The water, which contains hard-to-remove tritium, is expected to be discharged to the ocean from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant as early as next spring.
"We will make use of research and development, industrialization and human resources development to accelerate Fukushima's creative reconstruction," the prime minister said.
Although residents are now allowed to return home to Futaba, over 80% of the municipality, by acreage, remains designated as "difficult-to-return" zones.