The new governor of Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture said Wednesday he will freeze the planned construction of a nuclear power plant in the western Japanese prefecture, Kyodo News reported.

Shigetaro Yamamoto told reporters shortly after assuming his post Wednesday that the freezing of the plan to construct the Kaminoseki nuclear power plant by Chugoku Electric Power Co will continue unless Japan's central government works out a new energy policy.

Japan's central government has been working on a new energy policy, including Japan's future reliance on nuclear power, in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster triggered by the big earthquake and ensuing tsunami last March.

Following the Fukushima disaster, Chugoku Electric Power Co suspended its landfill construction work at Kaminoseki.

Yamamoto said he will "take on the view" of his predecessor Sekinari Nii, who decided not to extend a license granted to Chugoku Electric Power Co. for the reclamation of land for a site planned for the Kaminoseki plant.The license is set to expire this October. After the expiration, the utility would need to obtain a license again to move forward on its plan to build the Kaminoseki plant.