/  The 2011 tsunami decimated much of Japan’s energy infrastructure but, never one to shy away from progress, the country saw this as an opportunity to change its approach to power. As such, the city of Higashi-Matsushima rebuilt its systems using a design by Takao Kashiwagi, a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Funded by the National Resilience Program, the area installed microgrids and today runs off 25% decentralised power, with plans to push this further. Following this success, the programme received a budget increase to help roll out this system across Japan. In this issue we take a look at this smart city that rose from disaster to inspire a nation.

Also making major changes, India will soon have the capacity to operate on 100% renewable power. But with energy poverty rife, what would it take to actually achieve this?

Across the sectors, we ask if traditional energy supply models are breaking down due to disruptors, learn about the new smart energy sources emerging to support smart cities, and in nuclear, ask if China is leading the way in floating offshore nuclear and assess the future of South Korea’s nuclear industry as the country reaches a crossroads.  /

Read on for all this and more, and join the conversation on Twitter. 

Ceri Jones, Editor