Industry minister Takeo Hiranuma visited Niigata Prefecture on Friday to apologize for the mishandling of Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s coverup of defects at its nuclear reactors.
Hiranuma apologized to the mayor and city assembly members in Kashiwazaki, the site of Tepco's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. Part of the facility also lies in the village of Kariwa. He was also expected to apologize to residents of the two municipalities later in the day.
The apologies, the first since the scandal broke last August, are apparently designed to smooth the way for operations to resume at most of the reactors before demand for electricity reaches its summertime peak.