Japan has partially approved a plan - without a specific deadline - to phase out nuclear power after last year's Fukushima disaster, officials say.

It unveiled the plan to drop nuclear energy by the 2030s on Friday, but its feasibility was opposed by the business sector.

The government has also launched a new nuclear safety regulatory agency.

Nuclear power has become a key public issue after a tsunami led to a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plants.

Before the nuclear disaster in March 2011, Japan had wanted to raise its nuclear energy use to 50% by 2030.

Under the country's new energy policy, there would be a shift towards the use of renewable energy, as well as oil, coal and gas for its power needs.

"But whether we can become nuclear-free by the 2030s is not something to be achieved only with a decision by policy makers," Trade Minister Yukio Edano, who also oversees the energy portfolio, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

"It also depends on the will of [electricity] users, technological innovation and the environment for energy internationally in the next decade or two."

Under the policy, nuclear reactors would be shut down after 40 years and new ones would no longer be built.

Reactors may also be restarted before they are phased out, but only if they meet strict safety standards from a new regulatory agency.

Meanwhile, the new Nuclear Regulation Authority has also been launched after delays, in response to criticism that collusion between nuclear regulators and plant operators contributed to the Fukushima disaster.

However, critics say that the agency lacks real powers and its new head is a nuclear industry insider.

Nuclear plants were shut down for safety checks in the wake of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami which led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The restart of reactors in the town of Ohi in July sparked large public protests.

BBC