The announcement came on Monday despite the public's disdain for nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster in 2011.

Nuclear plant operators have loaded atomic fuel into the No. 1 reactor at the Sendai station, located 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from Tokyo. A Kyushu Electric Power spokeswoman announced the 31-year-old reactor would be operating at full capacity by Tuesday.

Government's push for nuclear

The relaunch follows events at the Fukushima plant four and a half years ago. A tsunami caused by an earthquake triggered meltdowns at the facility, unleashing the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

The remaining 48 commercial reactors have been turned off since the Fukushima incident, with the exception of two reactors temporarily used to meet the country's energy needs. The island nation has few natural resources and once relied on atomic energy to meet a quarter of its energy demands.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is eager to return to nuclear power, as are the energy companies who own the plants. The right-wing conservative government has been replacing lost capacity with imported fossil fuels.

Citizens resist

The public remain unconvinced of atomic energy's safety after Fukushima. Recent polls indicate a majority of Japanese citizens oppose the relaunch, with citizens trying to block the restart in court.

Officials have emphasized the new safety measures and tighter regulations for reactors imposed since the 2011 meltdown.

Monday's announcement was met with 400 demonstrators at the Sendai plant.

"I can never tolerate this," a protestor told local television. "I cannot stand they are resuming the reactor when the Fukushima nuclear accident remains far from being solved."

Returning to Fukushima

The government informed residents of Naraha, a Fukushima town, last month that the current evacuation order in place since 2011 will be lifted.

The 7,400 residents will be the first evacuees to return home. The entire populations of seven municipalities were forced to leave after the disaster.

Concerns over radiation and a lack of medical care have raised questions as to how many evacuees will return to Naraha.

The cost of compensating Fukushima's victims has hit more than $57 billion (51.95 billion euros) and is expected to increase. The total excludes the money spent decommissioning nuclear reactors.

kb/kms (AFP, dpa)