&nbsp;

 
Despite &nbsp;Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-fuel-removed-from-crippled-japan-plant-210573">using nuclear plants</a> to power the world's third-largest economy, the Japanese public has remained staunchly against atomic energy. The Court decision gave power to the people and the matter appears to remain static.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/74-earthquake-hits-japan-followed-by-tsunami-9157">2011 Fukushima nuclear accident</a> followed a catastrophic tsunami, shutting down all nuclear power stations in Japan, many of which are still closed. 
&nbsp; 
It was the decision of a lower court that was overruled by the Hiroshima High Court in March, for it would have allowed the reactor at the Ikata nuclear plant in western Japan to resume operations.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-approves-restarting-nuclear-reactor-closest-to-epicentre-of-2011-quake-264845">Japan approves restarting nuclear reactor closest to epicentre of 2011 quake</a>

 
Shikoku Electric Power, the plant's operator intends to appeal the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-court-acquits-energy-bosses-over-fukushima-disaster-250636">high court's ruling</a> as it wanted to resume work at the reactor which had been halted for routine inspections.

<img alt="Fukushima Daiichi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0ec7e84-0b76-434b-a2b3-36af7f9a66a0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202020-01-20T182011.911.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (Courtesy: AFP) ] 
 
Failure to properly evaluate the risks posed by a local volcano and seismic faultlines became a strong case after a complaint was lodged by residents of a neighbouring region. 
 
The lower court ruling that paved the way for the reactor to resume functions was revoked by presiding high court judge Kazukate Mori. 
 
Kazukate Mori, the judge presiding over Hiroshima High Court, revoked the lower court ruling which allowed the reactor to resume functioning. 
 
Mori argued that it was not logical to assume that volcanic eruptions can be predicted far in advance, as done so under national standards for operating nuclear reactors; and safety assessments had been insufficient to resume operations. 
 
"There is a fault line within two kilometres from the nuclear plant but Shikoku Electric has not conducted thorough surveys, and the way the Nuclear Regulation Authority reached its assessment that there was no problem contained errors and inadequacies," the judge remarked. 
 
The ruling was criticised by Shikoku Electric and the scientific merit of the firm's argument was emphasized, surprising no one, deemed it safe to operate the reactor. 
 
The utility issued a statement saying, "After closely examining the decision, we will file a petition of objection so that the injunction will be cancelled as soon as possible."

Despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of using nuclear plants to power the world's third-largest economy, the Japanese public has remained staunchly against atomic energy.

Despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of using nuclear plants to power the world's third-largest economy, the Japanese public has remained staunchly against atomic energy. The Court decision gave power to the people and the matter appears to remain static. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident followed a catastrophic tsunami, shutting down all nuclear power stations in Japan, many of which are still closed. It was the decision of a lower court that was overruled by the Hiroshima High Court in March, for it would have allowed the reactor at the Ikata nuclear plant in western Japan to resume operations. Also Read: Japan approves restarting nuclear reactor closest to epicentre of 2011 quake Shikoku Electric Power, the plant's operator intends to appeal the high court's ruling as it wanted to resume work at the reactor which had been halted for routine inspections. [ Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (Courtesy: AFP) ] Failure to properly evaluate the risks posed by a local volcano and seismic faultlines became a strong case after a complaint was lodged by residents of a neighbouring region. The lower court ruling that paved the way for the reactor to resume functions was revoked by presiding high court judge Kazukate Mori. Kazukate Mori, the judge presiding over Hiroshima High Court, revoked the lower court ruling which allowed the reactor to resume functioning. Mori argued that it was not logical to assume that volcanic eruptions can be predicted far in advance, as done so under national standards for operating nuclear reactors; and safety assessments had been insufficient to resume operations. "There is a fault line within two kilometres from the nuclear plant but Shikoku Electric has not conducted thorough surveys, and the way the Nuclear Regulation Authority reached its assessment that there was no problem contained errors and inadequacies," the judge remarked. The ruling was criticised by Shikoku Electric and the scientific merit of the firm's argument was emphasized, surprising no one, deemed it safe to operate the reactor. The utility issued a statement saying, "After closely examining the decision, we will file a petition of objection so that the injunction will be cancelled as soon as possible."

Hiroshima High Court overrules go-ahead for restarting nuclear plant near fault line

Japan restarted a nuclear reactor on Friday despite a court challenge by local residents, in a boost for Tokyo&#39;s faltering post-Fukushima push to bring back atomic power. 
 
Operator Shikoku Electric Power said it switched on the No. 3 reactor at its Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime prefecture, about 700 kilometres (430 miles) southwest of Tokyo. 
 
The reactor, huttered along with dozens of others across Japan in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima accident , was expected to be fully operational by August 22. 
 
The prefecture&#39;s governor and the mayor of the plant&#39;s host town agreed on the restart in October, in the face of opposition from some local residents who filed a lawsuit to halt the refiring. 
 
Japan&#39;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and utility companies have been pushing to get reactors back in operation after a huge earthquake and tsunami caused a disastrous meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan. 
 
The accident forced all of Japan&#39;s dozens of reactors offline in the face of public worries over the safety of nuclear power and fears about radiation exposure, forcing a move to pricey fossil fuels. 
 
Opposition to nuclear power has seen communities across the country file lawsuits to prevent restarts, marking a serious challenge for Abe&#39;s pro-nuclear stance.&nbsp; 
 
In April, a court ruled that Japan&#39;s only two working nuclear reactors could remain online, rejecting an appeal by residents who said tougher post-Fukushima safety rules were still inadequate. 
 
Two other reactors in central Japan had also been restarted before a court in March ordered them offline in response to a legal challenge. 
Including the reactor restarting on Friday, Japan will have just three operating reactors, and furious local residents vowed to fight on. 
 
&quot;We protest this restart of the Ikata nuclear reactor and are extremely angry,&quot; the residents&#39; group said in a statement Friday, adding that the reactor&#39;s use of a plutonium-uranium MOX fuel made it especially dangerous. 
 
&quot;We can&#39;t have another Fukushima.&quot; 
 
The utility said it would make &quot;ceaseless efforts&quot; to ensure the plant was safe and to keep residents informed about key details of the restart. 
 
(AFP)

Opposition to nuclear power however has seen communities across the country file lawsuits to prevent restarts

Japan restarted a nuclear reactor on Friday despite a court challenge by local residents, in a boost for Tokyo's faltering post-Fukushima push to bring back atomic power. Operator Shikoku Electric Power said it switched on the No. 3 reactor at its Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime prefecture, about 700 kilometres (430 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The reactor, huttered along with dozens of others across Japan in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima accident , was expected to be fully operational by August 22. The prefecture's governor and the mayor of the plant's host town agreed on the restart in October, in the face of opposition from some local residents who filed a lawsuit to halt the refiring. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and utility companies have been pushing to get reactors back in operation after a huge earthquake and tsunami caused a disastrous meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan. The accident forced all of Japan's dozens of reactors offline in the face of public worries over the safety of nuclear power and fears about radiation exposure, forcing a move to pricey fossil fuels. Opposition to nuclear power has seen communities across the country file lawsuits to prevent restarts, marking a serious challenge for Abe's pro-nuclear stance. In April, a court ruled that Japan's only two working nuclear reactors could remain online, rejecting an appeal by residents who said tougher post-Fukushima safety rules were still inadequate. Two other reactors in central Japan had also been restarted before a court in March ordered them offline in response to a legal challenge. Including the reactor restarting on Friday, Japan will have just three operating reactors, and furious local residents vowed to fight on. "We protest this restart of the Ikata nuclear reactor and are extremely angry," the residents' group said in a statement Friday, adding that the reactor's use of a plutonium-uranium MOX fuel made it especially dangerous. "We can't have another Fukushima." The utility said it would make "ceaseless efforts" to ensure the plant was safe and to keep residents informed about key details of the restart. (AFP)

Japan nuclear reactor restarts in post-Fukushima effort to bring back atomic power

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Hiroshima High Court overrules go-ahead for restarting nuclear plant near fault line

Japan nuclear reactor restarts in post-Fukushima effort to bring back atomic power