Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae / We will instruct TEPCO to prioritize safety above all else and proceed with decommissioning while gaining the understanding of local residents. The central government will also take the lead and carry out this responsibility to the very end.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi made the remarks at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on December 2.

The nuclear power plant was struck by a tsunami following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011 suffering a triple meltdown that disabled three reactors.

Its operator Tokyo Electric Power Company said in 2011 that the decommissioning work will take 30 to 40 years.

During her visit in Fukushima Prefecture, Takaichi inspected the interim storage facility in Okuma Town, which temporarily stores decontaminated soil generated during radioactive decontamination work.

She also visited areas of Futaba Town where residents have not yet been able to return.

Takaichi said that the central government hopes to outline the post-2030 progress of the final disposal of decontaminated soil outside the prefecture.