussion. The closed-door meeting was initiated by Hitachiota Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki, with the aim of providing reference for the city government to judge whether to accept the literature survey. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made the request to the city on August 31. Suzuki previously said he would "actively consider" conducting the literature survey and hoped...

2026-09-10

NRA Commissioner Inspects Radiation Management at Shimane Nuclear Power Station

Reiko Kanda, a Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan, visited Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, from September 7 to 8 to inspect radiation level management and on-site inspection work at the Shimane Nuclear Power Station. The NRA has a dedicated inspection team stationed at the Shimane Nuclear Power Station and conducts a related inspection once a year to confirm that resident inspectors can properly manage and monitor radiation levels. On September 8, the NRA inspected the emergency response center used by the nuclear power station in the event of a severe accident, focusing on confirming the inspectors' emergency response procedures. Reiko Kanda observed the inspection process on site. Reiko Kanda stated that the inspection work was carried out properly and that this inspection will serve as a reference for the NRA's future work.

2026-09-10

Kansai Electric Revises Site Survey Plan for Additional Units at Mihama Nuclear Power Station

On September 9, 2026, Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) announced a revision to its voluntary site survey plan for additional units at the Mihama Nuclear Power Station, extending the completion of the preliminary survey from March 2027 to March 2028, while the detailed survey remains scheduled for completion in 2030. Kansai Electric stated that it resumed the voluntary site survey, which had been suspended since March 12, 2011, on November 5, 2025, for the potential additional units at the Mihama site. Under the original plan announced on September 17, 2025, Kansai Electric first conducted a broad preliminary survey both inside and outside the plant site, then selected a more advantageous area based on geological conditions, and carried out a detailed survey in that area...

2026-09-09

Toshiba Energy Systems Selected for Next-Generation Innovative Reactor Core Structure R&D and Demonstration Project

On September 9, 2026, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) announced that it has been selected for the second round of public solicitation under the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's FY2025 supplementary budget project "Support Program for Technology Development and Supply Chain Construction for Next-Generation Innovative Reactor Development and Construction," undertaking the "Next-Generation Innovative Reactor Core Structure R&D and Manufacturing Demonstration Project (Phase 2)." Figure: Image of iBR internal structure Following this selection, Toshiba Energy Systems will further expand its R&D efforts in reactor internal structures, building on the six projects previously selected in the first round. The company plans to collaborate with suppliers to...

2026-09-09

Hitachioomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, discusses literature survey request for nuclear waste disposal site

Hitachioomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, received a request from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) asking the city to accept a literature survey for the siting of a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. On September 8, the Hitachioomiya City Assembly held a general question-and-answer session, during which multiple city assembly members expressed their views on whether to accept the survey. Of the five assembly members who filed questions that day, two expressed opposition to accepting the request and one expressed support. The assembly plans to hold a closed-door meeting on September 9, at which each assembly member will state their position, and the relevant content will subsequently be conveyed to Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki for his consideration in formulating the city government's response. Assembly member Toshiyuki Kurata stated that if the literature survey proceeds, it would impact the policies and projects currently being implemented by the city...

2026-09-09

Restart of Unit 3 at Japan's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant May Be Delayed to After End of 2027

The restart of Unit 3 at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Hokkaido Electric Power in Tomari Village, Hokkaido, Japan, may be delayed to after the end of 2027. The company currently maintains its stated target of a restart in early 2027, but has not yet provided a specific date. Key factors affecting the restart schedule include delays in the construction of the tsunami protection embankment, a fatal accident during construction that occurred during the review process by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan, and certain technical matters that remain under confirmation and consultation. Hokkaido Electric Power has stated that the embankment is expected to be completed by mid-August 2027. The project was originally scheduled for completion around March 2027, but has been extended due to blizzard conditions and additional...

2026-09-08

Japanese Research Uses Tau PET to Reveal Association with Symptom Progression in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

A research team at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) in Japan recently announced findings from a study on progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Using their self-developed tau PET imaging technology, the researchers conducted follow-up scans on the same group of PSP patients at approximately one-year intervals, confirming for the first time in living brains that the faster tau protein accumulates in the globus pallidus region deep within the brain, the faster patient symptoms progress. The findings were published on September 5, 2026, in the international neurology journal *Movement Disorders*. Characteristic tau protein accumulation regions in PSP Progressive supranuclear palsy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease occurring in middle-aged and older adults, with common manifestations including increased risk of falls, difficulty with movement, eye movement disorders, postural instability, and cognitive dysfunction. There is currently no therapy that can cure or halt disease progression; therefore, establishing biomarkers that can objectively reflect disease changes and treatment efficacy has been a critical issue in drug development. Previous autopsy studies have shown that abnormal tau protein accumulation in the brains of PSP patients is an important pathological feature, particularly concentrated in deep brain regions such as the globus pallidus and midbrain. However, autopsy samples cannot be used for long-term dynamic observation, and how tau protein accumulation changes over time and how it corresponds to symptom progression had previously remained unclear. In recent years, positron emission tomography (PET) has made it possible to observe tau protein in living brains, but existing studies have mainly shown that tau protein increases over time without sufficiently demonstrating a direct association between these changes and symptom worsening. In this study, the research team used the PET radiopharmaceutical 18F-PM-PBB3 developed by QST, namely florzolotau (18F), to perform two PET examinations on 26 PSP patients and 10 healthy controls, conducted at baseline and approximately one year later. The researchers combined 57 brain regions identified by MRI and performed multivariate analysis of PET signal changes to identify PSP-related tau protein accumulation regions and their spread over time. The results showed that at baseline, tau protein in PSP patients was primarily accumulated in subcortical regions such as the globus pallidus and midbrain, consistent with previous reports. Follow-up imaging at one year showed further increases in tau protein accumulation in the globus pallidus, along with marked increases in tau accumulation in the frontoparietal lobes and cerebellar white matter, suggesting that during the course of PSP, tau protein may spread from deep brain regions to the cerebral cortex and cerebellar-related areas. The research team further focused on Richardson's syndrome, the most typical and common subtype of PSP. This subtype typically progresses rapidly, and the 18 patients with this subtype included in this study showed significant increases in PSP rating scale scores within one year. The analysis found that changes in tau protein accumulation in the globus pallidus showed the strongest correlation with the degree of symptom progression; that is, the faster tau protein accumulated in this region, the more pronounced the worsening of patient symptoms. Analyses of individual patients likewise showed that globus pallidus tau protein accumulation can reflect the course of PSP from mild to severe stages. The researchers believe that serial tau PET imaging has the potential to serve as a novel imaging biomarker for assessing PSP disease progression, and also provides a basis for tau-targeted therapeutic strategies: if future therapies can inhibit tau protein accumulation, it may be possible to slow symptom progression. Next steps still require longer-term follow-up in a larger number of patients to validate the relationship between changes in tau protein accumulation and overall symptom progression and treatment response. The imaging assessment method established in this study may not only be used for disease monitoring and clinical trial efficacy evaluation in PSP, but may also be extended to research on other tau protein-related neurodegenerative diseases and dementias, providing new technical support for the diagnosis and therapeutic development of related diseases.

2026-09-07

Japanese research team accelerates muons to 0.3 MeV, taking a step toward the world's only muon accelerator

A research team comprising the J-PARC Center, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the University of Tokyo, Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, Nagoya University, and RIKEN recently completed muon cooling and radio-frequency acceleration experiments in the newly constructed muon acceleration experimental area at the J-PARC Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility, successfully accelerating muons to a kinetic energy of 0.3 MeV, corresponding to approximately 8% of the speed of light. Conceptual diagram of cooling and accelerating positive muon beams. By cooling positive muons with non-uniform direction and velocity, efficient high-frequency acceleration can be achieved. Muons are elementary particles similar to electrons that can be artificially produced by accelerators and are widely used in materials science, particle physics research...

2026-09-07

Japan Selects Four Companies for Fusion Power Program

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has conditionally selected EX-Fusion, Helical Fusion, Linea Innovation, and Starlight Engine to participate in a fusion program targeting reactor operation in the 2030s. The program will provide approximately $370 million, equivalent to around €318 million, in subsidies to selected projects by the end of February 2029. Specific funding allocations are still subject to formal grant decisions. The support corresponds to commitments in Japan's 2023 fusion strategy, which sets out the goal of achieving fusion power in the 2030s...

2026-09-07