A village in northern Japan formally announced yesterday the start of campaigning for a rare referendum this month to decide on the use of controversial recycled nuclear fuel in a local power plant. The vote, which will not be legally binding, will be held on May 27 and will address whether Japan's largest power utility, Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc (TEPCO) , should be allowed to use the fuel at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Kariwa on the Sea of Japan coast.