Japan’s Industry Minister inspects a nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture

Japan’s Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei has inspected a nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture that recently restarted commercial operation for the first time since it was taken offline after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident.

The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, put the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant’s No. 6 reactor back online in January.

On April 16, the plant resumed commercial provision of electricity to the greater Tokyo area and elsewhere for the first time in roughly 14 years.

The minister visited the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant on Saturday for the first time since assuming his post. The minister told reporters he was impressed by field staff’s commitment to safety and their sense of vigilance.