Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi suggested Thursday the government will allow the completion of three planned nuclear reactors.
Motegi said while the government does not expect any "new" reactors to be built for the time being, the three already approved reactors, including Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s unit 1 at the Higashidori plant in Aomori Prefecture, are not considered "new."
Tepco suspended the construction of the Higashidori plant in the wake of the disaster at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in 2011.
The two other units are reactor 3 at Chugoku Electric Power Co.'s Shimane plant and a reactor at Electric Power Development Co.'s Oma nuclear plant in Aomori Prefecture.
Chugoku Electric has nearly finished constructing reactor 3, while Electric Power Development, known as J-Power, resumed work on Oma plant's reactor in October 2012.
Reactors have to clear a set of new safety requirements, introduced in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.
None of the 48 commercial reactors in Japan has passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority's safety assessment process.