Noda visited for the first time the No. 4 reactor of the plant, which was crippled by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March last year, to see progress in the decommissioning project for the reactor.

The premier also plans to look at decontamination work and other recovery efforts at the Fukushima nuclear plant. This is his second inspection of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO).

Last year Japan was hit by a massive 9.0-magnitude quake which caused a tsunami, claiming about 19,000 lives and triggering a number of explosions at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

The tsunami caused a partial meltdown at three of the nuclear plant’s reactors. Radiation leaked into the atmosphere, soil and seawater, becoming the world's worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl.

According to scientists, Japan will need at least 30 years to recover fully from the nuclear catastrophe.