THE operator of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in western Japan said today that a "minute" amount of radiation leaked into the environment, Kyodo News reported.

A reactor at the plant, 220 miles west of Tokyo, was shut Saturday for an inspection.

Earlier this month, the operator, Japan Atomic Power Co., reported a rise in radiation levels, possibly caused by leaks from fuel rods into cooling water. It said at the time that no radiation was leaked into the environment.

The radiation leak added to concerns over the state of Japan's nuclear industry. Workers at the Fukushima plant were continuing to grapple with the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The government last week ordered that the Hamaoka plant, located on a major fault line 125 miles west of the capital, be shut pending safety improvements. Its operator, Chubu Electric Power Co, agreed today to the request at a board meeting.

"We consider that the prime minister's request was very serious," company president Akihisa Mizuno said.

Mizuno told a news conference that "we will implement reinforcement measures against tsunamis and explain them to regain public trust," AFP reported.

Kan welcomed the swift response as satisfactory, saying, "The government for itself will see to it that there will be no shortage of electricity overall."

But there was embarrassment for Kan's Democratic Party of Japan after the deputy head of its quake-tsunami taskforce resigned today after being pictured playing golf in the Philippines, according to Kyodo News.

Originally published as Radiation leak at Japanese nuclear plant