A local governor in southern Japan has given final approval to restart a nuclear power plant, the first to resume operations under new safety rules imposed after the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns caused by an earthquake and tsunami.
Kagoshima prefecture Governor Yuchiro Ito told a news conference Friday that two units at Sendai nuclear power plant will resume operations after the completion of operational safety checks.
Sendai, located 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Tokyo, will be the first nuclear power plant in Japan to resume operations since the last of 48 plants was shut down in September of 2013 amid public concerns about safety.
The Sendai plant is expected to reopen next year.