The Japanese government has indicated it will resume the use of nuclear power which was curtailed after the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima plant that has contaminated parts of northern Japan, The New York Times reported today.

The boiling water reactor plant design at TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant near Athens is identical to the design of the Fukushima plant.



The largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl began with an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami which led to the operator to losing control of the plant, overheating and eventual hydrogen explosions.

Japan stopped operations of the country's nearly 50 reactors in the wake of the Fukushima disaster and had indicated a willingness to phase out nuclear power. The country relied heavily on nuclear power for its energy needs and the idling of plants and the increased use of fossil fuels has led to higher energy prices in Japan, the Times reports.

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has argued nuclear power is necessary to meet Japan's energy needs. In a plan expected to be presented to Abe's cabinet this week. In the energy plan, the government contends that nuclear energy is an important energy source and signals a willingness to build new plants, according to reports.

The decision comes during a period where polling data suggests the Japanese public is uncertain about the use of nuclear power. The Wall Street Journal reports that a survey by Japan's Fuji TV network found that 53 percent of residents surveyed opposed restarting the country's nuclear reactors.

The Fukushima disaster was called "man-made" in a report by a special commission appointed by the Japan's government after the March 2011 nuclear plant disaster. The commission found the plant's owner failed to implement basic safety measures because it didn't want to bear additional costs. The government was criticized for failing to develop an evacuation plan and regulators were faulted for a too-cozy relationship with the utility company.

The report cited negligence at the plant, but also blamed the "mindset" that enabled that negligence.

"What must be admitted -- very painfully -- is that this was a disaster 'Made in Japan,'" according to the report's introduction written by the investigating commission's chairman. "Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience, our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to 'sticking with the program'; our groupism; and our insularity."