The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Monday held an initiation ceremony for 384 staff joining from the now-defunct Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization who will bring their technical expertise to the body.

JNES was abolished Saturday and absorbed by the NRA, which was set up in the wake of the Fukushima No. 1 power plant disaster in 2011 to replace its discredited predecessor. The move expands the staff at the new watchdog to around 1,000.

NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said he has "high expectations" for the engineers, especially after the nuclear crisis taught the country the importance of expertise among regulators to strictly monitor nuclear safety.