World's largest nuclear power plant restarts in north-central Japan since 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown

The world's largest nuclear power plant restarted in north-central Japan for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

This, as resource-poor Japan accelerates atomic power use to meet soaring electricity needs.

The first steps in energy production at the Number 6 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant are important because the operator is Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the same utility that runs the ruined Fukushima Daiichi plant.

TEPCO said staff at the Number 6 reactor's control room turned on a button Wednesday evening to start a nuclear chain reaction toward achieving criticality.

This is a stage when a reactor reaches a self-sustaining nuclear reaction.

The move was delayed a day due to a faulty alarm setting found over the weekend.

TEPCO's past safety issues at Fukushima have led to public worries about operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

Government and independent investigations blamed the Fukushima debacle on TEPCO's bad safety culture.