The earthquake comes at a sensitive time for Japan's nuclear industry, which has faced fierce opposition from some local residents since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to the collapse of the nuclear reactor in Fukushima. The disaster then claimed the lives of about 20,000 people and destroyed entire towns.
The Japan Nuclear Regulatory Authority said that the reactors at the two nuclear power plants of the “Kansai Electric Power” company in Ohi and Takahama in Fukui Prefecture, north of the main earthquake site in Ishikawa Prefecture, were not affected by the earthquakes.
Ohi has two working units and Takahama has four units. The two stations are located about 20 km from each other, and both are in the affected area on the west coast of Japan.
The authority said that Hokuriku Electric Power Company's Shika nuclear plant, which has two units and is located about 250 km north of Ohi and closer to the epicenter of the stronger quake, has been out of service since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and was not affected by the quake.
There is no radiation risk
The authority added that “there is no risk of radiation leakage from nuclear power plants” in areas affected by earthquakes and tsunamis.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that it is in contact with the Japanese Nuclear Authority, and the authority confirmed that there were no unusual incidents at nuclear power plants within the affected area. “The agency will continue to monitor the situation,” a statement said.
Earlier Monday, a series of 21 earthquakes measuring 4.0 or greater struck central Japan within just 90 minutes, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The strongest earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture at 16:10 local time (08:10 CET), recording a magnitude of 7.6.
The quake caused waves nearly one meter high in areas along the western coast of Japan and neighboring South Korea, and authorities said larger waves could follow.
Residents on the west coast were told to evacuate to higher ground due to the threat of a tsunami.
Fukushima
disaster
Following a major earthquake that struck northeastern Japan in March 2011, a 15-meter tsunami disrupted the power supply and cooling of three reactors at Fukushima-Daiichi, causing a major nuclear accident.
All commercial reactors in the country were shut down following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident and are not allowed to resume operation until they pass stringent new safety checks.
Before Fukushima-Daiichi, 54 nuclear plants generated about 30 percent of the country's electricity. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, this percentage fell to 7.2 percent in 2021.
Of Japan's 33 operable nuclear reactors, 12 have resumed operations after meeting safety standards.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government wants nuclear power to play a bigger role in efforts to reduce carbon emissions and ensure stable energy sources.
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