A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has started a safety review of Japan's program to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean after dilution.

The 15-member team consists of IAEA officials and international experts.

They exchanged views with officials of the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and relevant government officials in Tokyo on Monday.

The team's leader told them that experts from other countries, including Japan's neighbors China and South Korea, are among its members.

He said he hopes to demonstrate that the IAEA's review is being carried out in an "objective, credible and science-based manner."

Water used to cool molten nuclear fuel at the plant, mixed with groundwater and rainwater, is treated to remove most radioactive materials and then stored in tanks, which are now almost full.

The Japanese government plans to dilute the treated water containing tritium and other radioactive substances to levels below the national regulatory standards and start discharging it around the spring of 2023.

Tokyo Electric Power plans to dig an undersea tunnel to release the water about 1 kilometer offshore.

The local fisheries industry has voiced serious concern about the reputational damage to marine products. China and South Korea have expressed opposition to the plan.

The IAEA team is scheduled to begin inspecting the preparations at the Fukushima Daiichi plant on Tuesday. It plans to draw up an interim report by the end of this year.