Society

Fuel loading begins for restart of aging reactor

May 21 (NHK) - The operator of the Mihama nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast has started loading nuclear fuel into an aging reactor.

The No.3 unit would be the first reactor that is more than 40 years old to be put back online in Japan since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident of 2011.

Kansai Electric Power Company started loading the reactor at the plant in Fukui Prefecture on Thursday afternoon.

The utility hopes to complete the loading of 157 fuel assemblies on Sunday. It plans to restart the reactor in late June after an inspection by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the operation of reactors in Japan was limited by law to 40 years in principle.

But old reactors can still be allowed to operate for up to 60 years if they pass a screening by the regulator and gain consent from local governments.

Two other aging reactors, the No.1 and No.2 units of Kansai Electric's Takahama plant in the same prefecture, have gone through similar procedures to operate beyond the 40-year limit.

But the utility says no decision has been made on when to restart these reactors because facilities are still being constructed at the plant to ensure safety in the event of emergencies such as terrorist attacks.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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