A government official involved in measures to combat the toxic water buildup at Fukushima No. 1 emphasized the importance of improving working conditions for the roughly 6,000 workers at the crippled nuclear plant during a recent media tour.

"I sincerely felt the hardships workers have experienced, as what's going on here is different from ordinary construction work in terms of the severe heat due to protective suits and high radiation level," said Masato Kino, the Natural Resources and Energy Agency's director for management of the contaminated water at the plant.

The water buildup is a major headache for Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the government as they work toward decommissioning all six reactors at the complex. The contaminated water is increasing at a rate of around 400 tons per day as groundwater flows into the damaged buildings for reactors 1 through 4.