Utility files to extend operation of aging Tokai nuclear unit

It is unclear whether the operator, Japan Atomic Power Co, which is jointly owned by nine of the country's utility companies, can secure an estimated 180 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in costs to implement measures to enhance the safety of the aging reactor

if can't even secure money to implement safety measures(which means they are insufficient right now), how the flip can they deal with another nuclear disaster or even pay for decommissioning?

local governments not having emergency plans to evacuate around 960,000 people living within 30 kilometers 

So they don't even have this already either?

Tokai NPP is on an active fault that is expecting a M9+ earthquake anytime soon. it has had two serious nuclear incidents happened in the nuclear plant. On 11 March 1997, a small explosion in a Dōnen plant. On 30 September 1999, a serious criticality accident in a JCO plant. Its seawalls are 6.1 meters high (tohuku tsunami run-up reached 39 meters).

it is also where at least 3000 tons of weapon grade Plutonium is stored, although some maybe is being sent back to the USA.

"The application for the Tokai plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, currently offline, comes despite local governments not having emergency plans to evacuate around 960,000 people living within 30 kilometers of the plant. Of all Japan's nuclear power plants, Tokai's has the most densely populated surrounding area."

WHEN, not "if", the next disaster happens these clowns will all say, "Who could have known" before running for the hills with their golden parachutes and leaving the area to suffer on its own. There's a reason why these things were given a life-span, and that was not so they could extend it. There's a reason why you should not build on fault lines or even just a nation prone to earthquakes, and there is a reason why you should meet laws and requirements BEFORE you do something! I hope to god they say no, but we ARE talking about Japan, after all. So likely they'll get permission to restart with a promise to fulfill the requirements to do so "sometime in the future".

There's a reason why these things were given a life-span, and that was not so they could extend it.

Please explain the reason they were given a life span and why it was 40 years.