Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has officially ruled that unit 2 of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture cannot be restarted as it does not comply with regulatory safety standards. New regulatory standards announced in June 2013 prohibit reactor buildings and other important facilities being located above any active fault. On two occasions - in May 2013 and March 2015 - a Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) panel of experts concluded that an active fault lies under the Tsuruga 2 reactor building. However, owner Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) has maintained that its own analysis has shown that the fault is not active and does not extend under the unit. In November 2015 it applied to the NRA for a review to restart the operation of Tsuruga 2. An NRA review team presented the results of their confirmation of the activity of the fault at a meeting on 31 May this year, and the continuity of the fault at a meeting on 26 July. The team concluded that the possibility of an active fault running directly underneath the reactor building "cannot be denied". The regulator adopted the team's draft screening report in August. Following a public comment period, the NRA has now ruled that the unit does not comply with the regulatory safety standards and can therefore not be restarted. It marks the first instance that such a decision has been made under the new regulations. NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka was quoted by Jiji Press as saying "it was a big decision", adding that the decision "is not different at all from those made so far, in that we conducted strict screening from scientific and technical standpoints". In a statement, JAPC said it was "disappointed" with the NRA's decision. "It did not recognise that the activity and continuity of the K fault found in the D-1 trench on the site of Tsuruga nuclear power plant unit 2 are in conformity with the new regulatory standards," it said. "We will work toward reapplying for permission to change the installation of Tsuruga nuclear power plant unit 2 and starting operation," the utility added. "We will specify the content of the additional investigation required for the application, taking into account the opinions of external experts." , opens new tab Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.On March 11 Japan's northeast coast was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake triggering the worst nuclear crisis since Chornobyl a quarter of a century earlier.Reporting by Rocky Swift Kuniko Muto; Writing by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Jamie Freed Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Tsuruga is an impressive port city in Hokuriku region in the central northern area of mainland Japan Tsuruga faces the Sea of Japan and is home to a beautiful blue ocean and a thriving international transportation hub Tsuruga Port was a “path to life” for European orphans and refugees fleeing post-revolutionary Russia and Nazi German-occupied Europe 763 Polish orphans were rescued by the Japan Red Cross and were welcomed via the port town Tsuruga would again be the setting of welcoming 6,000 Jewish refugees with visas for life issued by Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania to commemorate the history of welcoming refugees the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum opened To celebrate the 100th and 80th anniversaries of these important events the museum was expanded and relocated to nearly-100-year-old former port buildings after they were renovated the history of the port and the turbulent period along with heartwarming interactions between the refugees and Tsuruga locals is documented through the displayed photos “The displayed items and exhibitions at this museum are simply telling us how important life and peace are,” said Akinori Nishikawa Visit Tsuruga to check out the unique history of the Port of Humanity while enjoying its old western-style museum buildings and crystal-clear blue ocean Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan The number two reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant (NPP) could be deemed too unsafe to restart amid safety concerns A panel of Japan’s nuclear watchdog has decided against restarting the number two reactor at the Tsuruga NPP citing safety concerns The Tsuruga plant is located close to the 4,000-year-old Urasoko fault-line where seismic shifts are more likely a magnitude nine earthquake hit the north-east coast of Japan causing the nuclear reactor in Fukushima to malfunction and leading to the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl The Japanese Government has since not allowed nuclear plants to be located over fault-lines Due to the Tsuruga plant’s proximity to the fault-line – in addition to Japan being one of the most seismically active countries in the world – the panel deemed the number two reactor unsafe to be restarted The panel will submit a report to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) which will decide whether the reactor can restart will be forced to decommission its nuclear facility if the NRA denies its application for the reactor to be restarted the company is set to request an additional review Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis “We will conduct an additional investigation We are not considering decommissioning the plant,” said Mamoru Muramatsu If the NRA is to deny the restart of the number two reactor it will be the governing body’s first ever rejection of restarting an idled reactor under post-Fukushima regulations of the 33 reactors that were considered for restarting after the Fukushima disaster The NRA’s stricter safety standards since the incident have made the restarting of reactors more difficult The safety standards are in place to prevent disasters like Fukushima but could prevent the government from establishing a stable, secure and clean energy supply for the country If the number two reactor is decommissioned, Japan Atomic Power is expected to lose a large portion of its annual income Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network 2 reactor building of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant is seen in Tsuruga The Nuclear Regulation Authority said the Tsuruga No 2 reactor is “unfit” as its operator failed to address safety risks stemming from the presence of possible active fault lines “We reached our conclusion based on a very strict examination,” NRA chairperson Shinsuke Yamanaka told reporters The verdict comes after more than eight years of safety reviews that were repeatedly disrupted by data coverups and mistakes by the operator He called the case “abnormal” and urged the utility to take the result seriously The decision is a blow to Japan Atomic Power because it virtually ends its hopes for a restart which is decommissioning its other reactor but it would require an examination of dozens of faults around the reactor to prove their safety “The decision is extremely regrettable,” Japan Atomic Power said in a statement It said it will continue efforts to restart An NRA safety panel concluded three months ago it could not rule out the possibility of active fault lines about 300 meters (330 yards) north of the No 2 reactor stretching to right underneath the facility Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that safety is the prerequisite for nuclear plant operation and that the government respects the scientific and highly technical decision by the watchdog He said the government’s position to promote nuclear energy is unchanged directly above active fault lines is prohibited in earthquake-prone Japan Yamanaka said the NRA is not immediately ordering a decommissioning because the reactor which is offline and its spent fuel safely cooled it must address not only the faults issue but it also must implement adequate safety measures for the entire plant Providing scientific proof of the status of faults underneath key nuclear facilities is difficult but other operators that obtained restart permits all cleared the requirement 2 reactor first started commercial operation in February 1987 and has been offline since May 2011 The operator rejected the NRA panel’s 2013 on-site inspection results which concluded that the faults under the No 27 have applied for restarts and 17 of them have been approved so far under the post-Fukushima safety standard Japan's nuclear regulators concluded Friday that the Tsuruga No 2 reactor does not meet stricter safety rules imposed after the Fukushima crisis saying that a fault running underneath the offline unit could be active It is the first time the Nuclear Regulation Authority has effectively decided not to approve a plan to restart an idled reactor under post-Fukushima regulations The nuclear disaster was triggered by a powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit northeastern Japan in March 2011 the operator of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in the central prefecture of Fukui requested that regulators continue their safety assessment during their meeting We are not thinking of scrapping" the unit Japan Atomic Power President Mamoru Muramatsu told reporters in Mihama establishing nuclear plants or other important facilities directly above faults is prohibited under the new safety rules geological experts for the NRA stated that a fault running underneath the No but Japan Atomic Power applied for a safety review in November 2015 The assessment process for the reactor has been rocky with the regulator having faced a temporary two-year suspension after it was revealed the operator had submitted documents with over 1,000 inaccuracies and rewritten data without approval The review process was suspended again in April 2023 over faulty documents presented by the operator The Tsuruga nuclear plant is a two-unit complex which started commercial operations in February 1987 Japan completes 7th round of Fukushima treated water discharge 2 central Japan nuclear reactors get 20-year service extension To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible New regulatory standards announced in June 2013 prohibit reactor buildings and other important facilities being located above any active fault On two occasions - in May 2013 and March 2015 - an NRA panel of experts concluded that an active fault lies under the Tsuruga 2 reactor building JAPC has maintained that its own analysis has shown that the fault is not active and does not extend under the unit In November 2015 it applied to the NRA for a review to restart the operation of Tsuruga 2 An NRA review team presented the results of their confirmation of the activity of the fault at a meeting on 31 May and the continuity of the fault at a meeting on 26 July The team concluded that the possibility of an active fault running directly underneath the reactor building "cannot be denied." JAPC said in a 26 July statement to the NRA that it is "examining the basis for the review team's judgment .. and considering additional investigation to obtain new data" we will carefully examine the results of today's discussions we will also consider contents beyond those described in the current amendment (logical structure We would like to ask you to review the application once these considerations have been completed and the results of the investigation have been compiled we would like to re-amend the amendment from August last year." the NRA said today: "We would like to ask President Muramatsu of Japan Atomic Power Company to confirm the purpose of the request at the Nuclear Regulation Authority and then discuss the handling of this application." If the NRA denies JAPC's application to restart the reactor - which would mark the first instance that such a decision has been made under the new regulations - the company may have no option but to decommission Tsuruga 2 JAPC President Mamoru Muramatsu said after the panel meeting: "We will conduct an additional investigation We are not considering decommissioning the plant." Muramatsu's words were reported by Kyodo News Agency Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) officially announced that it had determined that the Tsuruga-2 Nuclear Power Plant (PWR 1,160 MW) did not meet national regulatory standards The Tsuruga-2 is owned and operated by the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) It is the first time since new regulatory standards for Japan’s NPPs came into effect in 2013 that the NRA had concluded that a reactor facility did not clear a safety compatibility examination The term “reactor” used here includes all experimental and research reactors in the country the NRA had approved the draft review report which was then made open for public comments for one month The section of the examination of the Tsuruga-2 that was related to earthquakes and tsunamis focused particularly on the activity and continuation of a fault known as the K Fault situated near a fault zone of crushed rock known as D-1 and located within the premises of the Tsuruga NPPs and running directly below the Tsuruga-2 reactor building The NRA confirmed that it could not be denied that the K Fault had been active since the late Pleistocene (about 120,000 years ago) nor could it be denied that the K Fault extended to the D-1 fault zone of crushed rock running directly under the Tsuruga-2 reactor building Those two facts led to its conclusion this time JAPC had originally filed its application for a compatibility examination for Tsuruga-2 under the new regulatory standards way back in November 2015 meaning that it has taken almost nine whole years for the NRA to reach its conclusions this time while the makeup of the NRA’s five-member committee making the determination about Tsuruga-2 had changed over the course of the examination—with four of the original five NRA commissioners having left and been replaced—all five current members agreed with the latest conclusion released the following comment about the Authority’s decision this time: “In order for us to issue an approval the organization being examined must find and explain how all items are compatible with regulatory standards we at NRA will be forced to issue a disapproval NRA did not conduct the examination only for such a specific case.” He also suggested that the public needed to be better informed about how the NRA had conducted its examination and what the operator’s arguments were At a press conference following the November 13 meeting NRA Chairman YAMANAKA Shinsuke addressed the fact that this was the first time that his organization had not granted permission for a reactor to operated based on a failure to meet regulatory standards and explained the decision as follows: “The point of contention had been narrowed and the NRA had carried out its examination fairly.” He additionally referred to doubts about JAPC’s application describing it as having been in an “abnormal state.” He urged the operator to reflect strictly on that Upon receipt of the NRA’s examination results JAPC released a comment saying that it was “deeply disappointed.” It also said that it would make another application for the restart of Tsuruga-2 adding that it would endeavor this time to learn about the contents of necessary additional investigations in more detail than before taking into account the opinions of external specialists Niigata Prefectural Assembly Rejects Ordinance Requiring Referendum on Kashiwazaki Kariwa Restart Japan’s Restarted Nuclear Plants Achieve 80.5% Capacity Factor in FY24 【The 58th JAIF Annual Conference】 Envisioning the Future of the Nuclear Industry with Students 【58th JAIF Annual Conference】Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions: Lessons from International Case Studies 【The 58th JAIF Annual Conference】 Challenges of New Nuclear Construction Discussed with European Examples Japan’s NRA Approves Draft Review of Dry Storage Facilities at Takahama and Onagawa NPPs Nuclear Energy Subcommittee Discusses Approval of Extending NPP Operation Beyond 60 Years JAEA Develops Storage Battery Using Depleted Uranium Permission to Change Reactor Installation Given for Shimane-2 NRA Approves Report Saying Tsuruga-2 Does Not Meet Regulatory Standards JAIF’s New President Masui Holds First Press Conference JAPC Continues Efforts Toward Restarting Tsuruga-2 Takahama-3 and -4 Obtain Local Approval for Operation Beyond 40 Years Consumer Affairs Agency Says People’s Concerns about Radioactive Materials in Food Have Reached New Lows JAEA Applies for Permission to Produce Medical Radioisotopes at Joyo Japan’s NRA Looks at Monitoring Technology NRA Withdraws Order Prohibiting Transport of Nuclear Materials at Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs Copyright © JAPAN ATOMIC INDUSTRIAL FORUM the NRA may be setting up to deliver a final report unfavorable to JAPC's plans for restarting the reactor.  the NRA announced that it was "difficult to deny" a fault located in the vicinity of the reactor is active It was a roundabout way of declaring that it considered the fault in question to be currently active.  the NRA is expected to release its conclusions concerning the physical "continuity" of this fault If it concludes that it is "difficult to deny continuity," then a combination of the "activeness" and "continuity" factors would essentially mean that it thinks an active fault runs directly under the No.2 reactor.  ongoing discussions at the NRA's review meetings seem to point in that direction Is their ultimate goal to force decommissioning of the reactor We cannot stand by in silence as this is happening.  Referred to as a "K," it runs beneath the Tsuruga station site to the north of the No 2 reactor 70 meters long by 70 meters wide and 45 meters deep It says it is closely examining the geological strata and earthquake faults in the area the company has sought to prove that the "K" fault has not impacted the No 2 reactor.  As a result of its many years of careful investigation JAPC has accumulated considerable scientific evidence supporting its claim that the cracks in the mass of rock running beneath Unit 2 do not constitute an active fault That is due to land erosion caused by construction work about 40 years ago and other reasons.  We get the distinct impression that the NRA and its secretariat have latched onto this gap in data They seem set to justify the rejection of JAPC's position and declare that the "possibility of activeness cannot be entirely denied." In other words they want to require proof of what inherently cannot be proven it is extremely inappropriate to apply this rhetorical device known as the "devil's proof" (probatio diabolica) to the world of engineering.  NRA's conclusion concerning the "K" fault is expected to be released by the end of July JAPC should continue its meticulous investigations Why does the NRA seem in such a hurry to bring the curtain down on its review of the situation We can't help concluding that its strategy here is to deprive JAPC of the time it requires to prepare a rebuttal What if the NRA finds that the Tsuruga No 2 reactor is not in compliance with the new regulatory criteria that would not directly lead to scrapping the reactor there is no doubt that it would cause JAPC financial difficulties It would also mark the first time that a nuclear power plant hoping to restart had failed the required inspection.  However, the NRA's role is to enhance safety in the use of nuclear power. It is counter to the NRA's job to prevent the restarting of existing facilities. Nonetheless, only 12 nuclear power plants have been restarted since the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.  Many experts have lamented that the NRA seems more concerned with "stopping nuclear power operations than ensuring their safety."  Far from listening to these outside voices the NRA could through its review force the closure of the Tsuruga No 2 reactor The question is why is the NRA rushing to release its conclusions by the end of July If the justification offered is that the review has already been going on for 12 years there would be no great difference in waiting why not give JAPC the additional six months it is asking for to follow up the NRA's investigation?  Insisting on an end-of-July deadline may engender suspicion that the NRA commissioners currently reviewing the fault issue are rushing the decision before their terms expire in September if they hand down their decision in late July these NRA officials would not have to answer questions from Diet members.  And if the findings are released on the eve of the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics they are not likely to garner much interest among the public It would be outrageous for the schedule to be manipulated in such a fashion We should never forget that nuclear energy remains an indispensable source of energy for resource-poor Japan. Furthermore, the government has identified the maximum possible use of nuclear power as a core component of its Green Transformation (GX) basic policy It aims to achieve both economic growth and decarbonization.  Amidst an increasingly tense international situation, the importance of energy security is growing. Meanwhile, the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to lead to a significantly increased demand for electricity Although the NRA has been granted independence it is still an administrative agency of the nation Its mission is to enhance the safety of nuclear energy operations If it is determined to terminate nuclear power plants under the guise of increasing safety then it is mistaking "dogmatism" and "self-righteousness" for "independence." Moreover it is perverting the whole rationale for the NRA's existence.  The NRA should not wind up the safety review of the Tsuruga Unit 2 reactor prematurely. We expect NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka to show leadership in that regard And Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet should not stand idly by either.  (Read the editorial in Japanese.) Author: Editorial Board You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report 13 officially rejected Japan Atomic Power Co.’s request to restart a reactor based on the “undeniable” possibility of an active fault running beneath it 2 reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture is the first to be rejected by the Nuclear Regulation Authority The operator said it will continue to seek approval to restart the reactor that was shut down after the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant accident triggered by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami The NRA has concluded that the possibility that a fault lying just below the reactor building is active cannot be ruled out The new regulatory standards introduced after the Fukushima accident do not allow operation of important nuclear facilities a fault is deemed active if there remains a possibility that it has moved over the past approximately 120,000 to 130,000 years A draft examination report approved by the NRA on Aug 28 determined that the reactor fails to comply with the standards After soliciting comments from the public over 30 days the NRA officially decided not to approve the request to restart the reactor on Nov Japan Atomic Power argued that the fault is not active on the grounds of on-site geological surveys the NRA determined that data provided by the company lack a scientific basis Nuclear plant operators have applied to bring 27 reactors back online The NRA has approved restarting 17 of them after determining that they comply with the standards instituted following the Fukushima accident An operator can reapply for a reactor restart even if an application is rejected Tsuruga reactor fails to gain OK for restart due to active fault EDITORIAL: Japan Atomic Power should decommission Tsuruga reactor JAPC apologizes for altering research on fault under reactor NRA halts Fukui nuclear reactor review over data manipulation Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Citizens' Nuclear Information Center CNIC Statements / energy policy / Other / Press Release 2025 The Public Comment system is a procedure that was legislated by the Amendments to the Administrative Procedure Act in June 2005 “aiming to ensure the fairness of and to improve... Newsletters / Nuke Info Tokyo Nuke Info Tokyo is a bi-monthly newsletter that aims to provide English speaking friends with up-to-date information on the Japanese nuclear industry and the movements against it   Editor: Takakuwa Mayu Translators: Pat Ormsby,... energy policy / International / News / Nuclear Fuel Cycle / Radioactive Waste   Strategic Energy Plan and Other Cabinet Decisions Japan’s government adopted the 7th Strategic Energy Plan on February 18 together with the GX2040 Vision and Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures in cabinet decisions Who's Who/Group Intro Network of Nuclear Disaster Victim Groups   Ms She is like a girl who has advanced in age but whose heart has not... Fukushima former nuclear engineer   The Events So Far A fuel debris sample from the Unit 2 reactor of Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s (TEPCO’s) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has been extracted... Contaminated Soil / Contamination / Fukushima / Fukushima Daiichi related data Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science Kyoto University   Changes in dose rates in Iitate Village Iitate Village lies in the Abukuma Highlands 30 to 45 km northwest of the... Contaminated water / Fukushima / Fukushima Daiichi related data By Matsukubo Hajime   State of the Plant The water temperature in the containment vessels and the spent fuel pools (SFPs) shows no great variation despite seasonal temperature changes Contaminated Soil / Exposed work / Fukushima By Yamaguchi Yukio   This month marks 14 years since the Fukushima nuclear accident It was so severe it put Japan under a “nuclear emergency declaration” that is still in effect CNIC Statements / Fukushima 14 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident which sets the basic direction of the... CNIC Statements / energy policy the Ishiba Cabinet approved the Seventh Strategic Energy Plan which removed the invaluable lesson learned from the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station 
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Who’s Who: Oda Chiyo Who’s Who: Mukohara Yoshitaka – A Person Having Both Feet Firmly on the Ground Comments on the Analysis of the Fuel Debris Sample Retrieved from the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 Reactor Environmental Standards and Hazard Maps Are Required to Deal with Radioactive Contamination – Iitate Village Radiation Dose Survey Results and Contamination Forecasts Citizens' Nuclear Information Center 1F Ogura Bldg Japan TEL.03-6821-3211 FAX.03-5358-9791 Email Powered by  - Designed with the Hueman theme the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) announced that it would continue examining a plan to conduct additional surveys at its Tsuruga Unit 2 (PWR in preparation for its reapplication for compatibility screening under the country’s new regulatory standards The power company also stated that it would notify local communities and relevant parties once the plan—originally scheduled to be compiled by the end of March 2025—is finalized the section entitled “Maximizing Use of Existing Plants” clearly states the company’s intention to “move forward with reapplying for changing a reactor installation and preparing for the restart” of Tsuruga-2 the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan decided on November 13 that the plant “does not meet the requirements for conformity.” JAPC indicated its intention to consider the additional surveys needed for it to reapply for screening after incorporating the opinions of external experts It had initially applied for compatibility screening under the new regulatory standards for Tsuruga-2 in November 2015 In the course of seismic and tsunami-related assessments concerns were raised over the presence of the so-called K Fault lying near the extension of the D-1 fracture zone which runs directly beneath the reactor building The K Fault was determined to have been possibly active since the late Pleistocene period (approximately 120,000 to 130,000 years ago) meaning that its continuity with the D-1 fracture zone cannot be ruled out an additional survey could take more than two years to complete so the timing of the reapplication remains undecided If the additional screening occurs as expected the total time that the reactor will have been shut down may extend well over a decade JAPC had peer reviews conducted in 2013 and 2014 by two international teams composed of experts in risk management and geology Those reviews dealt with the fracture zone investigation on the Tsuruga site which had been inherited from the former Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) JAPC has always maintained that its surveys have “a sound scientific basis.” a prestigious authority in the field of geophysics also emphasized—through papers published by its expert teams—the importance of having sufficient discussions carried out on the issue Kashiwazaki Kariwa-6&7 Face Delay in Construction of Anti-Terrorism Facilities Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved a draft of a review report regarding a safety examination of the Tsuruga-2 Nuclear Power Plant (PWR owned and operated by the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) The draft report dealt with the reactor’s compatibility with new regulatory standards NRA said that it would not grant permission to make changes to the reactor installation at Tsuruga-2 because of its noncompliance with the requirement that “important safety related facilities (such as reactor buildings) be installed on ground surfaces without outcrops of capable faults that may be active in the future.” NRA agreed to open the draft for public comments based on which the report will be officially finalized Since the new regulatory standards for Japan’s nuclear power plants (NPPs) came into effect in 2013—in the wake of the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi—this was the first time that NRA had concluded that it could not clear a safety compatibility examination for a reactor (including research reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities) JAPC had applied to NRA for an examination of Tsuruga-2 for compatibility with the new regulatory standards Examination-related activities were suspended for a time due to doubts about data from JAPC’s geological investigations The point of contention was the activity and continuation of a fault known as the K Fault situated near a fault zone of crushed rock known as D-1 located within the premises of the Tsuruga NPPs and running directly below the Tsuruga-2 reactor building the NRA examination team held examination meetings eight times and carried out on-site investigations investigators presented their confirmation of two points: The draft review report was subsequently formulated at the meeting in line with the findings JAPC said that it would “try to secure additional investigations and enhance the available data,” underscoring its intention to continue efforts to restart Tsuruga-2 At an extraordinary examination meeting held one week later JAPC representative explained the additional investigations made by an expert team composed of outside engineers and released a comment on how the Agency would deal with the matter henceforth In any examination of nuclear facilities—especially those involving a look at geological features and seismic vibrations—it is extremely difficult to determine the activity of prehistoric faults a situation that complicates judgments based on regulatory standards That is why the examination period had been so protracted this time Upon approval of the draft review report on Tsuruga-2 the person responsible for the NRA’s examinations regarding earthquakes and tsunamis stated his recognition that the “review report demonstrates that the decision was made on a scientific basis.” the person responsible for plant examinations said that the report’s conclusions lay in an “area where judgments cannot be based on simple black-and-white thinking,” that is in a gray area without definitive conclusions At a press conference after the August 28 regular meeting NRA Chairman YAMANAKA Shinsuke looked back on the eight-plus years of the examinations at Tsuruga-2—which had started before he assumed his current post—and reiterated that the ruling this time was “quite a monumental decision.” He also referred to the work done by the examination team saying that they had “conducted the examinations prudentially” and had “taken sufficient time.” citing JAPC’s expected filing of another application for the NPP he reflected his Agency’s position when he said that “nothing” had been “precluded.” Cabinet Office Seeks Public Comments on Safety Regulations for Fusion Energy JAIF President Masui Praises New Strategic Energy Plan The 7th Strategic Energy Plan Approved by the Cabinet METI Minister Muto Emphasizes Japan’s GX Activities in New Year Remarks Japan’s Council on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Meets Advisory Committee Presents Draft of Japan’s Next Strategic Energy Plan Working Group Assesses Scenarios for Japan’s Future Power-Generation Costs NRA Determines That Tsuruga-2 Does Not Meet Regulatory Standards Today's print edition Home Delivery The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday officially ruled the No 2 reactor of Japan Atomic Power's Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture is noncompliant with the country's new safety standards The NRA in August adopted a draft screening report concluding that the Tsuruga No 2 reactor did not meet the safety standards after a screening process taking nearly nine years.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Although the official decision makes the nuclear reactor's restart virtually impossible it is technically possible for Japan Atomic Power to reapply to bring the reactor back online The operator has indicated that it will submit a reapplication after conducting an additional investigation In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Japan’s nuclear watchdog concluded that the No 2 reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture does not comply with regulatory safety standards due to fears of an active fault running directly under the facility The assessment by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will likely put the kibosh on restarting the plant operated by Japan Atomic Power Co. although a formal decision will be announced later Japan Atomic Power will be forced to consider decommissioning the facility if the application to restart the reactor is denied The operator plans to seek further reviews from the NRA after additional plant surveys to secure permission to restart the reactor set up in 2012 following the Fukushima disaster to reject an application to restart a reactor under the new rules Improved safety regulations drawn up after the Fukushima disaster prohibit operating nuclear power plants if an active fault is known to be running directly under critical facilities such as reactor buildings The NRA mandates that electric power companies must prove scientifically that there are no active faults during the examination process for restarting nuclear power plants The focus of the review was whether the “K fault” found in a trench about 300 meters north of the reactor is active or not and whether it extends directly under the reactor building Japan Atomic Power asserted that the K fault is not active citing strata analysis and a boring survey conducted south of the K fault which it said had not confirmed a fault similar to the K fault or that it extended directly under the reactor building But the NRA dismissed the claim as “lacking scientific or a technical basis.” Japan Atomic Power requested that a new investigation be added to the company’s application for a restart told reporters the company hopes to “make a readjustment after conducting an additional investigation.” Muramatsu said Japan Atomic Power is not thinking about decommissioning the plant The NRA will discuss whether to include the additional investigation requested by the operator as a factor in its decision But it is unlikely the NRA will approve Japan Atomic Power’s request because it has not yet decided on the content of the additional investigation The NRA has indicated it will make a decision based on the content of the application already filed The existence of an active fault at the Tsuruga plant was pointed out nearly two decades ago based on a revision of the central government’s earthquake resistance guidelines the operator recognized the “Urasoko fault” located about 200 meters from the No 2 reactor as an active one from about 4,000 years ago the NRA’s panel of experts pointed out that the fault directly below the reactor is an active one the operator applied to the NRA for a review to restart the operation claiming that “evidence had been obtained that the fault is not active.” Of the 27 reactors in Japan that have so far applied to have their operations restarted 17 gained approval after being found in compliance of the new regulatory standards Japan Atomic Power was established in 1957 as a company specializing in nuclear power generation it began operation of Japan’s first commercial nuclear power plant The plant is currently undergoing decommissioning The company earns revenue by supplying electricity it produces to the five major electric power companies 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture are currently the two wings of Japan Atomic Power Both have remained shut down since the Fukushima disaster The company receives “basic fees” from the five utilities to cover maintenance costs of the two facilities Basic fees account for more than 90 percent of the 96.7 billion yen ($629 million) in the company’s sales in fiscal 2023 a large portion of the company’s income could be lost And it could also hinder the progress of No A shakeup in the company’s business foundation could affect the restart of the Tokai No Nuclear plant operator ordered to resubmit safety documents EDITORIAL: Safety data flap should disqualify JAPC as nuke plant operator America is bullish on the future of nuclear power while Japan is turning its generators back on with extra caution a nuclear watchdog halted a reactor from spinning up after deciding it was unsafe the Department of Energy has set a goal of tripling its nuclear capacity by the year 2050 and the material cost of burning fossil fuels to keep the lights on explodes the world is turning its eyes to nuclear energy and other sustainable forms of generating energy are great but they don’t create the returns that nuclear energy does Nuclear solutions can provide a lot of clean energy Japan has a lot of experience with the particular dangers of nuclear power plants In 2011 a power plant in Fukushima melted down following an earthquake Japan passed sweeping regulatory changes to the industry On Wednesday, the government watchdogs in charge of nuclear safety used their power for the first time to prevent a reactor from going into service Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority officially declared Tsuruga Reactor No It said that the reactor sits on too many fault lines and that the company in charge of it hasn’t done enough to address the Authority’s safety concerns The verdict came down after the Authority spent eight years investigating the site Japan has been cautious about nuclear energy but announced a plan in 2022 to accelerate its use to help it reach a goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 There are more than 50 commercial reactors in the country The Authority has only approved 17 of them The U.S. is also planning to use nuclear energy to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A press release from the Department of Energy (DoE) this week outlined a rough plan to that end nuclear energy is the largest source of clean power in the United States It “avoids more than 470 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year which is the equivalent of removing 100 million cars from the road.” If it wants to reach net zero emissions by 2050 America will need to add an additional 200 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power to the grid The number is variable depending on the design involved, but a typical nuclear reactor produces around 1 gigawatt of electricity Reaching 200 would mean a whole lot of new nuclear reactors “The plan is to add 35 GW of new capacity by 2035 and achieve a sustained pace of 15 GW per year by 2040 to help keep us on track toward our ultimate goal,” the DoE said Big tech is all in to help. Driven by the energy demands of data centers and AI, companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are all investing in nuclear energy Microsoft is paying millions to spin up Three Mile Island All three companies are investing in different kinds of new reactors The DoE said a mix of new technology and increasing capacity at old plants will help America reach its net zero goal “Preliminary research from our office shows that a majority of our nuclear power plants could host up to 60 GW of new capacity by building large-scale light water reactors like the AP1000s,” it said “That number could grow to 95 GW if you look at sites that can potentially host small modular reactors.” The DoE has also floated the idea of converting fossil fuel-burning coal plants into nuclear energy sites It would generate a lot of energy and create jobs in communities hit hard by the transition to more sustainable forms of energy “The study also found an additional 128 to 174 GW of new capacity could also be built near U.S which includes small modular reactors,” the DoE said Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday decided that a reactor in Fukui Prefecture failed to pass its restart safety review marking the first such case since the regulatory body's founding after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis 2 reactor at the Tsuruga plant in central Japan fell short of the safety requirements due to a possible active fault underneath the offline unit The Nuclear Regulation Authority plans to seek public comments on its assessment report before making its decision official possibly in the fall building reactors or other important safety facilities directly above active faults is prohibited Japan Atomic Power first applied for the safety screening with the hope of restarting the reactor in November 2015 But a safety review team of the NRA concluded in July this year it could not rule out that an active fault located around 300 meters north of the reactor building could potentially stretch right beneath the facility The assessment process for the reactor had been rocky with proceedings suspended twice after it was revealed that Japan Atomic Power had submitted documents that included inaccuracies and data rewritten without approval Japan revamped its regulatory setup by launching the NRA in 2012 and has also introduced a set of new safety requirements to reflect the lessons learned from the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima Daiichi plant triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 17 reactors among the 27 that have been put forward for safety screening nationwide have cleared the process Japan regulator blocks plan to restart Tsuruga nuclear unit TEPCO halts attempt to extract melted fuel at Fukushima nuclear plant Nuclear regulators said Friday that they have concluded that the No 2 unit at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture does not meet stricter regulations imposed on the sector following the 2011 Fukushima disaster This is the first time that the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has rejected an application to restart a reactor under the new rules.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The new standards do not permit the installation of safety-critical equipment on an active fault line and the NRA said it cannot deny the possibility that the fault line running under the reactor building is connected to adjacent active fault lines The NRA will publish its official decision at a later date after which Japan Atomic Power will have to make difficult decisions including that involving the decommissioning of the reactor The transport ministry showed Wednesday three detailed options for an extended route from Tsuruga to Osaka for the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line begin at Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and reach Shin-Osaka Station via another Fukui city of Obama and Kyoto.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The three options differ from each other when it comes to the location of the Kyoto stop All suggest that a station be newly constructed underground the new stop will be built running east to west or north to south beneath Kyoto Station the other proposed location is near Katsuragawa Station The ministry said the route extension is newly estimated to cost up to ¥5.3 trillion up over twofold from the initial estimate of ¥2.1 trillion assuming that the inflation rate will remain at 2% per year The ministry also said the route construction is expected to last up to 28 years over 10 years longer than its initial forecast The ruling camp hopes to reach a decision on the route by the end of this year with a goal to begin construction work in fiscal 2025 Some local governments concerned and opposition parties are advocating connecting the Hokuriku Shinkansen line with the Tokaido Shinkansen line's Maibara Station in Shiga Prefecture due to cheaper construction costs and a shorter construction period Fukui — Extended to Tsuruga Station on March 16 the Hokuriku Shinkansen is an up-and-coming alternative to the Tokaido Shinkansen please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Daisuke Kawakami and Tomohito Takayama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Due to typhoons in August and September this year the Tokaido Shinkansen was sometimes forced to cancel services prompting many passengers to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen instead Some experts are now calling for the planned extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Osaka to be expedited in case a disaster knocks the Tokaido Shinkansen out of commission for an extended period of time when the Tokaido Shinkansen timetable was disrupted by the approach of typhoons Ampil and Shanshan this year 14 extra bullet trains ran along the Hokuriku Shinkansen line on four days — Aug It takes about twice as long to travel between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo on the Thunderbird limited express and the Hokuriku Shinkansen trains the platform at Tsuruga Station — the transfer station for the Thunderbird to the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train — was crowded with passengers “I was stuck in Kyoto because the Tokaido Shinkansen was suspended,” said a 24-year-old man who was heading home to Yokohama from a business trip to Kyoto “I can’t wait any longer because it will affect my work.” was on his way to a concert in Tokyo that day With the Tokaido Shinkansen out as an option he decided to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen That would make it even more convenient,” he said Construction on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line has not started between Tsuruga and Shin-Osaka yet Three stops will eventually be built along the route in Higashi-Obama the construction plan should be approved around March 2026 at the earliest There is a high chance that the Tokaido Shinkansen will be affected by a natural disaster emergency information about a possible megaquake in the Nankai Trough was issued for the first time following a very strong earthquake in the Hyuganada Sea off Miyazaki Prefecture (JR Tokai) reduced the speed of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Mishima and Mikawa-Anjo stations from Aug The firm said it will suspend services altogether if the quake threat increases again in the future The planned Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev line said the line’s transport capacity will be limited compared to the Tokaido Shinkansen “If disasters or other events sever the Tokaido Shinkansen line transportation will be severely restricted causing a major impact on reconstruction and the economy,” Abe said “The Hokuriku Shinkansen line should be developed through to Osaka as national infrastructure not only from the perspective of profitability but also for emergency response.” Six months have passed since the Hokuriku Shinkansen line was extended from Kanazawa to Tsuruga stations and the extension has had a positive impact on tourism and business in Fukui Prefecture “We had promoted our prefecture solely on the back of dinosaurs but our name recognition has increased greatly thanks to the extension,” Fukui Gov Tatsuji Sugimoto said at a press conference on Sept The governor indicated that the prefecture’s promotion activities which had been carried out mainly in the Kanto region Echizen-Takefu and Tsuruga — have been constructed in Fukui The prefectural government went all in on its identity as a “dinosaur kingdom” boasting many unearthed dinosaur fossils A record 1.18 million people have visited Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum annually since it reopened in July last year visitors to the museum from the Kanto-Koshin region up 5.5 percentage points from before the extension The number of large-scale academic and economic conferences held in the prefecture also increased with conferences of 50 participants or more rising from 80 in fiscal 2023 to almost 130 — including events still to be held — this fiscal year tourists staying overnight in the prefecture dropped about 10% after the extension from the pre-pandemic year of 2019 with many likely visiting the prefecture and leaving the same day “How to maintain the current boom is a challenge,” said Jin-ai University’s specially appointed Prof “It will be necessary to come up with ways to convey the appeal of the various areas along the line Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Editorial The Nuclear Regulation Authority has determined that the No 2 reactor of the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture does not meet its safety standards The decision will block efforts to restart the idled reactor should make a decision to decommission the reactor given the grim fact it has been unable to meet the safety requirements to bring the unit back online in spite of the huge amount of time it has spent on the effort while many other reactors have met the regulatory requirements the nuclear safety watchdog concluded that the possibility of an active fault running directly beneath the containment building that houses the Tsuruga No The stricter nuclear safety standards established after the catastrophic accident at the Fukushima No 1 nuclear plant in 2011 categorically state that critical facilities such as nuclear reactors must not be located directly above an active fault which is a fracture or a zone of fractures in the Earth’s crust where the movement of rocks can cause earthquakes If ground surface displacement occurs around such vital facilities The NRA is expected to reject Japan Atomic Power’s application to restart the reactor following the compilation of the review document 27 reactors have applied for permission to restart and 17 have been recognized as meeting the new safety standards If the application to reactivate the Tsuruga No it will mark the first such action by the regulatory body A major nuclear accident would cause irreversible damage regulatory decisions on the safety of reactors should err on the side of greater safety when in doubt The risk from an active fault directly below a critical nuclear facility is extremely high and if its presence under the reactor cannot be denied there is a compelling case for not allowing the operation of the reactor the NRA cannot force the decommissioning of nuclear reactors that do not meet the new safety standards Japan Atomic Power plans to seek further reviews from the NRA after additional plant surveys to secure permission to restart the reactor nine years have already passed since the application to restart the Tsuruga No The prolonged review process is due to the operator’s mishandling of the procedure There were more than 1,000 errors in the application documents Tampering with geological data was also discovered These were serious issues that shook the foundation of the safety assessment leading to the NRA’s decision to suspend the process Given the backlog of other nuclear plant reviews and the time the NRA has already devoted to this application Japan Atomic Power must surely realize it is being unreasonable in pursuing the undertaking the location of the Tsuruga nuclear plant is not suitable for a nuclear facility Japan Atomic Power acknowledges that an active fault known as “Urasoko Danso,” runs through the site evacuation routes would be limited in the event of an earthquake causing a serious accident 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake flattened many buildings and cut off roads at many locations reaffirming the difficulty of sheltering indoors or evacuating when a major earthquake hits a peninsula Japan Atomic Power is a company that sells electricity generated from nuclear power to major electric utilities that are its shareholders But since the earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011 it has been decided that two of the company’s four reactors need to be decommissioned the company is forced to operate only on the “basic fees” paid by the electric power companies This cost is passed on to the public through higher electric bills The major electric power companies have a responsibility to consider the future of Japan Atomic Power including whether to continue or discontinue its operations EDITORIAL: Olympics mirror the evolving challenges that humanity faces EDITORIAL: Corporate ‘furusato nozei’ program needs to be fixed EDITORIAL: Japan must set PFAS levels to ensure safe drinking water EDITORIAL: Continuation of Joe Biden’s legacy is best outcome for all EDITORIAL: China’s plenum must deliver fixes instead of more empty slogans EDITORIAL: Museums are storehouses of knowledge Coast guard officials in Fukui Prefecture are calling for increased vigilance over wild dolphins in the waters off the prefecture as more cases of human injury have been reported this summer a 10-year-old who had gone for a swim at a beach in the city of Tsuruga was bitten by a dolphin suffering a serious injury that required over 20 stitches to his middle and ring fingers according to the Tsuruga Coast Guard Office.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); A similar incident happened at another beach in the city on the same day The office issued warnings about possible attacks by wild dolphins as early as 2022 but there are still cases of people being injured by dolphins — five in 2023 and another five this year as of Tuesday adding that none of the cases were life-threatening dolphins are still wild animals,” the 2022 warning said get out of the water and enjoy your time safely!” The coast guard office has set up signs and posters on the beaches in the prefecture to raise awareness of the danger either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Japan's nuclear regulator has disqualified the country's Tsuruga No. 2 reactor from restarting for the first time under post-Fukushima safety standards The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) announced Wednesday that Japan Atomic Power Co. had failed to adequately address potential seismic risks from active fault lines near the reactor The decision is a setback for Japan's energy policy, which aims to expand nuclear power to bolster energy stability and meet carbon neutral goals "We reached our conclusion based on a very strict examination," said NRA Chairperson Shinsuke Yamanaka He called the eight-year review process "abnormal" due to frequent disruptions from data inaccuracies and errors by Japan Atomic Power Co He said that the company should take the decision seriously, given the safety implications Though the NRA has not mandated the decommissioning of Tsuruga No Yamanaka said that any future application would require strict compliance with seismic standards but it also must implement adequate safety measures for the entire plant The 2011 Fukushima disaster was one of the most severe nuclear accidents in history The partial meltdown prompted Japan to temporarily shut down all its nuclear reactors and introduce stricter safety assessments Japan has moved forward with plans to restart nuclear reactors as part of a 2022 government initiative to maximize nuclear energy use The operator had applied for a restart in 2015 following the NRA's 2013 inspection that concluded faults beneath the site were active 27 have sought restart approvals under the reinforced safety standards with only 17 approved to resume operations At the heart of the NRA's disqualification decision is concern over fault lines about 330 yards from the reactor that could extend beneath the facility itself building essential infrastructure including nuclear reactors directly above active faults is prohibited An NRA safety panel concluded three months ago that it could not rule out the possibility of active faults stretching beneath Tsuruga No Japan Atomic Power have expressed disappointment with the decision "The decision is extremely regrettable," the company said in a statement adding that it would continue efforts to restart the reactor despite the NRA's verdict The company has already committed to decommissioning its other reactor, Tsuruga No. 1, and had hoped to put No. 2 back online after thorough geological investigations a restart would require the company to meet strict safety standards and to provide extensive evidence of fault stability to the NRA Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters the government respects the NRA's decision based on its scientific and technical assessment but the government's position to promote nuclear energy is unchanged Japan's nuclear revival has faced growing scrutiny following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Noto Peninsula in January 2024, which killed over 400 people and damaged more than 100,000 buildings on New Year's Day While the quake caused only minor damage at nearby nuclear facilities evacuation plans in the affected areas were found to be lacking given the region's status as one of the world's most seismically active sites The reactor which is currently offline with spent fuel safely cooled This article includes reporting from The Associated Press Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Fukui Prefecture enjoyed a 20% increase in visitors over the 11 months since an extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line opened in the region how to increase the number of tourists who stay at local hotels will remain a key issue during the second year of the new section which opened on March 16 last year between Tsuruga and Kanazawa stations in the Hokuriku region.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); "The number of visitors from the Kanto and Shinetsu regions viewed as a key task amid the weak yen and rising prices Tatsuji Sugimoto told a news conference in late January More than a dozen cases of beachgoers being bitten by dolphins off the coast of Fukui Prefecture have been reported during the summer of this year A total of 15 cases were reported this summer a sharp increase from five cases last year it said.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); All of this year's victims were tourists from outside the prefecture A 10-year-old boy suffered serious injuries to his right hand after he was bitten by a dolphin while swimming at a beach in Tsuruga He was taken to a hospital where he received 20 to 30 stitches was bitten on the middle and ring fingers around 5:15 p.m The incident at Tanoura Beach on the east coast of the Tsuruga Peninsula marked the third instance since late July of a dolphin attacking a swimmer Officials said the boy was playing with his family when he noticed a dark shape approaching him in the water He was frantically trying to reach the shore when he was bitten a junior high school boy was bitten by a dolphin at Shiraki Beach in Tsuruga which is located on the north coast of the peninsula a man in his 20s received minor injuries when he was bitten on his finger and hand at Takenami Beach in Mihama on the west coast of the peninsula The Tsuruga Coast Guard is urging people not to approach dolphins if they come across them Swimmer left with broken ribs after dolphin attack in Fukui 2 bathers bitten by dolphin in Fukui treated for minor injuries Bathers warned against dolphins in Fukui after several bitten Surfers come to rescue after 32 beached dolphins found in Chiba New bullet train service to Fukui opens up region often overlooked a new stylish sightseeing train operated by West Japan Railway Co The excursion service will operate in a different area each season in western Japan it will run between Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and Kinosaki-Onsen Station in Hyogo Prefecture until Dec Hana Akari was remodeled from a KiHa 189 series train featuring interior designs inspired by Japanese plants and flowers which is connected to the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line after its extended section opened in March and arrive at Kinosaki-Onsen Station via the Obama it will depart from Kinosaki-Onsen Station One-way tickets for adults for the Superior Green Car which is even more lavishly adorned than the premium Green Cars "Passengers can comfortably enjoy the ride and feel special in a relaxed manner," said a public relations representative JR West unveils plans for a new sightseeing train set to run in ’24 JR West unveils first new Yakumo express train in 42 years JR West steam train chugs forth from Yamaguchi once again New Spacia X express train to connect Asakusa with Nikko sightseeing train to make 1st run in Sanin region A nuclear reactor in Japan’s central Fukui province has failed to pass its restart safety review This is the first such case since the regulatory body's founding after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis fell short of the safety requirements due to a possible active fault underneath the offline unit," the agency said in its report the first one likely to be scrapped while the second one which started commercial operations in February 1987 Japan currently has 54 reactors and 17 nuclear power plants Japan also stopped its first attempt to retrieve melted fuel debris at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant The Fukushima nuclear plant was damaged when a magnitude 9 earthquake The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train connects Tokyo with Toyama Ishikawa and (since March 2024) Fukui Prefecture This region along the Sea of Japan has its own distinctive history and culture Hokuriku was the hub for a vital trading route plied by sailing ships known as kitamaebune While carrying cargo from Hokkaido all the way to Osaka these vessels also called at ports along the way in Hokuriku where he discovers the wealth amassed by the owners of the trading ships And he explores the development of Tsuruga Port (Fukui) from the days of kitamaebune to a modern international shipping hub visitors can view a replica of a kitamaebune trading ship as well as items they carried and the equipment they used illustrating how they impacted the local economy and culture This hot spring village in the Kaga mountains has a history dating back 1,300 years scenic beauty and rich culture of traditional performing arts Displays at this museum tell the story of Tsuruga's history as the port where fleeing Jewish refugees arrived in Japan during World War Two it takes about three hours by Hokuriku Shinkansen FUKUI--Something lurks beneath the waves of the Sea of Japan and it's not Godzilla A dolphin bit a 13-year-old boy's right hand at Shiraki beach in Tsuruga and several others attempted to pet the dolphin after spotting it in the water that was 1 to 1.5 meters deep according to the Tsuruga Coast Guard Office “My family member was bitten by a dolphin and injured” at around 12:30 p.m The boy's family sanitized the wounds on his finger at the beach and ultimately decided not to take him to the hospital This is the third consecutive year where at least one dolphin has attacked a beachgoer in Wakasa Bay A dolphin was sighted at Suishohama beach in the Takenami district of Mihama but the July 21 incident marks the first blood of the season a dolphin rammed a 60-something-year-old man swimming some 5 meters off Suishohama beach about an eight-minute drive from Shiraki beach The man sustained broken ribs and was also bitten At least seven other dolphin attacks were reported that year multiple attacks occurred at Koshino beach farther north Local officials put up warning signs and set up buoys that emit ultrasonic sound waves to ward off dolphins The Coast Guard warns against approaching dolphins and to get out of the water if they are spotted Mie University study shows dolphins also yawn in the wild A timely call to protect those who feel suicide is only option Japanese nuclear regulators said Wednesday that they plan to hear opinions from the president of the operator of the Tsuruga nuclear plant before making a final decision on whether to allow its No The Nuclear Regulation Authority will hear from Mamoru Muramatsu according to its secretariat.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The hearing comes as Japan Atomic Power has called for the continuation of the regulatory screening after an NRA panel concluded last Friday that the reactor in Fukui Prefecture did not meet nuclear safety standards Japan’s nuclear watchdog has endorsed the conclusion of its safety screening team that the restart of the No 2 reactor at the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture should be denied The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved the conclusion on Friday and ordered the team to compile the results With the NRA denying the JAPC’s request to continue the screening it will be the first time the NRA will reject an application to restart a reactor since the agency was established in 2012 The JAPC has not adequately proven that there are no active faults directly under the No 2 reactor building capable of causing an earthquake in the future 2 reactor did not meet regulatory safety standards under the new rules for restarting the reactor The five members of the NRA heard the opinion of JAPC President Mamoru Muramatsu at the meeting on that day Muramatsu stated that additional drilling and other investigations would be conducted over the next year or more and that he would do what he could to clarify the situation NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka brought the series of screenings to a close by stating “The plan [for the additional investigation] lacks specificity and the period of the investigation is unclear.”  The NRA is expected to formally approve the report compiled by the screening team in autumn Muramatsu stressed to reporters that there is no change in the company’s goal of restarting the reactor He expressed his intention to reapply for the examination without decommissioning the No TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday adopted a draft screening report declaring the No 2 reactor of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture noncompliant with the country’s new safety standards The NRA will decide whether to formally adopt the report after collecting public comments on it for about a month While it will be effectively impossible to restart the 1.16-million-kilowatt Tsuruga No 2 reactor if the report is formally adopted has indicated that it will reapply for approval to get the reactor back online introduced in 2013 in response to the 2011 nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s disaster-crippled Fukushima No do not allow the installation of important nuclear plant facilities 17 reactors in the country have passed the NRA’s safety screenings under the new standards It will be the first time for a nuclear reactor to be declared not meeting the standards a commissioner said: “We spent a lot of time on the screening Regarding a fuel storage pool at the Tsuruga No 2 reactor building where some 1,100 units of spent nuclear fuel are kept the NRA judged that no additional safety measures would be required as there are no problems with the current measures The screening report adopted Wednesday said the possibility cannot be denied that a fault near the Tsuruga No may move in the future and that a fault directly under the building may be connected to the K fault The report thus concluded that the reactor cannot be considered to be meeting the safety standards Although Japan Atomic Power had denied activity or continuity of the K fault a screening team of the NRA judged in July that it was difficult to deny either of them After hearing opinions from Japan Atomic Power President Mamoru Muramatsu 2 reactor noncompliant with the safety standards as reported by the screening team After the safety screening of the Tsuruga No many problems were found in documents submitted by Japan Atomic Power including unauthorized revisions of geological data The screening followed an unprecedented course with the process halted twice and the NRA issuing an administrative guidance to the plant operator TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A panel of Japan’s ruling bloc decided Friday to postpone a decision on the detailed route of the planned section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line that would connect Tsuruga and Shin-Osaka stations The panel had sought to reach the decision by year-end but gave up the idea in consideration for concerns among Kyoto Prefecture and other municipalities about the expected major financial burden and the environmental impact of the construction The postponement will make it difficult to begin the construction by the end of fiscal 2024 next March as the ruling bloc hopes The transport ministry also aborted a plan to include related construction costs in the upcoming fiscal 2025 budget The section would connect the city of Tsuruga The ruling bloc panel will consider two detailed route options for the so-called Obama-Kyoto route after it dropped one whose construction is likely to cause a major impact on groundwater By 2024-03-18T12:35:00+00:00 First train arriving from Tokyo at Tsugaru station JAPAN: At 06.00 on March 16 Tsurugi ‘local’ Shinkansen service No 1 departed Kanazawa for Tsuruga forming the inaugural westbound train over the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Kanazawa It was followed by Kagayaki service No 501 from Tokyo to Tsuruga which arrived at 09.34 after a 575∙6 km run achieved in 3 h 8 min In the opposite direction the inaugural train from Tsuruga was the 06.11 Kagayaki 502 service to Kanazawa and Tokyo The train departed following a formal opening ceremony attended by JR West President Kazuaki Hasegawa who said that ‘today’s opening will touch the hearts of many domestic and international users and move the future forward’ Inaugural events were also staged at intermediate stations where the celebrations began at 05.30 in readiness for the arrival of Kagayaki 502 about an hour later Mayor Shigeru Saigyo observed that ‘half a century has passed since the development plan [for the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Fukui] was decided Today marks the beginning of a new era for Fukui.’ where test running began in September last year is expected to encourage domestic tourism from the Tokyo district and promotional fares are being offered under the Hokuriku Support Discount scheme All Hokuriku Shinkansen services are worked by JR East’s Series E7 and JR West’s W7 trainsets On the previous day JR West had run the final Shirasagi Limited Express service over the 1 067 mm gauge line between Kanazawa These trains now operate only between Tsuruga and Nagoya Also curtailed was the Thunderbird service from Osaka to Kanazawa these were the fastest Limited Express services in Japan BOOK REVIEW: With an introduction by Prof Roderick Smith of Imperial College If There Were No Shinkansen is the work of former East Japan Railway Chairman Shuichiro Yamanouchi Subtitled High-speed rail experience from its birth to today in Japan JAPAN: East Japan Railway put its first Series E8 high speed trainsets into revenue service on the Yamagata Shinkansen on March 16 JAPAN: Trial running has started on the next section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen which is scheduled to open for revenue service on March 16 2024 Site powered by Webvision Cloud Travelers were forced to improvise and find alternate ways to their destinations as the Tokaido Shinkansen Line was partially suspended on July 22 stranding an estimated 250,000 passengers during the summer vacation season A total of 328 runs were halted on the bullet train line which connects Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations as a collision of two rail maintenance vehicles rendered the section of track between Nagoya and Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture impassable A 42-year-old man who came from Dubai with three family members left Kyoto Station around noon changed to a bullet train on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line at Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and arrived at Tokyo Station past 5 p.m A 65-year-old man was at Tsuruga Station on his way back home to Tokyo after canceling part of his family trip in Kobe While it would take four hours if he rode a bullet train from Shin-Kobe to Tokyo the detour via the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line would require eight to nine hours I’m glad I’ll probably manage to get home by the end of the day,” he said added two relief runs both ways to help meet the emergency demand many trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line were jam-packed and I was standing all the way,” a woman said Many photographs showing passengers standing in aisles and outside the seating areas were posted on social media With the track between Hamamatsu and Nagoya out of commission trains between Tokyo and Hamamatsu and between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka were also severely restricted ran those routes in both directions each hour (JR Tokai) said that two runs an hour were the maximum possible since the trains needed to switch directions for their return trips at Nagoya and Hamamatsu stations which are not equipped with facilities for such shuttle runs The company said that the trains stopped at all stations to accommodate as many passengers as possible which is conducted between midnight and 6 a.m. Two maintenance vehicles collided around 3:37 a.m on July 22 when the brakes failed on a vehicle that was transporting rail track ballast on a slope causing it to rear-end the other ballast-tamping vehicle The transport vehicle was running at about 40 kph Its driver and another worker were injured Both vehicles were derailed by the collision They became unable to move on their own even after they were returned onto the tracks to remove the vehicles from the accident site by towing them on wheeled platforms to a maintenance depot Some railroad ties had to be replaced and oil had spilled at the site Tokaido bullet trains resume service after day of disruption Tokaido bullet trains halted after collision on the tracks Train schedules for March roll out new Tsubasa Power outage disrupts bullet train services for up to 4 hours Train services suspended in Kansai region as typhoon nears Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp JR East and JR West have announced an extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture to Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture Here are a few fun things that you can do along the way and stretching from Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture to Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture the Hokuriku Shinkansen will now take you through this 124 km section in no time at all from Tokyo to Fukui it now takes only 2 hours and 51 minutes in total The stops between Kanazawa and Tsuruga are Komatsu so get comfortable in your seat and let’s get going Just because we’re setting off from Kanazawa doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t spend some time out and about here is known historically as an art hub of Japan or even see the fantastic 21st Century Contemporary Art Museum Kenrokuen Garden is known as one of the big three gardens in Japan alongside Korakuen in Okayama Prefecture and Kairakuen in Ibaraki Prefecture it incorporates the 6 attributes necessary for a garden to be perfect By combining and nearly perfecting all 6 of these characteristics Kenrokuen separates itself from other Japanese gardens Situated near both the famous garden Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle Kanazawa’s 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art contains some of Japan’s best modern art designed in a circular fashion and giving the visitors the ability to choose their entrance or exit this mix of indoors and outdoors will let you explore all aspects of modern art or 'Digital Transformation Planet: Towards the Next Interface' This second iteration builds upon the first which was affected by the Noto Earthquake in January by using and developing art with digital technology But there’s definitely some big things to do here Who doesn’t enjoy a trek to a temple in the mountains Similar to Yamadera in Yamagata Prefecture Natadera is a temple built within cliffs carved by volcanic eruptions throughout the millennia the temple combines aspects of both Shinto and Buddhism yet there are Shinto torii gates around the grounds The temple is beautiful when covered with snow in winter or bright leaves in the fall You can even collect a stamp from the temple The goshuin is commonly written in a stamp book Sometimes the temple official will write the goshuin out in front of you a mesmerising sight to watch the calligraphy in person Goshuins have become quite popular over the years with people collecting stamps and stamp books from around the country Maybe Natadera could be your first of many A high octane option in Komatsu is to race over to the Motorcar Museum of Japan The very first and largest car museum in Japan this museum contains more than 500 cars in its large space From the famous brands of Japan to other international treasures you can’t get off at an onsen stop without checking out the onsen itself There are four onsens to choose from in this area so you’ve got plenty of options to find the most soothing water for you then you can explore the surrounding areas and learn more about the distinct local porcelain that has been produced in the area since the Edo Period The four onsens in the area are Yamashiro Onsen it may be a good idea to stay more than a day in the area in order to fully experience all that they have to offer Yamashiro Onsen has a bathhouse reminiscent of Meiji Era architecture in accordance with its name being “in the midst of the mountains” giving the more outdoors inclined folk a chance to take nature walks around the nearby Kakusenkei Gorge a crafts village where each individual house is designated for a specific craft and Katayamazu Onsen is found near the shore of Lake Shibayama One of its bathhouses is built in a much more modern architectural style in contrast with the onsen and houses of the other towns At the Ishikawa Prefecture Kuntaniyaki Art Museum you are able to see examples of the brightly coloured kutaniyaki porcelain The porcelain is characterised by intricate designs and bright colours on each piece If you visit the Kutaniyaki Kamato Tenjikan you’ll also be able to view various porcelain designs and see artists creating the regional porcelain in real time The exhibition building also has one of the oldest kutaniyaki kilns in the area you’ll also have the chance to try to make your own kutaniyaki you can have it sent over to your house so you can keep it as a souvenir Following Kaga Onsen we have another onsen and therefore another essential stop to soothe yourself and relax or not in the mood for a full onsen or bathhouse experience they are spots around many cities where one can rest their feet in the warm spring waters What makes them even better is the fact that they are free Once your feet are rested and you’re ready to continue your journey check out Yukemuri Yokocho for some friendly faces and some delicious food An alley of various food stalls and restaurants the small size and close quarters means that you are bound to end the night making a few new friends the capital of the eponymous Fukui prefecture has more than enough activities to warrant a multi-day stay where you can see a Tyrannosaurus Rex and other dinosaurs bearing the prefecture’s name or Maruoka Castle one of the few castles with an intact keep and you mustn't forget the delicacies of the area multiple dinosaurs have been discovered nearby in Katsuyama and now the largest dinosaur museum in Japan is located in Fukui You arrive to the sight of a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex robot and you'll have the opportunity to see multiple original dinosaur skeletons even the opportunity to touch some other fossils You can also watch experts examine and clean new fossils found nearby in the Fossil Preparation Lab Other great exhibits come to the museum throughout the year so carve out a day and see some dinosaurs face to face For those interested in Japanese castles (and who isn’t?) Maruoka Castle is another sight that cannot be missed the castle is given the nickname of “Mist Castle” from the lore that a thick mist would hide the castle whenever an enemy would dare approach it Spring is another great time to visit the castle as the many cherry blossom trees from around the area all bloom One can never forget the local food within Japan and all its variety do be prepared to pay a premium for the quality as they are known as being some of the best crab in Japan Echizen Takefu is the last stop before Tsuruga Alight here to explore even more food options and immerse yourself in the world of kitchenware and knife making Echizen soba is a type of soba eaten in the area and Echizen soba is consistent with this practice however what makes it a deliciously unique dish is the fact that shaved daikon is added to the meal If you’re ever in the Fukui area it is a must try If you’ve become doubly interested and want to try your hand at making Echizen soba yourself Head to the Echizen Soba Village and learn from the experts on how to make the delicious dish For someone keen to take home a useful souvenir that will help them in the kitchen many years into the future why not dive into the world of Echizen blades Known as some of the best and sharpest knives in Japan the Takefu Knife Village opens its door for visitors to come in and see the production of the blades Learn the honed over years process to make these famous blades and maybe you’ll even be tempted to bring one home with you After travelling the 124 km and seeing and eating your way from Kanazawa to Tsuruga you’ll have to turn back from your hotel door for just a bit more Situated close to the coast of the Sea of Japan Tsuruga and its surrounding areas have beautiful coastal features Your first stop could be to one of the main shrines in the area this gate is known as one of the big three in Japan The famous poet Basho is said to have visited the shrine as well If you’re in the mood for some more beach related activities a grove of pine trees right next to the coast and Wakasa Bay Hang amongst the trees or wander into the water it’s the perfect spot to have a leisurely day in the area You can also visit the red brick storehouses that are symbols of the trade between Europe and Japan from the Meiji to the Showa eras The distinct red brick building houses were built in 1905 Within the former storehouse there is a model of Tsuruga based on a map of the area in 1945 The intricate details are something that should be seen in person There are also three restaurants within the area that you can use to enjoy local cuisine try heading out to the Nakaikemi-Shicchi Wetlands to see the great diversity of flora and fauna that Fukui Prefecture has to offer A Ramsar Site (a wetland designated to be of particular international importance) at Nakaikemi-Shicchi there are various species of dragonflies and other insects in addition to many different types of plants that uses the wetlands as a stopover during its migrations You can also stop by the nearby visitor centre for a quick respite and to learn more about the wildlife in the wetlands There is also a 100 year old Japanese style house that you can visit and see some of the tools used to farm in Nakaikemi Another ideal spot for a summer getaway is Mizushima Island located off the Eastern shore of the Tsuruga Peninsula it is the perfect spot to hang around on a nice summer day The white beaches and clear water make for a great way to pass the time and look back towards Tsuruga City and out towards the adjacent Fukui Prefecture coast Ferries operate services to and from the island daily during July and August with the trip only taking around 10 minutes We’ve only covered a few places in each stop along the way from Kanazawa to Tsuruga I’d recommend spending multiple days in the area to get a full experience of everything that central Japan has to offer You never know what amazing experiences you may have To stay up to date with all the latest happenings in Japan follow us on Facebook or Instagram Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Regulators concluded Friday that the No 2 reactor of Japan Atomic Power Co.’s nuclear power plant in Tsuruga The continuity of the fault directly under the reactor from a nearby active fault “cannot be denied,” the Nuclear Regulation Authority said It will be the first time for a nuclear reactor to fail to pass screening under the standards introduced in response to the 2011 nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No it will be impossible for Japan Atomic Power to restart the 1.16-million-kilowatt reactor The company faces the need to make a tough choice The safety standards do not allow the installation of important nuclear plant facilities Regulators discussed whether a fault near the No may move in the future and whether the fault directly under the building is connected to the K fault the nuclear safety watchdog judged that it is difficult to deny the possibility that the K fault may move in the future The NRA decided to conduct an on-site inspection in June to reach a conclusion on the continuity issue as early as this month Japan Atomic Power denied both activity and continuity of the K fault after analyzing geological samples of the fault and examining the age of sedimentation and characteristics of the fault While the NRA said there are uncertainties over Japan Atomic Power’s survey methods and safety assessments the company said it will consider conducting additional research to obtain further data as it aims to submit a safety screening application to the NRA again Japan Atomic Power executive Hirofumi Kenda said after Friday’s NRA meeting that the company has not changed its stance of working toward reactivating the reactor The NRA is expected to discuss a response at its next regular meeting Wednesday when Friday’s screening conclusion will be reported The NRA’s expert team judged the fault under the reactor building to be active twice But Japan Atomic Power applied for NRA screening for a restart in 2015 due to the revelation of many problems with documents submitted by the company On March 16, the Hokuriku Shinkansen line extension connecting Kanazawa and Tsuruga opened for service The first train from Kanazawa to Tsuruga departed Kanazawa Station around 6:00 am Many expect this improved access to and from the Tokyo metropolitan area to increase tourism to areas along the line. There are also expectations that the new section will contribute to regional recovery following the Noto Peninsula earthquake The West Japan Railway Company (JR West) President Kazuaki Hasegawa attended the opening ceremony at Tsuruga Station Speaking before the departure of the first Tokyo-bound Kagayaki 502 train We hope that more people than ever will now use the shinkansen."  At Kanazawa Station, Hiroshi Hase, Governor of Ishikawa Prefecture, delivered a haiku expressing hope for Noto's reconstruction "With spring comes a shinkansen for our hometowns and the Noto Peninsula." Hase then boarded the first Tsurugi 1 train bound for Tsuruga In September 2022, JR West launched the Nishi Kyushu line The Kanazawa-Tsuruga of the Hokuriku Shinkansen marks the first new shinkansen extension since the Kyushu route.  (Read the article in Japanese.) You must be logged in to post a comment This page may not operate normally when these functions are not supported by your browser or the setting is disabled.​ Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation JAPAN―Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (hereinafter “Toshiba ESS”) announced today that it has opened the first “H2OneTM Multi Station” which fills fuel cell vehicles with green hydrogen and supplies to green power at Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture H2OneTM Multi Station consists of “H2One ST UnitTM” and “H2OneTM” developed by Toshiba ESS This H2OneTM Multi Station is the first*1 system in Japan to supply both hydrogen fuel to fuel cell vehicles and electric power by using hydrogen produced with renewable energy within the station Tsuruga City and Toshiba ESS signed a “Basic agreement for the construction of a supply chain,” and have been researching the construction of a supply chain in the city were newly installed and started operation as the single unit H2OneTM Multi Station General Manager of the Hydrogen Energy Business Division at Toshiba ESS “I’m delighted to install H2OneTM Multi Station for the first time We will supply green energy and expand hydrogen energy with hydrogen-powered technologies through participation in hydrogen supply chain demonstrations to the realization of a hydrogen society.” For furthermore information about Our Hydrogen Energy business, please check here. 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The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version An extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line connecting Kanazawa and Tsuruga in central Japan opened on Saturday establishing bullet train services in Fukui Prefecture for the first time and carrying hopes for a tourism boost in areas hit by the New Year's Day earthquake The new section shortens travel time between Tokyo and the city of Fukui by 33 minutes to as fast as 2 hours and 51 minutes Passengers now no longer must transfer to high-speed and limited express trains after Kanazawa The 125-kilometer section from Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture to Tsuruga in Fukui adds six new stations to the shinkansen line Two are in Ishikawa -- Komatsu and Kaga Onsen stations -- while the other four are Awara Onsen "I hope that more people than ever will use the shinkansen," Kazuaki Hasegawa said at the opening ceremony before the first Kagayaki 502 service bound for Tokyo departed Tsuruga Station a 37-year-old resident of Shizuoka Prefecture said he is traveling for pleasure and to bring cheer to areas hit by the Noto Peninsula quake in Ishikawa In a separate commemorative ceremony at Tokyo Station an Ishikawa native actress who appeared in the Oscar-winning "Godzilla Minus One," expressed hope that people would feel closer to the Hokuriku region in central Japan and create memories during trips there who arrived in Tokyo from the city of Fukui said he can now easily visit the capital to see his family "There's no need to switch trains and the speed is so much different," said the 63-year-old The extension is part of a 1973 government plan to build shinkansen lines across the nation the Hokuriku Shinkansen line is scheduled to eventually extend to Osaka but the start of construction has yet to be set due to delays in environmental assessments The last time a new section of shinkansen line opened was in September 2022 when Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen services connected Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki in southwestern Japan the Tokyo-Nagano route first opened in 1997 to coincide with the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and this was extended to Kanazawa in 2015 Construction of the Kanazawa-Tsuruga link began in 2012 and it was initially planned to open in spring 2023 but was delayed by one year FEATURE: Noto quake cold deaths spark hypothermia public awareness drive Government to extend extra 100 bil. yen for quake relief in central Japan By Michael J. West  |   Published October 2019 Equal Time is a solid organ record—a straightforward hard-bop groover What else could be expected from a summit of swinging drummer Jeff Hamilton and Equal Time distinguishes itself primarily through the juxtaposition of Akiko and Dechter’s styles Akiko follows him with a gritty organ tone and segmented sets of discrete The difference is most apparent on the album’s two bounciest numbers Akiko’s “Osaka Samba” and the standard “I Remember You.” In both cases the guitarist finds odd breathing spaces in his single-note lines the unflagging swinger who provides cohesion pounding it out on “Orange Coals” and playing a tight brush melody on “Osaka Samba.” Otherwise he has his say trading smart fours and eights on “I Remember You,” as well as the closing “This Could Be The Start Of Something Big.” About|Terms of Use|PrivacyCopyright © 2025 Maher Publications DownBeat is an internationally registered trademark of Maher Publications FUKUI--The Hokuriku Shinkansen Line’s extension between Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture and Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture will open on March 16 “It will accelerate cultural and business exchanges,” JR West President Kazuaki Hasegawa said during a news conference held here on Aug “We want to continue working to promote the charms of the local communities.” The bullet train will make 14 round trips between Tokyo and Tsuruga stations per day with the fastest train on the line connecting the two cities in three hours and eight minutes down by 50 minutes from the current schedule The extended section is about 125 kilometers The high-speed train will pass through five stations: Komatsu Station in Komatsu Ishikawa Prefecture; Kaga-Onsen Station in Kaga Ishikawa Prefecture; Awara-Onsen Station in Awara Fukui Prefecture; Fukui Station in Fukui; and Echizen-Takefu Station in Echizen The Hakutaka and Kagayaki trains will directly link Tokyo and Tsuruga The Hakutaka will stop at each of the five stations in the extended section The Kagayaki will make fewer stops to make nine round trips with five round-trip services stopping at Kanazawa while the remaining four services will make stops at different stations depending on the service The section between Tokyo and Kanazawa stations on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line opened in 2015 The extended section was initially scheduled to open in spring 2023 but it was postponed by about a year due to delays in construction and other reasons There are also plans to extend the Shinkansen route from Tsuruga to Osaka road use over Bon season down compared with pre-COVID Express bus terminals on a fast track to keep up with demand JR West will be 1st JR firm to use green energy for bullet trains VOX POPULI: Passenger safety on trains still elusive even after 150 years ‘Sumo train’ back on track to public’s delight after 3 years Toshiba win contract for Taiwan’s new high-speed train We held a technical meeting on August 20 with Indonesian trade unions on pension reforms and listened and discussed the Indonesian Government’s proposal Highlights of the current Government Proposal Contributions to be paid to a defined-contribution individual saving account (JHT) will be saved into two separate accounts to prevent workers from withdrawing the fund before retirement The distribution will be 65% for a retirement saving account and 35% for a flexible account that allows withdrawal for spending on education This seems to be the World Bank’s proposal inspired by the Malaysia’s Employer’s Provident Fund (EPF) Statutory severance pay mandated for employers by the labour law will be abolished in case of retirement (no change in case of layoffs) The Government estimates the value of retirement severance pay is an equivalent to 4.3% of wage on average The 4.3% will be added to a defined-contribution scheme the Government explains to employers no additional costs on employers JHT contributions will be raised from 5.7% to 6% (0.3% increase financed by the integration of statutory retirement severance pay) JP contributions will be raised from 3% to 9% financed by the integration of statutory retirement severance pay The JP contribution increase will be phased in over 9-10 years (an average of 0.5% per year for employers and 0.25% for workers) it seems that the ILO proposal on strengthening JP was adopted The JP accrual rate will be raised gradually from 1% per year to 1.5% That will meet the ILO’s social security minimum standards This law/regulation revision does not have a scope to change legal coverage This may be the best the Government can do for now to improve the system Indonesia will then have to continue working on the coverage extension (mandatory for all employees) the establishment of Floor Zero (extension to workers in informal employment and other residents) and the role of JHT (voluntary or mandatory) which requires the amendment of the social security law We will fully support the overhaul of the Social security Law Let's connect on any of these social networks On behalf of Tsuruga Holdings CORP., the enterprise’s Representative Director, Mr. Masayuki Onishi signed the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism  on 24 October 2019 within the Framework of Tourism Expo Japan held in the presence of the UNWTO Secretary-General Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism List of Signatory Companies and Associations Global Code of Ethics for Tourism Web Tsuruga Holdings CORP. 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