Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi has suggested he supports local calls to scrap the Fukushima No. 2 nuclear plant, located near the stricken Fukushima No. 1 complex.
"Thinking about the current feelings of the people in Fukushima Prefecture, I don't think we can treat Fukushima No. 2 in the same way as other nuclear power plants," Motegi told a Diet committee Monday.
The No. 2 power station lies 12 km south of the No. 1 plant, three of whose reactors experienced core meltdowns shortly after the March 2011 natural disasters.