Japan: Nuclear industry to revive following Hiroshima anniversary

Japan is all set to restart its nuclear reactors four years since the Fukushima disaster following the 70<sup>th anniversary of Hiroshima.

The reactors were closed off following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011 when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that led to a failure at the plant.

Some 300,000 people were later evacuated as large quantities of radioactive material was released.

The first reactor to restart might happen by next week in southwestern Japan after complying with tough new safety standards.

An estimated 25 out of 43 reactors are hoping to get the green light and obtain restart permits.

The move comes despite 14 reactors reportedly facing emergency shutdowns and technical failures after resuming operations recently, according to the World Nuclear Association.

"If reactors have been offline for a long time, there can be issues with long-dormant equipment and with 'rusty' operators," said Allison Macfarlane, a former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, reported Bloomberg.

Despite public consensus against nuclear power plants, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe believes the nuclear power industry should progress.

"The submission of the inspection report is a step forward, but the NRA has more inspections to conduct. If [other plants] are deemed safe and we can secure the understanding of host communities, I want to move ahead with restarts," said Abe, reported Financial Times.