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News| Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Hamaoka impact will be far-flung
By KANAKO TAKAHARA and JUN HONGO The decision by Chubu Electric
Power Co. to shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in
Shizuoka Prefecture is testament to the long-lasting and far-
reaching impact of the March 11 megaquake. In fact, the
shutdown, decided Monday, may signal an inevitable shift away
from a policy of nuclear dependence. Financially speaking, the
move affects not only the utility company but also Japan's core
manufacturing sector. "There is no doubt the shutdown (of
Hamaoka) has a negative impact on manufacturers such as Toyota
Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp., which operate factories in
the Chubu region," Daiwa Securities Co. analyst Takahiko Makabe
told The Japan Times on Tuesday. An expert on the automobile and
utilities industries, Makabe said that although other utilities
are likely to provide extra power to Chubu