We all remember the dark tales of rolling blackouts and other measures that would be required in Japan until the nuclear power plants could be restarted. We heard a lot about it last year - about how they couldn't possibly continue their manufacturing or commerce without nuclear power. That turned out to be a myth.
What is real is that the people of Japan aren't going to tolerate nuclear power plant restarts. Starting May 6th the entire country of Japan will be operating on non-nuclear power. On that day Japan will awaken to a different world, one where the spectre of further sacrifice of their limited territory to future nuclear catastrophes has been eradicated.
Mayday for Japan’s nuclear industry
This is no accident: there is now very strong public opposition to nuclear power in Japan. As reported by CNN:
Public opposition to nuclear power now runs hot in Japan. Far from fading over the last year, opposition seems to have expanded to a solid majority of citizens nationwide, putting both Noda’s government and Japan’s big business community (which needs the electricity) in a very difficult spot. The reason for that is the debacle of Fukushima Daiichi—the six-reactor power station owned and operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) —and the many questions that still surround the terrifying events that began on March 11, 2011.
Fukushima Daiichi: Inside the debacle