Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says his government will continue urging China to lift its suspension of Japanese seafood imports.
Kishida spoke to reporters on Monday after attending a ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which triggered the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
China stopped imports of Japanese marine products last August after Tokyo Electric Power Company began releasing treated and diluted water from the plant into the sea.
Kishida said restrictions that lack scientific grounds must not be tolerated, and vowed to continue demanding Beijing lift the measure immediately.
He added that his government will try to diversify seafood export destinations and expand domestic consumption. He expressed willingness to provide support for the fisheries industry across the country.
Kishida also touched on the leak of untreated water from a filtering device at the plant last month.
He demanded that the plant operator take steps to prevent a recurrence. He also said the government must exercise leadership to improve safety at the plant.
The prime minister said he remains committed to fulfilling Fukushima's reconstruction, including the lifting of all evacuation orders issued to "difficult-to-return zones" near the plant.