The new government in Japan says it will reconsider plans by the previous administration to abandon nuclear power.
The previous government had said it wanted to phase out nuclear power by 2040 following last year's disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Japan shut down its nuclear reactors after the incident and all but two remain offline.
But Toshimitsu Motegi, the minister in charge of nuclear power in the new government, said he was ready to give the go-ahead to restarting nuclear plants "if they are confirmed safe."
The Liberal Democratic Party of new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won victory in elections this month on a pledge to revive the economy.
Before the Fukushima incident, resource-poor Japan relied on nuclear power for about one-third of its energy supplies.
The previous government had said it wanted to phase out nuclear power by 2040 following last year's disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Japan shut down its nuclear reactors after the incident and all but two remain offline.
But Toshimitsu Motegi, the minister in charge of nuclear power in the new government, said he was ready to give the go-ahead to restarting nuclear plants "if they are confirmed safe."
The Liberal Democratic Party of new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won victory in elections this month on a pledge to revive the economy.
Before the Fukushima incident, resource-poor Japan relied on nuclear power for about one-third of its energy supplies.
