Minister for Reconstruction Ito Tadahiko inspected a flower bed at the Reconstruction Agency in Tokyo where decontaminated radioactive soil from Fukushima Prefecture was being reused.

Officials explained that regular soil was placed on top of about 10 cubic meters of decontaminated soil.

An official measured the dose of radiation in the air to confirm safety.

The soil in question has been treated after being contaminated with radiation due to the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

About 14 million cubic meters of such soil are stored at an interim facility in Fukushima Prefecture.

Under law, all of this soil must be disposed of outside the prefecture by 2045.

Ito said he wants to deepen understanding along with members of the public about the safety and necessity of reusing the decontaminated soil.