More than four years after the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan’s entire fleet of commercial nuclear reactors lies idle - but it is looking increasingly likely that two of them will restart this summer, following a series of approvals and a landmark court decision in April. The imperatives for a return to nuclear power are clear: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - returned to office with a strong mandate in December - has made the economy his top priority and knows all too well that energy developments will play a key role on the success or failure of his ambitions. He strongly supports re-starts. In turn, what happens in Japanese energy will have a big impact on the global LNG market, and thus on gas markets around the world, with Japan still the largest LNG consumer by far. So, what now for energy in Japan? And what are the implications for LNG?
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