Japan begins 24th round of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge
In short
Tokyo Electric Power Company started a new round of discharges of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on October 5, according to Chinese financial media, which said it is the sixth round of Japan's 2026 fiscal year and the 24th overall. Xinhua also reported that the discharge had begun. The documents give no volume, duration or monitoring details.
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Tokyo Electric Power Company began a new round of discharges of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on October 5, according to the Chinese financial outlets CLS and Jiemian. CLS and Jiemian both reported that the round is the sixth of Japan's 2026 fiscal year and the 24th overall. Yicai reported the start of the 24th round in the same terms, and Xinhua also carried the report that the discharge had begun. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The reports were published within about 40 minutes of one another on the evening of October 5, with CLS first at 22:33 local time and Xinhua at 23:10. Jiemian attributed its account to Xinhua. None of the documents states how much water is being released in this round, how long it will last, or what monitoring accompanies it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The release is the latest in a series that has continued across successive fiscal years, and it was carried by both tier-one financial outlets and the official Xinhua news agency, indicating sustained attention in China to the Fukushima discharge programme. The documents themselves do not describe any reaction, monitoring result or regulatory step, so the significance they establish is limited to the continuation of the programme.
Key facts
- Tokyo Electric Power Company began a new round of nuclear-contaminated water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on October 5. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The discharge is the 24th round overall. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It is the sixth round of Japan's 2026 fiscal year. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Chinese financial outlets reported the start of the discharge on the evening of October 5. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How much water will be released in this round, and over how long. The documents report only that a round began and do not give volume or duration.
- Whether any monitoring, inspection or regulatory assessment accompanies the round. No document mentions monitoring data, inspections or regulatory action.
- Any reaction from the Japanese government, Chinese authorities or other parties. No document in the set reports an official or public response.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reports that Tokyo Electric Power Company started a new round of nuclear-contaminated water discharge, the sixth of fiscal 2026 and the 24th overall. [ 1 ]
- Yicai reports the start of the 24th round of discharge. [ 2 ]
- Jiemian reports the same, citing Xinhua (新华社). [ 3 ]
- Xinhua carries the report that Japan has begun the 24th round of discharge. [ 4 ]