Japan had 282 GW of total installed electricity generating capacity in 2010 , the third largest in the world behind the United States and China . However , after the damage by the 2011 earthquake , capacity is estimated to be around 243 GW in mid-2011 . It is one of the world 's largest users of solar energy , in fourth place behind Germany , Italy , and China . With 53 active nuclear power generating reactor units in 2009 , that year Japan ranked third in the world in that respect , after the United States ( 104 reactors ) and France ( 59 ) . Almost one quarter ( 24.93 % ) of its electricity production was from nuclear plants , compared to 76.18 % for France and 19.66 % for the United States . However , after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster , all plants eventually shut down in May 2012 and Ōi Nuclear Power Plant was restarted and operational between June 2012 and September 2013 . On 11 August 2015 and 1 November 2015 , the two nuclear reactor of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant were restarted respectively
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Energy in Japan