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Prime Minister Naoto Kan meets reporters at his office on May 18. (Mainichi)

Prime Minister Naoto Kan on May 18 suggested that the government would consider splitting up the generation and distribution of power -- tasks now performed single-handedly by Japan's 10 power companies.

Kan's suggestion comes as Japan looks to review power companies' regional monopolies in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, and boost the use of natural energy, which requires a model of local power generation and wider distribution.

"In the communications industry, too, there are moves where regional monopolies are broken up, and we want to debate the issue with consideration to the situation," Kan told a news conference on May 18.

Kan earlier announced plans to boost the nation's use of renewable natural energy including solar and wind power. He said discussion on how to introduce these forms of energy was needed.

"The generation of natural energy is something that is split up over various regions. When introducing this on a large scale, we should discuss what new preparation we will need," he said.

It is believed that the government is looking to reduce the nation's reliance on nuclear power, which requires major capital spending, and turn toward the introduction of natural energy, which can operate on a smaller scale -- and in line with this consider splitting up power generation and distribution.

"We must fundamentally review the government's nuclear power policy of the past years. At meetings of the committee that will soon be set up to investigate the nuclear crisis, we want to settle on the direction of fundamental countermeasures," Kan said.

He also pointed out that the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which has been promoting nuclear power, and said he would consider pulling the agency out of the ministry.

He said nuclear reactors that had been stopped for inspections would be restarted once emergency safety measures were firmly in place and the safety of plants was confirmed. He added that he hoped to let people who had evacuated their homes near the Fukushima plant know when they could return as early as January next year.

"We hope to bring the nuclear reactors to a cold shutdown no later than mid-January next year. If we can do that we will be able to let people know when they can return to their homes," he said.