Japan’s incoming Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi vows to cut solar imports, backs nuclear energy. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Japan’s incoming Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pro-nuclear and aims to reduce the import of solar modules. She has called for Japan to become “100% energy sufficient” and is promoting the development of advanced nuclear technologies, including fusion.
Following Takaichi’s leadership win, shares of nuclear power firms rose on Monday. Kansai Electric Power Co., which is weighing to build a new reactor, gained as much as 5.8%. Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of Japan’s largest but idled nuclear plant, added up to 6.5%.
Nuclear power makes a comeback
Japan currently has 33 operable nuclear power reactors, with 14 active under post-Fukushima safety standards, according to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF). However, restarting the suspended reactors could take years. The Renewable Energy Institute notes that 61% of Japan’s nuclear reactors are not yet ready for operation. The combined capacity of the 14 active reactors stands at 13 GW.
In June, the government announced a revision to the Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy, originally drafted in 2023, positioning the industrialization of fusion energy as the core vision and aiming to achieve world-leading technological development by the 2030s.
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Japan is placing nuclear power at the core of its energy security plan. (Photo: iStock)
Solar shifts from imports to innovation
With Takaichi’s emphasis on positioning nuclear as the center of energy security, renewable energy developer Renova Inc. plunged as much as 15% on Monday, while West Holdings Corp., which develops solar power plants, declined 14%.
Takaichi has said she opposes “further covering our beautiful land with foreign-made solar panels.” Japan has long been a major importer of solar panels, with total imports reaching USD 9.6 billion in 2024-25.
Takaichi has expressed support for promoting perovskite solar cells and promises to reform current subsidy programs for domestic solar energy. Perovskites differ from conventional silicon solar cells through their unique crystal structure, offering advantages such as lower cost, higher flexibility, and adaptability to urban environments.
The government plans to support companies investing in advanced technologies powered by renewable or nuclear energy, using 20 trillion yen (USD 136 billion) in climate transition bonds to be issued by fiscal 2032, according to Nikkei Asia.
Whether nuclear fusion or perovskites, the next-generation energy technologies backed by Takaichi remain in their infancy. Critics argue that her advanced nuclear energy plan risks sidelining existing renewables.
“She wants energy security over climate ambition, nuclear over renewables, and national industry over global corporations,” said Mika Ohbayashi, director at the Renewable Energy Institute, in an interview with Bloomberg.
Source: JAIF (1) (2), Renewable Energy Institute, Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg
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