Three nuclear power plants near the Kyushu earthquake zone in Japan have not been affected, and one is still in operation.

　　[Global Times reporter Bai Yiyi] In the early morning of the 16th, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Kyushu in southern Japan again. On the evening of 14th, there was an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale. According to Japanese media reports, the earthquake has caused dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries, but there is no abnormality in the nuclear power plant near the earthquake zone.

　　According to the Global Times reporter’s inquiry, there are three nuclear power plants near the earthquake zone, namely Kawauchi Nuclear Power Plant in Kyushu, Xuanhai Nuclear Power Plant and Yifang Nuclear Power Plant in Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku.

　　Located in Samokawa City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, the Kawasaki nuclear power plant is about 120 kilometers away from Kumamoto Prefecture where the earthquake occurred, and it is also the only nuclear power plant currently operating in Japan. After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Japan once suspended the operation of all nuclear power plants and set stricter safety standards. After strict safety review, Units 1 and 2 of Sichuan Nuclear Power Station were restarted in August and October 2015, respectively, thus ending the "zero nuclear power" state in Japan. After the earthquake, Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power Company said that the Sichuan nuclear power plant was not affected by the earthquake and everything was operating normally.

　　Xuanhai Nuclear Power Station is located in Xuanhai Town, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu. It is currently in a state of suspension and has not been affected by the earthquake. According to NHK, after the earthquake, there was no abnormality at the Iraqi nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku.

　　This earthquake is the strongest earthquake in Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11th, 2011, but there was no tsunami in this earthquake.

　　After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Japan shut down all nuclear power plants in operation. However, as a big energy consumer, Japan is short of resources, and the lack of nuclear power has also paid a high price. Power shortage and Japan’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions made the Japanese government decide to restart nuclear energy. However, the Fukushima nuclear accident has also shaken the determination of Germany and other countries that intend to continue to develop nuclear power. According to the plan, all nuclear power plants in Germany will be closed in the next decade.