Japan will unveil plans as early as this week for a new atomic safety regulator which is expected to lead to tougher safety standards and higher costs for nuclear power operators.
The current watchdog's cosy ties with the industry was widely seen as a key contributing factor in Japan's failure to prevent the worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.
In an attempt to address this, the government plans to bring the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) together with another government advisory body to be placed under the Environment Agency, according to media reports. An announcement of that plan is expected on Friday.
The move could mean stricter rules, but experts warn that it alone will not ensure effective oversight of the increasingly unpopular nuclear industry, nor will it be enough to restore public faith in Japan's power companies.
"The key is if the new agency will not be independent just in appearance, but if it can actually secure its ability to regulate," said Hideaki Shiroyama, a professor at the University of Tokyo, speaking ahead of the media reports.
Damaged by the meltdowns at the Fukushima plant triggered by a huge quake and tsunami in March, public trust has since been shattered by reports of poor planning and safety lapses that happened before the disaster.
Suspicion deepened further last week after central Japanese utility Chubu Electric Power Co revealed that NISA had asked it to recruit local residents to attend a public forum to manipulate the outcome of a debate on nuclear power in 2007.
"Regulators until now have been reliant on utilities and did not need to be so proactive. But if the they are going to regulate on their own, then the big issue is how to guarantee their capabilities, sensitivities and resources," Mr Shiroyama said.
Prime minister Naoto Kan has said Japan should wean itself from dependence on nuclear power, although for now it needs to rely on nuclear reactors to avoid power shortages that would harm a fragile economy.
A recent poll showed some 70 per cent of Japanese voters backing Mr Kan's call.
Reuters