For the first time since the Fukushima disaster in 2011, a poll has found that a majority of respondents in Japan support restarting nuclear plants.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper conducted a national telephone survey in which 51% of respondents said they are in favour of resuming operations while 42% said they want nuclear plants to remain offline.

That marks “a staggering reversal” in public opinion, given that the annual polling showed a majority of respondents opposed restarting the plants for nearly a decade, the Asahi Shimbun said.