The Japanese minister in charge of national strategy said a new generation of smaller nuclear reactors might be the answer for a country traumatized by the March Fukushima Daiichi crisis, at a time when much of the nation is looking toward a nuclear-free future.

National Policy Minister Koichiro Gemba -- who is responsible for helping to craft energy policy -- said that despite the bitterness following the accident at the nuclear-power plant, Japan should consider the use of what are known as microreactors, as a way to help bridge the electricity shortages that plague the industrial sector.

"The development of microreactors isn't incompatible with the goal of achieving a more distributed power supply," Mr. Gemba said in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal.

His push for smaller reactors comes as Japan grapples with the realities of Prime Minister Naoto Kan 's antinuclear push. Mr. Kan scrapped the previous strategy that called for a near doubling in nuclear power to more than 50% of Japan 's total electricity generation by 2030.

But while a shift away from nuclear power has gained popular support, Japan has little in the way of domestic deposits of coal, natural gas or oil to meet its power needs, and alternative-energy solutions appear inadequate.

Mr. Kan also is expected to resign in coming weeks, making his goal uncertain.

Japanese officials have continued to explore nuclear-power options despite opposition to them. A consultative body to Banri Kaieda, the minister who oversees Japan 's nuclear-power industry, last month said that abandoning technology under development for smaller nuclear reactors and other alternatives would be a waste.

Keiji Miyazaki, professor emeritus of Osaka University , said smaller reactors have cost disadvantages but are worth considering as part of the future energy mix. Microreactors are expensive to operate because the systems to power a reactor cost about the same no matter the size of the unit. This means that unit costs will be much higher than for the reactors typically used in Japan .

Microreactors are next-generation reactors that generate less heat and are capable of cooling themselves without the use of an external power supply, a key vulnerability in the Fukushima disaster, as the units overheated due to a lack of circulating water.

All three Japanese reactor makers -- Hitachi Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., and Toshiba Corp. -- are pursuing them, Toshiba in particular. The concept, however, is still in the development phase. Toshiba has said it is looking to market such reactors later this decade.

Mr. Gemba said he believes Japan should look to "distributed power generation" where electricity is generated by an interconnected network of small and midsize producers.

The concept is an antithesis to the current Japanese system, which is based on constructing large nuclear plants in remote rural areas to produce electricity for large cities.

The 47-year-old Mr. Gemba -- who was born in Fukushima prefecture and represents a district near the stricken plant -- said he has based his recommendation on the spate of local complaints that have emerged since the March disaster.

He said it is directed more at energy policies set by the central government with little regard for local concerns, rather than at promoting nuclear power. He continues to call for less reliance on nuclear energy.

Since March 11, at least five reactors have been kept from restarting even after their regular maintenance checks were completed, as local communities refused to allow their reopening.

"The newer the reactors are safer," Mr. Gemba said. "The safety of nuclear plants would be improved by replacing older reactors with newer ones," he added.

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