Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant on Thursday, video broadcast by its operator Tepco showed.

"Now, valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening," a Tepco official said via a video link from the site broadcast at the company's Tokyo headquarters.

The water release comes as concerns and opposition persist among Japanese fishermen as well as in neighbouring countries and Pacific island nations.

Beijing on Thursday slammed the release of wastewater from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, branding it "extremely selfish and irresponsible".

"The ocean is the common property of all humanity, and forcibly starting the discharge of Fukushima's nuclear wastewater into the ocean is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act that ignores international public interests," a statement released by the Foreign Ministry said.

Tepco said it plans to carry out the first round of release over 17 days to discharge 7,800 tonnes of the wastewater.

Ahead of the operation, about 10 people held a protest near the site and around 100 others gathered outside Tepco headquarters in Tokyo.

"It's like dumping an atomic bomb in the ocean. Japan is the first country that was attacked with an atomic bomb in the world, and the prime minister of the country made this decision," said Kenichi Sato, 68. (AFP/Xinhua)
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Last updated: 2023-08-24 HKT 12:52