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NRA head briefed on No.3 reactor at Shimane plant

MATSUE, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (2nd from L) receives a briefing under the pressure vessel of unit 3, which is under construction, at Chugoku Electric Power Co.'s Shimane nuclear power plant in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, on Jan. 16, 2015.

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NRA chief inspects No.3 reactor at Shimane plant

MATSUE, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (2nd from L) inspects the pressure vessel of unit 3, which is under construction, at Chugoku Electric Power Co.'s Shimane nuclear power plant in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, on Jan. 16, 2015.

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NRA head inspects portable pumps at Sendai nuke plant

SATSUMASENDAI, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (far L)) and others inspect a depot storing portable pumps at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 20, 2014. The plant is first to meet the NRA's toughened regulations after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

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NRA head inspects Kyushu Electric's Sendai nuke plant

SATSUMASENDAI, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (2nd from R) and others inspect waterproof facilities in a seawater pumping area at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 20, 2014. The plant is the first to meet the NRA's toughened regulations after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

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NRA inspects unit 2 of Shimane nuclear plant

MATSUE, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa (2nd from F), on behalf of NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka, inspects the equipment of unit 2 and its accident measures at Chugoku Electric Power Co.'s Shimane nuclear power plant in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, on Dec. 19, 2014. (Pool photo)

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NRA chief opines on Takahama nuke plant's safety

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka (2nd from R), chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks in Tokyo on Dec. 17, 2014, about a report that the No. 3 and 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, western Japan, have cleared the NRA's tougher safety requirements. The clearance is a step toward reactivating the idled reactors.

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NRA chief inspects Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka (L), chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, delivers a pep talk in the emergency response room at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, on Dec. 12, 2014, during his visit. (Pool photo)

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NRA chief inspects Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka (R, front), chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, walks by radioactive water tanks during his inspection at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, in Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, on Dec. 12, 2014. (Pool photo)

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Japan nuclear plant gets safety OK

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 10, 2014, after the NRA approved the final version of its screening report on the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear plant under new regulations imposed following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. With the approval, the two reactors in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, moved closer to becoming the first in the country to be restarted.

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Japan nuclear plant clears safety hurdle toward restarting

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on July 16, 2014, after the NRA approved a draft report required to resume the operations of two reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture. The reactors are expected to become the first nuclear facility to restart under new safety standards introduced following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

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Regulators unveil draft report for restart of Kyushu nuclear plant

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (2nd from R) attends its meeting on July 16, 2014, in Tokyo, Japan. The regulators unveiled a draft safety screening report needed to restart two reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai plant in Satsumasendai in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, in what is seen as a key step to reviving the country's nuclear power generation.

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Nuclear Regulation Agency's swearing-in ceremony

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka (L), chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, listens to an oath taken by a new employee of the Nuclear Regulation Agency during their swearing-in ceremony at the agency in Tokyo on April 1, 2014.

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Fukushima school gives debris art to NRA head

TOKYO, Japan - A student from Hobara high school in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, hands a piece of debris from the 2011 earthquake with a drawing of flower on it to Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (L) at the authority in Tokyo on March 24, 2014. The students have created artworks to encourage victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster triggered by the earthquake.

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NRA chief speaks about safety review of Sendai nuclear plant

TOKYO, Japan -Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on March 13, 2014, about the NRA's decision to prioritize the safety review of the Nos. 1 and 2 nuclear reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan.

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Sendai nuclear power plant

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka (R), head of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, asks for the opinions of other nuclear regulators during a session in Tokyo on March 13, 2014. The authority decided the same day to prioritize the safety review of two reactors at the Sendai plant in southwestern Japan, making them potentially the closest to be allowed to restart among Japan's 48 offline commercial reactors.

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Nuclear regulator, TEPCO president meet

TOKYO, Japan - Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Naomi Hirose (L) bows during a meeting with Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (2nd from R) in Tokyo on Oct. 28, 2013.

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Fukushima governor, NRA chief

TOKYO, Japan - Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato (R) and Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, bow as they meet in Tokyo on Aug. 28, 2013. The governor of the prefecture hosting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant asked the NRA chief to improve the handling of the nuclear crisis at the power plant, as the NRA raised its assessment of the severity of a recent toxic water leak at the complex to level 3 on an eight-point international scale the same day.

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New safety requirements for reactors

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka speaks at an NRT regular meeting in Tokyo on June 19, 2013. The NRT at the meeting officially decided on Japan's new safety requirements for reactors aimed at preventing recurrences of disasters like the one at the Fukushima Daiichi complex in 2011.

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Fault below Tsuruga reactor is active

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka attends an NRT regular meeting in Tokyo on May 22, 2013. The NRT accepted an assessment that a reactor at the Tsuruga plant in western Japan sits above an active fault, making it increasingly difficult for the facility to resume operation.

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Fault below Tsuruga reactor is active

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (R at rear) attends an NRT regular meeting in Tokyo on May 22, 2013. The NRT accepted an assessment that a reactor at the Tsuruga plant in western Japan sits above an active fault.

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Monju reactor

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (R) speaks during a meeting of the authority in Tokyo on May 15, 2013. The authority decided to issue an order effectively prohibiting the Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor from restarting, noting a series of problems with safety management.

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Nuclear regulators in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear regulators including Shunichi Tanaka (C), head of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, pose for photos in Tokyo on May 6, 2013. The regulators from nine countries gathered for a three-day meeting to discuss their responses to the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

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Post-Fukushima crisis disaster mitigation guidelines

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka speaks during a meeting of the authority in Tokyo on Feb. 27, 2013. The authority the same day revised its nuclear disaster mitigation guidelines compiled in the wake of the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant by adding a set of criteria for evacuation and other protective actions against radiation exposure.

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U.S. nuclear regulator in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission chief Allison Macfarlane (L) and Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority chief Shunichi Tanaka shake hands in Tokyo on Dec. 14, 2012. They agreed to enhance cooperation.

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Radiation spread projection full of errors

TOKYO, Japan - Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2012. Tanaka apologized as the authority found errors in its radiation spread projections in the event of a severe accident for all the country's nuclear power plants after thoroughly reviewing its previous already mistake-plagued results.

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Post-Fukushima crisis disaster mitigation guidelines

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 31, 2012, after the authority decided on new guidelines for nuclear disaster mitigation measures following the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, expanding the radius of areas that need to make special preparations to 30 kilometers from an atomic power plant.

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Radiation spread projections in severe accidents

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, takes a look at documents giving projections for the spread of radiation from nationwide nuclear reactors in the event of a severe accident, at an NRA meeting in Tokyo on Oct. 24, 2012. In releasing their first such projections, Japan's nuclear regulatory authorities said the amount of radiation released a week after an accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture could reach the level where evacuation is recommended for those living as far as 40 kilometers from the plant.

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New nuclear regulatory body

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, a radiation physicist who heads the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks during an inaugural ceremony for the organization in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2012.

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New nuclear regulatory body

TOKYO, Japan - The members of the Nuclear Regulation Authority -- (from L) Kenzo Oshima, Toyoshi Fuketa, Shunichi Tanaka, chairman, Kunihiko Shimazaki and Kayoko Nakamura -- attend an inaugural ceremony for the organization in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2012.

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Japan's new nuclear regulatory body

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, answers reporters' questions in Tokyo at the launch of the new nuclear safety regulatory body on Sept. 19, 2012.

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New nuclear regulatory body

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows radiation physics expert Shunichi Tanaka in Tokyo on Sept. 11, 2012. The Japanese government said the same day it will launch a new nuclear safety body on Sept. 19 and appoint Tanaka as its head, deciding it cannot allow a further delay in revamping Japan's regulatory setup following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex in 2011.

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Nuclear body chief candidate

TOKYO, Japan - Shunichi Tanaka, an expert in radiation physics, speaks during a hearing of a House of Representatives panel in Tokyo on Aug. 1, 2012. The Japanese government has proposed to the Diet that Tanaka be appointed to head a new nuclear regulatory authority.

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Gov't proposes Tanaka as new nuclear regulatory body chief

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura (2nd from R) attends a meeting at the Diet building in Tokyo on July 26, 2012. The government proposed to the Diet that Shunichi Tanaka, an expert in radiation physics, be appointed to head the new nuclear regulatory authority it is aiming to launch in early September.

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Shunichi Tanaka to be tapped for new nuclear body chief

TOKYO, Japan - Undated file photo shows Shunichi Tanaka, an expert on radiation physics and a former member of the country's key panel involved in setting nuclear policies. The Japanese government plans to appoint Tanaka as the head of the new nuclear regulation authority, sources close to the matter said on July 20, 2012.

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Fukushima Plant Still Posing Risks 4 Years After Meltdowns: regulator

FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN - MAR. 11: The situation still remains risky at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant four years after nuclear meltdowns occurred in 2011, the chairman of Japan's nuclear regulator said Wednesday, vowing utmost efforts to avoid further trouble there. "There have been quite a few accidents and problems at the Fukushima plant in the past year, and we need to face the reality that they are causing anxiety and anger among people in Fukushima," Shunichi Tanaka told personnel at the Nuclear Regulation Authority on the fourth anniversary of the nuclear disaster. Mishaps still occur regularly at the radiation-leaking complex in Fukushima Prefecture, where decommissioning

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Japan marks 4th anniv. of deadly disaster

Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka gives instructions to his officials in Tokyo on March 11, 2015, the fourth anniversary of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi complex. He told them to work to keep alive the memories and lessons learned from the accident. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Nuclear regulator OKs additional 20-yr operation for aging reactors

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, discusses the extension of operation for two aging reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear plant on the Sea of Japan coast in a Tokyo meeting on June 20, 2016. The nuclear regulator approved an additional 20 years of operation. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Nuclear Regulator says fault below central Japan reactor active

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, attends a meeting of the watchdog in Tokyo on April 27, 2016. The nuclear safety body approved in the meeting a conclusion by geological experts that a fault below a reactor at Hokuriku Electric Power Co.'s Shika nuclear plant in central Japan may be active, a decision that could lead to scrapping of the unit. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Reactors pass safety screening for operating beyond 40-year limit

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, attends a press conference in Tokyo on April 20, 2016. Two aging nuclear reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama plant on the Sea of Japan coast passed safety screenings the same day by the regulator. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Nuclear regulators hold extraordinary meeting over quakes

Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka attends a press conference in Tokyo on April 18, 2016, following an extraordinary meeting in the wake of powerful earthquakes that hit southwestern Japan. Tanaka indicated it is not necessary to suspend Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear plant. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Nuclear regulators hold extra meeting over quakes

Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (far L) attends an extra meeting in Tokyo on April 18, 2016, in the wake of powerful earthquakes that hit southwestern Japan. While acknowledging the need to appropriately offer information to public, Tanaka said the quakes have not caused any troubles so far to nuclear plants in the area. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Watchdog chief urges nuclear safety efforts by gov't, utilities

Shunichi Tanaka, the chairman of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, gives an exclusive interview to Kyodo News on March 7, 2016, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on March 11. Tanaka urged the government and utility companies to make constant efforts to ensure the safety of nuclear reactors, without dropping their guard just because the units cleared the regulator's tough safety screening. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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IAEA examines Japan's nuclear safety measures

Philippe Jamet (L), who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency's delegation to Japan, and Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, attend a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 22, 2016. The delegation finished examining Japan's nuclear safety measures, and will compile a final report in about three months. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Regulator calls for replacing Monju reactor operator

The Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (L) talks with Hiroshi Hase, science minister, on Nov. 13, 2015, in Tokyo, after handing over a recommendation paper seeking an appointment of a new entity to run the trouble-prone Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor, rather than leaving it to the government-backed Japan Atomic Energy Agency, to bolster safety management operations. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Regulator calls for replacing Monju reactor operator

The Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (L) hands over a recommendation paper to Hiroshi Hase, science minister, on Nov. 13, 2015, in Tokyo, urging Hase to appoint a new entity to run the trouble-prone Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor, rather than leaving it to the government-backed Japan Atomic Energy Agency, to bolster safety management operations. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Nuclear plant in western Japan gets safety OK, edges nearer restart

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on July 15, 2015. An idled nuclear plant owned by Shikoku Electric Power Co. obtained safety clearance from regulators, moving it a step closer to restarting as the government seeks to revive the country's nuclear industry that has been at a standstill following the 2011 nuclear crisis. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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NRA approves safety programs for Sendai nuclear plant

Shunichi Tanaka (L), chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, participates in a regular meeting of the NRA in Tokyo on May 27, 2015. The NRA granted approval for the safety programs required for restarting Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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NRA head eyes careful pre-operation checks of Sendai plant

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on May 27, 2015. The NRA intends to carefully conduct pre-operational checks of Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, which has been halted for around four years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Shikoku Electric nuclear reactor clears major hurdle for restart

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka (L) attends a meeting in Tokyo on May 20, 2015. The nuclear regulator approved safety measures of an idled reactor at Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s Ikata plant in western Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Regulator chief questions court ruling to ban Takahama restart

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, at a press conference in Tokyo on April 15, 2015, questions the Fukui District Court injunction issued the day before, banning the restart of two reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama plant. Tanaka said the regulator's safety standards are "at the highest level in the world." (Kyodo) ==Kyodo