TOKYO—As the Japanese government pushes to restart a pair of nuclear reactors, critics and some experts warn that safety measures may be taking a back seat to the desire to power a fragile Japanese economic recovery through the peak demand summer months.

This week, such concerns prompted 117 lawmakers from Japan's ruling party to submit a petition to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urging "greater caution'' over restarting the reactors.

The focus of attention is on the No. 3 and 4 units at the Oi power plant in Fukui prefecture, western Japan. Of the country's 50 nuclear reactors, all of which are currently offline amid safety concerns, these are the first in line to be restarted, and the government could start the process as early as this week.
[link to online.wsj.com]