The question of restarting nuclear power plants is causing a stir among residents of Niigata, Japan. The issue, neither unanimously accepted nor rejected, has become a hot topic of conversation. The dynamics of the discourse have created a fierce ideological divide, bringing a host of concerns including safety, energy reliability, and environmental impacts, back into the spotlight.

Since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Japan has struggled to re-establish its nuclear energy program. The debate regarding nuclear power restarts is deeply rooted in the safety concerns of the public, coupled with the country's energy dependency struggles. Niigata, with its large nuclear power plant, often becomes the focal point in these conversations.

In the US and EU, public opinion on nuclear energy is similarly polarized. However, U.S laws give local communities less direct influence over nuclear power decisions compared to Japan, where local consent is necessary for restarts. In the EU, decisions widely vary, with some nations like Germany moving away from nuclear power, and others like France continuing the use of nuclear energy.