A local governor in Japan has given final approval to restart a nuclear power plant in the south of the country, the first to resume operations under new safety rules.

Kagoshima governor Yuichiro Ito said restarting two reactors at Sendai Nuclear Power Station would happen even though some local residents have concerns.

All 48 workable reactors in Japan have been off line for safety checks or repairs since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, except for two that have temporarily operated for about a year.

Sendai would be the first to restart under safety rules imposed after the Fukushima crisis.

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