The last reactor of Japan's 50 reactors was shut down on May 5th, 2012 in response to public outcry after the recent incident at the Fukushima Daiichi when a magnitude 9 earthquake caused wide spread damage at the facility and an ensuing tsunami caused more problems and further complicated the matter. Since that disaster there have been numerous demonstrations against nuclear power and under public pressure, the government started to shut down all 50 reactors in the country. The reactor shutdowns are temporary but the timeline for their reactivation has not yet been determined. The Fukushima accident released tons of radiation into the surrounding areas and as a result food grown there has been banned and most of the residents have still not been allowed to return their due to radiation concerns. The meltdown was classified as a class 7 meltdown, with the Chernobyl incident being the only other accident being rated as a 7.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/world/asia/last-reactor-of-50-in-japan-is-shut-down.html?ref=earth
Interesting, this Monday a spike of radiation found in the Tokyo bay. perhaps shutting down the plant somehow caused some radiation to leak into the ground water. But that is unlikely. either way it is good to know that the last of those plants have been shut down for the safety of the Japanese people.
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