The Japanese government has been asked to scrap all nuclear reactors in the Fukushima prefecture, where one of the two nuclear power plants had a disastrous accident two years ago, displacing tens of thousands of residents.
Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato met with Economy, Trade & Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Tokyo on Wednesday and handed over a letter raising the demand, Japanese media reported.
Sato said Fukushima was aiming for sustained regional development without relying on nuclear power, and it wanted the government to take responsibility in decommissioning all reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear plants.
He said the local government planned to make Fukushima a hub for the medical equipment industry, and sought substantial financial support from the central government to attract related businesses.
Sato told Motegi that most of the requests were linked to the 2011 nuclear disaster, and said reconstruction efforts were progressing despite difficulties.
Four of the six reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered meltdown in the March 11, 2011 quake-triggered tsunami sending out radiation that contaminated water and food, forcing the evacuation of more than 150,000 residents. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of the plant, has been seeking public funds to pay compensation to the victims which will be more than $50 billion.
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