Japan begins 25th release of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into ocean

TOKYO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Monday kicked off a new round of discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea, marking the 25th such release since the controversial operation began in 2023.

The discharge started at 11:29 a.m. local time. According to the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), about 7,800 tonnes of wastewater containing approximately 1.4 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium will be released into the ocean.

The latest discharge, also the seventh round in fiscal 2026, is scheduled to continue through Nov. 13.

In August 2023, Japan unilaterally launched the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the ocean despite concerns and opposition from the international community. So far, TEPCO has completed 24 rounds of discharges, and around 188,400 tonnes of wastewater has been released into the sea.