Japan's Niigata approves restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant years after nuclear disaster

TOKYO -- Japan's Niigata Prefecture approved on Monday to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant located in the prefecture, more than a decade after the Fukushima disaster.

The prefectural assembly endorsed the decision of Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who backed the restart last month, effectively allowing the restart of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world's largest nuclear power plant.

On the day, about 300 protesters rallied outside the prefectural assembly, holding banners that read "No Nukes" and "We oppose the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa," local media reported.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, about 220 km northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut following the March 2011 core meltdowns at TEPCO's tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Upon local consent, the No 6 reactor at the seven-unit complex is expected to be back online around Jan 20, becoming the first nuclear reactor owned by TEPCO to restart since the 2011 nuclear disaster, public broadcaster NHK reported.