Japan’s Hamaoka Nuclear Plant May See New Screenings amid Data Fraud Scandal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:50 JST, January 8, 2026

Reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture may see their safety screenings redone amid a data fraud scandal, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

At a press conference on Wednesday, NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka said that the current screenings for the Omaezaki facility would be scrapped, citing Chubu Electric Power Co.’s deliberate manipulation of data for the “design basis ground motion,” or the maximum potential tremor used as a benchmark for earthquake-resistant design

The discovery came via an outside source, who provided information through the whistleblower protection system in February last year, according to the agency.

The the Secretariat of the NRA then conducted interviews with the whistleblower and multiple meetings with Chubu Electric to confirm the details. The utility also held an internal investigation and admitted to the misconduct in December, according to the secretariat.