Glinting in the sun by the world's biggest nuclear plant, the Sea of Japan is calm now. But as the huge facility gears up to restart, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has a new tsunami wall, just in case.

Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but with the Group of Seven's dirtiest energy mix, it is seeking to cut emissions, and atomic energy is making a steady comeback, in part because of artificial intelligence.

At the 400-hectare (1,000-acre) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, shown in an exclusive tour, the 15-meter (50-foot) wall is just one measure to prevent another catastrophe and reassure the public and Japan's jittery neighbors.