Many political parties in Japan are re-evaluating nuclear power nearly 15 years after the country¡¯s worst nuclear accident.
Energy policies are seen as a major issue in the Feb. 8 election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the country¡¯s parliament, and voters may need to carefully assess each party¡¯s stance over nuclear energy due to renewed concerns about the safety of nuclear power stations following earthquake risk data fraud at Chubu Electric Power¡¯s Hamaoka nuclear plant in Shizuoka Prefecture.
In the December 2012 Lower House election, held after the March 2011 catastrophe at Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) Holdings¡¯ tsunami-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, many parties called for ending nuclear power in line with growing concerns among the public over nuclear plant safety, with some parties seeking urgent action while others focused on the 2020s or 2030s.
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