Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday he plans to meet soon with organizers of the huge antinuclear protests staged weekly outside his office to hear their views against restarting idled reactors.

The demonstrations, held Fridays to demand the government stop efforts to reactivate reactors, attracted increasing numbers of participants from all over Japan in recent weeks. During an interview with media outlets, Noda said he is arranging a meeting with the organizers in the "not-too-distant future."

"I can hear (the protesters' cries) when I open the windows" at the prime minister's office, Noda said. "There are many voices among the crowd, including those who support (reactivations) and those opposed, and I basically want to listen to all the different opinions."