New facts have emerged regarding the issue of Chubu Electric Power Company's fraudulent manipulation of data during the restart review of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
It has been revealed that Chubu Electric Power Company continued to fraudulently manipulate data even after the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) began its investigation. Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka
"This is a problem that goes beyond the deterioration of Chubu Electric Power Company's organizational safety culture; it's more like a loss of ethical standards among engineers. I suspect that something like that was happening collectively."
The head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority dismissed the issue in harsh terms.
■Fraudulent manipulation of data in a "convenient form" after the investigation?
New facts have emerged regarding the issue of Chubu Electric Power Company's fraudulent manipulation of data concerning the "design basis earthquake ground motion" for seismic design during the restart review of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4.
Shinsuke Yamanaka, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority
"Even after the investigation into the reporting system began, irregularities were occurring." This issue came to the Nuclear Regulation Authority in February 2025 when information was provided from an external source. Subsequently, in May 2025, the Nuclear Regulation Agency met with Chubu Electric Power Company to verify the facts, and the investigation began.
Even after this investigation began, Chubu Electric Power Company continued to manipulate data in a way that suited its own purposes.
Reiko Kanda, Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulation Authority
"It seems that their sense of responsibility regarding such actions had become numb. It's possible that someone in a position of authority at the top was involved in checking the response."
■ Voices of distrust from the local Omaezaki area; Mayor Shimomura also comments
Strong voices of distrust have been raised from the local Omaezaki area.
Local Woman
"Information isn't reaching residents easily. As a citizen, I want Chubu Electric Power to provide a proper report."
Local Man
"It seems like Chubu Electric Power lacks a culture of handling data correctly, or rather, it's a systematic issue. I have distrust towards Chubu Electric Power. If there's data falsification, restarting the reactors is simply not feasible."
Omaezaki City Mayor Masaru Shimomura commented, "I hope Chubu Electric Power will steadily proceed with the reforms they are undertaking and the investigation by the third-party committee."
■Cause: "Concealment of Irregularities"? Disciplinary Action to be Decided Around Summer 2026
Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Yamanaka
"Regarding the cause and contributing factors, a thorough investigation is needed, but I suspect that 'concealment of irregularities' was taking place."
The Nuclear Regulation Authority plans to decide on disciplinary action against Chubu Electric Power around summer, taking into account the report to be submitted by the third-party committee.
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"A Crisis Beyond Eroding Safety Culture: Loss of Engineering Ethics": New Data Manipulation Revea...
