Japan's industry ministry has compiled a draft outline on the development of the next-generation nuclear power system which will see the updating of existing reactors.
The government indicated in August that it would present a draft by the end of the year. It had previously said it was not expecting to build new reactors.
A court in western Japan has nullified regulatory approval for the operation of two nuclear reactors in the first such decision since regulations were tightened following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
The Osaka District Court on Friday handed down the ruling in a lawsuit over the Number 3 and Number 4 reactors at the Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.
Japan now has 16 reactors at nine nuclear power plants that have cleared government requirements adopted after the 2011 Fukushima accident.
The No.2 reactor at Tohoku Electric Power Company's Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture, and the reactor at Japan Atomic Power Company's Tokai No.2 plant in Ibaraki Prefecture were affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Tokai No.2 has yet to win local consent to restart.
The operator of a nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan says it will restart two offline reactors about one month earlier than planned.
It says progress in building additional mandatory safety systems was faster than expected.
Work to extend the operational life of two aging nuclear reactors in Japan is expected to be completed on Friday.
The No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear power plant turns 44 years old in December, and the No. 1 reactor at the Takahama plant will be 46 years old in November. Both are in Fukui Prefecture and run by Kansai Electric Power Company, or KEPCO.
A Japanese high court has turned down a request to halt two reactors at a nuclear power plant in central Japan.
The Osaka High Court on Thursday dismissed an injunction to suspend operations of the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Ohi plant in Fukui Prefecture. The plant is operated by Kansai Electric Power Company.