Japan to OK nuclear plant return while pushing to close old reactors

A man on vacation dives into the sea as Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Mihama nuclear power plant is seen in the background in Mihama town, Fukui prefecture, July 2, 2011. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is set to give the go-ahead to restart its idled nuclear industry just as it moves to definitively close some of its oldest reactors, launching a cull of the long-monolithic industry.

As Japan nears the end of its first full year without nuclear power since 1966, regulators are expected to give final safety approval on Wednesday to restart a power station in the south of the country.