Tokyo ( CNN ) -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said he was overwhelmed and afraid during last year 's nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant , acknowledging that little has been done since then to ensure that another nuclear disaster will not occur . Sounding like a fiery anti-nuclear activist , Kan Monday testified before a panel appointed by parliament to investigate the nuclear disaster . `` There was n't much information coming to me '' from the government regulatory agency , NISA , or the plant 's operator , TEPCO , Kan said . `` I thought I could n't make any countermeasures in this crisis . I felt fear . '' During his testimony , Kan turned a critical finger on himself , Japan 's bureaucrats and TEPCO , saying all were hoping the situation would not spiral more out of control . He said all often were more worried about protecting their jobs and turf than public safety . Kan specifically pointed to a request from TEPCO to evacuate the Fukushima plant -- a request he refused . `` The worst case scenario was that 30 million people would have to evacuate from the capital ( Tokyo ) , '' Kan told the panel . `` That would come to within one inch of the end of this nation . '' Kan said he did his best to share information with the public , but admitted there were n't many verified facts to share . Over the weekend , Yukio Edano , Kan 's former chief cabinet secretary , testified that his office rejected a U.S. offer to supply nuclear experts , saying it was `` not appropriate . '' Kan told the panel that he heard about the U.S. offer after the fact , but supported Edano 's decision . Kan also spoke about Japan 's so-called `` nuclear village . '' That 's the term used to describe the utilities , nuclear regulators , bureaucrats and academics who support the usage of nuclear energy in Japan . It 's a group Kan said shows no remorse for the disaster . The first priority of Japan 's new nuclear policy should be to dismantle the power of the nuclear village , along with all nuclear power plants , Kan said . `` I would like to say to the Japanese and to the world -- the safest nuclear policy is not to have any nuclear plants . ''
He says his government refused the help of U.S. nuclear companies . TEPCO wanted to evacuate its power plant during the meltdown , he said . ` ` The safest nuclear policy is not to have any nuclear plants , '' according to Kan. He testified before a parliamentary committee twice .