Japan's government has reviewed its basic policy for reconstruction of areas devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

The current basic policy was established in 2021, a decade after the disaster.

A government panel to promote reconstruction looked it over on Tuesday, considering changes in the situation of disaster-stricken areas and progress in rebuilding efforts.

The panel decided to add a provision on the release of treated and diluted water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which began in August last year.

Water used to cool molten fuel at the plant mixes with rain and groundwater. The accumulated water is treated to remove most radioactive substances, but still contains tritium.

Before releasing the treated water into the ocean, the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, dilutes it to reduce the tritium levels to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's guidance level for drinking water.

The basic policy now urges the government as a whole to secure the safety of the discharge procedure and ensure accessibility of highly transparent, scientifically grounded information on the matter.

The panel also noted the establishment of special residential zone framework last June, where residents who were evacuated after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi could return to live.

The basic policy explicitly states that the government will continue decontamination work in the zones and lift the evacuation order in phases.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio indicated his government will start considering measures for after fiscal 2026, when current reconstruction programs based on the policy end.

He instructed relevant Cabinet ministers to continue efforts to reconstruct northeastern Japan's Tohoku region, saying there will be no revival for the country.