TEPCO's nuclear plant to clear NRA check
Japan's nuclear regulator has taken a step further in allowing Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, to restart its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.
The nuclear plant would be the first of those held by the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant to soon be given the regulator's green light under the requirements introduced after the 2011 accident.
The commissioners of the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday unanimously adopted its draft assessment for the plant's No.6 and 7 reactors. The plant has 7 reactors.
The assessment says safety measures for the 2 reactors set forth by TEPCO meet the requirements.
The measures include introducing new equipment and procedures for use in case of severe accidents, such as leaks of radioactive substances from the plant's damaged containment vessel.
The reactors would also be the first of Japan's boiling-water-type reactors -- the same type as those that melted down at Fukushima Daiichi -- to get approval for restarting.
The regulator plans to invite the public to express opinions for a month starting on Thursday before it gives official approval.
Meanwhile, Niigata Governor Ryuichi Yoneyama has indicated that he will not decide on whether to give necessary consent for the restart before the prefecture's investigation into the 2011 accident is complete. The probe is expected to take 3 or 4 years.
News On Japan - Nov 24
It's Shichi-Go-San, the Japanese festival season for celebrating the healthy growth of children, with Aibo the robot dog giving prayer at a shrine in Fukuoka, on Friday.
HISTORY - Nov 24
Japan has had multiple incidents that may have included the work of aliens. See more in this compilation from Ancient Aliens.
tweaktown.com - Nov 23
Minecraft isn't just a game where you can let your imagination and creativity run wild; it can also be used to demonstrate real-world projects, or at least that is what Japan's government appears to be doing.
newsonjapan.com - Nov 21
For many of us, particularly those of a certain age, Japan is the country that built the gaming industry.
NHK - Nov 20
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it finished the third round of the treated and diluted water discharge into the sea as planned.
News On Japan - Nov 18
Honda is set to launch an unmanned autonomous taxi service in Tokyo's Odaiba area in about two years.
NHK - Nov 18
Japan's space agency says it aims to make a second attempt to launch the country's new flagship H3 rocket by the end of next March.
News On Japan - Nov 17
The Japan Pharmaceutical Association will begin experimental sales of "emergency contraceptives," aimed at preventing unwanted pregnancies, at approximately 150 pharmacies nationwide starting from Nov 28 as part of a feasibility study to make them available without a doctor's prescription.
News On Japan - Nov 17
The new island that emerged off the coast of Iwo Jima last month continues to spew ash and lava every few minutes.
News On Japan - Nov 16
Last year's average global concentration of greenhouse gases recorded their highest levels since statistics began in 1984, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
NHK - Nov 16
Japan's Environment Ministry says levels of tritium in seawater off the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant remain below detectable amounts.
newsonjapan.com - Nov 15
The main goal for any business is considered to be to increase the growth of sales or service delivery.
NHK - Nov 15
Japanese astronaut Onishi Takuya, a former passenger jet pilot, will head to the International Space Station around 2025.
ndtv.com - Nov 14
Recently, Japan's McDonald's has introduced an innovative system in some locations where washrooms have a slot designed to sanitise our phones.
Nikkei - Nov 14
Japan will ease regulations on clinical trials for new drugs developed overseas, Nikkei has learned, scrapping the rule that in principle drugs' safety must be tested on Japanese before they can be launched in the domestic market.
Running2Redline - Nov 12
The V8 engine is one of the best formats out there, and when Japanese manufacturers gave it a try, the result was incredible. In this installation of the engine tier list series, we find out which of the Japanese V8s comes out on top!