A Japanese politician who offended the people of Fukushima with a suggestion they could be bought off to accept a radioactive waste dump has apologized.

Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara visited Fukushima today to make amends.

Ishihara last week said talks on building waste storage units could be resolved, quote, "with money."

Ishihara apologized to the mayor of Okuma in Fukushima where Japan’s government wants to locate temporary storage for contaminated soil.

The mayor said residents were hurt by the remark but would accept his apology.

Ishihara also met with the mayor of another candidate site as well as the governor of Fukushima, who asked him to re-acknowledge the waste issue as a national concern.