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TEPCO Halts Control Rod Removal at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Reactor

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture.

Jiji Press

18:22 JST, January 22, 2026

Tokyo, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)—Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Thursday it has suspended the removal of control rods from the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, after an alarm sounded during the process.

The suspension came only a day after the reactor was restarted for the first time in 13 years and 10 months. The restart was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed after an alarm failed to sound during a test on Saturday.

According to TEPCO, the latest glitch occurred at 12:28 a.m. Thursday. The company replaced electronic components in the device that controls the rods, but the problem persisted.

TEPCO said there was no external radiation leak following the glitch. The company is investigating the cause of the incident and its potential impact.