Cabinet approves plan to set up new nuclear watchdog

This is like closing the gate after the horse has bolted. It's too late for a "new" nuclear regulator because they won't ever be able to contain Fukushima. Also, Japan has been discovering radiation all over the Island and the other day TEPCO announced that the worse is yet to come – just as Arnie Gundersen has said before. Most likely, in just a year from now, we will start seeing a cancer epidemic open up in Northeast Japan. Later on the epidemic will start appearing in several other places as well.

Watchdog or regulator?

Any watchdog should be run totally independently from the government.

Of course it is good that they are finally separating the watchdogs from the industry they are expected to watch. It is still not set that we will not have nuclear power, and many of the existing plants will remain in operation. This is a good move, if belated.

What Japan needs is not a new new nuclear watchdog, not new organizations, but new people, new approach and better moral.

ItsMe: "Of course it is good that they are finally separating the watchdogs from the industry they are expected to watch."

Did you change you're name a bit, amigo? Anyway, they're not changing anything much.... the just got caught with their hands in the cookie-jar, so they are changing their name and address only. They'll still be the same staff, with the same inability to work well.

The Environment Ministry is already asleep at the wheel, there are too many incinerators producing pollution instead of steam and said steam to generate electricity. What are these Nuclear Watchdogs able to do now that they are under the " Environment Ministry ". Will they be able to fine NPP's for discrepancies and or close down faulty / old reactors that are in operation?

I hope this watchdog has teeth and is incapable of being muzzled

I hope this watchdog has teeth and is incapable of being muzzled

You are new to Japan . . . anyway, welcome.