Government to Establish ‘Command Center’ for Developing Nuclear Power Personnel; Hopes to Replenish Ranks of Aging Industry, Reverse Post-Fukushima Decline

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, March 13, 2026

The government intends to establish a new organization in fiscal 2026 that will serve as a “command center” for industry-academia-government collaboration, with the aim of strengthening the development of personnel to work in nuclear power, it has been leaned.

While there is growing momentum for building new nuclear reactors and restarting existing reactors, these goals face a major challenge in the form of a shortage of personnel who can work in the nuclear power industry. The government aims to deepen cross-industry collaboration in order to fully address this issue.

The government was expected to announce the policy as early as Friday.

The new organization will comprise representatives from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), power companies, plant developers, universities and research institutions, among other entities.

Although all of these entities and fields have previously implemented their own measures to deal with the issue, the new organization will analyze which occupations face particularly acute shortages, compile a list of cross-sectoral challenges and establish a road map for addressing them.

Momentum for the use of nuclear power is growing nationwide, as exemplified by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. restarting a reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture in January this year.

Last year, Kansai Electric Power Co. announced that it would resume looking into the possibility of installing next-generation reactors at its Mihama plant in Fukui Prefecture, highlighting the need to adapt to new technologies.

However, the construction of nuclear reactors has been halted in Japan since the 2011 accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, and the number of students in nuclear-related schools has declined, making it difficult to secure personnel and pass technical expertise down to the next generation.

The NRA will have to handle the screenings for restarting reactors and the creation of regulations for next-generation reactors, but about half of its staff are now in their 50s or older.

The government also intends to call on related entities to implement measures to reduce the burden on the field. It plans to encourage power companies to utilize digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to streamline maintenance inspections and access control at nuclear plants.

In fields where different qualifications for thermal power plants and nuclear power plants are required, such as welding, the government will also consider standardizing certifications.