A data falsification scandal has shaken Japan’s nuclear industry and weakened its policy of restarting atomic energy. Chubu Electric Power manipulated seismic data for its Hamaoka plant to limit adaptation work. The CEO resigned on September 14, admitting serious governance problems and saying public trust must come first. The company also withdrew its 2014 and 2015 requests to restart reactors 3 and 4.
In December 2025, Japan’s nuclear regulator suspended assessment of the two reactors after a whistleblower report. An independent commission released its findings on September 14, revealing efforts to minimize seismic risks. The company sought to keep ground movement estimates below 1,200 gals, since a higher figure would have required costly safety work and delayed restarts.
The commission found management made rapid restart a top commercial goal and pressured the authorization team. Technicians followed a “single justification theory,” tolerating rule violations if they believed safety was intact. Internal reports in 2019 and 2021 went unanswered.
The case is serious because Hamaoka sits 200 kilometers west of Tokyo, near the Nankai Trough, a zone highly exposed to mega-earthquakes. Residents of Omaezaki, the host city, were angered. Its mayor said they are very concerned about the company’s attitude toward safety.
The scandal comes at a bad time for the government, which has tried since Fukushima to restore confidence in nuclear power. Japan aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 and wants nuclear to reach 20 to 22 percent of its energy mix by 2040.
Public opinion remains divided, though nuclear is better perceived since energy prices rose. The government fears the scandal will deepen distrust, with one official wondering what Chubu Electric has learned since 2011.
Reference
Le Monde, “Au Japon, la relance du nucléaire compromise par un scandale de falsifications de données,” published September 17, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2026/09/17/au-japon-la-relance-du-nucleaire-compromise-par-un-scandale-de-falsifications-de-donnees_6776415_3244.html