Japan to be 'completely' without nuclear power for second time since Fukushima crisis

Japan will be without nuclear power for the first time since July 2012 following Sunday's shutdown of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi No.4 reactor for regular safety inspections.

According to The Japan Times, Sunday's shutdown in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, follows that of the plant's No. 3 reactor earlier this month for regular inspections, which must take place approximately every 13 months.

Such inspections normally take four to six weeks but the Oi reactors must pass new safety standards that came into effect in July, the report said.

Controversy has erupted between officials from the NRA, Fukui Prefecture and Kepco, which desperately wants to get the reactors back up and running, over whether a fault line discovered beneath the reactors is active, the report added.

Fukui Governor, Issei Nishikawa said that safety was important but if time was wasted, that too had an effect on safety.

In Fukui, restarting the plants is about local profits and jobs as of the prefecture's 8,200 firms, about 1,600, ranging from construction firms to hotels and restaurants rely on its 13 commercial nuclear reactors for at least part of their revenue, the report further said.

Nationwide, about 46,000 people work full time for firms involved with nuclear power, according to the report.