By Sakura Murakami

KASHIWAZAKI Japan (Reuters) –Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faces fierce opposition in his push to restart Japanese nuclear power stations that were shut down after the Fukushima catastrophe. If the election is close, then Kishida will be forced out of office.

Japan only restarted a third its 33 operational reactors a decade ago, after three meltdowns at Fukushima prompted mass evacuations.

The debate over firing more is a contentious one, as 40% of the population opposed the idea.

It is most important in small rural towns that house idle plants. Kashiwazaki, located 265 km (165 mi) northwest from Tokyo, hosts the largest atomic energy complex in the world.

Mie Kuwabara (a Kashiwazaki resident and an anti-nuclear activist) said, “The reason we feel so strongly is because it’s dangerous for us to feel this way.”

The pandemic is most important to voters. However, energy policy was brought into focus when Kishida won the nomination to be the Liberal Democratic Party’s chief.

Akira Amari (party veteran) was the architect of Kishida’s win. She immediately assumed key post in the party and pushed for 30 reactor restarts.

Amari believes Japan should revert back to nuclear power in order to fulfill its 2050 pledge to reduce carbon emissions, to avoid rising import prices for coal and natural gas, and to decrease its dependence on foreign countries for its energy requirements.

Amari finds himself in an extremely tight race within his own district. Komeito is not supportive of Amari’s anti-nuclear coalition junior partner.

Kashiwazaki, too, is heavily opposed to his plans.

Mineo Ono (who runs LDP’s chapter in his local area where the anti-nuclear proponent TaroKono received higher votes than Kishida) said, “This prefecture, even within LDP,” that all of Japan is united behind the notion that the nuclear power station can’t be restarted.

Ono mentioned local distrust due to what he described as multiple mishaps at the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Holdingss (Tepco).

After having identified operational issues such as intruder alarms that were not working and ID card misuse, the nuclear regulator canceled plans to restart Kashiwazaki – Kariwa’s Kashiwazaki plant. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa can provide power for 24 million households.

Restarts were delayed across the nation due to legal issues, technical difficulties, or regulatory reviews.

Tepco apologised for the error and promised to work with locals to restore trust. Tepco stated that although nuclear energy can be instrumental in carbon neutrality, it is too late to talk about restarts.

The LDP is facing a dilemma as it polls suggest that the party may be on the verge of losing its simple majority. This outcome could still allow the LDP to hold onto power due to Komeito’s coalition, however, that might lead to an internal push to remove Kishida.

According to Friday’s latest energy policy, the government announced it would increase renewable energy levels by 25% in 2020, increasing them from 66% in 2018. However, the government has stated that nuclear power will continue to provide approximately 22% of all energy in 2030.

“DIVIDING FACTOR”

Kashiwazaki (a city of 80,000) is located along the Sea of Japan coast. The evening is when buses take workers to the station.

We host the largest nuclear power plant in the world, however that energy is mostly sent to Tokyo and other surrounding areas. Ono of the LDP said that many people feel strongly about this. He said that there is a “divide” between Tokyo’s sentiment and Tokyo’s.

Tepco is in dire need of a restart, as it needs funds to clean up its Fukushima nuclear plant. According to the company, restarting KashiwazakiKariwa’s reactors would reduce fuel consumption by $880million per year.

The local chamber of Commerce, however, was instrumental in winning the plant, established in 1985. It says that it has grown tired of Tepco’s many failures.

Masao Sikawa chief chamber of commerce, said “It’s nearly unbearable,”

These fears were dispelled by Kenichi Hosoda (the LDP candidate for the district) who is the Vice Minister at the Ministry of Industry responsible for energy policy and has toned his pro-nuclear rhetoric.

After a rally near the plant, he said that “now is not the right time to address the issue.”

Ono responded to an inquiry about why talks on the nuclear power plant were toned down in the lead-up to the elections.

The issue of nuclear power will ultimately be the main dividing factor. Ono stated that it is a known fact that nuclear energy has an impact.