Japan Marks 15 Years Since Tsunami Disaster as Prime Minister Pushes More Nuclear Energy Use

Japan observed the 15th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged greater use of nuclear power; affected communities continue to recover slowly and the Fukushima Daiichi plant still faces challenges removing melted fuel debris.

Japan observed the 15th anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident on its northeastern coast. A moment of silence was held at 2:46 p.m., the time the quake struck. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attended a ceremony in Fukushima and pledged to accelerate regional recovery while promoting greater use of nuclear energy. Officials say many communities remain slow to recover and decommissioning work at the Fukushima Daiichi plant continues to be challenging. Current status: - Officials held a memorial ceremony and observed a moment of silence at the time the quake occurred. - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged to speed recovery within five years and advocated expanding nuclear power as part of energy policy. - Many people displaced by the disaster have not returned and local economies in affected coastal areas are still recovering. - Decommissioning at the Fukushima Daiichi plant is ongoing; some spent fuel removal is planned for around 2027–2028 and fuller-scale removal of melted fuel debris has been delayed until the 2030s. Summary: The anniversary highlighted persistent social and economic recovery challenges in the affected coastal prefectures. Government officials say decommissioning work at Fukushima Daiichi will continue over many years, with certain fuel removal steps planned in the late 2020s and broader debris removal pushed into the 2030s. Future timelines will depend on the progress of that work and related decisions.