Kagoshima governor Yuichiro Ito said restarting two reactors at the Sendai power station would go ahead despite the concerns of residents.
“All things considered, I must say that we still need to rely on nuclear energy, and it is extremely important for us to steadily carry out the plan,” Ito told a news conference.
The announcement marks the final step before the Sendai reactors are expected to go back online early next year following regulators’ on-site checks. Japan’s nuclear regulation authority in July gave them passing grades under stricter safety requirements that factored in the lessons of the Fukushima Dai-ichi meltdowns.
All 48 workable reactors in Japan have been offline for safety checks or repairs since the 2011 disaster, except for two that have temporarily operated for about a year. Sendai would be the first to restart under safety rules imposed after the Fukushima crisis.
The plant’s host town, Satsumasendai, has already voted to restart the plant. The governor’s endorsement completes the required process of local consent.