Japan will take firm steps to restart idled nuclear power plants to make maximum use of nuclear power to stabilise energy prices and supply, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Friday.

"With priority in safety, we will take concrete steps to restart (plants), while the government is not considering to replace" existing nuclear power plants with newer facilities, Kishida told parliament.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)