As the crisis continues at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and thousands of people remain evacuated due to radiation fears, public sentiment has turned against allowing reactors idled for regular checks at power stations nationwide to be restarted.

To ease public safety concerns, the government has ordered stress tests be carried out on all reactors.

And with Prime Minister Naoto Kan's remarks last week that Japan should become a society that doesn't rely on nuclear energy, the overall sentiment against atomic power is gaining traction.