The governor of Japan has been re-elected, according to NHK, in a contest viewed as crucial to the restart of the nuclear power plant

Image: Reuters Berita 24 English -  According to public broadcaster NHK, the governor of Japan's Niigata prefecture handily defeated his...

Image: Reuters

Berita 24 English -  According to public broadcaster NHK, the governor of Japan's Niigata prefecture handily defeated his anti-nuclear opponent in an election on Sunday, a result that could empower members of the ruling party who are pushing to restart the country's mainly idled nuclear power reactors.

According to exit surveys, Hideyo Hanazumi, who was backed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), defeated Naomi Katagiri, a local businesswoman and longstanding anti-nuclear activist, by a substantial margin.

Hanazumi also declared victory in a speech to supporters, though he did not disclose exact figures.

LDP heavyweights in Tokyo were eagerly watching the result in Niigata, which is home to the world's largest nuclear power plant, as a gauge of voter preparedness to re-embrace nuclear power.

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, many of Japan's reactors were shut down, including the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata. Despite the fact that many Japanese are wary of nuclear power, the Ukraine crisis and a falling yen have resulted in a spike in energy bills that have affected households.

Nuclear power was a major issue in Niigata's last governor election four years ago. According to a recent poll conducted by the Niigata Nippo daily, it ranked fifth among voters this time, having been overshadowed by economic concerns.

This time, Hanazumi was predicted to win comfortably. During his campaign, he tried to stay away from the nuclear issue and, when pressed, reiterated the government's position that safety comes first.

To stabilize energy prices and supply, Kishida said on Friday that Japan will take tangible steps to restart idled nuclear power reactors with a focus on safety.

In Japan, only ten nuclear reactors remain functioning, compared to 54 before to the Fukushima tragedy. The government wants to increase nuclear power's contribution to 22 percent of its energy mix by 2030, up from 6% in 2019.