His government handled the response to the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan . The following nuclear accidents at private utility company TEPCO 's nuclear power plant in Fukushima spurred the government to change the course of Japan 's energy policy . Reversing the pro-nuclear policy of the previous administrations , Kan 's government pushed for a conversion to renewable energy and eventual shut-down of Japan 's nuclear plants . Japan 's nuclear power plants were completely shut down by May 2012 , leaving Japan without nuclear-generated electricity for the first time since 1970 . Several of the plants were only brought back online after the DPJ was no longer in government . The LDP government led by Shinzo Abe gradually reopened the nuclear plants , starting with Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kyushu on August 2015 . The restart has been slow due to legal challenges and heavy domestic opposition
massive earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Kan Cabinet