Prime Minister Naoto Kan paid a third visit to Japan's quake- and tsunami-ravished north Sunday and told residents that the government will do whatever it can to help them.
Mr. Kan also talked with Japanese and U.S. military officials and commended them on their cooperation. The visit came as the two forces mounted a second effort to find some of the 15,000 people still missing after the March 11 disaster.
On Saturday, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda surveyed the region and told reporters later in Tokyo that working conditions at the Fukushima nuclear plant had improved, but warned the crisis was still far from over.
Kaieda's visit came the same day that Japan's nuclear watchdog tightened regulations to prevent future crises.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Saturday all nuclear facilities will now have two emergency backup generators instead of one.
The disaster knocked out the Fukushima plant's backup power generators, preventing workers from cooling the nuclear reactors.
The government has imposed a 20-kilometer evacuation cordon around the plant because of concerns about radiation.
The death toll from the quake and tsunami has climbed past 12,700. Japan's NHK television reports 150,000 people are still living in temporary shelters.